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Falcons BULLied in Abu Dhabi

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The BM Bulls reacted in a most severe way to their last start loss to the Dubai Dragons with a huge win over the Abu Dhabi Falcons in the Round Four match on Friday. Whilst it was a dark day for the Falcons, playing on the picturesque grounds of the exquisite Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, for the Bulls it was a landmark day of records, including their highest club score and biggest win in their short history. The setting for the match at the Emirates Palace might well be the most opulent location ever produced for an Australian Rules football match anywhere in the world.

For the record, the BM Bulls, with astonishing accuracy, defeated the Abu Dhabi Falcons by a whopping 127 points with the Bulls kicking 27 6 168 to the Falcons 6 5 41.


In a lop-sided affair, the Bulls got the early ascendency and just were not prepared to give it up, like a team that wasn’t prepared to give the other team a turn. As the goals racked up, and the Bulls gained more and more confidence, the Falcons continued to play for pride and a belief that the defeat does not end their finals hopes. It just makes them much harder.

The Bulls now go into their mid-season recess. Their next match is scheduled to be against the Muscat Magpies early February, though it is more likely that their next hit-out won’t be until 26 February when they play the Doha Kangaroos in the last match before the AFL Middle East grand final. They currently sit with two wins and a loss and need to beat Doha to ensure another flag tilt.

For the Falcons it is a chance to analyse what went wrong against the Bulls and prepare for their matches against the Dragons and the Dingoes next year. They are still a chance at finals action and will be chaffing at the bit to turn this last match into something ultimately valuable.

In the final match before the winter/festive break, the Doha Kangaroos will host the Dubai Dragons in Qatar on December 11th. A win for Doha will make the run to the finals very tight with all teams still in the mix. A win for the Dragons will almost guarantee them another grand final berth.



Picture: The magnificent Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi with the playing fields in the foreground. (source: www.suwaidieng.com ...

Rioli Tops NT Draft Prospects

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If ever you find a car in an old garage, covered in dust and blankets, but it has the legendary Rolls Royce symbol on the bonnet you just know it would be worth investing some time and effort into restoring it. After all, it is a Rolls Royce and it doesn’t have such a fine reputation for nothing. It is all class – no matter which model you might discover.

Much the same can be said for the Rioli name nowadays in Australian Rules football. Just mention the prospect of a Rioli at a national draft for player talent and suddenly talent scouts and managers become akin to Pavlov’s dogs. At the mere mention of the word “Rioli” they will all sit up on cue and salivate.

Such is the case at the 2015 NAB AFL Draft being held in Adelaide on Tuesday. Young Daniel Rioli is the next edition off the production line and he has tails and tongues wagging. Such is the value of his name alone that all clubs are likely to have pencilled him in as either a first round pick, or at worst an early second rounder. But Daniel is keen to ensure he is known, and drafted, on his own merits.

A product of Darwin based club, St Mary’s, in the Northern Territory Football league, Rioli has excited and impressed everyone from his junior days. Standing at 180 centimetres and a lightly framed 65 kilograms, Rioli has certainly held his own this year. Playing in the TAC Cup this season, he kicked four goals against the Geelong Falcons in the finals for the North Ballarat Rebels and impressed at the national Under 18 Championships. His performance in the Allies team against the NAB AFL Academy team on Grand Final morning saw him listed amongst the best players.

Rioli also ripped up the recent Draft Combine where he excelled in all disciplines, winning the repeat sprint test and going top six in most others. As a result he was named the 2XU Best Performer at the combine.

Rioli looks set to follow his illustrious cousin, Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli, into AFL football at one of the clubs. He will continue a long line of Northern Territory footballers who have graced the game including greats like Maurice Rioli, Michael Long, Cyril and more.

But he is not the only Territorian catching the eye for this year’s draft. Davin Ferreira, formerly from the Wanderers club in Darwin, has also caught the eye. Davin played the 2015 season scattered amongst a TAC Cup match against the Murray Bushrangers where he was listed amongst the best players and representing the Northern Territory at the Under 18 Championships. He also impressed in his senior debut with Norwood in the SANFL after a sizzling streak for their reserves team. Still small and light, Ferreira is already tipped as a “smokey” for the upcoming draft. Listed as a small forward/midfielder, Ferreira is described as being fast, agile and a strong overhead mark for his size. Even if not drafted on Tuesday, look out for Ferreira as a red-hot chance at the following rookie draft later in the week. His 174 centimetre height is about the only concern for his chances, but his football has no such concerns. Some even rate him a better footballer overall than Rioli.

Another Territory product to have caught the eye is Michael Hagan. A product of the Darwin Buffaloes club, he is another player who has had certain tongues wagging after his impressive display for the Allies against the NAB/AFL Academy team back on grand final day. In a team boasting top draft prospects in Rioli and GWS prospect Matthew Kennedy as well as names like Harrison Himmelberg, Eric Hipwood, Keiran Lovell and Mitch Hibberd, Michael Hagan was listed amongst the best players on the day. Was a consistently good player at TAC Cup level for the Northern Territory team and would have caught the interested eye of recruiters.

Whilst recruiters would have used due diligence to scour the lands and leave no stones unturned, these three lads pose the greatest chance of drafting, though who could rule out the “diamond in the rough” unearthed from somewhere else in the Northern Territory. Younger players like Brandan Parfitt (Nightcliff Tigers) and Ezekiel Frank (Palmerston Magpies) have huge potential and have played representative level this year also, but are too young for the 2015 draft. They will use their experience this year to smash down the doors for the 2016 draft.

Draft night is always exciting, more so this year with the revamped bidding system and TV friendly format, and it remains to be seen which AFL clubs will boast a new Northern Territory recruit come Tuesday night. We will now wait and see which club finds themselves a Rolls Royce or similar tucked away somewhere in the garages and stables of Territory talent.



Picture: http://www.thecourier.com.au ...

Tiwi Bombers’ Eight Point Game

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Just last weekend, after six straight losses, the Tiwi Bombers’ season was unravelling faster than a woollen cardigan in the possession of a destructive kitten. They had not played poorly during the season, just not as well as their opponents. Something had to change in a hurry – and it did. During the week they had no wins and no points. By yesterday they had two wins and were now just two games adrift of the top five.

