Quantcast
Channel: World Footy News
Viewing all 3240 articles
Browse latest View live

IC17 Round 4 Live Scores

0
0

Live scores updated 1/4 by 1/4 across Round 4, Tuesday 15th August, 2017 International Cup at Royal Park, Melbourne, Australia

Refresh page for updates.

Also note the AFL are live streaming most matches here.

 

WOMEN

McAlister Oval 1:00pm
Semi-Final
Canada vs USA
Team1/41/23/4Final
 Canada 2.2 5.5  
 USA 1.1 1.2  
 
Western Oval 1:00pm
Placement playoff
Fiji vs European Crusaders
Team1/41/23/4Final
Fiji    
Europe    
 

McAlister Oval 2:45pm
Semi-Final
Ireland vs Great Britain

Team1/41/23/4Final
 Ireland    
 GB    
 

Western Oval 2:45pm
Placement playoff
PNG vs Pakistan

Team1/41/23/4Final
 PNG    
 Pakistan    
 

MEN DIVISION 1

Ransford Oval 8:45am
Round 4
Canada vs Nauru
Team1/41/23/4Final
 Canada 0.4 2.4 3.6 3.6 (24)
 Nauru 0.4 4.6 7.6 8.8 (56)
 
McAlister Oval 9:30am
Round 4
USA vs France
Team1/41/23/4Final
 USA 3.4 9.10 12.13 19.18 (132)
 France 1.0 1.1 3.1 3.1 (19)
 

Ransford Oval 10:30am
Round 4
PNG vs South Africa

Team1/41/23/4Final
 PNG 3.5 9.7 11.12 16.17 (113)
 South Africa 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.4 (4)
 

McAlister Oval 11:15am
Round 4
Great Britain vs Fiji

Team1/41/23/4Final
 Great Britain 2.3 4.5 6.5 8.8 (56)
 Fiji 0.2 1.5 1.8 3.9 (27)
 

Ransford Oval 12:15pm
Round 4
Ireland vs New Zealand

Team1/41/23/4Final
 Ireland 2.2 3.4 5.6 7.7
 New Zealand 1.1 4.3 6.4 8.5
 

MEN DIVISION 2

Western Oval 9:30am
Placement playoff
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Team1/41/23/4Final
 Pakistan 1.3 2.4 2.6 2.6 (18)
 Sri Lanka 3.1 4.1 5.2 6.3 (39)
 
Western Oval 11:15am
Placement playoff
India vs Indonesia
Team1/41/23/4Final
 India 0.0 0.0 1.2 2.2 (14)
 Indonesia 4.3 7.7 7.8 9.11 (65)
 
Ransford Oval 2:00pm
Semi-final
China vs Germany
Team1/41/23/4Final
 China    
 Germany    
 
Ransford Oval 3:45pm
Semi-final
Japan vs Croatia
Team1/41/23/4Final
 Japan    
 Croatia    
 

 

  ...


Meet a Player : Kenneth Oppenheimer (Nauru Chiefs)

0
0

Previous 'Meets':Josip HabljakAlphonse JambarufoAssemat MarinePierre Labigang

NameKenneth Oppenheimer
Nation/SideNauru Chiefs
DivisionMens Div 1
    WHICH TEAM MATE…
…would you WANT to kick for goal to win after the siren? Richmond Spanner
...would NOT WANT to tackle you at training? David Adeang
...would you NOT WANT to eat their cooking? David Adeang
...spends MOST TIME getting their hair just right? Mikey Hiram
Favourite AFL team? Carlton
Favourite AFL Player? Anthony Koutoufidis
Anthony Koutoufidis
Your best other sport? Rugby 7s
    DO YOU...
…Bounce the ball or tap on the ground Bounce
…wear footy socks up or down Down
...prefer AFL Grand Final? Day/Twilight/Night? Night
Most Embarrassing Footy Moment Practice Match in Brisbane vs PNG, didn’t get a touch
Any Footy Superstitions? Clean boots – every game
How did you end up playing this game? Grew up in Nauru. Got to love the game in Nauru as a child.
Best Footy moment? Nauru AFL Grand Final premiers 2017
    PREDICTIONS
Mens Div 1 PNG
Womens Ireland
Mens Div 2 Japan
...

Lions finally break through with maiden International win

0
0

It was a match between the winless Sri Lanka Lions and the Pakistan Shaheens who could only manage one win from their first three matches. It was a cold cloudy wintry day at the Royal Park - Western Oval in Melbourne, but fortunately there was no heavy rain just a bit of light drizzle.

On paper this match looked like it would be a win to the Shaheens, but they were unable to put a halt to the Lions' pressure. According to the ladder it looked like the match would be a close encounter and the match lived up to it for most of the game, with only a goal and half separating both teams at each break except at the final siren. The game was close and even with the Lions getting the upper hand towards the end of the third and maintained it till the end of the game.

The Lions kicked three goals in a tight opening term to the Shaheens who were only able to kick one goal. Shaheens threw everything at the Lions who were the stronger team, but the Lions were able to withstand this ferocity. The Shaheens tried everything to lead at quarter time with the same amount of scoring shots as the Lions, but there accuracy in front of goal let them down. As a result, this was what gave the Lions the slight advantage on the scoreboard at quarter time with a lead of 10 points, because they were able to kick accurately. Damien Ratwatke was prominent up forward for the Lions and a headache for the Shaheens players and coaches.

The tackling pressure of the Lions was immense during the second term and the Lions were slowly starting to get on top in the contest over the Shaheens. Damien Ratwatke posed a threat up forward for the Shaheens backmen. Janahan Kumaralingam came to the bench with muscle tightness in his hammy halfway through the second quarter. Also the Lions were able to move more smoothly and dispose of the ball more cleanly then the Shaheens.

It was in the second quarter that the Lions started to hold up well in their defensive 50. The Lions bench was bemused, because they were on the wrong end of a couple of umpiring decisions in the Shaheens forward half. To the Lions relief the footy Gods as quoted by their coach “the footy Gods were doing them justice” because the Shaheens did not make the most out of the harsh umpiring calls with their ball use ineffective and scrappy. The Shaheens were lucky to be on the right end of the whistle and therefore to be as close as they were at the main break with only 9 points down.

In the third term, Janahan Kumaralingam came off early because he continued to have muscle tightness and soreness and the trainer attended to him. The trainer asked the AFL first aid official for some ice and unfortunately Janahan Kumaralingam was unable to play out the remainder of the match due to his injury. Janahan Kumaralingam was gutted, as he wanted to continue playing for his country and most importantly be on the field for his teams first AFL International Cup win. The Lions held a 14-point lead at three quarter time.

In the final quarter, the Lions were on top in all facets of the game from winning the crucial contests in the centre of the ground, holding up well in their backline and having a lot of the game play in their forward half of the ground. The Lions made the most of their limited opportunities in front of goal, because the Shaheens defence held up well with all the inside 50s from the Lions. As a result, the Lions booted three goals in the fourth term and kept the Shaheens scoreless too and this was an achievement in itself. This never say die effort and attitude from the Lions paid off for them at the end of the game, as they were able to notch up their first International win by 21 points.

The scenes after the match were amazing to see, because the Lions players put their hands up in the air and cheered. Also the players and coach on the Lions bench showed immense jubilation and relief to finally crack through with their first win in International AFL. The standout player from this match was Damien Ratwatke who booted four goals as the key target for the Lions and a key worry for the Shaheens' backline who were unable to put a stop to his dominance in the forward line. This dominant display from Damien Ratwatke helped secure the Lions win.

Full Time Score: Sri Lanka 6.3(39) to Pakistan 2.6(18) ...

Mosquitoes continue resurgence to punish disappointing Lions

0
0

2017 International Cup Round #4. Royal Park.    Men’s Division 1   P.N.G. Mosquitos  Vs  R.S.A. Lions
Wednesday 15th August. 10.30am

The PNG Mosquitos continued their good form to win and win well over the RSA Lions. The scoreline might imply an "easy" win with the result a predictable win to the Mosquitos but they still had to work hard against a determined South African side that was intent on being competitive.

