MEDIA RELEASE
Friday 13th July, 2007
DJ Mzo from Gagasi 99.5FM, leading Australian music acts Evermore and Bliss ‘n Eso, and MTV cameras shooting a unique documentary will headline the launch of ‘Aussie Rules’ football and the Footy Wild™ program in Umlazi.
Please click the attachment for more details
Categories: Australian Volunteers · Clinics · Development · Events · KwaZulu Natal · Programs
By Phindile Khambule
05 July 2007
For the first time in its brief history, AFL South Africa is currently hosting a school group from Australia. Geelong College, one of Australia’s premier private schools from the State of Victoria is the first educational institution to visit the rainbow nation. The school students, aged 17-18 years, have flown over 10,000 kilometres to experience footy and netball on foreign shores.
Geelong College arrived in Johannesburg at O.R Tambo International airport to be welcomed by the very cold winter of South Africa. On day one, they drove through to Potchefstroom to view AFL South Africa’s Head offices and the wonderful facilities at Sedgars Park taking time out for a kick through the full size footy goal-posts.
“The footballers were genuinely surprised to find that away from home, there is another country that is really embracing the Australian game and even have facilities as good as back home,” said North West Provincial Development Manager July Machethe.
This was a time for introductions as the Geelong group were made welcome by the AFL South Africa team who were hell-bent on making sure that they enjoy their stay in South Africa
The Geelong College boys and girls both had the opportunity to undergo a “Footywild” training workshop to enable them to run the Footywild clinics. Footywild is ’s answer to AFL Auskick, aimed at 8 – 13 years olds boys and girls.
That afternoon, the College conducted Footywild clinics in Ikageng Township about 10km out of Potchefstroom, with about 70 kids participating.
“The College readily integrated with the South African kids, playing footy together and sharing a smile. It was amazing to see the Geelong boys and girls teach the Big 5 skills to our South African kids”, said July.
Geelong has certainly been part of history, as they have became the first team to play against all four regions of the North West Province. In total, the College played three games of footy and four netball matches. The matches took place in the Southern Region – Potchefstroom, Bojanala – Rustenburg, Central Region – Mafikeng and Bophirima – Vryburg.
“Collectively we have seen about 250 participants enjoying the experience, consisting of footballers, netballers, umpires, coaches, local volunteers and township kids”, said July. “Everyone has contributed to making the first Australian school tour to South Africa a great success. Visits like this are very important to the growth of sport in this country”, he said. “The combination of Footy and Netball is something that the AFL and AFL South Africa is looking to build on. It was great to see the local girls and boys building friendships with the Geelong College players of both genders – everyone learned from each other, making for some wonderful cross-cultural moments”, added July. After each match the Geelong College entourage has been treated to some of the local entertainment, highlighted by traditional dancers, who were only too keen to engage with the visitors.
“Best hospitality in South Africa-our home away from home. Everything was amazing-the culture, the life style and most of all the football and netball! Very inspiring people and athletes!” said Geelong College tour leader Jane Utting.
AFL South Africa is very keen to ensure that visits of this nature take place on an annual basis.
The Football Scores:
Geelong College 106 vs. Potchefstroom 23
Geelong College 100 vs. Mafikeng 39
Geelong College 107 vs. Vryburg 59
The Netball Scores:
Potchefstroom 27 def. Geelong College 15
Rustenburg 31 def. Geelong College 21
Geelong College vs. Mafikeng – Friendly Mixed game
Geelong College 32 def. Vryburg 18
Categories: Australian Volunteers · Clinics · Development · Events · Festivals · Iternational Tours · North West · Senior Competions · South African Volunteers · Western Cape
By Stephen Rielly www.realfooty.com.au
04 July 2007
NOTWITHSTANDING the relative success of the Irish experiment and the remarkable individual stories of Dublin’s Jim Stynes, Kerry’s Tadhg Kennelly and, of late, County Down’s Martin Clarke, South Africa has become the AFL’s preferred international recruiting field of the future.
This much was confirmed last week when a partnership with a South African company controlled by Geelong president Frank Costa was announced in the Johannesburg town of Alexandra.
The partnership, between AFL South Africa and Costa Logistics, will underpin the immediate roll-out of an AusKick-like development program, FootyWild, across four provinces. The AFL hopes it will produce 30,000 participants between the ages of eight and 18 by the end of 2009. If that figure is reached, South Africa will have a player base similar to that of Tasmania.
