Global GIANTS
GIANTS players have shown their support for the 2014 International Cup as the club pushes to play a game in China for premiership points.
GIANTS CEO David Matthews told Friday’s Daily Telegraph the club were keen to look at new avenues to promote the game overseas.
“We’re pretty ambitious about trying to look for opportunities,” Matthews said.
“What the AFL has shown in New Zealand is to play a genuine home-and-away game for four points is the best way to promote the game.
“It seems such a logical step to play a game in China and we’d certainly be putting our hands up if it’s possible.
“It may be the starting point to have an exhibition game, with a match for points down the track. But we’re very keen on the idea, very keen.”
Matthews was with the AFL when they organised an exhibition game between Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions at Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai in 2010.
This week GIANTS players posed in the jumpers of 10 of the countries involved in the fifth edition of the International Cup, which has been running in Melbourne across the past 15 days.
The Cup concludes on Saturday with the final to be played ahead of the match between Hawthorn and Geelong at the MCG.
There are 25 teams - 18 men's and seven women's - from 18 countries participating in this year’s carnival.
The men's teams are from Canada, China, Fiji, Finland, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Great Britain, India, Japan, Nauru, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Sweden, Tonga and the USA.
The women's teams are from Canada - Northern Lights, Canada - Midnight Suns, Ireland, Fiji, Tonga, USA - Freedom and USA - Liberty.
The International Cup is played every three years. Previous winners were Ireland (2002 & 2011), New Zealand (2005) and Papua New Guinea (2008).