American sports can often be accused of being closed minded.

Two baseball teams, almost always from only America, play for the "world series", while the winners of other leagues are routinely declared world champions.

But on a crowded sports field on the outskirts of Minneapolis a new group is embracing a sport from a faraway land; Australia.

People in the US are playing AFL at record numbers. (Nine)

"I think Australian rules footballers are the fittest and strongest athletes in the world," Andrea Mattison says during a pre-season training session.

Mattison is one of 24 women getting accustomed to kicking a Sherrin around for the Minnesota Freeze.

Their posts are wonky, the training field surrounded by softball diamonds, but they're committed.

"Sometimes we train in the snow," Catherine Georgiadis says and she has the photos to prove it.

It's fair to say not everyone in the Twin cities or America understands the game, the ladies say it's regularly confused with rugby. (Nine)

The team's mascot is a yeti - perfect for a city where temperatures regularly drops below -10 degrees Celsius.

Georgiadis has been playing for more than five years, earning national honours with the USA Freedom side that toured Australia.

"That was amazing," she said.

"You got to meet players from other countries and got to see how important footy was to the Australians."

Their posts are wonky, the training field surrounded by softball diamonds, but they're committed. (Nine)

Remarkably, only coach Dale Williams grew up with the game in Australia.

"In the States it's a little different," he said.

"People have teams like a softball team or a soccer team, but they don't have a club."

Williams spoke with 9news.com.au over a beer at a sportsbar near the club's training ground.

"I think Australian rules footballers are the fittest and strongest athletes in the world," Andrea Mattison says during a pre-season training session. (Nine)

Most of the team is there, all part of the new club culture being developed.

"I've played softball and volleyball and this is really unique," rookie Renae Curtis says.

"It's technical and it's exciting and you become a family fast."

It's fair to say not everyone in the Twin cities or America understands the game, the ladies say it's regularly confused with rugby.

Lindsey Stene's grandmother wrote her a letter asking her not to play, worried about the lack of pads and helmets so common in American sport.

"That's what I lover about it," Stene says.