Australian rules football in China

Australian rules football in China has been played since the 1989 and grew in popularity in the 2010s.[2]

Australian rules football in China
Jiangwan Stadium the venue for the first Australian Football League matches played in China
CountryPeople's Republic of China
Governing bodyAFL China
National team(s)People's Republic of China
First played1989, Hong Kong
Registered players2,919 (2021)[1]
Audience records
Single match10,689 (2018). Port Adelaide v. Gold Coast (Jiangwan Stadium)

Interest in Australian football in China received a boost after the AFL, the premier professional football competition in Australia, invested in an AFL exhibition match in Shanghai in 2010, and followed up with an AFL academy in 2011. Further investment has followed from other interests including the construction of a dedicated AFL oval in Tianjin in 2011. The AFL Commission designed AFLX in 2017 as a means to promote the sport in China.[3] It scheduled a series of AFL Premiership matches was played at Jiangwan Stadium from 2017-2019, the first outside of Pacific, which attracted an average attendance of 10,073.

The local state TV network began broadcasting matches from Australia in 2016.[2] The 2019 AFL Grand Final was watched by a record 5.67 million viewers.[4]

There are a number of senior clubs spread throughout China, including in the bigger cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin, as well as Auskick programs in other cities such as Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

The national team comprised solely of Chinese nationals is known as the China (Dragons or Reds), it won the Asian Australian Football Championships All-Asia Cup at the in 2017 and 2018 and achieved its best international result of 13th at the 2017 Australian Football International Cup.

Clubs & Competitions

Local Leagues
Competition Region First season Teams Notes
Guangdong Australian Football League (GDAFL) Guangdong (Guangzhou, Dongguan and Huizhou) 2014 5 Guangdong AFL
South China Australian Football League (SCAFL) Hong Kong 2015 4 South China AFL

Clubs
Club City Founded Notes
Beijing Bombers Beijing 2003 Beijing Bombers
Dongguan Panther Blues (China Blues) Dongguan 2011
Hong Kong Dragons Hong Kong 1989 Hong Kong Dragons
Guangzhou Scorpions Guangzhou 2010 Guangzhou Scorpions
Macau Lightning Macau 2010 Macau Lightning
Shanghai Tigers Shanghai 2002 Shanghai Tigers

History

Chinese Australians have been playing Australian rules football since the late 19th century. In 1882, 17-year-old Henry George Chin Kit made his debut for the Ironbark Football Club against Charing Cross in the Bendigo Football League.[5] The Ballarat Chinese Football Premiership was covered extensively between 1892 and 1896, in local newspapers.[6]

A widely published 1939 editorial highlighted a very positive response to the game from a group of visiting Chinese delegates, one of which proposed that China should adopt the game.[7]

The first recorded match in Hong Kong was in 1939 played by the Royal Australian Navy.[8] At least two papers posted positive reviews of the matches:

"Given a big ground and normal conditions, the Australian rules game should prove popular with football followers and it would not come as a surprise to see the Chinese adopt this game which is a combination of football (meaning soccer), rugby and basketball."[8]

"it was a great im provement on rugby union football, and the game showed what an immense difference in speed there would be in rugby union if scrums were disallowed."[8]

Matches were played by Australian Naval Reservists in 1940, there was hope that local Chinese would take up the game.[9] In July 1940, a match was played at Kowloon at the Police Club grounds.[10]

Late 20th Century

In 1984 the South Australian National Football League announced a plan to sell rights to its matches to China to an audience of around 70 million including translations.[11]

The Hong Kong Dragons Australian expatriate team was formed in 1990, and have been one of Asia's most successful Australian rules football clubs since this time. The Dragons play against other Asian teams regularly and have competed at all Asian Australian Football Championships to date. Auskick, the Australian football program for juniors, grew in Hong Kong in the early 2000s after two Victorian expatriate families managed to secure official support and equipment from the AFL in Australia. The Dragons also coordinate an Auskick juniors program. Players trained at the iconic grounds at Happy Valley as well as the Australian International School Hong Kong (AISHK).[12]

A junior program called the Gobi Desert AFL existed at a primary school in Hami, Xinjiang in the 1990s, but this has now disappeared.

A club was established in Shanghai under the name of the Shanghai Tigers in 2002. The Tigers have a playing list consisting mainly of expatriate Australians, with some British, American and South African players as well.

Australian rules was first played in Beijing in 2004, with the foundation of the Australian Expatriate team, the Beijing Bombers.

