Following a request from the Singapore Wombats to all Asian footy clubs, the Swans President sent out the following email to those on the list:

In what threatens to erupt into a major diplomatic incident between Australia and Australians in Asia (and their ever growing number of friends), the Australia Television Network has banished coverage of the AFL to TV’s wasteland hours – 1am in Vietnam!

That’s right: Friday night football and Saturday night football can now be viewed at 1am on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Around the footy grounds across Asia, everyone is speaking of similar woes. Various representatives of the Swans and the other Clubs in Asia have fired off emails to the Australia Network, DFAT and the AFL. So far, in Football’s 150^th Year, all have been played with a straight bat (that’s our point; it’s not cricket!).

Today the Singapore Wombats emailed (see previous posting below) all the Asian Presidents asking us to exhort our email lists to register our displeasure with people of influence or the Australia Network directly on their website at  

If there is a good thing that is coming out of the controversy that has engulfed the Australia Network, it would be that this incident has galvanized the footy clubs across Asia to publicly speak with a louder voice – as one.

Ladies and gentlemen, this crisis could be a seminal moment in the development of Asian football. For all our sakes, let’s just hope that there aren’t too many families who have to suffer in the process.

Again, the website you need to email right now is

An email from the President of the Singapore Wombats wanting to right a television wrong:

Folks, some of you would have no doubt seen the banter circulating about the raw deal we are getting here in Asia in relation to AFL coverage in 2008 i.e. only 4 games, and with Friday and Saturday games in the most part after midnight.

The purpose of this email, however, was to request you to rally your in country players, supporters, sponsors, and other relevant members of your broader community – to provide the Australian Network with an appreciation of the displeasure such a programming decision brings to all those who enjoy watching AFL (and at a decent hour) here in Asia.

The Australian Network have requested that all feedback is provided through the “contact us” system located on their website

Weight of numbers can make a difference, one minute of your and your troops time prior to Easter to provide feedback could mean many enjoyable hours in front of the TV on the couch !
I have sent an email to all our guys in Singapore to voice their feelings via the website and the reaction and desire to right this wrong has been tremendously positive.

Best Regards

Adam Grant
President (and avid TV/Couch Potato)
Singapore Wombats Football Club