Both teams were surprise first-round losers which looked likely to preclude them from the Grand Final but the Mosquitos have learnt from that experience and improved markedly whilst the Lions have struggled against the Revolution and have only just beaten the Fiji Tribe.

In round three the Mosquitos moved back into favouritism with a superb display of athletic and skillful football tinged with aggression and unrelenting accuracy. They had the ability to shark the ruck contests against the tall USA Revolution team convincingly beating a team that was in form.

Previous results

Round #1.  R.S.A. Lions 4 goals 4 behinds = 28 points   Vs   Bulldogs  9 goals 11 behinds =65 points
Round #1. Mosquitos  4 goals 7 behinds = 32 points   Vs    Warriors 6 goals 6 behinds = 42 points
R ound #2  R.S.A. Lions 2 goals 5 behinds  = 17 points  Vs   Revolution 9 g 10 behinds  = 64 points
R ound #2  Mosquitos   13 goals  6 behinds = 84 points  Vs    Chiefs 5 goals 5 behinds = 35 points
Round #3  Revolution  8 goals   7 behinds  =  55 pts   Vs   Mosquitos   15 goals  2 behinds  =  92 points
Round #3 R.S.A. Lions   4 goals  5 behinds  = 29 pts    Vs   Fiji tribe    3 goals  8 behinds =  26 points

Probably the main interest in this game was in the Mosquitos percentage and whether Amua Muzza Pirika  # 10 Could kick another bag of goals and challenge for leading goal-kicker after a six goal haul against the Revolution. The ground was again looking in fine condition after overnight rains but while the weather was slightly warmer the grounds did have a distinct wind blowing at an angle across the them.


PNG kicked with the aid of this breeze after the customary “haka” was performed this time with a verbal response from R.S.A. Size for size the two teams are almost equal in make-up.

The Mosquitos were immediately into attack and John Ikupu #26 took a great flying mark and converted from the arc. He took another flying mark and the ball dropped short only for the ball to rebound back to him for a simple mark and goal. Malibongwe Mlamli #28 was holding his own in the ruck and doing valuable work around the ground for the Lions and their  defence was committed as in Tebogo Monyemoratho #29 effots  but Emmaus Wartovo #12 goaled from 50m for the Mosquitos after a penalty for a high tackle. It was an interesting decision because he had dived on the ball.

PNG. were getting numbers to the ball and once they had gained possession they used the whole ground, often switching very wide.This opening-up of play actually benefitted the RSA to a degree  with Vuyisile Sokoyi  #1 taking some flying marks on the wing trying to produce some drive. Karabo Marokoane #18 executed a superb legal bump on Laurie Logo #22 P.N.G. to send him literally flying.

Quarter 1.   P.N.G.  3 goals   5 behinds =  23 points    Vs    R.S.A.  0 goals   2 behinds =  2 points

The thought for the second quarter was wether the Lions could take advantage of the wind. For a while it seemed they could with Malibongwe Mlamli #28 working hard and  John Ikupu #26 taking some good defensive marks. However  Laurie Logo #22 gathered and goaled against play. P.N.G.’s smaller players like Scott Johnson #6 an Hewago Paul Oea #1 where chipping in well often splitting the packs. Around the 9 minute mark the wind dropped and the PNG took the ascendancy. Emmaus Wartovo #12 accepted a pass to goal from 40m.

Hewago Paul Oea #1 was held when running into an open square and goaled from the penalty. Emmaus Wartovo #12 used his body well to take a diving mark and convert fro 25, Scott Johnson #6 accepted a ball that off-breaked in front of #19s to goal from close in.

Quarter 2.  P.N.G.  9 goals   7 behinds =  61 points    Vs    R.S.A.  0 goals   3 behinds =  3 points

The third quarter commenced with the job ahead of them for the Lions. Though the team was demoralised by the results of the second quarter they had re-grouped after the main break. Malibongwe Mlamli #28 and Mandilakhe Lungile #22 were again working hard  for the Lions around the ground.


Mosquitos Paul Phillip #24 and John Ikupu #26 were working well together. John Ikupu #26 passed to Emmaus Wartovo #12 to goal from the arc. Malibongwe Mlamli #28 and Mandilakhe Lungile #22 were trying to hold back the tide. But Gideon Simon #16 passed to Brendan Beno  #15 inside the arc for another goal to PNG. David Openi #20 goaled from the arc near the boundary line when the ball came out wide. The Lions had done well to restrict the Mosquitos to just two goals for the quarter.

Quarter 3.  PNG.  11 goals  17 behinds =  78 points    Vs    RSA  0 goals   3 behinds =  3 points

The last quarter could have been seen as an anti-climax but there was still a lot of good football to be witnessed with lots of good passagesl and some spectacular marks. Luzuko Mlonyeni #17 and  Tshobboko Moagi #20 were working well together and with Asanda Funda #9 providing spirited resistance. John Ikupu #26 came back to star early in the last quarter. He passed to Hewago Paul Oea #1  for Kataha PauliasSiwee #23 to waltz into an open goal.

Soon after he passed to Emmaus Wartovo #12  to goal from the arc. Hewago Paul Oea #1 with a burst of speed ran around the pack to snap truely but it was Scott Johnson’s #6 quarter. He was very visible in the packs and was rewarded with a snap on goal from a gather. Kelly Kaugla  #4 also snapped from a sharp angle for a goal. A string of passes from the P.N.G. backline  produced another goal from close in. Lion’s Karabo Marokoane #18 executed a superb legal bump on Laurie Logo #22. Scott Johnson #6  took a spectacular mark to finish the quarter and the game..

Quarter 4.  PNG  16 goals  17 behinds =  118 points    Vs    RSA  0 goals  4 behinds =  4 points

It was another superb display of football from PNG that became more dominant the further the game went on. They dominated the stoppages and spread the ball wide. Towards the end theys busted the packs wide open whilst the smaller players simply ran around the opposition. The difference in the score reflected the difference in ability but the Lions inability to score a goal was more a reflection on the Mosquitos defence rather than any lack of ability.

As it turns out PNG did kick enough to boost their percentage and when Ireland lost to NZ on the last kick of the day after the siren, PNG players and supporters thought they had done enough to make it through to the final at the MCG against NZ.  Once this was confirmed their joy and relief was visible.  They continue their record of playing in every IC grand final in the 6 editions of the competition.  The other five are history now though and NZ have never looked harder to beat.

 

  ...

Croatia Knights crush Japan Samurai to march into D2 Grand Final

0
0

The Croatia Knights this afternoon crushed the Japan Samurai to gain entry into the Division two Grand Final. The Samurai were beat on on the scoreboard but not their spirit. The team kept to their game plan despite the blustery conditions and the relentless Croatian pressure which made options difficult to pick. Croatia now meets Germany in the Grand Final of Division Two.

Pool A First place Japan played Pool B second placed Croatia, but Croatia had only lost their first game to eventual pool winner China by one point and with little preparation apparently. Since that loss Croatia has gone on to record resounding wins. Japan had garnered crowd favouritism over the years with terrific displays of team football but failing to impress upon the scoreboard mainly due to their lack of tall timber. This year is different, with the Samurai recording good wins against more physical sides.

Previous results
Round #1 Croatia 6.8 (44) Vs China 7.3 (45)
Round #1 Japan 13.7 (85) Vs India 0.2 (2)
Round #2 Pakistan 2.2 (14) Vs Japan 5.3 (33)
Round #2 Croatia 14.7 (91) Vs Indonesia 2.0 (12)
Round #3 Sri Lanka 1.0 (6) Vs Croatia 9.5 (59)
Round #3 Japan 5.5 (35) Vs Germany 3.5 (23)

After the preliminaries, Japan kicked with a strong crosswind. Play was fairly even. Shoki Mukodaka #52 and Michito Sakaki #12 were instrumental in creating drive in the midfield. Croatia, with their abundance of tall players, always threatened in attack. However the Samurai defended systematically but It was inevitable that they could not contain the unexpected. Tall Ivan Ivos #17 led, marked and goaled. Shortly after he missed from similar circumstances. Tomislav Cvetko #55 was already marking around the ground for Croatia whilst Jun Sekiguchi #27 was defending everywhere for Japan.