Courtesy of a ruling by the NTFL which saw the Waratah Warriors stripped of their two points for playing an unregistered player in their win over the Bombers , the Tiwi side were awarded their first points of the season. Days later the Bombers hosted the in-form Palmerston Magpies and delighted their home crown at Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island. Leading all day, and helped by an eight goal bag from Ross Tungatalum and some new southern recruits including Jydon Neagle, son of former Essendon great Merv Neagle, the Tiwi Bombers ran out 35 point winners. The loss for Palmerston was costly, dumping them back into fourth spot, albeit just a game behind the leadership logjam.


Final Score: Tiwi Bombers 22 11 143 d Palmerston Magpies 15 18 108

The match of the round was arguably the amazing match at TIO Stadium where the Darwin Buffaloes grabbed a last gasp win against top team, Southern Districts, to make it five wins in a row and a share of top spot. Southern Districts led at every change, including a 17 point buffer at half time. But the new look Buffaloes kicked seven goals to four after half time, including the match-winner from Alan Obst just moments before the siren. The Buffaloes fans went wild as their team went on to equal top spot and an ever increasing possibility of higher honours later in the season.

Final Score: Darwin Buffaloes 14 15 99 d Southern Districts Crocs 14 11 95

But if that result wasn’t close enough, in what has been an incredible season for results of less than a goal, then the match at Gardens Oval on Sunday was even more dramatic. With Wanderers leading all day against the Nightcliff Tigers, it took a goal after the siren for Nightcliff to pull off a remarkable upset win in amazing circumstances. The loss for the Wanderers is their third for the year – two by less than a goal – and one of five matches Wanderers have played where the result was inside a goal. With a 3-2 win/loss record in those clashes it raises just a touch of doubt about their mind set in close games. For the Tigers the win has them just a game outside the five and reason to believe that a string of good performances could change their season for the better.

Final Score: Nightcliff Tigers 11 8 74 d Wanderers 10 13 73

Just when the Waratah Warriors thought their season couldn’t get any worse – it did! The decision during the week by the NTFL to strip them of their only four points after a player registration infringement was bad enough, but their 144 point mauling at the hands of St Mary’s made it a horror week for this young side. For Saints, the result sees them now back in a more customary second place on the ladder, equal on points with both Southern Districts and Darwin Buffaloes in one of the closest seasons for some time. If the Waratah team can take any solace from the game it is that the rest of the season can be spent developing talent for a big crack at next season.

Final Score: St Mary’s 25 30 180 d Waratah Warriors 5 6 36

Next week’s matches will see the Tiwi Bombers take on St Mary’s, Waratah faces Southern Districts, Wanderers clash with Buffaloes and Nightcliff will meet Palmerston. ...

A Rookie Draft With Just A Hint Of Africa

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In a remarkable AFL Rookie Draft held today, four players from Sudan made it on to the AFL lists of clubs for 2016. The AFL may never be in a better position to market the game in African countries after Gach Nyuon (Essendon), Rueben William (Brisbane) and Mabior Chol (Richmond) were added to club lists. Additionally, Majak Daw, arguably the highest profile Sudanese player so far, was re-rookied by North Melbourne as expected.

Essendon had been tracking the journey of Gach Nyuon (pictured left) for some time and it was little surprise that they called him as their first selection (fourth overall) this morning. Essendon has only recruit Matthew Leuenberger and young gun Joe Daniher that stand over 200 centimetres, so Nyuon will address the height issue, especially if a key ruckman is injured during the season. Nyuon is a raw talent but is super-exciting and highly athletic. His form with the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup saw him the premier ruckman of the competition and this continued for Vic Country and eventual All-Australian U18 selection.


His journey from Sudan as a refugee saw his family flee to Egypt and then to Australia as a seven year old. His selection at Essendon begins another remarkable chapter to his young life.

Rueben William’s family also fled Sudan, via Kenya, and he arrived at a young age in Brisbane where he took to our national game like a duck to water, playing for Brisbane club Windsor-Zillmere. He was rookie drafted at selection 20 by the Brisbane Lions, largely for his lightening pace and terrific ball use. As a member of the Brisbane Lions Academy, William was always likely to end up with the Lions and now has a chance to dazzle with his electrifying skills.

Mabior Chol was selection by Richmond with their pick 30 and was the third Sudanese descent player chosen on the night. Remarkably that made it 3 players in the top 30 of the Rookie Draft. His story is similar to that of Rueben William with his family fleeing war-torn Sudan when he was eight and coming to Brisbane. At 197 centimetres he is a still-growing ruckman with great speed and having great ball skills by hand and foot. He is also very agile and a decent left foot kick.

Majak Daw was taken as a rookie by North Melbourne with pick 33. The club had always signalled their intent to take him and kept their word. Daw has had some incredible highlight reel action since he first played AFL football, and his height is also of great value to the Kangaroos.

If the AFL has a few spare minutes, a highlight reel of the four Sudanese stars should be put together and sent to many African nations where the game is played, or not played, to encourage even more growth. There is a very real possibility that a couple of years from now all four players might be lining up in their respective senior teams at the highest level. In one draft Sudan has gone past many other countries from which AFL players have come to the game.

Congratulations must go to all four players on their achievements – not just in football, but in facing obstacles in their lives that most AFL football followers will never experience or understand to climb from adversity to AFL football club lists. Extraordinar ...

“Tippa” and Nyhuis Live Their Dreams

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Essendon Football Club has used the 2015 Rookie Draft to secure Tiwi island product, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti. Another Northern Territory talent, Ryan Nyhuis, has also been snaffled by the Fremantle Dockers. The selections complete a wonderful week for Northern Territory talent after Richmond selected Territorian, Daniel Rioli, at the national draft on Tuesday.

 

 

McDonald-Tipungwuti was recruited to the Essendon VFL team back in 2013 after previously being a part of the Gippsland Power team for a couple of seasons. He was also a part of the successful NT Thunder NEAFL team in 2012 and also played the 2011/12 season with his brother Ephrem and cousins Adam and Albert at the Tiwi Bombers, the NTFL team located in the town of Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island.

