Minister Stephen Conroy receives sumbmission from Asian footy clubs

On Friday, 1 July 2011, Vietnam Swans’ National President, Phil Johns, forwarded a submission to the Minister for Communications, Stephen Conroy, on behalf of 26 Asian footy clubs. The submission was with regard to the televising of AFL matches on Australia Network.

Dear Minister

On behalf of the Asian Australian Football Clubs based across Asia that have co-signed this submission, I write with regard to the proposed cuts to the AFL telecasts on the Australia Network.

We understand from an article in the Australian newspaper on Friday, 24 June 2011, that your Department will now deliberate on this matter rather than the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

This matter has galvanisd Australian interests across the region. By way of example, for your information, I also attach the submission dated 21 June, 2011, that was lodged by Australia Business Asia (which represents 16 Australian Chambers of Commerce and Business Councils in Asia).

So what is the value of telecasting Australia’s Signature Sport into Asia given Aussie Rules is “only played in Australia”? Lots.  Aussie Rules does get noticed in Asia and, as Australia’s Signature Sport, that means Australia gets noticed.

Aussie Rules is “only played in Australia”.

This is actually incorrect. Aussie Rules is actively played across Asia: from East Timor to Dhaka; from Jakarta to Japan:

Each country in North East and South East Asia has at least one Aussie Rules Club. These Clubs continually play Aussie Rules matches across the region against each other throughout the year. Perhaps the highlight is the Annual Asian Championship which is now in its 12th year. For your information, I have attached a copy of the prospectus for this year’s Championship which will be held in Bangkok between eleven countries.

Aussie Rules in Asia is “only played by Australian expats”.

While it is true that Australian expats form the nucleus of most Clubs, the Jakarta Bintangs have put 12,000 Indonesians through their Auskick program and have a local competition. The AFL has put 2,000 Chinese through its Auskick program. Footy started in Japan at two famous business universities, Keio and Waseda more than 20 years ago and now it has a thriving local competition. Other countries such as the Lao Elephants and Cambodian Eagles have strong numbers of locals playing in their expat teams.

Each Club across the region attracts large numbers of players from other nationalities – whether they come from Europe, America or Asia.

Each person who comes in contact with Australia’s Signature Sport comes in contact with Australia.

Meanwhile, next month, local teams from Japan, China, East Timor and Indonesia will all travel to Australia to compete in the AFL’s International Cup.

Australian expats are “too old and too slow to play football”.

Across Asia, we have lots of young and skilled players – and some older players. But that’s not the point. What makes the footy relevant in Asia is not the skill level; it’s the fact that we’re playing Australia’s Signature Sport in Asia. It stands out as a piece of Australia in a sea of soccer. If we played soccer, we would be invisible. Because we play footy, we’re very visible and connect with locals. We form relationships with people in our host countries, directly and indirectly, promoting Australia.

Another important aspect is that none of us came to Asia to play footy!

Rather, we came to Asia to work in corporates, NGOs, government missions and agencies as well as volunteer agencies. Often we work in quite senior – and influential – positions. The footy clubs are where we go after work. Once you find the Aussie Rules footy club, you find an amazing, trusted, influential and established network inside the host country. If you need a network in another Asian country, your footy club can give you access via that country’s footy club. Our “Asian Footy Multinational” has a branch office in each Asian country.

Significant events to promote Australia

ANZAC Day across the region is taking on greater significance. The Thailand Tigers have held an amazing commemorative match near Hellfire Pass for the past seven years. The Borneo Bears have hosted a match in Borneo for the past three. The Vietnam Swans have hosted a match in Vietnam for the past two years. More and more people are noticing – in Australia and in our host countries. We are using Aussie Rules to tell the Australian story to the local people and we are using our ANZAC matches to tell modern day Asian stories to our Australian audience. We are using footy to connect people and cultures.