In city of Suzhou in 2007, 18 schools had introduced the sport into their curriculum.[13]

The sister city relationship between Tianjin and Melbourne saw the beginnings of football development in 2005.[14] By 2007, a development organisation called the AFL China had been formed, with Tianjin Normal University having two Australian football teams at its main campuses.[15] The Tianjin program was sponsored by the Melbourne Football Club and the Melbourne City Council, through links formed by former Melbourne Lord Mayor John So.

The Beijing Bombers played an annual China Cup series against the other Australian expatriate team the Shanghai Tigers, as well as starting a 3-team metro league known as the Beijing AFL in 2009.

Australian football began in Macau in 2009, with the introduction of Auskick and matches at the International School of Macau. The Macau Lightning Australian expatriate senior team debuted in 2010, with matches against the Hong Kong Dragons and Pokfulam Vikings.[16] They made their first Asian Championships appearance in Shanghai in October 2010, but failed to win any matches at the tournament.[17]

A second Australian expatriate team in the Pokfulam region of Hong Kong was in existence in 2010, playing as the Pokfulam Vikings and conducting some matches against the Dragons.[16]

The Guangzhou Scorpions Australian expatriate team was formed in 2010, playing matches against the Hong Kong Dragons and Macau Lightning.[18]

In late 2011 into early 2012 Darrell Egan Founded the Dongguan Panther Blues team at a middle school in Humen Dongguan. The team is also known in Australia as the China Blues consists of 15 to 18 years old student players, with some old school players up to the age of 20. The team went on to play Chinese teams of locals which formed in mid 2013 and is now coached under team's original captain Lin Honghue (Leighton Lin). Darrell Egan now acts as the team's Australian Liaison manager. The Dongguan Panther Blues established the first Chinese team of locals in China in 2014. Carlton Blues player Wally Koochew (See Below) being a pioneer as the first Chinese player in VFL/AFL history the Dongguan Blues team are also the pioneers in China.[19][20]

In 2016 Port Adelaide FC signed born and raised 2014 International Cup captain Chen Shaoliang to its International Scholarship list[21] Shaoliang played reserves matches with Port Adelaide in the SANFL[22] however was not elevated to the club's AFL list.

National Team
China's Red Demons take on the USA at IC08

A representative team mainly consisting of expat Australians in China has competed under the names China Blues and China Reds in International fixtures and Asian AFL Championships. The first national representative team composed entirely of Chinese nationals appeared as the China Red Demons at the 2008 Australian Football International Cup. Bo Gee Lu, a native of Guangdong played Australian Rules Football while studying at the University of Adelaide and went on to represent China with significant esteem in a number of International Cups, mostly as a midfielder/forward or pinch hitting in the Ruck.

International Cup
  • 2008: 15th
  • 2011: 5th (Division Two)
  • 2014: 4th (Division Two)
  • 2017: 3rd (Division Two)

Players
Currently on an AFL senior list
PlayerAFL Years*AFL Matches*AFL GoalsClubs played for/plays forConnections to China, Notes
Connor Downie2021-20Hawthorn FCMother[23]
Cameron Polson2017-2020194Carlton FCBorn in Hong Kong[24]
Callum Ah Chee2016-10542Gold Coast FC, Brisbane LionsGreat grandfather[25][26]
Lin Jong2012-20216533Western BulldogsFather[27][28][29]
Brendon Ah Chee2012-20215831Port Adelaide FCGreat Grandfather[30]
Michael Long1989–2001190143Essendon FCGreat Grandparent[31] First AFL premiership player in 1993 (2 premierhips total).
Dannie Seow1986–19902510Collingwood FC, Melbourne FCFather[32]
Neale Fong1978-1999-West Perth (WAFL)Parents. Member of the WA football hall of fame.
Les Fong1973-1985-West Perth (WAFL)Parents. West Perth's longest-serving captain (1980–85). Selected for six State of Origin games for the Western Australian team, including the first such game (1977).[33]
Ian Chinn1940-19421728South Melborune FC[34]
Jack Wunhym1927-29101Footscray FCFather[35]
Les Kew Ming1922-North Melbourne FC (VFA)Parents[36]
Ernie Foo191442St Kilda FCParents[37]
George Tansing190852Geelong FCFather[38][39]
Wally Koochew190842Carlton FCFather[40]
Currently on an AFLW senior list
PlayerAFLW Years*AFLW Matches*AFLW Goals*Clubs played for/plays forConnections to China, Notes
Amanda Ling2022-2-Western BulldogsParents[2]
Joanna Lin2021-174Collingwood FCTaiwanese parents.
Sophie Li2018-20211Adelaide FCParent[41] First AFLW premiership player in 2019.
Darcy Vescio2017-5855Carlton FCParent[42][41]
Rebecca Beeson2017-417Greater Western SydneyParent[41]

