February 3, 2025 • 8 mins
The Melbourne Cricket Ground will host up to three NFL regular season games from October next year, starting with the Los Angeles Rams against the Philadelphia Eagles.
American Football NZ's Russell McConnochie joined Piney to discuss.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The coup for fans of the NFL in this part
of the world, that's American football. Melbourne will host up
to three regular season games from next year. The Herald
Sun reporting the La Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, which are
the two franchises with Australian marketing rights, are set to
face off in October twenty twenty six. The Rams won
(00:32):
the Super Bowl in twenty twenty two, and the Philadelphia Eagles,
of course, are in the fifty ninth edition, which is
a week today against the Kansas City Chiefs. Australian superstar
Jordan Malata is a key player for the Eagles. He
would be a massive drawcard now. The NFL's twenty twenty
four schedule featured matches in London, three of them one
(00:53):
in Brazil, won in Germany. As the NFL continues to
take the game to all parts of the world. Next season,
they'll be a game at Real Madrid's iconic Santiago Bernabou
Stadium in Spain for the first time. The NFL has
been expanding its international presence in recent years. In fact,
owners of all of the teams voted in December twenty
(01:14):
twenty three to authorize the league to host eight games
internationally each season. So NFL to Melbourne. What does this mean,
Let's bring in GM of American Football, New Zealand Russell
mcconachie Russell, The NFL is coming down under. How big
is this news?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, yeah, it's great. They're bringing games down. They've actually
been here in Australia and New Zealand for the last
couple of years, working in intermediate and junior secondary schools,
so they preparing the ground, getting their fan base worked out.
It's been an amazing story, I.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Guess, coming down and running camps and things like that
and getting the word out as one thing, but actually
bringing NFL regular season games here as an entirely different matter.
What do the NFL see in terms of the Australian
market or any of the markets that they take the
games too?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well? The obvious one is are there players that are
capable of being in the NFL. I mean, it's a
well documented thing that the Australian rules kickers have made
a difference to the school the universities there in the
way in which they play. We also have the largest
(02:32):
population of Polynesia and Australia and New Zealand, and yeah,
big men are there. So there's that aspect of it,
and there's also growing the fan base worldwide. They already
are in Europe, they have been there for quite some time,
so this is just an extension, not just it's an
extension of that.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I guess they could just sit there in the United States,
couldn't they, Russell. I mean, it's a massive game over there.
Let's not try to get away from that. It's huge
over there. They could just sit there and enjoy sort
of lapping it up on their own shores. What do
you think there is the samboo to spread the NFL
message internationally.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I think it's to do with growth of the game,
growth of the fan base. I mean, football has been
I guess part of the news around the concussion issues
that are plague in contact sport, and I think they're
seeing a little bit of a hat on their player
(03:32):
base at the NFL. I don't think they see that
because there's just so as you say, so many numbers.
But again, the need to grow your fan base is
still important worldwide. You know, here in New Zealand, American
football is the first fourth most consumed sport television writes
(03:56):
and just viewership. So they want to capitalize on that.
They want to bring the experience closer to their fans.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
How suitable will the MCG be as an American football venue?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, that's interesting. I think it'll be okay. I mean
one of the things that that they want is a
fan experience. The MCG is an oval, there'll be a
bit of ground. I guess it'll be like Eden Park. Yes,
the capacity will be greater and they'll be looking to
(04:33):
fill that up. Obviously, the promoters will want that filled up.
They'll be Will there be flights from New Zealand? Charter
flights from New Zealand taking fans across might be?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You have to imagine there would be. I could imagine
there be a few people who you mix with Russell
who would be kind to hop a board and get
across to Melbourne for for a slice of the action.
