Australian football around the world

Australian rules football is a sport played in many countries around the world. In 2016, about 106,000 people played in structured competitions outside of Australia and at least 20 leagues that are recognised by the game's governing body, exist outside Australia. In 2007 there was a total of 34,845 players. In contrast, there are over 800,000 players in Australia where the game is at its strongest; overseas players make up less than 2% of the total players worldwide.

Australian rules football is played professionally by men and women in Australia and is a major spectator sport in Australia and Nauru.

There have been several players in the VFL/AFL who were born outside Australia and since 1982, an increasing number of players have been recruited from outside Australia through initiatives such as the Irish experiment and more recently, international scholarship programs. Despite the amateur competitions outside of Australia, no player from these competitions has yet debuted in the AFL Premiership Season. Some have, however, featured in semi-professional competitions in Australia as well as in AFL pre-season practice matches.

The international growth of Australian rules in the 19th century and early 20th century was rapid, but it went into rapid decline following World War I. After World War II, the sport experienced a small amount of growth in the Pacific region, particularly in Nauru, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

Australian Football emerged as an international sport much later than other forms of football, such as soccer or rugby, but has grown substantially as an amateur sport in some countries since the 1980s. Initially, the sport grew with the Australian diaspora, aided by multiculturalism and assisted by exhibition matches and players who have converted to and from other football codes. In Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States, there are many thousands of players. Canada, Japan, Denmark, and Sweden have also shown strong potential in the sport in the lead up to the 2008 Australian Football International Cup.

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