Premiership Stars Spread Football Gospel in SingaporeFriday, March 10, 2023 - 2:11 PM

AFL Premiership heroes Beau McDonald and Ryan O’Keefe have provided their expertise as part of a campaign to increase participation levels of football at junior level in Singapore.

McDonald and O’Keefe travelled to the city for a series of meetings and coaching clinics.

Head of Coaching at the West Australian Football Commission, McDonald revealed the challenges associated with playing Australian Rules in that part of the world.

“The Singapore Sharks boast the biggest Auskick centre in the world but there’s no greenspace in the city to expand, so that’s a constant issue,” he said.

The visit started when the pair met the President of the Singapore Sharks, discussing the challenges faced in Singapore and Asia.

The following morning McDonald and O’Keefe held a training session with the Sharks, attracting more than 35 children, which included a game of footy.

They then staged a coaching workshop for 50 coaches, as the former players assisted participants to navigate and implement content from the AFL Junior Coaching Curriculum.

McDonald played in two Premierships with the Brisbane Lions, while O’Keefe won two flags with the Sydney Swans, giving them strong credentials to help develop the game overseas.

“Singapore has many expats who want to get involved in football but are new to the game.

We finished the tour hosting a football forum with two Singapore Masters team, the Wombats and the Sharks, in what was an entertaining evening,” McDonald said.