 

Anthony has been something of a cult hit at Essendon with his trademark dash off half back and his flowing dreadlocks trailing behind. A fitness cloud hung over him for a time but 2015 was a breakout season where he used his dash to great effect and proved to Essendon recruiters he was ready for the bigger stages of the AFL.

 

Ryan Nyhuis has a story that will be the envy of all future Northern Territory kids who dream of playing footy. Where both Rioli and McDonald-Tipungwuti left the Territory to play in country Victoria (Ballarat & Gippsland) to improve their chances of exposure and drafting, Nyhuis was selected straight from his club, Nightcliff, in the NTFL to be a member of the NT Thunder NEAFL team. Thunder coach, former St Kilda player Xavier Clarke sees his drafting through the Rookie program as proof that Territory kids can follow their own pathway and this concept “crushes” the adage that territory kids cannot make the AFL from home.

 

Fremantle took the 19 year old former NT Under 18 team captain with their pick #34 at the Rookie Draft yesterday. Just over a year ago Nyhuis was still playing club footy for Nightcliff in Darwin where he played all his junior footy. Earlier this year he was a part of the NT Thunder NEAFL premiership team, and now a place on an AFL list at Fremantle. It has been a whirlwind ride for Ryan.

 

The following story is a press release from the AFLNT recognising the rookie drafting of their two young guns.

 

NT Thunder product Ryan Nyhuis and Tiwi Islander Anthony Tipungwuti have both been picked up in today’s AFL Rookie Draft.

 

Both Nyhuis and Tipungwuti will join Daniel Rioli of St Mary’s who was selected by Richmond in Tuesday’s main draft at pick 15, at new clubs in 2016.

 

Nyhuis, who plays for the Nightcliff Football Club was selected this morning at pick 34 to the Fremantle Dockers.

 

AFL Northern Territory High Performance Manager Wally Gallio knows this is what can be achieved with hard work and commitment.

 

“Ryan focussed on Year 12 in 2014 and came back to the NT Thunder Program in 2015, he’s left nothing to chance in reaching his goal of having his name read out by an AFL Club,” Gallio said today.

 

Ryan’s home club, Nightcliff, is equally as thrilled for the youngster, with Vice-President Tim Scott describing Ryan’s achievement an immensely proud moment for the club.

 

“Ryan is a wonderful example of the success the Nightcliff Football Club is reaping through our Junior Development Program coordinated by senior coach, Damian Hale,” Scott said.

 

“Ryan made his debut in the Tigers Premier League team as a 17 year old and has cemented his spot as a regular first choice selection week after week.

 

“Not only is Ryan a champion on the field, he is a credit to his family and club off the field”.

 

NT Thunder Head Coach Xavier Clarke is also pleased for the young man who he describes as a player with a great attitude and willingness to learn and improve.

 

“Ryan was given some big roles [in team NT Thunder] in the NEAFL this year and delivered each time,” Clarke said.

 

Tiwi Islander and Melbourne based Anthony Tipungwuti played in the Under 18 program for the Northern Territory in 2011.

 

Playing mainly up front as a forward, his evasive play, tackling and great finishing skills caught eyes of the recruiters which sees him head to Essendon as pick 22 in this morning’s rookie draft.

 

It’s great to see the Northern Territory, not only competes against the non-traditional football states such as Queensland and NSW/ACT with the number of draftee’s this year, per capita, but also out performances more traditional states such as Western Australia and very closely competes with South Australia when it comes to draftee’s to population.     

 

 

Picture credits: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (afl.com.au), Ryan Nyhuis (NT News) ...

Rookie Draft Formality Met For Irish Recruits

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The AFL’s Rookie Draft held yesterday provided the final formality for two young Irish talents as they made their way onto the lists of both Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans. Conor Glass and Colin O’Riordin were both signed by their respective clubs back in October after the 2015 season was completed. The Rookie Draft was the final stage of their selection process.

Conor Glass is from Maghera in Northern Ireland and has been signed as an International Category B Rookie after his eye-catching displays of Gaelic Football as captain of the Derry youth team. Hawthorn have been tracking Glass for some time, assisting him to come to the club to meet the players and get a feel off the heartland of AFL footy in Melbourne. The Hawks used their final pick in the draft, pick 62 in the fourth round, to complete his recruitment process.


The Sydney Swans had also had their eye on O’Riordin for some time also, but had to win a bidding war against both St Kilda and Essendon to secure his signature. He was also interviewed by both the Western Bulldogs and the Brisbane Lions. O’Riordin caught the eye of talents scouts at the AFL Combine in Dublin in December 2014. He enhanced that reputation with an impressive display at the recent Draft Combine in October.

Tadhg Kennelley, in his role of international talent co-ordinator, was impressed with the Tipperary junior star and has likened his style to that of Brisbane Lions player, Pearce Hanley. O’Riordin has surprised many with his enormous athleticism but also his highly developed kicking skills.

The Swans used their sixth round pick (pick 69 overall) to formally add O’Riordin to their playing roster for 2016.

For both players the hard work begins now as they make arrangements to be a part of their respective club’s pre-season training programs. Their progress will be watched with great interest.

Photo Credits: Hawthorn FC (Conor Glass), RTE Sport - Ireland (Colin O'Riordi ...

Buffaloes Take Points In “Battle Of Edge-Of-Seaters”

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The Darwin Buffaloes had played in three games prior to this weekend where the result was decided by less than a kick. Wanderers Eagles had played in five. The two teams were separated by just two points last time they met, with the Buffaloes stealing the result. All the ingredients were there for an absolutely scorching game, given that Wanderers has lost their last match by a point after the siren last weekend to Nightcliff and Buffaloes snatched a last gasp four point win over the Crocs.

But Wanderers didn’t want to play that game. They had too much at stake, needing to get on the winning side of the leger and secure their place in the five. Their first half was impressive as they pressured the Buffaloes relentlessly to open up a huge 41 point lead at half time, keeping Buffaloes to just a goal for the half.



