History of Beijing Australian Rules Football Club
The Formative Years
Until 2003 AD, apart from perhaps the ad hoc kick amongst homesick Aussies, there had been no organised game of Australian Rules Football in China’s Capital, Beijing.
Then a young Aussie student named Andrew ‘Sanga’ Sawitsch, placed a few ads around town and on the web calling for interest in forming an Australian Rules Football club in the Chinese capital. The response was great. There emerged a few Aussies in Beijing, who had already been involved with Shanghai’s Australian Rules Football games previously. They were more than happy to jump aboard the Beijing chapter.
Next thing there was a Students/Teachers v Workers game being held at the International School of Beijing, Shunyi District on a stifling Saturday afternoon in September.
News of the match reached footy fans around Beijing and also around the land. Nigel Godde, based down in Shanghai and one of the chief organisers of the then fledgling Shanghai Aussie rules football club, was in contact immediately. Shanghai had hosted the Hong Kong Dragons for a match earlier in the year and were eager to get a Beijing v Shanghai match organised. The date was set for October 25th 2003. The venue in Shanghai booked.
Further recruiting and word of mouth was spreading around town like wildfire in the following weeks due to a ripper Grand Final Party and a few more Saturday afternoon scratch matches. The numbers grew.
The then facilities manager of the Australian Embassy in Beijing, David ‘Bags’ Baguley was instrumental in getting the club together. He became coach, venue and kit manager, head recruiter and club spokesman all in one. He secured sponsorship for jumpers via the Goose and Duck Pub in Beijing. The Beijing bombers were born. The rag tag fleet of determined warriors, converged on Shanghai to do the capital proud in this historic event.
The Bombers were defeated after a tight struggle. But their pride and thirst was not. A great time was had. Rivalry between the two Chinese cities became even stronger.
A core group of Bomber faithful, determined to keep the flame burning, then started their off season training early. Boxing and indoor circuit training kept the players fit and social over Xmas & Chinese New Year 03/04. However Bags & Sang, along with a few other BARF faithfuls had to leave Beijing early 2004 and the clubs training and activity went into a hiatus.
2005
Perhaps due to ‘The Den’ showing AFL matches via ABC Asia Pacific on weekends and becoming a hub for Beijing’s Footy Faithful, resurgence came about. BARFC stalwart, Mike Boddington, along with big shot lawyer, Tom Luckock, were among the core group to recruit and organise some training again. The Den also hosted a Grand Final party. Aussie Rules in Beijing was set for a comeback.
2006
Beijing footy recieved a big lift this year with the Melbourne Football Club, The City of Melbourne & AusAid developing a program to fund a development officer in Tianjin (Melbourne’s sister city and 1.5 odd hours drive from Beijing). The Development officer was Tom Mattessi and he and his new local Chinese recruits became familiar faces at Beijing training/scratch matches in 2006. Suddenly Beijing had incentive to kick Aussie Rules along and the numbers grew even more. Shanghai were paying close attention and were licking their lips at the prospect of an all china match later in the year.
Beijing Bombers continued training in 2006 at various venues. There was even an international rules match against Beijing’s Gaelic Football team, played under the hot Beijing sun.
Glenn ‘Fitzy’ Fitzpatrick was appointed captain-coach due to his vast experience at top level footy in Australia. His links to his school unfurled a new and central training venue for the club.
Proof of the development and potential for the Club was clearly shown in the hosting of the AFL Grand Final Party at Franks Place in September 06. Not only was a fantastic day had as the epic match was shown live to more than 200 excited fans enjoying a steady flow of refreshments, it also proved a big fundraiser for the club.
October 28th 2006 saw the 2nd official match by the Beijing Bombers. They travelled down to Shanghai and took on arch rivals Shanghai Tigers, who had been training and travelling overseas for games for all of the year. This was a strong Beijing team. Double the numbers of the 2003 team. It was a team mixing the old and new, both age and experience wise. The club also funded the travel expenses of 5 young Chinese students from Tom Mattessi’s Tianjin team to be apart of the match. Chinese Grand final week excitement took hold of Beijing’s players and supporters. Pride in representing ‘The Mighty Jing’ was at an all time high.
