Australian rules football in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Australian rules football
in New Zealand
is currently a minority sport
in a nation where rugby union
is the national sport and predominant football
code. Australian rules has a history in New Zealand dating back to the late 1860s, however modern competition was commenced in 1974 and is played during the summer to avoid clashing with the rugby season.
The game is primarily organised in four provinces - Auckland
(Auckland Australian Football League
), Canterbury, New Zealand
(Canterbury Australian Football League
), Wellington (Wellington AFL
) and Waikato
(Waikato AFL
). A new Otago
league is currently in formation.
A number of New Zealanders have played the game at the highest level, the now fully professional Australian Football League
. Players developed in New Zealand have played semi-professionally in Australian state leagues.
New Zealand's national senior team were international champions in 2005, however still behind Australia having never beaten an Australian club at any level.
which greatly resembled Australian Rules Football and rugby.
The Christchurch Football club, founded in 1863 played football according to its own rules, one of which was to bounce the ball every 4 yards, very much similar to the modern game of Australian Football. The club adopted rugby rules in 1876.
Australian Football was introduced to New Zealand around 1868. The Nelson Football Club was formed this year and played a hybrid version of Victorian and Association (soccer) rules in its first two seasons. By the 1860s there was regular trade between New Zealand ports and Melbourne, and the Victorian (or Melbourne) rules would have been known by some of the immigrants . The Nelson Club were the first club in New Zealand to adopt Rugby
rules in 1870.
The Wellington Football Club was formed on 12 May 1871. The club initially adopted Melbourne rules, but soon switched to Rugby rules "principally for the reason that the clubs in adjoining provinces play under those rules, and as the club contemplate playing a match with the Nelson club before long the necessity of such a course is apparent." The last match played under Melbourne rules was on 24 June 1871. This was not the end of the matter, however, with the club for a short period in 1875 adding the Melbourne rule of bouncing the ball. The club soon after reverted to full Rugby rules .
The Dunedin Football Club, formed in 1872, initially played under its own rules. Shortly thereafter a second club in Dunedin, the Union Club, was formed and is thought to have adopted Victorian rules. Poor weather meant that few games were played in both the 1873 and 1874 seasons. The Dunedin Club adopted Association (soccer) rules in 1875, while the Union club retained Victorian rules. The clubs were able to compromise, and the first match between the clubs that year was played under Victorian rules on 19 June 1875. The return match was played under Association rules a few weeks later. In 1876 a hybrid match was played between the two clubs. The first half was played according to rugby rules, and the second half according to Victorian Rules.. By 1877 both clubs had adopted Rugby rules .
The first games of football in Auckland were played in 1870 with the rules being a mix of Victorian and Association. In 1873 the Auckland Football Club adopted Rugby rules following a visit by two members of the Wellington Club . At the 1874 AGM of the Auckland Football Club discussion continued around rules, with motions put to either adopt the Victorian Rules of 1866, or form a committee to consider other rules. These motions were defeated in favour of continuing with Rugby rules.
An Auckland team undertook the first inter-provincial Rugby tour in late 1875. This sparked additional interest in Rugby in regions such as Canterbury and Dunedin where several codes were being played. Ultimately the success of this led to further representative tours, and proved to be a catalyst for Rugby to become the dominant code in the main regions .
The Reform Football Club was formed in Wellington in 1879 to "play under the Victorian rules". In the same article several clubs are also reported to have been formed in Dunedin and one in Nelson. The Reform club's first practice match was held in the Hon. J. Sheehan's paddock, Hobson St, on 5 April 1879 in front of a "considerable number of spectators". The Reform club enjoyed a reasonable amount of press coverage throughout 1879. From 1880 there is very little mention of the club, and how long it was in existence is unknown.
The 1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team matches
saw a Māori team visit Victoria
, as part of a year long tour of the UK and Australia, to play a program of Victorian Rules games. The team plays 8 games, winning three and losing five. It defeated South Melbourne Football Club
, which at that stage was Victoria’s premier club.