Only the most optimistic Buffaloes fans, or desperately pessimistic Eagles fans, could imagine what would play out after half time. Buffaloes didn’t charge exactly, but their two goal to nil third quarter bridged the gap somewhat, leaving them 23 points shy at the final change. But the final quarter was electric as the Wanderers team were left dazed and confused as the Buffaloes blasted four goals to steal an amazing win by just three points. In a worrying sign for the rattled Wanderers team, Buffaloes kicked six goals nine behinds after half time to Wanderers solitary behind.

Final Score: Darwin Buffaloes 7 12 54 d Wanderers Eagles 7 9 51

The Nightcliff Tigers survived their own scare against thee Palmerston Magpies. Galloping out to a 13 goal first half, the Tigers led by 34 points at half time. The saving grace for the Magpies was seven goals of their own which kept them within striking distance. After half time the Magpies lifted their work rate and clawed back closer and closer. In the end the Tigers held on by two goals and jumped into fifth place on the ladder, locked on points with fourth placed Palmerston.

Final Score: Nightcliff Tigers 16 8 104 d Palmerston Magpies 13 14 92

The Tiwi Bombers had reason to be looking up with the equivalent of two wins last week giving them a sniff of finals and an influx of former AFL talent lining up in a new look team. But the powerful St Mary’s unit were on their game early, despite inaccurate kicking. By half time they led by 44 points, but more tellingly had 26 scoring shots to seven, showing their real dominance. The second half was no better for the Bombers, despite new recruit, former Cat/Demon/Lion Brett Maloney chipping in for three goals, as Saints ran away in an eight goal final quarter to win convincingly by 88 points.

Final Score: St Mary’s Saints 23 24 162 d Tiwi Bombers 11 8 74

The Waratah Warriors had fans dreaming of a season saving upset when they led a surprised Southern Districts by 10 points at quarter time. But a less than impressed Crocs team didn’t take long to crush that dream with a crushing 11 goals to nil second quarter. From there, Southern Districts rattled on another nine goals to four after the main break to record a big win by the final siren, also winning by 88 points.

Final Score: Southern Districts Crocs 22 12 144 d Waratah Warriors 8 8 56

The win keeps Crocs perched at the top of the ladder with six wins, equal with St Mary’s and a rampant Darwin Buffaloes. Their win was their sixth in a row to have a share of top spot approaching the half way mark of the season.

Next week’s matches will see the Tiwi Bombers host Waratah up at Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island, whilst TIO Stadium will host the clash between Buffaloes and Palmerston Magpies followed by the St Mary’s clash with Wanderers. Sunday’s match will see Southern Districts take on the Nightcliff Tigers. ...

Goannas Come From Behind In Japan AFL Grand Final Thriller

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The Tokyo Goannas triumphed in the AFL Japan Grand Final played out on Saturday 21st November at the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club.
In what turned out to be a 'come from behind' thriller, the Tokyo Goannas over came a Tokyo Bay Suns three quarter time 11 point advantage with a 4 goal to 2 goal last quarter to take out their seventh Top League Grand Final by a mere 2 points, final scores being 10 - 8 (68) to 10 - 6 (66).

It was a hard fought battle from the outset between the two powerhouse teams in the AFL Japan Top League East, with the Suns kicking away to 4 goal to one first quarter.

With a pair of goals each from Nakamura Hisaosame (Suns) and N. Payne (Goannas) the Suns maintained their 3 goal lead in the second quarter, 6 -3 (39) to 3 - 3(21)



The third quarter saw the Goannas close the gap to trail by 11 points at three quarter time.

The last quarter was a humdinger with Luke Eyes and Peter Chalmers in the mix for the Goannas kicking 4 goals to the Suns 2 goals.

The Suns goal kicking ace Kumpei Komura's 5 goals for the match unfortunately not enough to save the game for the Suns. Luke Eyes was the best with the boot for the Goannas with four goals.

Quarter By Quarter
Goannas 1.2 3.3 6.4 10.8 (68)
Suns 4.1 6.3 9.3 10.6 (66)

Goals; Goannas: Eyes 4, Payne, Huynh 2, Woodward, Chalmers 1.
Suns: Komura 5, Tanaka 2, Brown, Nakamura, Kuno 1

Source: AFL Japan
Umpires: Sakaki, Ryosuke Sato.
Boundaries: Keisuke Sakurei, Kai Daika
Goals: Oura Hisayoshi, Fujita Ju ...

AFLNZ national draft set to revolutionise NZ top level footy

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The AFL national and rookie drafts have been and gone – so what’s going on with this December 2nd draft? Well – for starters it’s conducted by AFL New Zealand. Tomorrow evening, 7pm Wednesday December 2nd, will see the draft take place live via social media. The draft can be followed on twitter (#AFLNZPremiership).

The draft is to allocate players to one of 4 competing teams in the 2016 AFL New Zealand Premiership. Captains have already been announced for the Northern Suns (James Kusel), Western Crows (Jared Court), Central Giants (David Rattenbury) and Southern Saints (Michael Boyce).

According to AFLNZ 106 players have signed on from regions spanning Northland to Otago. A further 30 players are planned to be added to the list subsequently to finalise the squads. The draft will involve the first 7 rounds of selections with 48 players across those selections to be added to the squads currently only including captains. The remainder of selections will take place in January after the completion of provincial matches.

The draft itself is an interesting process. There are 7 list categories:

Category 1 Auckland Senior Players based in the Auckland region born 1997 or olderCategory 2 Regional Senior Players based in Canterbury, Wellington and Dunedin born 1997 or older (Flights required)Category 3 Satellite Senior Players based in satellite venues such as Northland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato born 1997 or olderCategory 4 Auckland Academy Players based in the Auckland region born 1998 or youngerCategory 5 Regional Academy Players based in Canterbury, Wellington and Dunedin born 1998 or younger (Flights required)Category 6 Satellite Academy Players based in satellite venues such as Northland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato born 1998 or youngerCategory 7 Wild Card Entry These players are not involved in the initial playing list and draft selection but are added through the following processes; • Ongoing talent identification carried out through local, regional and national competitions • Those players currently playing in regional leagues and yet to be listed • Academy players for development purposes • Overseas players dependent on availability

The initial 7 rounds of draft selections then follows a fairly simply matrix with either 4 or 8 players selected in each round and thus adding to 48 players to be selected.