The fourth most consumed sport here in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Did you say, yeah, what's interesting? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Is that being driven by a younger demographic.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I don't have the deal. I don't believe. I looked
at the demographics some time ago and it's not the
it's the I want to say, it's the twenty to
thirty five year twenty five to thirty five year olds
that are big. I mean every time I talk to somebody, though,
they they tell me what their team is and then
that they're a football tragic. So you know, Jason, what's
(05:31):
your team?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Well, my son's a big Minnesota Vikings fan, so almost
by default I'm on board the Vikings. I only asked
about the young people really through my own experience as
Russell my son and all of his friends are mad
keen on the NFL. So I just wondered whether it's
something to do with playing Madden for example, playing Fantasy NFL,
all of that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Well, yes it is, but it's also now the accessibility
of the non contact version of the game. The barriers
to entry in new young in Australia is a lot
of times of the equipment, fields and officials, but the
flag football version, which is non contact, smaller sides, shorter,
(06:17):
smaller field, shorter game hugely popular. It's growing the sport
massively worldwide and the NFL are helping to drive that
by getting in at the junior levels and preparing the
players with the awareness of the game at junior levels.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Tell us about the growth of flag football here, how
that's driving your overall numbers, the growth on the health
of NFL Here in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Well and twenty eighteen, there are around seven hundred registered players.
Now there's at least double that. We've doubled those numbers,
but that's not that all of the stories. There's probably
around five or six thousand players the school based, community
(07:03):
based just in competitions and tournaments and deliveries and schools.
So if you take our national championships for flag football,
we don't run one for tackle because there aren't enough
teams and we'd have to play for weeks. Tackle was
running a tournament for tackle would be difficult, but for
flag in twenty twenty we had ten teams at our
(07:27):
nationals in one division. Last year we had forty one
teams and four divisions. This year we're going to have
any more even more. So, Yeah, we're struggling with the
right kind of problem.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Of course, growth absolutely absolutely, Have you got a Super
Bowl pick for us before we go.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Kansas? It has to be you.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Almost said it reluctantly, Russell. I think most Neutrals would
like the Eagles to win, wouldn't they.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Well, yeah, but you know I was, who was I
watching the Gronk the other night on an interview. For
the last two years he's picked the other side, not
the Okay, see, this year he's just saying, well, it's
got to be. It just has to be. So I'm
going with the Gronk all right.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Well, a week from now we'll know. But we've got
NFL close to home to look forward to, hopefully from
the back end of next year. Russell, it's an exciting
time for the sport here. Thanks for joining us for
a bit of a chat.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Thank you, Jason, appreciate having a bit of time to
promote the sport.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Good to have you on, Russell. Thanks indeed, GM of
American Football New Zealand Russell mcconachie.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The coup for fans of the NFL in this part
of the world, that's American football. Melbourne will host up
to three regular season games from next year. The Herald
Sun reporting the La Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, which are
the two franchises with Australian marketing rights, are set to
face off in October twenty twenty six. The Rams won
(00:32):
the Super Bowl in twenty twenty two, and the Philadelphia Eagles,
of course, are in the fifty ninth edition, which is
a week today against the Kansas City Chiefs. Australian superstar
Jordan Malata is a key player for the Eagles. He
would be a massive drawcard now. The NFL's twenty twenty
four schedule featured matches in London, three of them one
(00:53):
in Brazil, won in Germany. As the NFL continues to
take the game to all parts of the world. Next season,
they'll be a game at Real Madrid's iconic Santiago Bernabou
Stadium in Spain for the first time. The NFL has
been expanding its international presence in recent years. In fact,
owners of all of the teams voted in December twenty
(01:14):
twenty three to authorize the league to host eight games
internationally each season. So NFL to Melbourne. What does this mean,
Let's bring in GM of American Football, New Zealand Russell
mcconachie Russell, The NFL is coming down under. How big
is this news?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well, yeah, it's great. They're bringing games down. They've actually
been here in Australia and New Zealand for the last
couple of years, working in intermediate and junior secondary schools,
so they preparing the ground, getting their fan base worked out.
It's been an amazing story, I.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Guess, coming down and running camps and things like that
and getting the word out as one thing, but actually
bringing NFL regular season games here as an entirely different matter.
What do the NFL see in terms of the Australian
market or any of the markets that they take the
games too?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well? The obvious one is are there players that are
capable of being in the NFL. I mean, it's a
well documented thing that the Australian rules kickers have made
a difference to the school the universities there in the
way in which they play. We also have the largest
(02:32):
population of Polynesia and Australia and New Zealand, and yeah,
big men are there. So there's that aspect of it,
and there's also growing the fan base worldwide. They already
are in Europe, they have been there for quite some time,
so this is just an extension, not just it's an
extension of that.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I guess they could just sit there in the United States,
couldn't they, Russell. I mean, it's a massive game over there.