The AFL’s game development manager, David Matthews, said yesterday that being able to introduce Australian football to a foreign country without compromises or modifications — combined with South Africa’s enthusiasm to bring about social change through sport — made the export a development priority for the league. “It’s now clearly our priority international market. We’re going to South Africa unashamedly. With an Australian football, an oval ball, in our hands and grounds, because of cricket, that are comparable to our own,” Matthews said.
Which is why, next summer, Carlton, Collingwood and Fremantle are expected to conduct pre-season camps in South Africa and two of those sides will play a pre-season cup match there. “We’re finalising plans for that game now,” Matthews said.
The AFL has committed $400,000 a year for three years to AFL South Africa, with four AFL clubs (Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle and West Coast) expected to pay $40,000 each for exclusive development rights in a province. With partnership funds from the likes of Costa’s firm, Tattersalls and the South African Government, the overall development budget is close to $1 million a year.
The funds will employ as many as 10 development officers this year, who will be expected to take FootyWild to at least 80 schools and start to establish talent identification programs at under-13, under-16 and open-age level and an elite AFL South Africa Academy for potential draftees.
The AFL has sought to make South Africa more attractive as a potential source of AFL players by introducing an international scholarship scheme that creates a place for a South African draftee on club lists and allows them to be signed as early as 15. Irish players, by contrast, cannot be signed until they are 18.
“What Collingwood has been able to achieve with Martin Clarke, they could achieve again and more in South Africa because the players can be signed earlier,” Matthews said.
Categories: AFLSA Staff · Development · Events · Gauteng · North West · Programs · Special Thanks · Western Cape
Media Release
Monday, July 2
Alexandra sits in a dusty bowl in the heart of Johannesburg, covering an area of about 7 square kilometres. Only 3 clicks away, lies Africa’s wealthiest suburban precinct of Sandton. From outside a shanty dwelling in “Alex” you can see the glimmering twin towers that reflect the wealthy image of Sandton, much the same way as the Harbour Bridge identifies Sydney, Australia. For the residents of Alex it all seems so close, yet so far away.
In terms of geography, Alex represents an area 25 times smaller than Sandton yet the population base is about the same.
“That’s a sobering thought when you consider that in some parts of Alex, 80,000 people live in one square kilometre, with 3 x 3 tin shacks housing entire families of 6 and more,” said AFL South Africa (AFLSA) Ambassador and Provincial Development Manager for the Gauteng Province Mtutuzeli Hlomela
So then, it was with a great deal of hope and goodwill that the fourth generation family-owned Australian company, Costa Logistics helped launch a unique social responsibility partnership with AFL South Africa in Alexandra on the weekend. FootyWild, The New Game That Roars, was unleashed on the shanty town with spectacular results.
Last Friday Mtutuzeli and his team combed the streets of Alex looking for youngsters aged 8-13 years that might like to try FootyWild, South Africa’s answer to AFL Auskick.
“The recent public service strike in South Africa has meant that schools have not been operational for over a month and it was obvious that these kids were crying out for some structured activity, “ said Mtutu. “We want to give these kids opportunity”.
The next day at a cricket ground overlooking the shanty township, more than 80 kids came out of the woodwork to experience all that is “raw and wild” about the great Australian game.
Costa Logistics staff were on hand to help teach the kids the BIG 5 Skills of Footy – Kicking a Super Goal (Kicking), Taking aSpeccie (Marking), Using your Hands to Create (Handball), Chase Tackling an Opponent (Defensive Skills) and even the Blind Turn (Evasive Skills).
“Costa Logistics South Africa is excited by the opportunity to partner with AFLSA in supporting the Footy Wild program for the next three years” said Chief Executive Officer Anthony Jackson. “The company sees the Footy Wild program as a unique way in which to have a positive impact on communities across the nation. Through daily and weekly programs, Footy Wild has the potential to engage children, their parents and community volunteers in an organised activity, focussed on developing both physical and social skills”, said Jackson
The Costa Logistics partnership is a National sponsorship arrangement extending across the four Provinces in which AFL South Africa is now working. The three year commitment, valued at approximately 3.6 million Rand, will provide participation opportunities for over 16,000 FootyWild participants by the end of 2009.
Importantly the partnership goes well beyond a cash injection with Costa Logistics providing Gauteng office accommodation and support, training for AFLSA staff and even the possibility of a strong volunteer army to support the FootyWild program in Alexandra.
“AFL South Africa is delighted to have the Costa Group as the major partner of FootyWild”, said AFLSA Executive Officer Jean Verster. “We aim to embrace the Costa philosophy of “hiring for character, training for skill”, as we steadily build a team of committed local staff and volunteers that will become the cornerstone of our participation growth plans”, said Verster.
Categories: Clinics · Development · Events · Gauteng · Special Thanks
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