There was a real push to try to build an AFL market in Wellington. I saw Swans vs Demons at the Basin pre-RoF, then Hawks vs Kangaroos (I think) at the RoF when Kiwi Trent Croad was playing for the Hawks. Those were all pre-season games, but of course they had a regular-season match there later, featuring St Kilda I think. It didn't work but they gave it a damn good go, and that was one of the reasons the RoF is the size and shape it is.
The AFL are desperate to expand worldwide. They were trying to promote it in South Africa as a "non-racial" sport (where the whites tend to play rugby and the blacks football). They've even had regular-season matches in Shanghai for God's sake.
The AFL are desperate to expand worldwide. They were trying to promote it in South Africa as a "non-racial" sport (where the whites tend to play rugby and the blacks football). They've even had regular-season matches in Shanghai for God's sake.