And the Central Giants have the number 1 draft selection, although, again, it's not that simple - they have the number 1 selection from Category 1.

Round 1 Draft Picks Will involve the selection of four players, one by each team. • Central Giants Number 1 selection in Category 1 • Southern Saints Number 1 selection in Category 2 or 3 • Western Crows Number 1 selection in Category 4 • Northern Suns Number 1 selection in Category 5 or 6Round 2 Draft Picks (Category 1 Auckland Senior) Will involve the selection of eight players, two by each team. • Northern Suns Selections 1 and 8 Category 1 • Western Crows Selections 2 and 7 Category 1 • Southern Saints Selections 3 and 6 Category 1 • Central Giants Selections 4 and 5 Category 1Round 3 Draft Picks (Category 2 Regional & Category 3 Satellite Senior) Will involve the selection of eight players, two by each team. • Western Crows Selections 1 and 8 Category 2 & 3 • Northern Suns Selections 2 and 7 Category 2 & 3 • Central Giants Selections 3 and 6 Category 2 & 3 • Southern Saints Selections 4 and 5 Category 2 & 3Round 4 Draft Picks (Category 4 Auckland Academy) Will involve the selection of eight players, two by each team. • Southern Saints Selections 1 and 8 Category 4 • Central Giants Selections 2 and 7 Category 4 • Northern Suns Selections 3 and 6 Category 4 • Western Crows Selections 4 and 5 Category 4Round 5 Draft Picks (Category 5 Regional & Category 6 Satellite Academy) Will involve the selection of eight players, two by each team. • Central Giants Selections 1 and 8 Category 5 & 6 • Southern Saints Selections 2 and 7 Category 5 & 6 • Western Crows Selections 3 and 6 Category 5 & 6 • Northern Suns Selections 4 and 5 Category 5 & 6Round 6 Draft Picks (Category 7 Wild Card) Will involve the selection of four players, one by each team. • Northern Suns Selections 1 Category 7 • Western Crows Selections 2 Category 7 • Southern Saints Selections 3 Category 7 • Central Giants Selections 4 Category 7Round 7 Draft Picks (Category 1 Auckland Senior) Will involve the selection of eight players, two by each team. • Western Crows Selections 1 and 8 Category 1 • Northern Suns Selections 2 and 7 Category 1 • Central Giants Selections 3 and 6 Category 1 • Southern Saints Selections 4 and 5 Category 1 ...

Essendon Seeking 2017 Women’s League Team

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Essendon has joined the ranks of clubs keen to introduce a women's team in 2017, with the Bombers announcing they will bid for a licence when the competition begins.

The AFL continues to push forward with its plan to introduce a full-scale women's competition within two years and the Bombers are among the clubs who will ask to field a side.

The club hosted more than 80 of Victoria's best female footballers at its Tullamarine base on Tuesday evening as part of AFL Victoria's Women's Academy training program.

The club's legendary four-time premiership coach Kevin Sheedy addressed the group of players, while current coaches Mark Harvey, Mark Neeld, Guy McKenna and Hayden Skipworth were also involved in the session.


"We are very excited about the opportunity to field a women’s team in an AFL competition and will be doing everything we can to obtain a licence ahead of the 2017 inaugural season," Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell said.

"The introduction of a women's team aligns with the club's strategic objectives.

"We are committed to supporting women’s participation at a grass roots community level but also at an elite level when it comes to establishing career pathways."


The Bombers will continue to investigate ways to identify local women's talent in the area, and will hold two more training sessions for the group – next week and again in March next year.

The group of players trained in different areas of the club's facilities on Tuesday night, including the weights room, indoor facility and on the oval.

Neeld, who has taken on the newly created role of game performance manager at the Bombers, said the club was keen to open its doors to the aspiring footballers at Tuesday night's session.

"We're fortunate we've got a great high-performance facility which we'd like to think is the best in the country," he said.

"When people walk through the door and walk through here it does have a 'wow' factor, but it's really practical and we'll see with tonight's training session there'll be a group training inside, groups on the two ovals and a group in the gym.

"We'll be able accommodate all of the players throughout the session."

Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have led the way in building women's football, with the clubs playing two games this season and one being telecast on national TV.

By Callum Twomey: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-12-01...ens-league




Pictures: Club legends Kevin Sheedy and Mark Harvey address players at the club's Tullamarine base.



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Draft day in New Zealand

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Who will go where?

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Amsterdam To Host Second Champions League In 2016

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The second annual Champions League tournament will be held on March 19th next year, once again in Amsterdam and organised jointly by AFL Europe and the Amsterdam Devils club. The tournament goes into a second edition after the success of the inaugural event last year, in a competition which pits the premiership teams of European member nation leagues against each other to determine the best club, as opposed to nation, in Europe.

Last year the title was taken out by the West London Wildcats when they downed German team the Rheinland Lions. Ten clubs attended the event in 2015 with the others being the Belfast Redbacks (3rd), Amsterdam Devils (4th), Toulouse Hawks, Edinburgh Bloods, Malmo Redeyes, Solna Axemen, Manchester Mosquitoes and Zagreb Hawks.

The event is governed by certain rules regarding eligibility of players. This includes no more than four Australians on the field at any given time (passports used if necessary to determine this), but arranged mutually between clubs on an honour system. Players must have been registered to play during the 2016 season or have played for the club in 2015. The competition will follow the Euro Cup format and be nine players per side on field, with squads of up to 16.

The 2015 title holders, West London Wildcats, will gain an automatic invitation to the event, as will all national champion teams as outlined above. Should a club be unable to attend the event, the invitation for that league will be automatically offered to the runner up in that competition.

There will also be a women’s competition. At this stage only the Wandsworth Demons women’s team from AFL London has an invitation, but an invitation exists for nations to send a representative team for the event.

