Nationals Letter

Thank you for the invitation to attend the above Championship in Los Angeles. I appreciated the opportunity to see, at first hand, not only the playing level of the participants but also the conduct of the Championships and the general interest and support for the AFL game in the USA.

I was impressed with the professional manner in which the Championships were conducted and in particular, the spirit of the competition. (Please pass on my congratulations to Sheri for her role in the Championships she did a great job.) The standard of play was higher than I had expected and, without the team tent names of Chicago, Denver etc., I could have been in the heartland of the AFL game in Melbourne, Perth or Adelaide for example.

Can I congratulate the USAFL for adopting the theme for the good of the game which was epitomised in the Championship rules and underpins the reduction of the number of Australians in each team from 60 to 50 percent of the team at the 2001 Championships. Strategies such as these will ensure that the AFL game grows in an environment that is attractive to participants and creates interest and support from the corporate sector.

I will be writing to you shortly concerning the USAFL Development Plan for the next stage of our agreement.

With best wishes.

Yours sincerely

Dr Ross Smith

General Manager

Game Development

- Dr Ross Smith
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