AFL in China

PORT Adelaide and Gold Coast will face off in Shanghai on Sunday, May 14 next year in the AFL’s first clash for premiership points outside of Australia and New Zealand.

And both clubs will have their byes earlier than the rest of the League as a result, getting the week off after the round eight clash.

WATCH: Take a tour of Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai

Port will play ‘host’ to the Suns in the landmark game after the Power purchased a home game from Gold Coast. However, the Power will maintain 11 home matches at Adelaide Oval – the same amount as 2016.

The fixture in China is expected to become an annual event.

It will be staged at 1.20pm in Shanghai, which will be 3.20 AEST.

Jiangwan Stadium will be reconfigured to hold 15,000 fans. It is the same stadium that staged an exhibition match between Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions in 2010.

The week off should help with the players’ recovery, but Port president David Koch was dismissive of fatigue being an issue.

“A League players play here on the weekend, go and play in Tokyo on the Wednesday and come back here (Melbourne) on the weekend and play locally. Surely, we’re tougher than those players?” Koch said.

The match was announced at the Chinese Museum in Melbourne’s Chinatown on Wednesday, with Port star Robbie Gray and Suns young gun Touk Miller on hand for the occasion. Also attending was Port’s international academy recruit and former Team China captain Chen Shaoliang.

The Power has made back about three-quarters of the cost of the China game already, so the club is confident it will make money out of the venture.

Koch was excited about the prospect of the sport growing in China, and said AFL was being played in 12 high schools in Shanghai.

Chinese broadcasting station CCTV televised Port’s AFL matches through the country in 2016.

The Power are committed to the fixture over the longer term but could face other opponents in the following seasons.

“Our supporters and our Chinese financial supporters are committed for three to five years. We see that as a firm commitment for us but would love to do it even longer and for it to become an annual fixture,” Koch said.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan was somewhat more circumspect than Koch, but said he expected to keep playing matches for premiership points in China.

“This needs to be a long-term view. Like everything, you make decisions, then you’ve got to execute. Now we’ve got to go up and make this a success,” McLachlan said.

Suns chairman Tony Cochrane was excited about the prospect of strengthening the links between Gold Coast and China.

He also declared the minimum expectation for his club in 2017.

“We’re going to make the finals,” Cochrane said.

The Suns finished fourth last this year and lost gun midfielders Dion Prestia (Richmond) and Jaeger O’Meara (Hawthorn) after the pair asked for trades, but gained Pearce Hanley (Brisbane Lions), Jarryd Lyons (Adelaide) and Jarrod Witts (Collingwood).

The full 2017 fixture will be released on Thursday.

It’s offical Gil the communist Dicktator has sold out to the commies this is definitely not needed

Hope Koch misses the flight

Hope Koch misses the flight

Hope he catches it but can’t get return flight…ever.

Just when you thought the sport that used to be known as footy (which is now nothing more than a corporate entity to make money for the heads in charge & their mates) could not get any more ridiculous. Does anyone in China know of AFL? Does anyone in China play AFL at a professional level, does anyone in China know the rules… do they even know what a sherrin looks like, or what it is…

Here’s a thought AFL Limited, there are a few million supporters in Victoria who grew up following their beloved sport and supported a dozen clubs with their hard earned over decades & decades during seriously tough times when money was very scarce… any chance you could do something, anything… for these supporters who actually are your bread & butter like it or not … even just a few token Saturday afternoon games in Melbourne to make it look like you actually care about us rather than TV audiences & sponsorships

Don’t come back.

Hope Koch misses the flight

Hope he catches it but can’t get return flight…ever.

I hope one of his players hides the stash in Kochie’s luggage and the ■■■■ gets done for trafficking.

Years ago when briefly in Xiamen, TV was showing AFL games with Dutch language commentary. The only words I could guess at were excited shouts of “neck tackle”. Show was followed by programs promoting one child policy, with graphic video of 7 out of 8 rabbits being gassed in plastic bags.

Heard D Koch’s interview today on SEN. They’re on to something.

Heard D Koch's interview today on SEN. They're on something.
Fixed

I give it 2 pages until this thread gets racist.

ROR.

The afl are digging themselves a big hole here

The afl are digging themselves a big hole here
Digging a hole to china

Superised WB weren’t going with jong

Just when you thought the sport that used to be known as footy (which is now nothing more than a corporate entity to make money for the heads in charge & their mates) could not get any more ridiculous. Does anyone in China know of AFL? Does anyone in China play AFL at a professional level, does anyone in China know the rules... do they even know what a sherrin looks like, or what it is..

Here’s a thought AFL Limited, there are a few million supporters in Victoria who grew up following their beloved sport and supported a dozen clubs with their hard earned over decades & decades during seriously tough times when money was very scarce… any chance you could do something, anything… for these supporters who actually are your bread & butter like it or not … even just a few token Saturday afternoon games in Melbourne to make it look like you actually care about us rather than TV audiences & sponsorships

Will you watch GC and Power on Saturday afternoon if the game doesn’t involve Essendon - I am struggling to understand how a game in China affects your life.

The afl are digging themselves a big hole here
Digging a hole to china

Superised WB weren’t doing with jong

Except Jong is Vietnamese.

What’d be nice is if someone, anyone with the AFL stepped up and said ‘The reason we’re doing this is…’ At least we could all then share in the strategic goal. As it stands I’m kinda lost. I mean take those exhibition brawls/games in London 20 years ago. What did they achieve?

Just when you thought the sport that used to be known as footy (which is now nothing more than a corporate entity to make money for the heads in charge & their mates) could not get any more ridiculous. Does anyone in China know of AFL? Does anyone in China play AFL at a professional level, does anyone in China know the rules... do they even know what a sherrin looks like, or what it is..

Here’s a thought AFL Limited, there are a few million supporters in Victoria who grew up following their beloved sport and supported a dozen clubs with their hard earned over decades & decades during seriously tough times when money was very scarce… any chance you could do something, anything… for these supporters who actually are your bread & butter like it or not … even just a few token Saturday afternoon games in Melbourne to make it look like you actually care about us rather than TV audiences & sponsorships

About a year ago a group fro PAFC were travelling around China and i meet up with them as function in the embassy in Beijing. It is purely commercially driven and PAFC are doing it to attract sponsors and support. PAFC have done a lot in China in the past 3 years of there own back using their own coin with no support from the AFL

Regarding AFL in China have a look at the following

http://www.afl-asia.com/indonesia-garudas-win-all-asian-cup/

http://www.beijingbombers.com/recent-news/the-beijing-bombers-claim-the-2014-china-cup/

Also this is good for people to see what is actually happening with AFL in Asia http://www.afl-asia.com

Sad that they would spend money promoting football in a corrupt country rather than defend Australians against a bogus international “court”.

Sad that they would spend money promoting football in a corrupt country rather than defend Australians against a bogus international "court".

Lol.

Like to see your definition of corrupt country.

I have been trading with China for 30 years and visited first as a student in 1975. In terms of “corrupt”, they are way down my list even behind the USA.

I do not agree with some of their Governments policy, but not sure I agree with many of our own.

And while arresting Australians is topical, most are breaking local laws, including Packers crew.

If Port Adelaide can get Chinese investors to shell out , then good luck to them.

i love shanghai. it’s the ■■■■.

ps i can’t say china without saying it like donald trump. CHINA. CHINA.

The afl are digging themselves a big hole here
Digging a hole to china

Superised WB weren’t doing with jong

Except Jong is Vietnamese.

Close enough?