By Chris McAsey
An AFL Asia Development Grant has helped to drive the Shanghai Dockers community training programs and paved the way for a new partnership with their namesake AFL club.
The development grant enabled the Shanghai Dockers to register as an Entity in China, a crucial step in approaching schools, venues and sponsors for co-operation.
Shanghai Dockers Club President Dan Mummery said the grant has helped to ‘get us off the ground as a club.’
‘We owe a big thank you to AFL Asia and the Development Grant program for the momentum the club has been able to pick up since receiving it.’
The Dockers have kicked off with several AusKick style clinics which were attended by more than 20 local Chinese children aged from 6-10.
Local Chinese make up the majority of new female players at the club, with six Shanghai Dockers women selected to represent China at the inaugural AFL Asia Cup in December 2024.
‘Our female players are almost entirely Chinese and have created a really welcoming atmosphere which helped us grow in the back end of 2024,’ Dan said.
‘We expect this to continue when we pick up training again next month.’
Six Shanghai Dockers women represented China at the inaugural AFL Asia Cup in December 2024.
The grant has also facilitated the Dockers move to a new centralised training venue and to manufacture training kit for players.
The Dockers next fixtures are an ANZAC Day clash with Jiangsu, followed by the 2025 Shanghai Cup in May. The 2025 China Cup will also be held in Shanghai in mid-October.
New partnership with Fremantle Dockers
In a groundbreaking move, the Shanghai Dockers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Fremantle Dockers.
The partnership will foster community connections across the clubs, help to grow awareness of AFL in Shanghai and provide equipment and uniforms that are difficult to access in China.
Fremantle released a statement praising the efforts of Club President Dan Mummery and Club Manager Gigi Guan in introducing locals to the game.
‘Starting with non-contact mixed-gender AFLX games, the Shanghai Dockers have quickly progressed to full-contact play.’
‘Their dedication paid off when they clinched the national championship at the AFL China Cup in Foshan last May.’
Read more – https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/1725996/fremantle-expand-reach-with-international-partnerships