Quarter 1. Japan 0.0 (0) Vs Croatia 1.4 (10)

The second quarter found Croatia kicking with the wind. Japan continued to play skilful football but Croatia was gaining the ascendancy in the skies. Tall Ivan Ivos #17 marked and passed to tall Tomiislav Cvetko #55 for a mark and goal. Croatia even had tall players like Ivan Molnar #9 marking on the wing. They were marking the high loose ball that was regularly occurring due to the blustery conditions and the pressure. Japan already had an extra man in defence, which worked well, but conversely denied Japan the opportunity to attack. Even though Croatia dominated the ruck the Samurai did well to restrict their influence. Tomislav Cvetko #55 was using his influence around the ground and a ball pushed wide was bombed through the goals from outside the arc for Croatia. A lucky bounce saw Ivan Ivos #17 beat three Samurai defenders to slot through a goal from straight in front. Japan linked together well but couldn’t penetrate past the half back line of Croatia..

Quarter 2. Japan 0.0 (0) Vs Croatia 4.5 (29)

A renewed Japan Samurai came out after half-time and threatened for a long time but still couldn’t make it past their half forward line. The Japanese style of kicking the ball low was often coming unstuck by the ball not clearing the marker’s body. In contrast the Knights knew they could simply bomb away knowing the Japanese could not rebound quickly with their players defending. Tomiislav Cvetko #55 marked a bomb in the goal square to kick Croatia’s only goal for the quarter and for a roaring celebration by him. It was a good result for Samurai but Croatia were further ahead and Japan didn’t look like scoring proficiently. They were stopping, propping and going backwards only able to chip forward for so long before being forced to kick to a contest.

Quarter 3. Japan 0.1 (1) Vs Croatia 5.7 (37)

It was always a big ask for the Samurais to pull back such a large lead and against the wind, a wind that had stiffened and was tending more down the ground. This only happened to make it easier for the Croatian big men. Josip Habliak #32, the SANFL Sturt player, marked on a sharp angle and used the wind well to score the opening goal for the Knights. Such was the wind that a long kick from beyond the centre of the ground found Ivan Ivos #17 unmarked 20m. out for a mark and goal. From the bounce it was a replay with another mark and goal from Ivan Ivos #17. After relentless pressure Igor Svoboda #34c marked a miss-kick from the Samurai and passed to Tomiislav Cvetko #55 again for another mark and goal to the big man. Seconds earlier he had been on the opposing boundary 100m away.

Final Score: Japan 0.1 (1) Vs Croatia 9.12 (66)

It was a clash of styles at the Division two second semi-final that saw the tall and rather agricultural Croatia Knights force their way over a skilful and diminutive Japan Samurai. It was probably a predictable result and the conditions didn’t help their cause.

Croatia now faces Germany in the Division two Grand Final. These two teams match present a closer match in style and attributes. The Croatians gave away many free kicks to the smaller Japanese. These were all warranted so this is one area were the Knights will have to be more careful not give away so many penalt ...

Canada dismiss Freedom challenge and head to Etihad

0
0

(Supplementary reporting by Troy Thompson)

A breezy day greeted the sides at the McAlister Oval in Melbourne’s Royal Park this Tuesday as Canada’s Northern Lights were taking on the USA’s Freedom in the first semi-final on the women’s side of IC17.

The Canadian women had won their pool, but had beaten Fiji by just one point in their opening match of the tournament. “The girls got a great lesson in the importance of conversion,” said Northern Lights head coach, Jason Arnold. “Games of footy are not wom by clearances and more inside 50s. You need to covert these opportunities.” He went on to say, “The exciting part is, this group is still learning to play together and, as they gel, their best footy is ahead and will make them tough to beat.”

Canada bounced back after the narrow victory to blast Pakistan by 31 goals and then, to take down Great Britain by 31 points.

 

In their first game, the Freedom came up against a tough opponent in Ireland. The US women won the second quarter, outscoring Ireland 8 points to 1, but the rest of the game was dominated by the Irish, who went out winners, 46 to 8. The Freedom also bounced back after their first game, beating Papua New Guinea and the European Crusaders.

However, as we all know, in rivalry matches such as this, the records do not matter much. But what would matter is how these sides, that had both shown slow starts against quality opposition, would handle themselves at the beginning of the match.

The first five minutes of the match were scrappy. Neither side was able to do much with the ball. Freedom ruck Brette Brower was winning most of the taps, but her teammates could not maintain the attack. Just beyond the five-minute mark of the first quarter, with footy legend Robert DiPierdomenico cheering both sides on from the commentary box, Canadian Nicola Kirwan started the scoring with a long rolling kick that veered left and hit the goal post for a behind. For the next two minutes the US tried frantically to get the ball out of their own end, but could not.

Northern Light Hilary Perry, who was seemingly everywhere on the ground, kicked the game’s opening goal. The Canadians looked to run away with the game as they pressed the attack again, but Aimee Legault’s kick was off line for another point. However, the Freedom, after the next kick out, were able to string some passes together and mount a serious attack. American Carly Smolak took possession of the ball on her forward arc, deftly shrugged off a defender and kicked the US’ first point.

Now it was the USA’s turn to box the ball in to their forward half. With about 2 minutes to go, Denver Bulldog Hallie Kastanek took a strong mark 40m out from goal and followed it with a perfect set-shot straight through for a goal.

So, it looked like the US would be down by just one point at quarter-time. However, after a long kick put the ball just outside the Canadians’ attacking 50, Canadian Alanna Robertson received a free kick for a push in the back. Her kick found Nicola Kirwan leading out to the left of the goal square.Rosemary Kloh was defending well, but could not make the spoil. Kirwan kicked true and at quarter time Canada was on top of the USA 2.2.14 to 1.1.7.

The first break did not disrupt the Canadian’s renewed assault on the goals. Inside the first minute, they put together a passage of play that saw a bouncing kick reach Nicola Kirwan alone in the goal square. She jogged forward and kicked her second goal of the game.

The US managed to maintain possession of the ball for most of the middle of the second quarter, but they could only muster a single rushed behind. As the half drew to a close the Northern Lights put up two more goals – Aimee Legault managed to spit around in a tackle an get boot to ball in the goal square and Caroline Ireland hit a snap shot from the boundary about 30m around from goal just before the siren. Canada also added a couple of behinds to make the half-time score Canada 5.5.35 to USA 1.2.8.

Canada added three more behinds in the third quarter to push the score to 5.8.38 to 1.2.8. However, the third quarter was most notable for two severe injuries. About 13 minutes into the third quarter, Canadian Kirsti Oja, who took Round 3’s Mark of the Day, leapt for a ball and came down wrong, but was then tangled up in a tackle and got the same leg caught under another player. She immediately grabbed her knee and was clutching at it as she was stretchered off.

Then, with about one minute left in the quarter, Brette Brower, who had been starring for the US in the ruck, ran headlong for a ball and straight into an opponent’s legs. This hit appeared to jam her neck. She lay motionless on the ground after she went down. Paramedics rushed onto the field to attend to her and immobilize her. An ambulance was called and arrived about 35 minutes after the injury. Since the delay was so long, the game was called, which looked like giving the Canadians the hard-fought, yet somewhat hollow, victory.

Or so we thought. Once the Ambulance had taken Brower to hospital, the game did actually restart. With the last quarter being just over 16 minutes (the same length as the third quarter before Brower’s injury).

So it was Canada with the breeze in the last quarter with a 30-point lead. Canada added another goal through Nicola Kirwan to put any thoughts of a US recovery out of mind. The Americans battled hard into the breeze and threatened the goals for much of the quarter but the Canadian defense stood firm. There was a lot of kick to kick between the half back lines to no one’s benefit. In the end it was a 36 point win to Canada.


Canada will take on Ireland in the IC17 Grand Final – a rematch of the IC14 Grand Final, and the USA will play Great Britain for 3rd place.

Updates on injuries: For Canada it was Kirsti Oja with a knee injury and the USA’s Brette Brower was able to move her fingers and toes about an hour after the injury. About four hours after the injury Brower was still awake, able to move her extremities, and in good spirits. Thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes go to the both of them.

