SINCE his first visit to Australia in 2006, German captain Florian Naumann has been hooked on the AFL. As a teenager, he spent nine weeks living with a host family in Melbourne, and hosts introduced him to footy by taking him to the MCG for an Essendon-St Kilda match.
Naumann’s enthusiasm was so palpable after the match that his host family offered to take him for a kick at Yarra Park, and it didn’t take long for the former soccer player to get the hang of kicking techniques. Throughout the rest of his stay in Australia, he spent his free time practicing his AFL skills and was eventually able to join a training session with Olinda Football Club in Melbourne’s outer east.
A little over a decade later, he will lead his country into the division two Grand Final of the AFL International Cup against Croatia.
Naumann developed a love not only for the sport but also for the Bombers, and in particular, James Hird. “He was such a smart player, able to read the game better than anyone else on the ground. The most inspiring part to me was to see his intense passion for the game. Despite his achievements he was a dedicated team player without ever acting like a star,” he said.
Naumann was lucky enough to meet Hird at the end of his stay, and since that day has worn the No. 5 jumper as a nod to his football idol. Upon leaving Australia, his host family presented him with an Essendon ball so he could keep playing while following the Bombers from back home in Germany. It’s a treasured gift he still has today.
He now plays for the Hamburg Dockers, and is heavily involved supporting both his club and the German national team. Fundraising is essential for the survival of the sport in Germany, as is recruiting new players to the code.
Naumann recently had his first experience as a coach when he led the Crusaders’ women’s team at the 2017 AFL Europe Champions League Tournament.
"After my first tournament as a coach, I decided to sign up for the AFL Level 1 coaching course and in the future, I would like to coach my own team," he said.
Naumann said he was thrilled to return to Melbourne to skipper the national team, which takes on Croatia in the division two Grand Final at Royal Park in Melbourne on Friday.
"There have been so many positive developments for the German Eagles over the last year and we want to show the world of footy that Germany has a bright future in the game," he said.
"When you travel that far and need to put all your savings towards the trip, you definitely give your best on the ground."
AFL INTERNATIONAL CUP GRAND FINALS
Men’s division two
12.30pm Friday, August 18
Germany v Croatia
Royal Park – Ransford Oval
Men’s division one
11.15am Saturday, August 19
New Zealand v Papua New Guinea,
MCG
Women’s competition
4.30pm Saturday, August 19
Canada v Ireland
Etihad Stadium
Go to AFL.com.au/internationalcup for scores, live streams of selected matches, feature stories and news from the tournament, and worldfootynews.com for reports on all matches.
