How the AFL is continuing to grow around the world

Football fans will already be well acquainted with the National Football League (NFL) set in the US, as well as other collegiate and school ranked events across the country, yet outside of the States there remains to be seen on whether there could be a football league capable of attracting fans from wider continents, with the AFL perhaps being the greatest solution.

For any avid football fan who may not be entirely familiar with the wider international basis of the sport, the AFL’s overall history may surprise many in the States as this remains as one of the world’s most coveted footballing leagues with a vast history spanning back to the late nineteenth century.

Formed in 1897 as the Victorian Football League (VFL) following on from the establishment of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) back in 1877, both leagues entered a power struggle in the effort to attract spectators for games with the VFL ultimately become the marquee attraction for the wider Victorian fanbase.

After an initial expansion in 1908 to ten teams, the league became dubbed a professional sporting tournament three years later which allowed players to earn pay beyond the initial reimbursement of payment expenses for the very first time.

With further expansions in the later years, including some VFA clubs joining the VFL, the league continued to gain traction before its subsequent postponement during the years of the two World Wars.

Despite enjoying a plethora of great success in the years following 1945, the league would struggle with financial issues in the 1980s and was eventually discontinued in 1990 with the AFL forming in the VFL’s place.

Unlike the VFL, the AFL featured its own salary cap and Draft system as well as its formulation being intertwined with a Collective Bargaining Agreement via the AFLPA (Players Association), providing a similar format to the various US-based sporting league’s in the construction of a roster and its related teams.

From 2011 onwards, there are now 18 different active clubs participating in the AFL from all providences across the country of Australia, which has allowed the league to gain attractors from a range of different locations.

The popularity surrounding football in Australia has become very well documented as well as its unique rules that can make for truly nail-biting yet immensely exciting encounters.

• How the AFL continues to grow in popularity:

There are various methods utilized by both the league and outside sources to help this sport prosper to the expectations and intrigue of fans across the country of Australia.

One of the most frequently utilized methods is to include the use of betting sponsorships or further involvement with wagering for future games that are sure to attract a viewers’ attention to tune into broadcasts.

AFL viewers can now regularly place their parlay bets on various upcoming outings across renowned sportsbooks, which is now a monumental factor for the continuous development of the league’s viewership and wider televised broadcasts.

Another main reason for its monumental success could come in the form of the ‘Aussie Rules’ that the sport implements, which allows fans from both Australia and global audiences to become more intertwined with what is being presented on the field.

To offer a much more cultural and traditional take on the Aussie sport of football, the AFL can provide foreign fan bases with their own impressive take on the sport as well as impressing individuals who may sight an interest in taking up the sport.

It may come as a surprise to many US football fans, but Europe still has a great interest in the sport which is greatly reflected in the vast number of European players that compete in the AFL, especially those from Ireland.

This is a greater means for the AFL to maintain its wider popularity as well as developing further cause to become much more of a global commodity to audiences as well as a potential plan to allow the AFL to introduce a greater array of academy systems throughout the world for aspiring young players who may have been released from their professional soccer contract.

• How the AFL compares to other Aussie sports:

Australia is a country that is completely mad on all things sports which is reflected in the nations interest in cricket, rugby, tennis, MMA and horse racing.

Alongside soccer, football is quickly developing as one of the most interesting concepts for Aussie sports fans as the AFL has gained tremendous recognition from the population for its action-packed encounters.

When comparing to the country’s soccer A-League, there is every bit of a chance that the AFL has the means of being a greater success depending on its star athlete’s development, overall season scheduling and continuous growth in the ongoing popularity.

While the league remains as one of the country’s oldest professional sporting competitions, there is still greener pastures on the horizon for the sport that could help this raise to further providence throughout the country and to overseas audiences