The Tigers were caught off guard early with a super Beijing start. Players were linking well. It was a tough and bruising encounter. Everything you want to see in a Grand Final. But key, heartbreaking injuries to Captain Fitzy and Tom Luckock were among the disappointments after the quarter time break for Beijing. Then a fresh from AFL, Greg Stafford -in town for a Shanghai footy club fundraiser, was suddenly and miraculously wearing a Tigers jumper and a member of their team. His goals proved costly to the Bombers and despite a good fight out, the Bombers could not convert on the scoreboard and stem the Shanghai flow of goals in the final quarter. In the end it was relief for the Bombers to hear the final gong. Not only could the biased Shanghai commentator now finally put down his microphone, everyone could have a beer and enjoy the post match festivities. The Bombers were immediately talking about the next hit-out against Shanghai
2007
In 2007 the Bombers went from strength to strength on and off the
field. In September they were able to finally notch up win number one
in an historic first ever game of AFL to be played in Beijing when the
Tigers traveled to the capital to be defeated by a determined Bombers
unit 105-66. They followed this up with a memorable 13 point win in the
return clash in Shanghai after being down by 6 goals at half time to
claim the 2007 China Cup.
Earlier in 2007 the Bombers and Tigers
combined to represent the China Reds in the 2007 Asian Cup. This would be the first time the newly formed Reds would hit the field and with contraversial ring-in Greg Stafford helping the reds to a Grand Final appearance against Hong Kong Dragons. Unfortunately the Reds just didn't have enough legs to get them through in that game but it announced the emergence of the team onto the Asian football landscape and assured there would be many more games to come.
Another notable development in 2007 was the formation of the Beijing
SiShen Bombers through the dedication of new AFL development officer Andrew Sawitsch and Bombers Coach Darryl Hoffman. The SiShen Bombers are made up of 100% local
Chinese players mainly from the Beijing Sport University. In October they
played the first domestic fixture in China to be played between two
100% Chinese sides when they defeated the Tianjin Demons.
Another big Grand Final day at Trio and a successful dinner with Melbourne legend and former federal politician Brian Dixon further increased the Bombers reputation in the city.
The Bombers also found the time to have a bit of a kick with the round ball, going down to the Irish with them cancelling Game 2 due to lack of numbers not giving Bombers a chance to seek redemption.
An intra-club practice match later in the year showed us all how much the group had grown and what was possible in the future.
2008
After laying the foundations of a successful club in 2007, the Bombers were determined to continue on with the good work and set about putting together a big calender of events for Beijing's year in the International Olympic Spotlight.
With Coach Hoff nearing the end of his posting, an AGM was called to approve a constitution and vote in eight committee members to ensure Hoff's hard work would continue well after his return to Australia. Mic Mittasch was elected President and set his committee straight to work with some nifty business cards.
Early on in the year Amy Bainbridge and Alison Keys formed the Beijing Bombshells providing an opportunity for Beijing's female population to indulge in
a kick of the footy.
The International Rules series against the Irish kicked off the year with the Bombers recording their first ever win with the round ball before an improved Irish team managed to keep up with the Bombers drawing Game 2. The Bombshells also made their first appearance for a brave encounter against a much more experienced and larger sized Irish unit.
In May, 11 Bombers put up their hands to once again join with the Tigers under the China Reds banner to enter a team in the inagural Manila Cup 12 a side Tournament. The Reds were on fire early, to narrowly lose their opening game against HK, finishing 3rd with a 2-2 record in the oppressive Philippines sun but enjoying what will surely become another annual fixture on the Bombers Calender.
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player, supporter, sponsor or just lend a hand to help out our efforts
in developing a team worthy of this proud Olympic city we would love to
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