Geelong College the first School to visit North West “The Platinum Province”

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

AFL chiefs look to South Africa

By Stephen Rielly http://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.

COLLINGWOOD CEO VISITS CAPE TOWN TOWNSHIP

By Allison Simons
28 June 2007

Gary Pert, CEO of Collingwood Football Club in Melbourne ,Australia, and his wife, Andi, spent an afternoon in Khayelitsha on Wednesday 20th June with approximately 60 kids from the local area who were participating in a mini-Footy Wild clinic conducted by AFL South Africa. The clinic was organized by Vusi Madalane, the newly appointed Khayelithsa Community Development Officer for AFL South Africa, in conjunction with Mazizi Sifanelo, the Nyanga Community Development Officer and a host of volunteers recruited from Khayelitsha and other townships in the Cape Town area.

The clinic was conducted at the picturesque Khayelitsha Cricket Oval and the kids were taught the basic skills of footy by Vusi and his team. Following this, the kids were given the opportunity to display the new skills that they had learnt in several 12-a-side matches.

“The skill displayed by this group of youngster is very impressive, especially given the fact that many of them were completely new to the game” said Allison Simons, the Western Cape Provincial Development Manager.“I am pleased that Gary and Andi were able to attend the clinic and see for themselves the potential that Cape Town has to offer.

Collingwood Football Club has shown a considerable amount of interest in the activities of AFL South Africa in Cape Town and are in the process of negotiating a partnership with AFL South Africa which will see them adopting the Western Cape as their exclusive South African Development Zone. This partnership will not only see a sharing of resources, skills and knowledge between the two organizations but also provides an opportunity for talented young Cape Town boys to be recognized and developed as potential professional players .

Western Cape now on the Footy Map

May 18, 2004

By Steven Harrison.

Students from picturesque Stellenbosch University participated in their first ever game of Australian Football last Saturday. Twenty five players participated in an introductory skills session, followed by a well contested match. Australian Football was last played in the Western Cape in 1998 when two Australian professional teams, the Brisbane Lions and the Fremantle Dockers, played at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, as part of the AFL pre season competition.

Saturday’s game was Western Cape’s first ‘grass roots’ Footy game, played at Stellenbosch University, approximately 50km from Cape Town in Western Cape’s winery district. Stellenbosch University is one of South Africa’s largest universities, and has produced many Springbok Rugby players.

All of last Saturday’s participants either play or have played Rugby, and they enjoyed the physical nature of the game. Footy South Africa’s Head Development Officer, Mtutuzeli Hlomela was impressed with what he saw. “There is an obvious advantage for those who’ve played Rugby. The way they attack the ball is very good.” Hlomela said.

Kobus Smit, who was ‘Best On Ground’ in his first game of Footy was also the Captain of Western Cape in the 2000 Craven Week Rugby Competition, South Africa’s prestigious under age competition.

Both the players and the facilitators of last Saturday’s event are looking to eventually form the Western Cape Australian Football League, and include the Western Cape in Footy South Africa’s Inter-Provincial Championships next year, to compete with Gauteng and reigning champions North West.

South African Lawyer Christopher David, who played a major role in attracting players for the event, believes the potential for Footy in this area is strong. “A hostels competition is planned for later this year, and I think we’ll see many more players become interested in this game.” He said.

Lotto Funding Success

April 22, 2004
By Steven Harrison

Footy South Africa has been boosted by successfully obtaining South African Lotteries funding for season 2004-2005 for R394,000. The money will be split between the four districts of the North West Province and will provide for equipment and training workshops.

The funding will enable a significant growth in the numbers of young people playing Australian Football. At present, 300 hundred people in South Africa play, coach and umpire the great game.

The Lotto funding adds to the Tattersalls grant of R150, 000, the AFL Grant of R100, 000 and the North West Academy of Sport R100, 000. There is also significant support from SCORE, Australian Volunteers International(AVI), and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs.

Footy South Africa will also prepare a development plan for the AFL to extend in to other provinces. Gauteng already has two teams in Pretoria and Johannesburg and is challenging the North West Province in the first ever Inter Provincial game on Saturday April 24 in Mafikeng.

Other provinces Footy South Africa are likely to target are Limpopo, Western Cape and Free State, although all provinces will be considered.