NFL Flag football pushes for inclusion after Australia’s Asia-Oceania Championship win

Incentives

While Australia had high hopes of qualifying for the Asia-Oceania Flag Football Championship to qualify for the World Cup, Stegman felt their rivals had largely overlooked them.

This made the victory even sweeter.

“The moment itself was pure joy,” he said.

“The women’s team was there as well and was a big factor in our leadership, so they came onto the field and everyone was milling around each other.

“It was unexpected, it was expected because of our own expectations and training, but no one thought in their wildest dreams that we would win the gold medal.”

Stegman has been in American football for 18 years.

The 35-year-old has plyed his trade around the world, playing in Australia, Türkiye, Sweden, Japan and Germany.

But the idea of ​​an Olympics had never crossed his mind.

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“This has definitely given me a new purpose. I’m the English department chair in high school and I play football for fun, and that started a new fire,” Stegman said.

“I always wanted to play for the challenge, so I went abroad, because American football is not very accepted here, it’s not funded and it’s not super competitive, so this new opportunity is great.

“The luck is crazy, incredible, and we did the first step.”

This year, the NFL announced it would release its players to make them eligible for the Los Angeles Games, opening the door for Australian prospects to compete on their home turf with the best of the best, such as three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.

Tracks through the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States also offer educational and travel opportunities.

“We’ve had people trying to make the Australian team because they see it as a chance to go to the Olympics and play with the US players, especially in Los Angeles,” Kelly said.

“It goes beyond many sports.”

Competitor code raid

Kelly has previously revealed Australian stars such as Sydney Rooster’s Wallaby Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and rugby sevens weapon Maddison Levi will be tailored for flag football.

“Now you can count 1,000,” he said.

Among those making the leap were former Wallabies star Quade Cooper, Essendon Bombers’ Victorian Football League talent Jacob Atley and St George-Illawarra Dragons’ under-21 winger Caine Barnes.

Cooper did not feature in the Oceania championships after returning to Japan, where he played for the Kintetsu Liners rugby union team. Kelly said his impact at a training camp in the United States was profound.

“It’s been outstanding. The one thing Quade brings is preparation; the guy is meticulous in his preparation and thought process, and that’s been really beneficial for our young boys and girls,” Kelly said.

“He is among those who will participate in the World Cup next year, but it is very difficult for him to be included in the team with this performance.”

Stegman said transferrable skills to other rules football would make the transition attractive, with Australian rules athletes in particular having the qualities needed to thrive.

“Their skills are perfect for flag football; they are very trained to catch and trap the ball, and you move towards the ball every route you run,” he said.

Transferable skills include line running, catching ability and aerial prowess, as well as the ability to respond to 360-degree opposition pressure.

Increased Australian presence

Since the introduction of flag football into the Sports Schools program, Kelly revealed more than 50,000 youth have made it through the ranks in just five semesters. In his own words, it “exploded”.

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2.6 million people watched in Australia as the Philadelphia Eagles conquered Kansas City in this year’s Super Bowl.

As Melbourne prepares to host an LA Rams game at the MCG in 2026, Kelly predicted the game’s popularity will reach new heights.

“The explosion of NFL fandom here over the last 10 years has been crazy, and on the back of that, flag football is a much more accessible way to get involved in the sport after it was announced at the Olympics,” Kelly said.

“It has all the makings of a major code. If you look at the three top participating sports in Australia, football, netball and touch football are by far the top three.

“They’re contactless, they’re an hour long, they’re gender diverse, they’re completely gender neutral. Flag football has it all.”

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