The teams/nations invited are:
Qualified Clubs (Men’s):

CEAFL - Zagreb Hawks
HLAN - Zagreb Dockers
AFL London - North London Lions
AFL London - West London Wildcats (2015 Champions League Winner)
AFL CNE - Manchester Mozzies
CNFA - Paris Cockerels
AFLG 16’s - Hamburg Dockers
ARFLI - South Dublin Swans
SARFL - Edinburgh Bloods
SAFF - Sodermalm AFC
DAFL - Copenhagen Giants
FAFL - Helsinki Heatseekers
WARFL - Cardiff Panthers
AFL Russia - Lazy Koalas
DAFA - Amsterdam Devils

Qualified Clubs (Womens):

WAFL London Wandsworth Demons

Due to the growth of Women’s football throughout Europe we would like to extend the invitation to the national teams:

France
Croatia
Denmark
Finland
Ireland
Norway
Scotland
Sweden
Wales

Teams will have time to determine their availability and a final list of accepting clubs will be released closer to the tournament dat ...

AFLCNE Thinking Big For 2016

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The off-season certainly hasn’t been a quiet time for the AFLCNE (AFL Central & Northern England) committee as they continue to redevelop 2016 representative opportunities for league players. Additionally, the league has redeveloped their own home and away draw to accommodate their eighth team in 2016, the Merseyside Saints from Liverpool.

The following information from the AFLCNE website outlines the changes.

“In 2016 the Central and Northern England League will be forming a League representative side with a view to playing 18 a-side games as opposed to the leagues 9s format. The aim behind this is to give our top British talent more experience of the 18s game and help them to prepare for national team selection and hopefully playing for the British Bulldogs.”


“All clubs have been asked to put forward the names of their players who they feel would be suited to playing in this representative team. The final selections will be made by Ian Mitchell (Wolverhampton Wolverines) and Will Sykes (Merseyside Saints). The name of the representative side has yet to be decided.”

“It is envisaged that the AFLCNE rep side will join a training session/friendly fixture with the English Dragonslayers in Huddersfield on April 2nd before taking part in the AFL London Pre-season tournament on April 23rd.”

“At the London tournament there will also be a ‘Supers’ competition for the over 35s. If there are enough interested ‘old-timers’ from around the League we would also like to enter a team in this. Any AFLCNE players wishing to register an interest in the Supers comp please contact Ian Baxter at president@aflcne.com”

The preparations to welcome the Merseyside Saints into the competition for 2016 is also well under way.

“With the addition of the Merseyside Saints to the AFLCNE, 8 teams will contest the AFLCNE 2016 Premiership. But they won’t be the only new thing in the league next season. The AFLCNE will also be introducing a plate competition for the teams that finish 5th – 8th after the home and away season. The top 4 teams will, as in previous seasons, compete for the honour of becoming AFLCNE premiers. The Plate Final will be the warm up game for the league Grand Final.”

League President Ian Baxter had this to say about the Plate competition:

“As a league we are mixture of well-established sides and newer clubs, the Plate competition means all clubs will have something to aim for towards the end of season and hopefully gives developing clubs some success and recognition for their hard work developing the game that they otherwise may not have got”

Either way it promises to be an exciting season in 2016. ...

2015 AFL Oceania Cup ready to go in Suva

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The 2015 AFL Under 15 Oceania Cup is tonight gearing up after the arrival of competing teams. Being again held in Fiji, the action gets underway tomorrow at Furnivale Park in Toorak (Suva). Once again the opening day is a lightning premiership format.

This years tournament sees 4 teams playing. Tonga, Fiji and Nauru have full squads while the 4th side is the Pacific All Stars. The tournament will wind up on Thursday with finals after lunch followed after presentations by an exhibition match between the Fiji U/14s and the U/14 Australian Wanderers.

The usual venue at Albert Park in Suva is under construction works which is why the alternate venue is being used.

The four sides competing this year all have reason to be confident – previews below from AFL Pacific’s Ben Drew:

All 4 u/15 teams will be very strong this year! • Fiji tribe are the defending champions, their expansion in development programs has meant more participants at their selection trials. Fiji Cup day this year was the biggest one yet with over 200 15yr old boys competing as well as an u/16 female division! • Tonga Thunder are always a tough side physically. In 2015 AFL Tonga has been fortunate to have Luke Cadzow (AVID) in country to support and drive their development programs, the Tonga thunder side has been training for the last 8 weeks preparing to surprise the competition this year. • Nauru Stars once again will be a very strong side! These boys are coming off the U/14 & U/16 junior AFL Nauru seasons, they will be match fit and ready to go. Their coach Zack Temaki is back again and the team have been working hard to go 1 better in 2015. • Pacific All Stars are the wild card within the 4 sides. A team of hand selected talented boys will be super competitive in this year’s competition.

Unfortunately both Vanuatu and Solomon Islands were unable to bring sides over.

The Oceania Cup is the first big step along the AFL South Pacific Talent pathway. 10-15 players from this tournament will be invited to participate in the U/16 AFL South Pacific Talent camp in May next year (2016). Being held on Queenslands Sunshine coast, part of the talent camp will be competing as the U/16 South Pacific side in the QLD U/16 state championships – joining 10-15 players selected from PNG also taking part in the camp.

The FIjiSun online this weekend reported the lead up - Fijians Rate Nauru. Fiji of course held out Nauru to win the 2014 tournament. The tournament has had some format changes over the years as the list of winners in part illustrates: Tonga (2009), PNG (2010), NZ (2011), Fiji (2012) and Nauru (2013) before Fiji backed up last year.

The Nauru Stars departed Sunday afternoon resplendent in new gear displaying the support of key sponsors Digicel and Capelle & Partners along with vital Government support with assistance on airfares. As the only nation in the world with Australian Football as their national game it is almost a requirement that Nauru be in attendance. ...

NTFL Reaches Half Way Mark

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The end of Round 9 signalled the middle of the season. With nine rounds down and nine to go and many fascinating scenarios which could play out in the second half of the season, this is shaping as another exciting run to the finals. In a season which has already become known for its evenness and close results, three teams share top spot on wins, and just a game separates fourth place from seventh.