Final Score – Canada 6. 8 (44) USA 1. 2 (8)

Canada
Goal Kickers: N. Kirwan 3, H. Perry, C. Ireland, A. Legault
Best Players: N. Kirwan, N. Robertson, L. Hilmi, V. Moreau, H. Perry, S. Ennor
USA
Goal Kickers: L. Kastanek
Best Players: A. Bremner, B. English, B. Brower, K. Klatt, E. Riehl, K. Scherer
Best: Canada: Perry, Kirwan, Hilmi, A. Legault, Ireland
...

Revos push Coqs in quest for percentage

0
0

The USA Revolution came into Tuesday’s clash with France with a 2-1 record and were in need of a big win following a disappointing 37-point loss to Papua New Guinea in Round 3. Meanwhile, France was also looking to get in gear following rough defeats at the hands of Fiji, Ireland, and Nauru.

 
It was a mild day for footy at McAlister Oval, and the Revos came charging out of the gate right away, with ruckman Donald Lee dominating the hitouts and the Revos’ engine room working in sync to feed the ball outside. Ryan Gartright and Clyde Simpson were influential with several classy disposals, while Jeff Kraemer and Michael Linehan made the most of their time by applying pressure and attacking the footy.  
 
With forwards David Restrepo and Bryan Dragus firing on all cylinders, the Revos jumped out to a big early lead that they would not relinquish.
 
France trailed by 13 at the first quarter-time and by 57 at halftime, but the Coqs were determined to make the most of it in the third quarter. They applied consistent pressure and managed to keep the contested situations interesting, resulting in the USA only kicking 3.3 for the third term. Ludo Barrat, Pierre Boscart, and Nicolas Boche all showed off their ball skills, with Barrat booting two majors to lead the Coqs.
 
However, the onslaught of the Americans was too much for the Coqs in the final term, with the Revos lifting their form and holding their opponents scoreless. The Revos spread the footy around generously throughout the match, boasting 10 different goalkickers by the time the final siren sounded. They prevailed in the end by a score of 19.18.132 to 3.1.19.
The Revos improve their record to 3-1 and currently sit at fourth on the IC ladder, while the Coqs fall to 0-4.  The Revolution will now play Ireland in the 3rd/4th place playoff on Friday.  France will play South Africa in the 9th/10th place playoff.
 
Full time: USA 19.18.132, France 3.1.19
 
Goalkickers (USA): Restrepo (4), Dragus (3), Wilhelm (3), Livy (2), Freeman (2), Lee, Levesque, Sears, Carpenter-Nwanyanwu, Jones
Goalkickers (France): Barrat (2), Boscart
Best on Ground (USA): Wilhelm
Best on Ground (France): Boche

...

Miller's after the siren thriller brings heartbreak for Warriors

0
0
NZ and Ire went into today’s clash undefeated. PNG who had won against South Africa were watching on anxiously, knowing if Ireland were to lose, they would likely be playing in the Grand Final at the MCG.  If Ireland were to win then these two teams would likely replay for the 'Cup.
 
Rain that had been promised today did not eventuate but the breeze was blowing to the city end (2-3 goal breeze). The Irish captain David McElhone won the toss and kicked with it.   
 
Christensen marked early in the pocket and went back and goaled from outside 35m out and into that breeze. 
 
Misifili Jr Faimalo and Tipene-Thomas were in everything early for NZ.
 
Two early behinds to Ireland was not the start they needed. At halfback they were able to hold up the Hawks advances with Paul Murphy the best of them early.
 
Ireland’s first goal was kicked by Padraig Lucey after a high kick into the square bounce high and he had first hands to it and snapped the goal (making up for his earlier out of bounds on the full from the set shot).
 
O’Dheasmhunaigh kicked Ireland’s second with a flying snap from the pocket as he was being tackled.
 
Barclay Miller should have kicked NZ’s second goal but hit the post from his set shot after marking strongly on the lead in front of the pack.
 
At quarter time the Irish had the lead 2.2 to NZ’s 1.1.
 
Kusel for NZ kicked one of the better goals of the day when he marked 15m on the goal side of the centre, and his long kick with the breeze carried over the leading pack and the ball bounced and rolled through the middle of the big sticks to bring the scores level.
 
Lucey and Nannery kicked behinds for Ireland into the breeze.
 
NZ once again took the lead when Ben Hick converted the goal from his free kick for high contact in the pocket. Howison added another one for the Hawks from 25m out straight in front getting on the end of a quick coast to coast transition.
 
The attack on the ball by both sides was intense but NZ looked to get more numbers to the contest and used the ball to their own advantage more often.
 
But still Ireland kept coming and Declan Nannery finally broke through and Declan Nannery made no mistake with his set shot for goal.
 
At half time it was a slender 3-point lead to NZ.
 
The third quarter was a tale of two halves. NZ looked like they had taken the game away from the Warriors when Shane Leat’s long kick came off the pack and Andy Christensen roved the ball at pace and ran straight in to kick the goal and then Sam McKenzie marked and goaled from 20m out after a push in the back. And that was into the breeze.
 
But big Padraig Lucey (who to that stage had kicked 1.2 and one out of bounds on the full) added two more quick goals for Ireland. The first off the ground from the pack on the goal line and the next from 45m out after the mark.
 
So a 4 point lead to NZ going into the last quarter with the breeze looked handy.
 
But that lead was quickly wiped out in the fourth quarter when Lucey again marked and goaled for Ireland. The Irish captain David McElhone hit Lucey shortly after for yet another to the big forward Lucey to put the Warriors 8-points up with 11 minutes to play.
 
NZ’s Andy Christensen made the most of a 25m penalty to peg six points back for NZ from 40m out, Rattenbury’s miss pegging one more.
 
Tipene-Thomas first marked a kick at goal on the line and then one high ball within range as Ireland tried desperately to put and extra goal between them and NZ.
 
A free kick for a tackle off the ball to Domhnall Fogarty for NZ yielded just a behind after coming off defenders hands. This gave Ireland a 2-point lead with less than three minutes to play.
 
NZ did their best to work the ball forward through desperate Irish defence as they brought it down the ground. In the end, with seconds to play Will Gregson’s long flat kick to the pack at the top of the square was spoiled but the umpire’s whistle had blown. 
 
The free kick for what looked like high contact while attempting to spoil NZ’s Barclay Miller left the St Kilda scholarship listed 18 year old with the set shot from straight in front 20m out. He went back and the siren sounded. He came in and kicked the goal truly (remembering he missed an easy one at the other end earlier).
 
That kick for the win, and the scoreline meant that Ireland had not only lost but missed out on the Grand Final at the MCG on Saturday. NZ will once again play PNG in the International Cup Grand Final as they did in 2005 and 2008 (with a one-all tally).

Ransford Oval 12:15pm - Round 4 - Ireland vs New Zealand

Team1/41/23/4Final
 Ireland 2.2 3.4 5.6 7.7 (49)
 New Zealand 1.1 4.3 6.4 8.5 (53)

 

Ireland

Goal Kickers: P. Lucey 5, F. O''Dheashmunaigh, D. Nannery
Best Players: F. O''Dheashmunaigh, P. Lucey, D. Joyce, P. O''Halloran, M. Finn, B. Browne

 

New Zealand
Goal Kickers: A. Christensen 3, S. McKenzie, J. Kusel, B. Miller, A. Howison, B. Hick
Best Players: A. Christensen, T. Tipene-Thomas, S. Leat, L. Beattie, A. Sucu, P. Halstead

  ...


Fiji apply pressure but GB Bulldogs hit targets

0
0

The Great Britain Bulldogs held off a spirited Fijian defence to take the win in their final round match yesterday. Whilst the Fijians were solid across halfback and through the midfield all day, they were unable to consistently find targets up forward, whilst the Bulldogs capitalised on their chances to accumulate a decent lead at each change.

With many onlookers rating both the Bulldogs and Fiji Tribe as big improvers from the IC14, Friday will see both sides go into their playoffs for 5th and 7th as probable favourites.

The game kicked off with the Bulldogs using a stiff breeze to their advantage in wintry conditions, Ryan Floyd and Andrew Coghlan kicking a goal each to give GB a 12 point advantage at the first break.