After being virtually non existent since the 1880s, interest in Australian football was rekindled on the back of a wave of immigration from Australia in the first decade of the 20th century. In 1903 the ‘New Zealand Association of Australian Football’ was formed in Christchurch by a committee of expat Victorians.. The league had 4 clubs (City Wanderers, Sydenham, Woolston, and Imperial with a fifth, Carlton, formed a year later). By 1904 a number of leagues were being established throughout the country. In Wellington a league of five clubs was formed (City, Newtown, Petone, Wanderers and Federal) , and Auckland had three clubs in the new league
(Auckland Imperial, Victoria, and Austral football clubs).. Other centres also had clubs form in 1904 including Dunedin (Australian Pioneer Football Club), Kaitangata
(Wanderers), Waihi and Waikino.
Additional clubs were to join the Auckland league in the following years, including the Eden Football Club, who won back-to-back Auckland Australian Football League premierships in 1907 & 1908.
In 1905, two New Zealand representatives (one from the North Island and one from the South) attended the Australasian Football Conference where the Australasian Football Council was formed.
In 1908, New Zealand defeated both New South Wales
and Queensland
at the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival an event held to celebrate 50 years of Australian Football.
and the popularity of rugby union
signalled a hiatus in the game in New Zealand. No clubs survived after the war.
New Zealand was no longer represented and without any overseas delegates, the council reverted to the Australian Football Council.
Nevertheless, some efforts were made to rekindle interest in the code during these years.
In 1961, the Melbourne Football Club
toured New Zealand during its off season, becoming the first VFL/AFL club to do so.
(The Canterbury Australian Rules Football Association), Auckland
(Auckland Australian Football League) and Wellington
.
In 1995, the competition had grown sufficiently strong to field a national team, the Falcons.
The Arafura Games
gave the side the first opportunity to compete at an international level. In 1995, 1997 and 1999, New Zealand took the silver medal in Australian Football at the event in Darwin, Northern Territory
, running second to Papua New Guinea
.
In 1997, the New Zealand Australian Football Development Foundation (NZAFDF) was formed.
1998 saw the debut of New Zealand born Trent Croad
into the Australian Football League
, the beginnings of what is a successful career at elite level.
In 1999, NZAFDF incorporated as governing body and was renamed New Zealand AFL
.
exhibition matches
staged in New Zealand so that the AFL could gauge local support.
In the inaugural Australian Football International Cup
in 2002, New Zealand finished 3rd.
In 2003, local Aussie Rules convert Nick Evans debuted for the famous All Blacks
rugby union
side against England
.
2005 was a huge year for Australian Football in New Zealand. The national team, the Falcons defeated Papua New Guinea
to win the International Cup and were later invited to send a team to the Australian Country Championships.
Since 2004, there were talks of a New Zealand Australian Football League
franchise or club relocation as a possible expansion plan for the league. New Zealand fields teams in several Australian competitions in other football
codes including Super 14
rugby, the National Rugby League
and A-League
.
The country became considered as a 7th Australian state by the Australian Football League
's international development department.
2006 saw the first ever live regular season Australian rules football matches on television (the AFL) were shown by SKY Network Television
.
In November 2008, 17 year old Liam Ackland was invited to the AIS/AFL academy.
The Hawthorn Football Club
, which had been involved in New Zealand since about 2004 and at one in 2009 had 3 players from New Zealand on its senior list, stepped up its involvement in 2009 with development funding to set up a school competition, the "Hawks Cup", for recruiting and talent identification.
The sport boomed at junior levels after approved by the New Zealand Secondary Sports Council. Kurt Heatherley of Tauranga
accepted an AFL scholarship in 2010.
for Aussie Rules in New Zealand is the New Zealand AFL
.
. The Falcons were Silver medal
lists in the Arafura Games
in 1995 and 1997, runners up in the Australian Football International Cup
in 2002, then became International Cup champions in 2005.
competition.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
is currently a minority sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
in a nation where rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
is the national sport and predominant football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
code. Australian rules has a history in New Zealand dating back to the late 1860s, however modern competition was commenced in 1974 and is played during the summer to avoid clashing with the rugby season.
The game is primarily organised in four provinces - Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
(Auckland Australian Football League
Auckland Australian Football League
The Auckland Australian Football League , begun in 1974, is an Australian rules football competition in Auckland, New Zealand and is one of the leagues governed by New Zealand AFL....
