Letter in The Age about footy

(originally from The Letters page of The Age - http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/01/16/1137259998723.html?page=5)

The game they play in the good ol' USA

LOOKING forward to watching the Swans and the Roos square off in front of 3000 people in Los Angeles last weekend, I found myself thinking that the AFL could be doing a lot more to develop footy in the US.

Let's compare the US with Queensland. According to the AFL, Queensland has about 3700 adult players. According to World Footy News, the US has about 2000 adult players. The AFL spent $19 million on game development in 2004, most of which went to Queensland and NSW. In comparison about $80,000 went to development of the game in the US.

Despite its lack of funding, USFooty has made amazing strides since the first games some eight or nine years ago. Americans dominate many clubs at both the player and the administrator level. Even the coach of the national team, the Revolution, is American-born and bred.

I believe the AFL needs to substantially increase its investment in the US, allowing USFooty to hire full-time administrators, coaches and junior development officers.
Christopher P. Adams, former treasurer of the USAFL, Arlington, Virginia, USA

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