The second quarter saw the Fijians break the ice with Nawaqatabu slotting through a major. A combination of fierce pressure on the ground and windy conditions in the air were causing headaches for forwards, with both sides struggling to kick straight in front of goal, but majors to star forward Andrew Walkden and Seyonne Kidipillai extended the GB halftime lead out to 3 goals.

The third term continued to see the Fijians going hard at the ball, with the rugby experience of many squad members reflected in solid tackling and plenty of run. However, the Tribe could not hit their targets in the forward line, and the arm wrestle continued until a yellow card to one of the Fijians for a late bump saw the Bulldogs with one extra player on the field for ten minutes, during which they snagged two goals through David Hastie.

The final quarter saw both sides improve their efficiency in front of goal, both the Bulldogs and Tribe adding another 2 to their tally, but for Fiji it was too far gone. The Bulldogs ultimately 29-point winners.

Great Britain will meet Nauru on Friday in the playoff for 5th place. The Nauruans have the advantage of being the only side in competition where Australian rules is the undisputed national sport, and consequently look comfortable on the field, but they haven't been able to roll the top-tier sides of NZ, PNG or Ireland so far. The Bulldogs, having pushed the Irish hard in their third round match, would be keen to take a win in their final match and stamp their authority as a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.

Fiji for their part will take on Canada, who have been somewhat unlucky this tournament, defeating the GB Bulldogs last Wednesday but not able to overcome Nauru, the US or New Zealand in a fairly tough draw. The Fijians will be confident they can win this one, but the Canadians will be equally keen to show their win over the Bulldogs was no fluke, and that they're stronger than 7th place would suggest.

Team1/41/23/4Final
Great Britain 2.3 4.5 6.5 8.8 (56)
Fiji 0.2 1.5 1.8 3.9 (27)

GOALS
Fiji: Jerry Vunitabua 1, Alipate Navuso 1, Nemani Qio Nawaqatabu 1.
Great Britain: Andrew Walkden 2, David Hastie 2, Ryan Floyd 1, Seyonne Kidnapillai 1, Marc Cashman 1, Andrew Cochran 1.

BEST
Fiji: Jerry Vunitabua, Jiuta Vateitei, Jonathan Macanawai, Leone Maiqereqere, Nemaia Bainimoli Waqa, Isei Moses.
Great Britain: Andrew Cochran, Ross Denton, David Hastie, Alex Watson, George Dibble, Andrew Walk ...

German Eagles bring the Chinese Dragons back to Earth

0
0

After a disappointing loss to Japan on the previous Saturday, the German Eagles were too strong and too tall for a determined China Dragons outfit at Royal Park on Tuesday, winning their Div 2 semis final and booking a spot in Friday's final against Croatia. Whilst the Dragons were quick out of the blocks and pushed hard in the first term, the Eagles pushed ahead with the breeze after the first break, setting up a lead which the Chinese were ultimately unable to reel back in, the Eagles winning by 28 points.

The first quarter opened with a goal to China, kicking with the wind. However, they were unable to capitalise on further chances, whilst the Germans kicked two at the other end, the Eagles holding a 5-point advantage at the first break.

In the second quarter, it was more of the same, with the Germans just far enough ahead of the Chinese in general play to see them kick two goals, including a classic out of the centre from Tobias Menzel. China goalled late to pull the margin back to 12 points at half time, but the Eagles looked in control.

The third term saw China come out firing, hoping to use the wind to their advantage to pull the margin back. However, they were unable to convert their opportunities, kicking 1.3 for the quarter whilst the Germans tackled hard and were able to cut off any chances the Chinese had to hit their forward targets.

The sides went to the final break with Germany ahead by only 10 points, but the final term was all Germany's way. The Eagles ran away with the match, kicking three goals with the wind to put the result out of doubt, the Chinese failing to score in the last quarter. Passions threatened to boil over after a Chinese defender made contact with a German player's head while attempting to spoil a mark, but ultimately both sides regrouped and the fought hard until the final siren.

Starring again for the German Eagles were Jakob Jung, generating run all day and continuing his dominant display through the IC17, and Tobias Menzel, who has consistently provided options taking Germany into attack. With a number of big bodies in their squad, the Germans should be able to take the challenge right up to the physically imposing Croatians in what will certainly be an entertaining Div 2 between to first-time IC sides.

The Chinese for their part will be smarting from the loss, and eager to topple Japan on Friday in the 3rd place playoff.

Team 1/4 1/2 3/4 Final
China 1.1 2.1 3.4 3.4 (22)
Germany 2.0 4.1 5.2 8.2 (50)

GOALS
Germany: T. Menzel, F. Cordts, P. Evermann, J. Heusken, J. Jung, F. Naumann, J. Wichmann
China: H. Lin, S. Chen, J. Pi

BEST
Germany: J. Jung, T. Menzel, J. Wichman, M. Schuetoff, F. Cordts, G. Jung
China: B. Cheung, M. Yang, Z. Chen, S. Chen, J. Huang, D. ...

Chiefs stronger than the Northwind

0
0

We welcome Michael Blades making his match report debut for WFN.

Nauru push through to beat hard fought Canada in a thrilling game.

These polar opposite teams battled furiously throughout the whole match, with both teams having strong spells in all quarters.

At the 8:45am bounce, Canada started strong, applying early forward pressure. There was a clear height advantage in favour of the Canadians which was not capitalized upon throughout the match.

Canada were lacking a dominant target man in their forward half which allowed Nauru to drop men back and comfortably clear the ball from their defensive 50. Nauru happily sat deep and soaked up the defensive pressure and then look to hit them hard on the counter attack.

The first quarter ended with scores even at 4 points a piece, with both teams wasting good opportunities to apply early scoreboard pressure. Nauru defenders, #26 Niga Haulangi and #27 David Adeang, were standout performers in this quarter with both players working well together to deal with the early pressure. Neither team took overall control of the game at this stage so the second quarter was going to be important.

Nauru came out in the second quarter swinging with centre clearances leading to goals for both #24 Kaison Tatum and #12 Donatello Moses, but a swift reply from Canada’s #7 Adam Nash kept them in the hunt. Poor ball use from the Canadians was starting to hurt them with the players struggling to find any rhythm.

The whole team was taking too long to get the ball forward which was allowing Nauru the opportunity to drop players back when needed. Canada’s #19 Eric Klein stood out with some impressive movement, but his team mates were unfortunately unable to find him often enough. Nauru started to push forward and with a huge pack mark in the goal square from #20 Shawn Kemp Maaki, they went into half time 14 points ahead.

The wind had noticeably picked up over the half time break and started blowing in favour of the Canadians. They used this to their advantage at the start of the third quarter and locked the ball into their forward 50 early, but much like the first and second quarter, they struggled to translate that forward pressure onto the scoreboard. Nauru sat deep and soaked up the early pressure and looked to be comfortably dealing with the long balls in. Canada’s early dominance of the quarter is not rewarded and Nauru were able to move the ball forward with #9 Tiana Waidabu, starting to influence the game with his fast pace, good movement and quality ball usage.

Coming into the last quarter, Canada trailed 2.4.(23) to 7.6.(48) so a strong start was going to be essential. However, it was Nauru who seemed to come out after the break looking the more likely to score with them locking the ball into their forward 50 early. Canada’s #10 Giancarlo Brancati was keeping the team alive with some quality defensive work but his distribution was letting him down. Frustration from the Canadian players was starting to become evident with some incidence off the ball, with #8 Logan Anderson getting stuck into Nauru’s #11 Kenneth Oppenheimer, who had looked to have the edge on him throughout the match. Nauru were the only team to score a goal in the last quarter which saw them take victory. The final scores were Canada 3.6.(24) to Nauru 8.8.(56).

The Canadians will come away from this match disappointed with themselves for their lack of aerial dominance, even though they had a clear height advantage. They were dominant early at getting the ball forward but were happy to lob the ball long and hope for a mark, rather then moving the ball around efficiently and waiting for the right option. The forwards were too compact in the attacking 50 so they needed to move around and create space for one another. There was a lack of overlapping runs from players at stoppages which slowed the game down and allowed Nauru to sit deep and defend. If Canada are able to correct some if these issues and focus on moving the ball quicker, they have the capability to become a strong and feared team.