), Canterbury, New Zealand
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
(Canterbury Australian Football League
Canterbury Australian Football League
The Canterbury Australian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by AFL New Zealand. The modern era of Australian Football in Christchurch can be traced back to the undaunting efforts of George Lanyon...
), Wellington (Wellington AFL
Wellington AFL
Wellington AFL is an Australian rules football competition in Wellington, New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by New Zealand AFL.-Current Clubs:*North City Demons *Hutt Valley Eagles*Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs *Wellington City Saints...
) and Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
(Waikato AFL
Waikato AFL
Waikato AFL is an Australian rules football competition in Waikato, New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by AFL New Zealand.-Representative Side:The representative side for the Waikato AFL is known as the Waikato Thunder....
). A new Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
league is currently in formation.
A number of New Zealanders have played the game at the highest level, the now fully professional Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Players developed in New Zealand have played semi-professionally in Australian state leagues.
New Zealand's national senior team were international champions in 2005, however still behind Australia having never beaten an Australian club at any level.
Beginnings
Before Europeans arrived in New Zealand, the Māori were playing a ball game called ki-o-rahiKi-o-rahi
Ki-o-rahi is a ball sport played in New Zealand with a small round ball called a 'ki'. The game is widely known in Māori communities and in scattered mainstream locations throughout the country. It is a fast-paced sport incorporating skills similar to Australian Rules, rugby union, netball and touch...
which greatly resembled Australian Rules Football and rugby.
The Christchurch Football club, founded in 1863 played football according to its own rules, one of which was to bounce the ball every 4 yards, very much similar to the modern game of Australian Football. The club adopted rugby rules in 1876.
Australian Football was introduced to New Zealand around 1868. The Nelson Football Club was formed this year and played a hybrid version of Victorian and Association (soccer) rules in its first two seasons. By the 1860s there was regular trade between New Zealand ports and Melbourne, and the Victorian (or Melbourne) rules would have been known by some of the immigrants . The Nelson Club were the first club in New Zealand to adopt Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
rules in 1870.
The Wellington Football Club was formed on 12 May 1871. The club initially adopted Melbourne rules, but soon switched to Rugby rules "principally for the reason that the clubs in adjoining provinces play under those rules, and as the club contemplate playing a match with the Nelson club before long the necessity of such a course is apparent." The last match played under Melbourne rules was on 24 June 1871. This was not the end of the matter, however, with the club for a short period in 1875 adding the Melbourne rule of bouncing the ball. The club soon after reverted to full Rugby rules .
The Dunedin Football Club, formed in 1872, initially played under its own rules. Shortly thereafter a second club in Dunedin, the Union Club, was formed and is thought to have adopted Victorian rules. Poor weather meant that few games were played in both the 1873 and 1874 seasons. The Dunedin Club adopted Association (soccer) rules in 1875, while the Union club retained Victorian rules. The clubs were able to compromise, and the first match between the clubs that year was played under Victorian rules on 19 June 1875. The return match was played under Association rules a few weeks later. In 1876 a hybrid match was played between the two clubs. The first half was played according to rugby rules, and the second half according to Victorian Rules.. By 1877 both clubs had adopted Rugby rules .
"At the annual meeting of the Union Club in 1877 it was decided by 17 votes to five to adopt the Rugby Union Laws, the club in all its matches with the D.F.C. previous to that date having stipulated for one spell of every game being under Victorian rules."
The first games of football in Auckland were played in 1870 with the rules being a mix of Victorian and Association. In 1873 the Auckland Football Club adopted Rugby rules following a visit by two members of the Wellington Club . At the 1874 AGM of the Auckland Football Club discussion continued around rules, with motions put to either adopt the Victorian Rules of 1866, or form a committee to consider other rules. These motions were defeated in favour of continuing with Rugby rules.
An Auckland team undertook the first inter-provincial Rugby tour in late 1875. This sparked additional interest in Rugby in regions such as Canterbury and Dunedin where several codes were being played. Ultimately the success of this led to further representative tours, and proved to be a catalyst for Rugby to become the dominant code in the main regions .