The weekend results did not yield any very close games, yet those results have made for a very close competition.

The Tiwi Bombers hosted the Waratah Warriors at their Wurrumiyanga home on Bathurst Island. Bad kicking is deemed bad football, and the Bombers all but handed Waratah a “Get Out Of Jail” card, kicking 19 behinds. But they were good enough to overcome a half time deficit to record a much needed 23 point win.


Final Score: Tiwi Bombers 7 19 61 d Waratah Warriors 5 8 38

St Mary’s announced themselves as a serious flag threat again when they comfortably put away last year’s premiers, Wanderers. The eagles started well with a two goal quarter time lead, and trailed Saints by just a point at the main break. Four points separated the teams at the final change, but St Mary’s put the foot to the floor and ran way to a 42 point win, holding a share of top place and consigning Wanderers to fifth place and a battle ahead to stay there.

Final Score: St Mary’s 13 13 91 d Wanderers 7 7 49

Buffaloes made it seven wins in a row with a comfortable win against the Palmerston Magpies to the tune of 64 points. The Buffaloes lead all day against the fourth placed Magpies and have now set up a three game buffer between third and fourth place. Their streak has seen them beat all teams bar Saints, which they play next weekend. The loss for the Magpies still sees them hold fourth place, but they are not safe there and must get back on the winners list next start against top side Southern Districts to stay in the top five.

Final Score: Darwin Buffaloes 14 15 99 d Palmerston Magpies 4 11 35

Southern Districts kept their grip on top spot with a resounding win against the Nightcliff Tigers by 76 points. The Crocs built their lead at every change and got a handy percentage boost which will be invaluable should they, Saints and Buffaloes remain close on wins heading towards season’s end. The Tigers now must win to stay firmly in the final’s race. Like the teams surrounding them on equal points, each loss can place their season in jeopardy.

Final Score: Southern Districts Crocs 19 12 126 d Nightcliff Tigers 7 8 ...

Opinion: 2016 -Time is right for Women's International Cup

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The International Cup should segregate. The women and men should play the next iteration of the International Cup separately. Just two years after the last International Cup was held, I firmly believe that the women’s International Cup should be played in 2016.

Why?

It is because 2017 will be year zero for the AFL Women’s National league. Because 2016 will be the time for the best women in footy to audition for the (assumed) historic draft that will fill the first teams of the league. And a women’s international tournament will allow the best women footballers from Oceania, North America and Europe to show their wares in Melbourne before the talent scouts from the new teams.

Already AFL clubs such as Adelaide, West Coast, Fremantle, Geelong as well as Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs are likely to field teams. It is all falling into place relatively quickly since AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan came on board in April 2014 and moved the reality of a national Women’s League forward from a widely anticipated 2020 forward to 2017.


Sure most of that talent in the first year of the league will come from Victoria and the rest of Australia. But let’s make sure the competition starts with the best talent the world has to offer. We know there are at least some Irish, Canadian and American players that should be considered for the 2017 league. Bring the world along with the competition don't leave it behind and hope they can bridge the vast gap later on.


We would expect teams from PNG, Fiji, Tonga, NZ, USA, Canada, Ireland and England to attend a 2016 Women’s International Cup with possibly one or two other European teams or a combined European team (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France and Croatia all had teams at the 2015 Axios Cup). Perhaps they may even include the Australians (even if it is Under 18’s) in the tournament.
 

Sure it’s a short turn-around from IC14 and already an August tournament would be just 8 months away from now. But the chance to be part of the national league in 2017 should be a big carrot for players to be a part of it.
 

Even better for promotion of the women’s game leading into the 2017 league is the fact that the premier football grounds of Melbourne, Etihad Stadium and the MCG are free on the first weekend of September making the perfect venues for finals matches if the AFL saw fit to make them available.
 

This would take the Women’s Division out of the 2017 International Cup and given the continued growth of both the overall player numbers and number of countries competing at each successive tournament in both the men’s and women’s competition the split may have logistically become necessary before long at any rate.
 

The split year’s for men’s and women’s tournaments in future may make it easier for the countries to fund and organise their teams by spreading the cost over two years rather than one (it must however be acknowledged that some savings were made by countries with both men’s and women’s teams by larger group discounts and doubling up on staff assisting both teams).
 

So Gillon (or Grant) make it happen. Get on the phone to each of those countries tomorrow, or tonight and let’s bring all that talent to Melbourne in August/September for the 2016 Women’s International Cup.
  ...

Borneo Bears Link with Darwin Waratahs.

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Indonesia has gone through a huge change over the past 3 to 4 years in regards to the energy sector which has led to a great number of expats leaving Indonesia and particularly from Balikpapan, the center of energy in Indonesia.

Back in earlier days the expat players would invite their Indonesian national drivers and office staff down to training and consequently fund them to local tournament tours, it was expats that formed 90% of the club players list and membership.

However, The Borneo Bears through a number of methods with great support and perseverance from the Bears Committee, has survived the exodus of expats and the Bears have turned their player list around which now constitutes approximately 90% Indonesian National players and continues to grow.

 

 

Through a great deal of dedication and commitment supported by the Bears President Tommy Commerford and Bears Coach Shane Kruger and the Bears National players stepping up to the plate by inviting their family, friends and co-workers down to training and along to games and join in learning and playing this fantastic but still foreign game of AFL.


One of the major highlights for 2015 which was organized and championed by Tommy Commerford and Shane Kruger, was a cross country AFL development agreement between the Borneo Bears and the Darwin Waratah’s whereby the Darwin Waratah’s have invited 4 of the Borneo Bears National players to Darwin to join the Waratah’s to train and play in the 2015-2016 NTFL season.

With this, the Borneo Bears wish to further support and be a part of and continue to grow with AFL Asia and will continue to develop this great game of AFL throughout the local community. One of the missions for 2016 and of course will depend on internal fundraising, is to tour a 100% Indonesian Borneo Bears team to the Asia Champs 2016.

Source; AFL Asia ...