Nauru used their strengths perfectly throughout this game which was influential in their victory. For what they lacked in height, they gained in low centre of gravity and speed which allowed them to manoeuvre around their opponents with relative ease.

Their ability to spread the field and counteract the natural congestion of the game, made them unstoppable on the counter attack. Once they were able to get it out of their defensive half, there was always an extra man forward which gave them a clear advantage of either getting a mark, or handballing their way out of trouble in tight areas. Of course there is always room for improvement with ball distribution and decision making, but if this team plays to its strengths, they will always be a difficult opponent to face. 

Ransford Oval 8:45am - Round 4 - Canada vs Nauru
Team1/41/23/4Final
 Canada 0.4 2.4 3.6 3.6 (24)
 Nauru 0.4 4.6 7.6 8.8 (56)

 
Canada
Goal Kickers: A. Nash, M. Aspell, K. Graham
Best Players: J. Martin, G. Brancati, M. Whyte, A. Huard, E. Klein, Q. Hobbs
 
Nauru
Goal Kickers: K. Oppenheimer, J. Uepa, D. Moses, P. Agadio, R. Spanner, S. KempMaaki, B. Deidenang, K. Tatum
Best Players: N. Haulangi, P. Agadio, M. Batsiua, B. Deidenang, D. Moses, G. Uera

...

Vonu's aggresion and speed too much for Crusaders

0
0
The Fiji Vonu team earned an 86-point victory over the European Crusaders at Western Oval in Round 4 of the IC Cup Women’s Division. Playing a fast and aggressive brand of footy, the Vonu were able to shake off a relatively slow start and blow the game wide open, finishing with a dominant performance in a 12.15.87 to 0.1.1 win.
 
The Vonu started off the IC with two close losses to Great Britain and Canada, but they came into the match against the Crusaders with great momentum after a shutout win over Pakistan in Round 3. The Crusaders had yet to even score a point in their first IC after some rough sledding against the USA, PNG, and Ireland.
 
From the beginning of the match, the Fijians were outstanding in the midfield, with ruck Matikalena Lawebuka winning numerous hit-outs and taking advantage of their speed as a unit. While the Crusaders tackled and pressured well early on, resulting in some errant kicks from the opposition, the Vonu eventually settled down and took a comfortable six-goal lead at halftime. The athletic Sera Kaukiono used her speed and marking skills to impact the game, while Iliseva Ratudina and Jenifer Goodsir were also influential.
 
On paper, the Vonu were far more experienced than the Crusaders, but the latter team was able to take advantage of several first-half skill errors, specifically with mis-timed handballs and running bounces. After kicking 2.2 in the first quarter, the Vonu were only 3.5 in the second despite winning a number of contested marks.
 
The Crusaders’ fullback line did an admirable job in defense (especially France’s Coline Duquet), but their general inability to win clearances off halfback ended up costing them. This was not the case with the Vonu, as classy halfback Matelita Tuilevuka was able to make the most of her possessions and deliver the footy up forward.
 
Europe had a number of players who got their hands on the footy and helped impact the contest, primarily Berengere Portal and Lara Gauss, the latter of whom took some strong marks. Most notably, the Europeans were unafraid of fighting for loose balls and gathering the crumbs whenever possible. But once again, the Fijians’ athleticism was their calling card, holding the Crusaders scoreless in the second half to take home the victory.

Western Oval 1:00pm
Placement playoff
Fiji vs European Crusaders
Team1/41/23/4Final
Fiji 2.2 5.8 8.11 12.15 (87)
Europe 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 (1)

 

Fiji Vonu Goal Kickers: J. Goodsir 3, I. Ratudina 3, S. Fong 2, M. Tuilevuka 2, L. Wolfgramm, S. Kaukiono
Fiji Vonu Best Players: S. Matakibau, M. Tuilevuka, V. Caginavanua, J. Goodsir, I. Ratudina, S. Fong
 
European Crusaders Best Players: C. Duquet, S. Jansenovic, A. Barisic, C. Duquet, A. King, A. Finn ...

Swans push Banshees to the line in Semi Final classic

0
0
Ireland rallied to come from behind against a strong, fit Great Britain team in a thrilling semi final match that went down to the wire. The momentum was with Great Britain at three quarter time but the Irish girls came out swinging in the fourth, kicking two goals and managing to keep Great Britain scoreless.
 
Both teams began the game in a defensive lineup by starting with an extra player behind the ball. The beginning of the match looked like Ireland were the team to beat, with an excellent start from #12 Carol Breen, who’s lighting pace was a handful for the Swans to deal with.
Great Britain stayed strong though, and with #6 Caroline Sellar taking a great mark and giving a clever pass off to her teammate to score the first goal, it was going to be a close game.
 
 
Ireland were unable to score a goal in the first quarter, which saw them trailing by 6 points going into the quarter time break.
 
The second quarter was once again evenly matched, with no team taking complete control of the game, causing the ball going back and forth in the midfield. Most of the opportunities that were given to both teams going forward were through free kicks, but neither team were looking to switch the play and move the ball around to get forward, instead were just kicking into congested areas hoping for a mark or free kick in their favour.
 
Irelands #36 Christine McCutcheon sadly went down injured after beginning to have an impact on the game with her strong marking abilities. The team managed to push on and #29 Deborah Geraghty scored and excellent goal out of the pack to put the girls 1 point ahead leading into half time.
 
Early in the third quarter say a tough tackle laid by Irelands #6 Emma Kelly set the tone for the second half. Unfortunately, this saw the Great Britain player not get up because of a sustained injury. Emma immediately signaled to the bench for help and stayed with her injured opponent until trainers arrived to help. It was great to see an excellent level of sportsmanship shown by a player, in such a close and important semi final.
 
Great Britain’s # 14 Rania Ramadan capitalized on a poor turnover from the Irish backline, and put the Swans ahead by a goal. If it wasn’t for the tough backline performance from the Banshees #22 Colleen Quinn, her team would have been in trouble, with the momentum with the Swans.
 
 
Ireland came into the last quarter trailing by a goal and but with a missed opportunity early on from Great Britain’s #4 Alexandra Peill, the Banshees were still in touch.
 
Irelands ball movement had drastically improved from the previous quarter and it felt like the momentum was with them. Great Britain’s #14 Rania Ramadan was doing all she could to counteract this, by taking some strong and important pack marks. It wasn’t enough and Ireland scored a crucial goal to put them in front by a point.
 
The Swans tried to respond, but Ireland were just to good as they continued to apply relentless pressure. The Banshees consistently moved the ball forward and created opportunities, and when the ball fell to #23 Gillian Behan, she kicked an absolute crazy goal from the boundary line to put her team out of reach.
 
The sound of the Irish crowd cheering for the girls was fantastic to hear as they all knew it was their game to loose from this point. Great Britain didn’t give up and kept trying to push the ball forward but Irelands #18 Marie Keating seemed to be everywhere on the field, taking some incredible marks completing some smart distribution.
 
The final siren went and Ireland had won with the final scored ending at Ireland 3.5.(23), to Great Britain 2.3.(15).
 
 
It was a great game that was well played by both sides and kept the crowd excited until the final siren. When Ireland started to be smarter and more clinical with their ball movement, Great Britain were unable to respond.
 
It would have been good to see more overlapping runs made by #12 Carol Breen because when her teammates were able to find her she could completely burst out of a congested pack with her blinding pace to get the ball forward. She played well but if she was completely on form, she would have been unstoppable.
 
#18 Marie Keating was influential in the Banshees victory and really changed the game in that last quarter. Her ability to speed up and slow down the speed of the game was evident and completely upset the momentum for the Swans. The Banshees could improve on switching the ball more to get it out of defense and using open spaces better but overall it was an impressive performance.
 
Great Britain played well and can leave this game knowing they gave it their all. If they were more clinical with their scoring opportunities that they created, then it could have been a different outcome. The game was highly influenced by free kicks in midfield, so if the Swans avoided conceding some of these free kicks in areas, the outcome could have been a different story. The Swans are a tough team that really caused problems against an excellent Irish side and with a bit more improvement could become a dominant team.
 