The Reform Football Club was formed in Wellington in 1879 to "play under the Victorian rules". In the same article several clubs are also reported to have been formed in Dunedin and one in Nelson. The Reform club's first practice match was held in the Hon. J. Sheehan's paddock, Hobson St, on 5 April 1879 in front of a "considerable number of spectators". The Reform club enjoyed a reasonable amount of press coverage throughout 1879. From 1880 there is very little mention of the club, and how long it was in existence is unknown.
The 1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team matches
1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team matches
The 1888–1889 New Zealand Native football team were the first oversea's touring rugby football team from the Southern Hemisphere. The team toured the British Isles, Australia, and New Zealand in 1888 and 1889. Although the team mainly played rugby union games it also played several Victorian Rules,...
saw a Māori team visit Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, as part of a year long tour of the UK and Australia, to play a program of Victorian Rules games. The team plays 8 games, winning three and losing five. It defeated South Melbourne Football Club
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
, which at that stage was Victoria’s premier club.
After being virtually non existent since the 1880s, interest in Australian football was rekindled on the back of a wave of immigration from Australia in the first decade of the 20th century. In 1903 the ‘New Zealand Association of Australian Football’ was formed in Christchurch by a committee of expat Victorians.. The league had 4 clubs (City Wanderers, Sydenham, Woolston, and Imperial with a fifth, Carlton, formed a year later). By 1904 a number of leagues were being established throughout the country. In Wellington a league of five clubs was formed (City, Newtown, Petone, Wanderers and Federal) , and Auckland had three clubs in the new league
Auckland Australian Football League
The Auckland Australian Football League , begun in 1974, is an Australian rules football competition in Auckland, New Zealand and is one of the leagues governed by New Zealand AFL....
(Auckland Imperial, Victoria, and Austral football clubs).. Other centres also had clubs form in 1904 including Dunedin (Australian Pioneer Football Club), Kaitangata
Kaitangata, New Zealand
Kaitangata is a town near the coast of South Otago, New Zealand, on the left bank of the Clutha River ten kilometres south east of Balclutha. The town is known to its residents simply as Kai....
(Wanderers), Waihi and Waikino.
Additional clubs were to join the Auckland league in the following years, including the Eden Football Club, who won back-to-back Auckland Australian Football League premierships in 1907 & 1908.
In 1905, two New Zealand representatives (one from the North Island and one from the South) attended the Australasian Football Conference where the Australasian Football Council was formed.
In 1908, New Zealand defeated both New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
at the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival an event held to celebrate 50 years of Australian Football.
Hiatus
Already in decline, the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the popularity of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
signalled a hiatus in the game in New Zealand. No clubs survived after the war.
New Zealand was no longer represented and without any overseas delegates, the council reverted to the Australian Football Council.
Nevertheless, some efforts were made to rekindle interest in the code during these years.
In 1961, the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
toured New Zealand during its off season, becoming the first VFL/AFL club to do so.
Modern Competition
In 1974 senior competitions began in ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
(The Canterbury Australian Rules Football Association), Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
(Auckland Australian Football League) and Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
.
In 1995, the competition had grown sufficiently strong to field a national team, the Falcons.
The Arafura Games
Arafura Games
The Arafura Games is a Multi-sport event held every 2 years in the Australian city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is an international event which draws its competitors from around the world. First held in 1991, the most recent Games, held in 2009, involved over 30 nations and over 3,000...
gave the side the first opportunity to compete at an international level. In 1995, 1997 and 1999, New Zealand took the silver medal in Australian Football at the event in Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, running second to Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
In 1997, the New Zealand Australian Football Development Foundation (NZAFDF) was formed.
1998 saw the debut of New Zealand born Trent Croad
Trent Croad
Trent Eric Croad is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League .During his 222 game AFL career, he achieved some of the Australian Football League's highest honours including an AFL premiership medallion, All-Australian selection, representing...
into the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, the beginnings of what is a successful career at elite level.
In 1999, NZAFDF incorporated as governing body and was renamed New Zealand AFL
New Zealand AFL
AFL New Zealand is the governing body of Australian rules football in New Zealand.AFL New Zealand currently has around 536 senior players. New Zealand, like Papua New Guinea and Queensland, has experienced a boom in junior participation in recent years with reports of as many as 10,000 junior...
.
Exhibition Matches
The years of 1991, 1998, 2000 and 2001 saw official Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
exhibition matches
Australian rules football exhibition matches
Australian rules football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria in 1859....
staged in New Zealand so that the AFL could gauge local support.