For the live telecast of the AFL Grand Final, in most of the major cities across Asia, the footy clubs organise Grand Final Parties that can attract up to 1,000 people. A growing number of the attendees are local. Typically, they have had some previous connection with Australia whether it be through business, office colleagues, study in Australia, marriage, holidays etc.

What other “Australian event” is held in each of the major cities of Asia, each year, on the same day at the same time in such a coordinated manner?  And this is all done by volunteers.

Across the region, for one day, Australians and non Australians celebrate the packaging of Australia’s Signature Sport with great intensity. From these overcrowded Asian cities, people are in awe of the capacity of footy to draw 100,000 people into the MCG. The topic of the MCG then leads into a discussion about the quality of Australian engineering; the quality of Australian education; Australia as a tourism destination etc.

  • This year, the South China Football League was formed between the Guangzhou Scorpions, Macau Lightening and Hong Kong Dragons.
  • Regularly, the Royal Australian Navy visits ports in the region. These are high level official events and increasingly, the RAN is wanting to also play footy matches for recreation and to informally meet with people who live in country. Last month, the crew of HMAS DARWIN played a match against the Tokyo Goannas. In the next couple of months we are expecting another ship to play matches against the Singapore Wombats and the Vietnam Swans.
  • Two months ago the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA) travelled to Vietnam to host a global conference on drowning prevention. The Vietnam Swans Aussie Rules Club and partners convinced the RLSSA to support a Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day. On the day, we raised USD25,000 for local swimming initiatives. One Vietnamese gentleman bid $1,200 for a West Coast Eagles jumper because he had been to Melbourne recently and had seen first hand, the city’s passion for Aussie Rules.

Is the Australian Expat friend or foe of DFAT’s “intended target audience”?

As custodians of Australia’s Signature Sport in Asia, as well as occupying responsible, professional, positions in many sectors, we are, arguably, unofficial Australian ambassadors. Arguably, our footy clubs are Australia’s unofficial sporting/cultural embassies.

Because we live here in Asia, we inevitably form personal relationships with real local people from wide and varied backgrounds.

Australia Network has an “intended target audience”. We recognise that it has the capability to go direct. We also believe that the footy clubs and the Australian business chambers also have a significant role to play in creating a context for the Australia Network to reach that audience. The telecast of the AFL matches also gives us credibility and a context for the game that we play in Asia.

Each of these three “marketing vehicles” are impressive in their own right. However, the whole is greater when we are able to work collaboratively to jointly promote Australian interests.

Request

We the undersigned Australian Football Clubs from Asia respectfully request that the Department of Communications:

  • Recognises the positive work that is done by our Clubs in Asia to promote Australia.
  • Recognises that Australia’s Signature Sport, whether it is being televised from Australia into Asia, or being played on the ground around Asia, helps to promote Australia.
  • Ensures the continued telecast of AFL matches on the Australia Network in order to reach its intended target audience with the support of the Australian footy clubs and business chambers.

Yours sincerely

Phil Johns (National President, Vietnam Swans)
On behalf of the undersigned Asian Australian Football Clubs:

Bali Geckos, Beijing Bombers, Borneo Bears, Brunei Sharks, Cambodian Eagles, China Demons, China Reds, Dhaka Ducks, Guangzhou Scorpions, Hong Kong Dragons, Jakarta Bintangs, Lao Elephants, Macau Lightning, Malaysian Warriors, Nagoya Redbacks, Osaka Dingoes, Philippine Eagles, Shanghai Tigers, Singapore Wombats, Thailand Tigers, Timor Leste Crocs, Tokyo Goannas, Vietnam Swans

Cc

  • The Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs
  • The Hon. Dr Craig Emerson, MP, Minister for Trade
  • The Hon. Julie Bishop, MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
  • Mr Allaster Cox, Australian Ambassador, Hanoi, Vietnam
  • Mr Graeme Swift, Australian Consul General, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
  • Mr Tony Woods, International Development Manager, AFL
  • Mr John Dick, Chairman, Australia Business Asia

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