McAlister Oval 2:45pm (but delayed start due to injury in
previous match on same ground)
Semi-Final - Ireland vs Great Britain

Team1/41/23/4Final
 Ireland 0.2 1.3 1.3 3.5 (23)
 GB 1.2 1.2 2.3 2.3 (15)
 
Ireland
Goal Kickers: C. Quinn, C. Breen, G. Behan
Best Players: M. Keating , G. Behan, C. Cassidy, F. Roarty, C. Quinn, M. Moriarty
 
Great Britain
Goal Kickers: D. Saulter, R. Ramadan
Best Players: L. Smith, C. Eales, B. Bailey, C. Sellar, A. Saulter, R. Ramadan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...

Meet a Player : David Lazanin (Croatia Knights)

0
0

Previous 'Meets':Josip HabljakAlphonse JambarufoAssemat MarinePierre LabigangKenneth Oppenheimer

NameDavid Lazanin
Nation/SideCroatia Knights
DivisionMens Div 2
    WHICH TEAM MATE…
…would you WANT to kick for goal to win after the siren? "Body Biber" (Igor Svoboda)
...would NOT WANT to tackle you at training? “Bulba” (Igor Galez)
...would you NOT WANT to eat their cooking? “Smud” (Goron)
...spends MOST TIME getting their hair just right? Filip Lenic
Favourite AFL team? Giants
Favourite AFL Player? Stevie Johnson
Dennis Rodman / Goran Ivanisevic
Your best other sport? Basketball
    DO YOU...
…Bounce the ball or tap on the ground Tap on ground
…wear footy socks up or down Up
...prefer AFL Grand Final? Day/Twilight/Night? Day (More beers)
Most Embarrassing Footy Moment Losing to Italy
Any Footy Superstitions? Never wear a mouth guard, and play in the same shorts.
How did you end up playing this game? For a bet!
Best Footy moment? Beating England in London. Beating Ireland for third place in Umag (2015 Euro 9s)
    PREDICTIONS
Mens Div 1 PNG
Womens Crusaders
Mens Div 2 Croatia
...

Garudas speed downs Bombers

0
0

Division 2: Indonesia Garudas v India Bombers

As 3rd place and 4th place getters of their respective pools Indonesia and India played the Semi-final 3. match at Western Oval, 16th August. Indonesia went into this match as warm favourites on the form of their win over Sri Lanka and because India had lost to Pakistan on Saturday in round three.

Ruck contests were pretty even but Indonesia were able to gather more first use of the ball and were consistently quicker with both hands and feet and quickly moved the ball into their forward fifty and were able to score several quick goals, one each to Waruwu and Hariyanto.

The Garudas continued to penetrate the forward lines with speed and accurate kicks and handballs, meanwhile their defence held firm and repelled any Indian advance toward goal.

Quarter Time Scores: Indonesia 4-3 (20) India 0-0 (0)

The second Quarter was much similar to the first with Indonesia continuing to pressure and shut down any Indian attacks whilst continuing to score consistently with goals to Abdillah and Santoso.

Half Time Score: Indonesia 7-6 (48) India 0-0 (0)

The third quarter was the Bombers best quarter of the match as they made a conscious effort to shut down Indonesia’s forays into their forward zone and were quite successful, restricting the Garudas to just 2 behinds for the quarter while managing one goal (Jasim Akhtar) 2 behinds themselves.

Three Quarter Time Scores: Indonesia 7-8 (50) India 1-2 (8)

Last quarter saw the Garudas regain the ascendancy and after an incident (didn’t see what actually happened) in which 2 Indian players were yellow carded were able to run out the game comfortably. Abdillah and Santosa scored for Indonesia and Malhotra goaled for India.

Western Oval 11:15am - Placement playoff - India vs Indonesia
Team1/41/23/4Final
 India 0.0 0.0 1.2 2.2 (14)
 Indonesia 4.3 7.7 7.8 9.11 (65)

Official Best Players and Goal Kickers not yet available.

Best amongst Indonesia were, Waruwu, Abdillah, Septiadi, Santoso, Ze Bua, Hariyanto and Frans.

Best for India included, K Singh, Fernandes, Sharma, Shah, P Singh and Chakraborty.

  ...


Flames burn Shaheens

0
0

Papua New Guinea Flames Burn Pakistan Shaheens

Papua New Guinea and Pakistan 3rd and 4th place teams in their respective pools played an entertaining match in Semi-Final 4 of the Women’s Division of IC17 at Western Oval, Royal Park. Although the outcome of the match was very predictable as the experience of the Flames is well documented, no chance of a boil over by International Footy newcomers Pakistan was given.

Some discussion revolved around whether the Shaheens could finally register a score in this match. I watched their match against Canada last week and was hoping to see some improvement from the girls and wished to see them keep the Flames score to less than 20 goals.

I can safely say I scored 1 out of 2 in my wishes, sadly for Pakistan fans the Flames scored 21 goals 24 points, but the improvement shown by many of the Shaheen girls was quite evident, with many more marks held and kicks finding their target, and some great tackles laid. The last quarter in particular, the Shaheens harried and chased and tackled, to turn what had previously been successful shots on goal, into behinds (about ten of them).

We also saw some “successful” changes in tactics from the Shaheens as the game progressed, and good passages of play that enabled them to move the ball forward into their forward fifty a few times, this wasn’t seen in the previous game I witnessed. A huge learning curve was being enthusiastically undertaken by the girls and at the interchanges many of the girl’s expressions asked “did you see that” and were still grinning despite the shellacking the Flames were inflicting on the scoreboard.

Stand out players for the Shaheens today were Ahmad, Eraj (taking some telling marks in back lines in last quarter), Misbah, Sheelah Bana, N Ul Nisa, Haider and Memoona.

The Flames speed and skill was just so good, repeatedly setting up lightning passages of play and interceptions of Shaheen ball movement. They were great on the ground and in the air, taking strong marks all over the ground and excellent kicking to their targets.

Best on ground had to be the Flames fireball, Valerie Mai, a tearaway all over the ground and 8 individual goals (did miss one tho), Fatima Sovara (2 goals), Alison Gaur, Emil, Alois, Lavai and Hedwick must rate a mention as her name mentioned by the live stream commentators on numerous occasions.

Western Oval 2:45pm - Placement playoff - PNG vs Pakistan

Team1/41/23/4Final
 PNG 4.4 10.7 16.11 21.24 (150)
 Pakistan 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 (0)
 
PNG Goal Kickers: V. Mai 8, F. Sovara 2, V. Pisep 2, B. Maureen 2, J. Mcdoa, T. Hedwick, W. Anita, S. Bandi, L. Malabag, B. Gaur, P. Pisep
PNG Best Players: V. Mai, F. Sovara, B. Gaur, E. Emil, A. Alois, T. Lavai
 
Pakistan Best Players: M. Ahmad, E. Eraj, F. Misbah, A. Haider, S. Bano, N. Ul Nisa

Papua New Guinea will next come against Fiji Vonu in the 5th/6th Place Play-Off match on Friday in what should be a much more challenging encounter for the Flames.

The Shaheens will tackle the European Crusaders in the battle for 7th place and if they can repeat some of passages of play seen today they might just get on the scoreboard in their first IC. Go You Shaheens!!!

  ...

IC17 Round 5 Match Schedule for Royal Park

0
0

IC17 Round 5 matches will play out at Royal Park tomorrow. The latest scheduled match times and ovals are in the table below.

All 11 matches will also be streamed live on the AFL's International Cup Youtube page. All matches tomorrow will be seeding matches e.g. South Africa vs France will be the playoff for 9th/10th place.  Germany and Croatia will playoff for the Division 2 title in what should be a great match.

The remaining games of Round 5 are the Men's Division 1 and Women's Division Grand Finals that will be played at the MCG and Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

DivisionHomeAwayDateTimeRoyal Park Oval
D1South AfricaFranceFri 18th Aug9.00amRansford Oval
D2ChinaJapanFri 18th Aug9.00amMcAlister Oval
WEuropean CrusadersPakistanFri 18th Aug10.00amWestern Oval
WFiji VonuPNG FlamesFri 18th Aug10.45amMcAlister Oval
D1FijiCanadaFri 18th Aug10.45amRansford Oval
D2PakistanIndiaFri 18th Aug11.45amWestern Oval
D2GermanyCroatiaFri 18th Aug12.30pmRansford Oval
WUSA FreedomGB SwansFri 18th Aug12.30pmMcAlister Oval
D2Sri LankaIndonesiaFri 18th Aug1.30pmWestern Oval
D1USAIrelandFri 18th Aug2.15pmRansford Oval
D1GBNauruFri 18th Aug2.15pmMcAlister Oval

...