International Success
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
in 2002, New Zealand finished 3rd.
In 2003, local Aussie Rules convert Nick Evans debuted for the famous All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
side against England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
2005 was a huge year for Australian Football in New Zealand. The national team, the Falcons defeated Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
to win the International Cup and were later invited to send a team to the Australian Country Championships.
Since 2004, there were talks of a New Zealand Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
franchise or club relocation as a possible expansion plan for the league. New Zealand fields teams in several Australian competitions in other football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
codes including Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
rugby, the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
.
The country became considered as a 7th Australian state by the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
's international development department.
2006 saw the first ever live regular season Australian rules football matches on television (the AFL) were shown by SKY Network Television
SKY Network Television
Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
.
In November 2008, 17 year old Liam Ackland was invited to the AIS/AFL academy.
The Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
, which had been involved in New Zealand since about 2004 and at one in 2009 had 3 players from New Zealand on its senior list, stepped up its involvement in 2009 with development funding to set up a school competition, the "Hawks Cup", for recruiting and talent identification.
The sport boomed at junior levels after approved by the New Zealand Secondary Sports Council. Kurt Heatherley of Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
accepted an AFL scholarship in 2010.
Participation
The New Zealand AFL currently has around 600 senior players. In 2010, AFL pundits hoped to increase registered secondary school participants with the introduction of in-school programs..Leagues & Competitions
- Auckland Australian Football LeagueAuckland Australian Football LeagueThe Auckland Australian Football League , begun in 1974, is an Australian rules football competition in Auckland, New Zealand and is one of the leagues governed by New Zealand AFL....
- Canterbury Australian Football LeagueCanterbury Australian Football LeagueThe Canterbury Australian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by AFL New Zealand. The modern era of Australian Football in Christchurch can be traced back to the undaunting efforts of George Lanyon...
- Waikato AFLWaikato AFLWaikato AFL is an Australian rules football competition in Waikato, New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by AFL New Zealand.-Representative Side:The representative side for the Waikato AFL is known as the Waikato Thunder....
- Wellington AFLWellington AFLWellington AFL is an Australian rules football competition in Wellington, New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by New Zealand AFL.-Current Clubs:*North City Demons *Hutt Valley Eagles*Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs *Wellington City Saints...
- Otago AFL
Governing Body
The governing bodySport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
for Aussie Rules in New Zealand is the New Zealand AFL
New Zealand AFL
AFL New Zealand is the governing body of Australian rules football in New Zealand.AFL New Zealand currently has around 536 senior players. New Zealand, like Papua New Guinea and Queensland, has experienced a boom in junior participation in recent years with reports of as many as 10,000 junior...
.
National team
The national team is the FalconsNew Zealand national Australian rules football team
The New Zealand national Australian rules football team nicknamed the Falcons, is the national team for the sport of Australian rules football in New Zealand. The team is selected from the best New Zealand born and developed players, primarily from the clubs of the New Zealand AFL. New Zealand-born...
. The Falcons were Silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
lists in the Arafura Games
Arafura Games
The Arafura Games is a Multi-sport event held every 2 years in the Australian city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is an international event which draws its competitors from around the world. First held in 1991, the most recent Games, held in 2009, involved over 30 nations and over 3,000...
in 1995 and 1997, runners up in the Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
in 2002, then became International Cup champions in 2005.
AFL Exhibition Matches
| Date/Year | Location | Stadium | Teams | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/10/1991 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
Geelong v. St Kilda | 8,500 | |
| 1/03/1998 | Wellington | Basin Reserve Basin Reserve The Basin Reserve , is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand, used for Test, first-class and one-day cricket. Some argue that its proximity to the city, its Historic Place status and its age make it the most famous cricket ground in New Zealand... |
Melbourne v. Sydney | 7,820 |
| 29/01/2000 | Wellington | Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Due to its shape and silver coloured external walls, it is colloquially known as The Cake-Tin to the locals and other New Zealanders... |
Western Bulldogs v. Hawthorn | 11,666 |
| 2001 | Wellington | Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Due to its shape and silver coloured external walls, it is colloquially known as The Cake-Tin to the locals and other New Zealanders... |
Brisbane Lions v. Adelaide | 7,500 |
NZ Players in the VFL/AFL
Some New Zealanders have found their way into the professional Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
competition.
