21 years of footy in Japan

The excellent website, World Footy News, has highlighted a story run in The Australian newspaper on 7 January 2009, Japan learns Aussie Rules.

Twenty one years ago, Essendon and Hawthorn played an exhibition match in Japan. For the curtain raiser, Peter Wilson, a journalist with the then Sun News Pictorial, was asked to form and coach a Japanese team. The players would come from Japan’s two most famous universities, Keio and Waseda. Alas, none of them had ever played before.

The VFL turned down Peter’s requests for some support in training these new recruits. The VFL’s priority was the television rights for the main game. Even though the players came from Japan’s two most prestigious universities, the Australian Embassy could not see any potential trade benefits.

Nevertheless, the players and coach soldiered on. Eventually their big day came at Yokohama Stadium in front of a crowd of 15,000. Apparently, Allan Jeans and Kevin Sheedy were pleasantly surprised with the skill level.

Peter expected that that would be the end of the footy experiment – but not the players. They wanted to kick on and kick on they have. QBE Insurance – which has also supported the Vietnam Swans – and the Fitzroy Football Club offered some support to help it grow.

Peter points out that in addition to the on-field successes, off-field benefits have included friendships, access into Japanese society and commercial trade with Australia.

Teams are now spread out across Japan and two Japanese players now play semi-professionally in Australia.

Each year, the Japanese version of the Brownlow is held at a “swish hotel with black ties and elegant dresses”. Last year, the eighth annual Peter Wilson Medal was awarded.

Click on Japan learns Aussie Rules to read the full story about this great story.

Coincidentally, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Swans duo of Willy and Potsy are running an Auskick program. One of the participants is Japanese – and he has some genuinely amazingly silky footy skills!