References
  1. Encouraging signs as participation holds firm in Asia from AFL Asia 7 December 2021
  2. Coach of China's first AFL team schools Victorian students on their own game By Abby Dinham for SBS. 14 September 2016
  3. Implementation of AFLX idea could in the end do more harm than good by Craig Little for The Guardian 26 July 2017
  4. Record TV ratings in China for Tigers' Grand Final triumph by Staff writer for AFL 23 October 2019
  5. Gold diggers-turned-goal kickers: How Australia’s Chinese community has excelled in footy since Gold Rush from SBS 12 July 2023
  6. 'A death blow to the white Australia policy': Australian rules football and the Chinese community in Victoria, 1892-1908
  7. "OUR SPORTS THROUGH CELESTIAL EYES". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 28, 948. Victoria, Australia. 3 June 1939. p. 5 (The Argus Weekend magazine). Retrieved 27 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "WA Footballer Player In Hong Kong's First Game". The Daily News. Vol. LXIV, no. 22, 202. Western Australia. 6 June 1946. p. 13 (HOME EDITION). Retrieved 3 February 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "First National Code Game In East". The Mercury. Vol. CLII, no. 21, 575. Tasmania, Australia. 20 January 1940. p. 20. Retrieved 10 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Game In China". Sporting Globe. No. 1882. Victoria, Australia. 6 July 1940. p. 4 (Edition1). Retrieved 27 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL SA matches for Chinese TV". The Canberra Times. Vol. 58, no. 17, 770. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 24 May 1984. p. 22. Retrieved 27 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. Post Magazine. "Australian football gathers steam | South China Morning Post". Scmp.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  13. Northey, Brett (27 October 2007). "Dees see China investment already bearing fruit". World Footy News.
  14. Parry, Peter (19 September 2005). "Melbourne link to China development". World Footy News.
  15. Richard, Aaron (21 November 2007). "Beijing defeat Shanghai and Tianjin found second team in big week for Chinese footy". World Footy News.
  16. Richard, Aaron (6 May 2010). "First Hong Kong-Macau local derby this weekend". World Footy News.
  17. Nugent, Ash (7 October 2010). "hanghai to host Asian Championships". World Footy News.
  18. Mallia, Paul (12 December 2010). "Dragons Finish Season on a High". Hong Kong Dragons. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011.
  19. "Australian Football kicking goals in China - Australia Network News - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  20. "Expat promotes Australian rules football in China's Dongguan - Connect Asia". radioaustralia.net.au. 24 September 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. Port Adelaide signs its first recruit from China
  22. First Chinese national Chen Shaoliang debuts for SANFL's Port Adelaide Magpies By Caroline Winter 26 August 2017
  23. AFL Draft 2020: Connor Downie ready to inspire a nation with mum’s Chinese heritage
  24. "2020 Multicultural Map revealed". AFLPA. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  25. Going places: Rocket man Callum Ah Chee out to prove his hanger is no fluke
  26. Callum Ah Chee exploring his Chinese roots By Nat Edwards 16 May 2018
  27. Baldwin, Adam (5 February 2014). "Tea with the Jongs". AFL Players. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  28. Connolly, Rohan (1 May 2015). "Lin Jong a Western Bulldog who belongs". The Age. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  29. Landsberger, Sam (9 August 2012). "Lin Jong elevated to the Western Bulldogs senior list". Herald Sun.
  30. Port Adelaide recruit Brendon Ah Chee Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  31. "Aboriginal footy elder plans long trip home". Smh.com.au. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  32. The Age, "You're a champ China", 27 June 2006
  33. West Australian Football Commission, 2012, Western Australian Interstate Football Representatives 1904 - 2011 (19 May 2012)
  34. Brisbane Lions' Callum Ah Chee is on the cusp of a 141-year first for football's Chinese-Australian community By Paul Kennedy for ABS 23 September 2023
  35. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 976. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
  36. Les Kew Ming – the fighting footballer Robert Allen for Australian Football
  37. "Australian Football - ernie foo - Player Bio". AustralianFootball.com.
  38. "George Tansing - Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  39. "The Forgotten Story of the Chinese Goldfields Aussie Rules leagues". The Guardian. 25 March 2015.
  40. "From "Media City" to premiership glory". Carlton FC. 3 August 2015.
  41. AFLPA multicultural map
  42. Matthews, Bruce (29 July 2016). "Marquee Blue Darcy Vescio embraces the club". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
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