| Currently on an AFL senior list |
| Player | VFL/AFL Years* | VFL/AFL Matches* | Connections to New Zealand, References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Heatherley | - | - | Born Tauranga (international rookie) |
| Karmichael Hunt Karmichael Hunt Karmichael Neil Matthew Hunt is an Australian professional multi-code football player, currently playing Australian rules football for the newly formed Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League .... |
- | - | Born Auckland, father from Cook Islands Cook Islands The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand... , mother from Samoa Samoa Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in... |
| Cheyne Hutchinson | - | - | Born Hamilton, Parents, Part Maori |
| Shane Savage Shane Savage Shane Savage is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League, playing for the Hawthorn Football Club.Born in New Zealand, Savage moved to Australia as a boy... |
2009- | 3 | Born, Parents |
| Khan Haretuku | 2007 AFL Draft 2007 AFL Draft The 2007 AFL Draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2007/08 Australian Football League off-season. These were trade week, the National Draft, the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft.- Trades :... |
- | Parents, Part Maori |
| Brent Renouf Brent Renouf Brent Renouf is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League .... |
2008- | 44 | Born, Parents |
| Adam Campbell | 2006–2009 | 13 | Born Christchurch, Parents |
| Trent Croad Trent Croad Trent Eric Croad is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League .During his 222 game AFL career, he achieved some of the Australian Football League's highest honours including an AFL premiership medallion, All-Australian selection, representing... |
1998–2009 | 222 | Born, Parents |
| Daniel McAlister Daniel McAlister Daniel McAlister is an Australian rules footballer notable for his brief appearance in the Australian Football League for the Essendon Football Club.McAlister was born in New Zealand... |
1997–2002 | 6 | Born, part Maori |
| Danny Dickfos Danny Dickfos Danny Dickfos is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Bears and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League.-Early life:Dickfos, of Maori descent, grew up in Brisbane Queensland.... |
1996–1999 | 65 | Part Maori |
| Donald Dickie Donald Dickie Donald Dickie is a former professional Australian rules footballer notable for his brief appearance in the Australian Football League for the Port Adelaide Football Club. Dickie was born in New Zealand of a Māori heritage, he is one of few Maori Australians in the history of the VFL/AFL... |
1996–2000 | 55 | Born, part Maori |
| Wayne Schwass Wayne Schwass Wayne Schwass was an Australian rules football player in the VFL/AFL who debuted in 1988.He is notable as one of only a few New Zealand-born players of Māori heritage in the history of the VFL/AFL.... |
1988–2002 | 282 | Born, part Maori |
| Warren Jones | 1978–1988 | 123 | Born |
| Peter Bennett | 1944–1954 | 103 | Born |
| Marty McDonnell Marty McDonnell Marty McDonnell was an Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray in the Victorian Football League .... |
1939–1950 | 92 | Born |
| Thomas O'Halloran Thomas O'Halloran Thomas O'Halloran was an Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL between 1925 and 1934 for the Richmond Football Club. He served as Richmond's Vice President in 1936 and 1940.- References :... |
1925–1934 | 142 | Born |
| Joe Sellwood Joe Sellwood Joe Sellwood was a New Zealand born Australian rules football player, playing 181 games from 1930–1945. Sellwood, recruited from Wunghnu Football Club was part of the Geelong Football Club 1937 premiership team.... |
1930–1945 | 181 | Born |
| Harry Haughton Harry Haughton Henry "Harry" Haughton was an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton in the Victorian Football League during the 1910s.... |
1912-19 | 113 | Born |
- stats up to June 2009
See also
- New Zealand AFLNew Zealand AFLAFL New Zealand is the governing body of Australian rules football in New Zealand.AFL New Zealand currently has around 536 senior players. New Zealand, like Papua New Guinea and Queensland, has experienced a boom in junior participation in recent years with reports of as many as 10,000 junior...
- List of New Zealand born AFL players
External links
- Google Video of Falcons performing the 'Haka' at the 2005 International Cup
- AFL looks to NZ for expansion
- NZ Herald Australian Rules News Section
- Video of Aussie Rules from YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....