This announcement came on Wednesday night at MELBOURNEfc’c International Chinese Student Launch, which was held at the Chinese Museum in Melbourne.  MELBOURNEfc, being the obvious choice, would play another AFL team in Shanghai as part of the World Expo in 2010, representing both Australia and the AFL.  

Sheedy said of MELBOURNEfc's China mission, “This initiative by Melbourne is an adventure that is worthwhile.  We’ve had the game fenced in for too many years, and we haven’t really put enough effort into releasing it to the world.

“I’m prepared to look at all angles to make sure we get this game up faster, quicker and better than it’s ever been done before.”

Talking at the Student launch, Sheedy added to discussions of MELBOURNEfc’s membership program. “When you hear a tremendous idea to tune into the student market in Melbourne, we should have discussions about how to actually send back people who fall in love with the game and how we get these young students to take our game back.” 

Ron Barassi, who travelled with the Melbourne Football Club in October 2007 through China, said  the AFL would be, “gutless and small-minded” if they didn’t continue to grow the game throughout China.

The MELBOURNEfc China strategy, which provides football for international students in Melbourne and China, supports the AFL’s international expansion and the International Cup.  It also provides a point of difference for potential corporate partners in the Chinese and Australian markets.  This follows the China mission of 2007, which, with a delegation of 26 including Ron Barassi and Max Walker, visited Beijing, Melbourne’s sister city Tianjin, Shanghai and Suzhou and featured football clinics, business forums, official government receptions, cultural exchanges, and personal development challenges.   

In 2008, MELBOURNEfc will increase the size of the delegation attending the China business-football mission in October, and is currently in discussions with the Federal and State Governments, focusing on AFL opportunities leading up to and including the World Expo in China in 2010.  This is being hailed as an event that will be bigger than the Beijing Olympics.

MELBOURNEfc is also currently hosting two young footballers from China as part of an AFL scholarship program.  Both will play for China in the International Cup.  Zhao Wei and Zhao Yonggen are halfway through their two week professional development scholarship, and will co-captain the Chinese national side during the AFL International Cup.