WFN World Rankings (Women) post Semi-Final Round

0
0

 WFN World Rankings (Women) Post Semi-Final Round

16th August 2017

Great Britain’s loss to Ireland and Fiji’s win over the Crusaders has brought about some movement in ranks with Great Britain falling two places to 5th below Ireland and USA. Fiji has climbed over Canada Midnight Suns with their win against Crusaders.

European Crusaders become the Ninth Nation to become Fully Ranked with 33.04 Rating Points.

WFN World Rankings (Women)

1.     Australia

2.     Canada                       54.84   2          18

3.     Ireland                       49.67   4          21        +1

4.     United States             44.81   5          18        +1

5.     Great Britain             43.79   2          11        -2

6.     Fiji                              42.95   7          9          +1

7.     Canada “B”               42.60   6          8          -1

8.     Papua New Guinea   38.78   8          9          -

9.     European Crusaders 33.04   Prov    8          -

 

Provisional Nations

P1. Tonga                   32.50               5

P2. USA Liberty        31.93               5

P3. Pakistan               31.79               4

 

Dormant Nation

AIM                            33.29               4 ...

Div 2 Grand Final Preview, Part 1: Croatia's Path to the IC, From the WFN Archives

0
0

This year's International Cup sees two debutant sides squaring off in this Friday's Division 2 Grand Final - the high-flying German Eagles and the uncompromising Croatian Knights.

For both sides, it's been a long time in the making, with over 10 years since the beginnings of domestic footy in Croatia and around 20 years in Germany.

We take a look at the history of the two countries' footy scenes, with some of the stories featuring them on WFN over the years. In Part 1, we look back at some of the stories out of Croatia over the years.

2004: Croatian footy's roots go back to movements in 2004, when Kolja the "Croatian Crusher" Koracak moved back to his native country after learning the game in the Arizona AFL metro competition in the USA. He met with Sash Herceg, a Croatian who had moved to Australia as a teenager and played footy in WA and Victoria, before also returning home with an urge to start footy in Zagreb.

Croatian Converts hope to bring Footy to the Balkans.

2006: The Zagreb Giants' squad slowly grew until they were finally ready and able to put a team on the field for competitive play. Plans were made together with the Czech and Austrian footy sides to start a regional tri-nations tournament. The Croatians won their inaugural hit-out at the Schnitzel Cup in Vienna, then hosted the other sides in Zagreb. The year closed with the Croatians visiting Prague for the third leg - including the new Finnish Lions squad for the Central European AFL Championship.

Tri-nation comp planned for Austria, Czech Rep and Croatia.
Croatians make international debut and win Schnitzel Cup - UPDATED with scores.
Croatia two from two in the Eastern European Tri-Nations.
Finnish Lions defeat Croats, Czechs, Austrians and French for the CEAFL Cup.

In 2007 English powerhouse club the West London Wildcats visited, and later that year they again took part in the CEAFL championship, which was again won by Finland.

Zagreb Hawks warm up for 2007 against West London.
Finland win CEAFL for second year running.

2008 saw the CEAFL come to Zagreb, and the Croatians make their EU Cup debut, taking the silver. This was followed in 2009 with the Croatians hosting the EU Cup at Samobor, near Zagreb, where they had a strong showing but ultimately only made third.

CEAFL comes to Zagreb for 2008.
2008 EU Cup preview - France, Croatia, Czech Republic and Catalonia.
2009 EU Cup heads to Croatia.

2010: The Croatian domestic league swung into full gear, with the creation of the Velika Gorica Bombers joining the established Zagreb Hawks and Agram Power for a 3 team local league.

The Croatians also made their full-field debut, competing at the inaugural 16-a-side European Championships, and whilst they finished down the table a bit, they did through for their first full-field footy win. Their defeated opponents in that first win? None other than Germany... is that an omen? Later in the year, they became 9-a-side European champions on their third attempt, defeating powerhouse Ireland in the final of the EU Cup in Milan, Italy.

Croatian Local Comp expands with Velika Gorica Bombers.
Croatian Knights hoping to bring 9-a-side Success to Full Field Footy.
Croatia upset Germany to score first-ever win.
Knights defeat classy field in Euro Cup.

2011: The Knights, with a strong core of around 40 regular players, were seen as an early chance to make it to their first International Cup, however a lack of sponsors made the financial hurdles too large to overcome.

Croatia seeking sponsors to get them to IC11

In 2012, a further local club was started, with the GWS-aligned Zaprude Giants. In 2013 Croatian-Australian footballer Ivan Marić from AFL club Richmond signed on a footy ambassador for Croatia. The Knights were still hopeful of making it downunder for the 2014 International Cup, having brough Irish footy pioneer Ciaran O'Hara on as national team coach. On a domestic level, the Zagreb Hawks won their first Croatian premiership, with the local league having three Croatian sides and the Downunder Dogs from Graz, Austria.

GWS links to Giants in Croatia.
Ivan Marić joins the Croatian Knights as Ambassador.
Croatia 2013 – The Power Of Positive Thinking.
Zagreb Hawks finally break through for maiden Croatian premiership.

2014: The original list of sides for the International Cup included Croatia for the first time, but it was ultimately not to be, with the Knights having to wait out another edition. New local club the Slavonski Brod Tigers was formed.

23 teams set for IC14, AFL 9s scrapped.
Slavonski Brod Tigers set to roar in Croatia.
First prowl for Slavonski Brod Tigers..
Footy In Croatia – The never-ending journey to success.

2015: Croatia again hosted the Euro Cup, and a further new local club was created - the Sesvete Double Blues. Women's footy kicked off with the Velika Gorica Mambas.

Croatia To Host 2015 Axios Euro Cup.
Sesvete Double Blues On The Rise In Croatia.
A Pilgrimage From Zagreb To Adelaide.

2016: Big Josip Habljak made headlines in moving from Zagreb to Adelaide to play with SANFL side Sturt. He made waves early, achieving 31 hitouts playing in the ruck for Sturt's reserves in an early-season match against West Adelaide. Domestically, the Zaprude Giants won the Central European AFL, defeating a field of clubs from Croatia, Austria and the Czech Republic.

In promising early signs for the International Cup preparation - the Croatian Knights ventured to the 9-a-side Euro Cup in Lisbon, and won gold.

Croatian “Pain Train” Josip Habljak Reflects On Journey
Josip Habljak to wear Guernsey #50 at Double Blues
Josip Habljak's First Game at Sturt SANFL- The Raw Stats
Croatian Josip Habljak amasses 31 hitouts in game three
Zaprude Giants Take CEAFL Title
Croatian Knights & Irish Banshees Claim Euro Cup Honours

2017: Here we are. Croatia have been formidable opponents for all comers in Division 2 of the International Cup and will be very keen to take the trophy. The Germans know they've got a battle ahead of them on Friday!

IC17 Preview – Croatian Knights ...

Meet a Player : Hisayoshi Oura (Japan Samurais)

0
0

Previous 'Meets':Josip HabljakAlphonse JambarufoAssemat MarinePierre LabigangKenneth Oppenheimer

NameHisayoshi Oura
Nation/SideJapan Samurais
DivisionMens Div 2
    WHICH TEAM MATE…
…would you WANT to kick for goal to win after the siren? Hisayoshi Oura
...would NOT WANT to tackle you at training? Hiro Kuroda
...would you NOT WANT to eat their cooking? Hiro Kuroda
...spends MOST TIME getting their hair just right? Kyo Nakagawa
Favourite AFL team? Hawks
Favourite AFL Player? Luke Hodge
Your best other sport? Basketball
    DO YOU...
…Bounce the ball or tap on the ground Tap on the ground
…wear footy socks up or down Down
...prefer AFL Grand Final? Day/Twilight/Night? Day
...
Viewing all 3240 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images