Let's not try to get away from that. It's huge
over there. They could just sit there and enjoy sort
of lapping it up on their own shores. What do
you think there is the samboo to spread the NFL
message internationally.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I think it's to do with growth of the game,
growth of the fan base. I mean, football has been
I guess part of the news around the concussion issues
that are plague in contact sport, and I think they're
seeing a little bit of a hat on their player
(03:32):
base at the NFL. I don't think they see that
because there's just so as you say, so many numbers.
But again, the need to grow your fan base is
still important worldwide. You know, here in New Zealand, American
football is the first fourth most consumed sport television writes
(03:56):
and just viewership. So they want to capitalize on that.
They want to bring the experience closer to their fans.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
How suitable will the MCG be as an American football venue?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, that's interesting. I think it'll be okay. I mean
one of the things that that they want is a
fan experience. The MCG is an oval, there'll be a
bit of ground. I guess it'll be like Eden Park. Yes,
the capacity will be greater and they'll be looking to
(04:33):
fill that up. Obviously, the promoters will want that filled up.
They'll be Will there be flights from New Zealand? Charter
flights from New Zealand taking fans across might be?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You have to imagine there would be. I could imagine
there be a few people who you mix with Russell
who would be kind to hop a board and get
across to Melbourne for for a slice of the action.
The fourth most consumed sport here in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Did you say, yeah, what's interesting? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Is that being driven by a younger demographic.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I don't have the deal. I don't believe. I looked
at the demographics some time ago and it's not the
it's the I want to say, it's the twenty to
thirty five year twenty five to thirty five year olds
that are big. I mean every time I talk to somebody, though,
they they tell me what their team is and then
that they're a football tragic. So you know, Jason, what's
(05:31):
your team?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Well, my son's a big Minnesota Vikings fan, so almost
by default I'm on board the Vikings. I only asked
about the young people really through my own experience as
Russell my son and all of his friends are mad
keen on the NFL. So I just wondered whether it's
something to do with playing Madden for example, playing Fantasy NFL,
all of that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Well, yes it is, but it's also now the accessibility
of the non contact version of the game. The barriers
to entry in new young in Australia is a lot
of times of the equipment, fields and officials, but the
flag football version, which is non contact, smaller sides, shorter,
(06:17):
smaller field, shorter game hugely popular. It's growing the sport
massively worldwide and the NFL are helping to drive that
by getting in at the junior levels and preparing the
players with the awareness of the game at junior levels.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Tell us about the growth of flag football here, how
that's driving your overall numbers, the growth on the health
of NFL Here in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Well and twenty eighteen, there are around seven hundred registered players.
Now there's at least double that. We've doubled those numbers,
but that's not that all of the stories. There's probably
around five or six thousand players the school based, community
(07:03):
based just in competitions and tournaments and deliveries and schools.
So if you take our national championships for flag football,
we don't run one for tackle because there aren't enough
teams and we'd have to play for weeks. Tackle was
running a tournament for tackle would be difficult, but for
flag in twenty twenty we had ten teams at our
(07:27):
nationals in one division. Last year we had forty one
teams and four divisions. This year we're going to have
any more even more. So, Yeah, we're struggling with the
right kind of problem.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Of course, growth absolutely absolutely, Have you got a Super
Bowl pick for us before we go.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Kansas? It has to be you.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Almost said it reluctantly, Russell. I think most Neutrals would
like the Eagles to win, wouldn't they.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Well, yeah, but you know I was, who was I
watching the Gronk the other night on an interview. For
the last two years he's picked the other side, not
the Okay, see, this year he's just saying, well, it's
got to be. It just has to be. So I'm
going with the Gronk all right.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Well, a week from now we'll know. But we've got
NFL close to home to look forward to, hopefully from
the back end of next year. Russell, it's an exciting
time for the sport here. Thanks for joining us for
a bit of a chat.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Thank you, Jason, appreciate having a bit of time to
promote the sport.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Good to have you on, Russell. Thanks indeed, GM of
American Football New Zealand Russell mcconachie.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com