You may never have heard of AFL (Australian Football League) but it is certainly a sport with a huge following. AFL team Carlton visited the capital to spread the word about AFL and in particular Auskick.
What are your first impressions of Abu Dhabi?
ND: It is so much greener that what I thought. We have been in Doha for the last two weeks staying in a hospital so to be here in Abu Dhabi and staying at Emirates Palace is amazing. This place is palatial and just so grand. The people here in Abu Dhabi are really friendly.
What do you hope to achieve from this trip, in terms of promoting AFL here?
SH: AFL is such a great sport and it has a huge following in Australia, so I guess we just want to let people know about it. We are really hoping that the kids will love it and then spread the word. It’s also a great bonding opportunity for us.
Why Abu Dhabi? Why promote the sport here as opposed to other countries?
ND: I guess with so many expats here, we thought why not bring it to Abu Dhabi? Abu Dhabi is really on Australia’s radar at the moment and there is a lot of promotion about travelling to Abu Dhabi, so I guess it’s really top of mind.
For the people who don’t know what AFL is, how would you describe it?
SH: It’s soccer with your hands, but rougher, on a cricket oval. We have been trying to explain this in Doha for the last two weeks. It’s a hard sport to explain, you need to go to a game and watch it.
Tell me about the heat training in Qatar, how did you handle it?
ND: It was really a baptism of fire and we were just thrown straight into it. The Australian scientists that were with us discovered that heat training is more effective than altitude training so we will definitely be doing more of this in the future. Top on our agenda here in Abu Dhabi is an Auskick coaching clinic.
Why would you encourage kids to play Auskick?
SH: It’s easy for us to say that kids should play AFL because it’s our life and we love it. I think that it is a great game and you really need to master the skills to be able to play well, so why not start off young with Auskick. You need really sharp hand skills and you need to know how to tackle.
What advice would you give to kids who have never played Auskick before?
SH: Just grab a footy and kick it around. All you need to be is enthusiastic and keep practicing. Try and find a local Auskick near you and watch a couple of games. Anyone can get involved.
Tell me what you enjoy about the pre-season?
SH: It’s a great time to get ready for the year ahead and to get yourself prepared. A lot of the boys in the team had never been to the Middle East before so we were excited to go somewhere different. We appreciate the different culture here and it’s nice to be out of Australia for a break.
Will you have a chance to watch the local AFL team, The Falcons play? And do you think their standard measure up?
ND: Yes we are meeting them, which is exciting, and I am sure their standard will measure up, as Aussie’s love their footy. So I am sure they will be great players.
What sights are you looking forward to seeing while you are here in Abu Dhabi?
SH: We’re playing golf at Yas Island, heading out to Al Forsan to do paintballing and go kart driving, doing some charter fishing and experiencing Ferrari World.
ND: It’s also really cool to just be here at Emirates Palace.
What do you think 2012 will look like for Carlton?
ND: Bright and shiny! We’ve really set our sights high and we really want to be in the top four and take out the premiership. That’s why we have got an early start with our heat training and we are already focused.
What is Auskick?
Auskick is a national program in Australia to develop and promote participation in AFL by children. It has proven to be popular with both boys and girls. It attracts over 100,000 primary school aged participants annually. Auskick clinics in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are held weekly and are run by volunteers. These are great programs where kids can learn fundamental motor skills for future physical activity and sports, and its load of fun.
Email abudhabiauskick@hotmail.com for more information or call (050 811 9749) Auskick is held every Friday from 10am-11am, Karamah St Helipad.
