AFL targets overseas recruits

Michael Gleeson
The Age
March 15, 2008

CLUBS are being encouraged to aggressively cultivate international players under an AFL rule change yesterday that paves the way for academies in developing countries such as South Africa and Papua New Guinea.

The AFL Commission yesterday ratified a change to the international scholarship system that will quadruple the number of international players clubs can put on scholarship and slash the costs.

The clubs will be allowed to sign up to eight international players a year — up to a maximum of 24 players — and pay them as little as $1000 each a year. Clubs could previously sign six players and had to pay them $10,000 if they remained in their home country.

The existing requirement that clubs pay the player a minimum $24,000 each a year if they are relocated to Australia remains unchanged. Ireland also remains quarantined from the international scholarship system as a concession to the Gaelic Athletic Association.

Collingwood is exploring a football academy in South Africa and the change will better facilitate that. The larger group would also better justify the employment of a dedicated coach and football infrastructure.

"As yet no club has been active internationally other than in Ireland and we think these changes offer an incentive to see more players from places such as PNG, to see the first players coming through from places like South Africa," AFL game development executive David Matthews said.

"Expansion is a key AFL priority and as part of that expansion we want to work with clubs to aggressively expand the talent pool."

Matthews said the change in cost was a recognition of the lower cost of living in many of the target countries.

The AFL intention is not to restrict focus to South Africa as about 25 Samoans play in the National Rugby League, while a prospect for this year's AFL national draft is of Fijian heritage, Nick Naitanui.

The AFL made a similar change to the NSW scholarship program before Christmas, lifting to 24 the number of players clubs could sign from NSW.