A Case for AFL's International Development

Last week in a Herald Sun article, Hawthorn President, Jeff Kennett questioned the rationale and the AFL's commitment to growing the game outside of Australia.  "I don't know why they do it.  AFL football will never be an international game.  To be quite honest, I would rather my players, if they were asked, didn't go on the trip. It's an unnecessary risk. I think it's just a junket for the officials of the AFL and the media.'' 

Mtutuzeli Hlomela (Mtutu), the South African Captain at the 2008 International Cup, who has greatly contributed to the development of the game in South Africa responded to Kennett's comments with the following letter.

Dear Mr Kennett,

As someone who fell in love with your game and has worked tirelessly to develop it in South Africa I, with all due respect, was very disappointed to read your comments in the Herald Sun suggesting we in South Africa and the rest of the world are wasting our time.  The game has become everyone's game, not only Australia's, and I invite you to take some time in August to go and witness the AFL International Cup.  It's a magnificent event that is full of colour and cultural diversity; things I think are great for the game.  It will also show you how the game has grown internationally in the last decade despite minimal resources in some countries.

Read the rest of Mtutu's letter here: http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/115055/default.aspx