China Red Demons
A SLEEPING FOOTY GIANTBright future looms for the great game in China.
In 1908, Wally Koochew, whose father was Chinese, played four games for Carlton in the then Victorian Football League. Koochew was probably the first player of Chinese descent to make it to the big time, and various other Chinese-Australians have been involved in the game since.
More recently, the AFL, the City of Melbourne and Melbourne Football Club have worked together on bringing the game to China.
An Australian Football development officer has been based out of Melbourne FC's office in Tianjin since 2006, aiming to unite all footy fans across the world's most populous nation and focus on putting together the talent to form a national representative team.
Tianjin Normal University produced the first all-Chinese Australian Football team in 2006, working through valuable connections between the City of Melbourne and relevant Tianjin sports and education bureaus.
In October 2007, a Melbourne FC delegation, including nine players along with staff, sports celebrities and business delegates, toured China and conducted football clinics in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Suzhou.
Dr Geoff Raby, Australian Ambassador to China and keen footy fan, was present at one of the clinics and expressed his endorsement of the export of Australian Football to China.
The future looks extremely bright for Australian Football in China. The AFL is more than aware of China's potential and has announced plans of an exhibition match in China in 2010, in conjunction with the Australian exhibit of the World Expo.
This year a memorandum of understanding was signed between the AFL and the Tianjin-based Binhai Group for the construction of a purpose-bulit Australian Football ground in Tianjin. It is planned that this ground will be the future home of the China Red Demons.
China's debut at the International Cup is the culmination of much hard work by a large number of people, and the commitment and patience shown by the players in taking on a new sport so foreign to them cannot be underestimated.
Special mention must also go to team China's official sponsors, who have made this trip possible for the China Red Demons.
Premier sponsor Mitchell's and partner company Oomiak have been long-time supporters of footy's growth in China, as their businesses also undertake further growth across China. Qantas is the official carrier of the Chinese team and without their help the team simply wouldn't be participating in the tournament. The China Red Demons are supported by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia-China Council of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as receiving assistance from Telstra China.
It is quite fitting that in 2008, the year of the Beijing Olympics and the 150th birthday of Australian Football, that China has a national team competing in the International Cup in Australian Football's heartland.
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