French Footy Heading Towards Winter Break

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This coming weekend will see the final game of Round Four for the CNFA as the league heads into its winter recess. The remaining five rounds will recommence in February, but already there has been a great amount of interest in the footy to date.

Round One saw the Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes down last year’s premiers, the Paris Cockerels by 29 points to start the year on the right path. The Cockerel’s decision in the off-season to have one club/two teams – giving rise to the league’s eighth team, the Paris Cockatoos – has had an effect on the Cockerels, but already their stable mates have prospered. The Bordeaux versus Strasbourg game was rescheduled for February.

The third match went to the Toulouse Hawks over the ALFA Lions, but in unusual circumstances. The end result was a forfeit equivalent with the Lions penalised for unregistered players and the points going to the hawks. But that doesn’t tell the “footy” story. Prior to the decision, the Hawks won their actual match 106 to 70 by 36 points, but in the corresponding game last season it was the Hawks winning by a massive 243 points. Rightfully, the Lions can point to a huge on field improvement since that horrid day last year – it was just a shame the result came down to an off-field decision.


The second round saw the battle of the Paris teams – Cockerels and Cockatoos – which was won by the new kids on the block, the Cockatoos, for their maiden win. The nine point result was a sign that both Paris teams are evenly matched. The Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes downed the ALFA Lions by 54 points whilst the Strasbourg boys recorded a big win downing the Perpignan Tigers by 123 points, causing much celebration for the Kangourous.

The third round saw the Paris Cockatoos travel to Bordeaux, defiantly and bravely in the pall of the horrors of the Paris terror attacks, and played an exciting match to hold on by just seven points against the Bombers. Strasbourg did not enjoy a follow up win after their round two efforts, going down to the Toulouse Hawks by a whopping 230 points.

Last weekend saw the first matches of Round Four with the Coyotes downing the Kangourous by 119 to 41 and the Paris Cockerels too strong for the Bordeaux Bombers winning 90-40. The match between the Cockatoos and the Perpignan Tigers will finish the round and be the last match until resumption in February.

The ladder currently sees the Coyotes on top with three wins from three starts. They could potentially be joined by the Cockatoos on the weekend with three wins also if they defeat the Tigers. Toulouse, Paris Cockerels and Strasbourg each boast wins whilst Perpignon, Bordeaux and ALFA Lions are yet to record a wi ...

2015 Oceania Cup - Nauru Stars triumph

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The 2015 at Furnival Park in Toorak, Suva (Fiji).

Kicking off on Monday with a round robin lightning premiership - the Nauru Stars got off to a flier and held on to finish the day the undefeated winners. Following that was 3 days of footy as the Nauru Suns sought to regain their title of junior champions of Oceania.

Action from the tournament (above left), Fiji junior Tribe (above right - photo FijiSun).

Day 1 – Lightning Premiership matches

Day 1 saw the Nauru Stars hit the ground running and showing themselves to be the early favourites for the tournament with comfortable wins earlier in the day and finishing up with a harder fought 9 point win in the final game against Fiji.

Game 1GBPts
Nauru Stars7446
Tonga Thunder 011
Game 2GBPts
Nauru Stars3422
Fiji Tribe 128
Game 3GBPts
Fiji Tribe 139
Tonga Thunder 022
Game 4GBPts
Nauru Stars6238
Tonga Thunder 000
Game 5GBPts
Fiji Tribe 139
Tonga Thunder 117
Game 6GBPts
Nauru Stars139
Fiji Tribe 000

The Nauruan side held on in the final game as they tired in the hot conditions after a long day travelling on the day (Sunday) before. Lazarus Caleb was best on ground in the final game Excellent day of football to start the Oceania Cup campaign! exciting, tough and hard football all day. The Nauru Stars came out winners of the Lightening Cup! Monday night featured the welcome function and cultural dance.

Fijisun coverage Our Junior Tribe Ready.

Day 2 matches
Game 1GBPts
Nauru Stars4428
Fiji Tribe 139
Game 2GBPts
Nauru Stars6541
Tonga Thunder 2012
Game 3GBPts
Fiji Tribe 4630
Tonga Thunder 2113

On another very hot day the players were committed as ever producing some big hits, fantastic ball movement and some exciting goals! Nauru started where they left off! After winning the lightening carnival yesterday, they were challenged by Fiji in game 1 today but were able to hold on for a tough victory, the Nauru Stars then took on a very brave Tonga side and come out with a 4 goal victory. Game 3 saw Fiji and Tonga play out a fiercely contested match! the game was fast with the ball moving from end to end all game. Eventually the Fiji side came out with a 3 goal victory.

Coverage from the local FijiSun Nauru Stars Dominate.

Day 3 matches
Game 1GBPts
Nauru Stars7648
Tonga Thunder2315
Game 2GBPts
Nauru Stars7547
Fiji Tribe128
Game 3GBPts
Tonga Thunder 2517
Fiji Tribe 1410

Another terrific day of fast and hard footy. Nauru continued their good form with 2 comprehensive wins over Fiji and Tonga. Tonga thunder played their best game to date and came away with a close win over fiji in the last game of the day. And so the scene is set for the 2015 Oceania Cup Grand Final which will put the Nauru Stars up against the hosting Fiji Tribe.

Fiji Times coverage Fiji faces Nauru in Australia Football League under-15 final

U/15 AFL Oceania Cup – Furnivale Park, Suva - Thursday, Dec 10 2015

GRAND FINAL:

GBPts
Nauru Stars 7648
Fiji Tribe 5131
Goal Kickers:Nauru: Mason Hubert 3, Aladdn Kepea, Alador Temaki, Jonah Lesa, Johnadab DetanemoFiji: Malata Camai, Epi Toutou, Edward Mel, George Lagi, Minati BalesalaBest Players:Nauru: Yakuza Udire, Marvin Canou,Nason Nason Hubert, Lazarus Caleb, Amata Itsamera, Aladdin Kepea, Sarch, Fiji: Adriu Naiyaga, Edward Mel, Minati alesala, George Lagi, Emosi Watkins, Gary Danford

The Nauru Stars were looking to come away with an undefeated tournament and the Fiji Tribe were looking to spoil the party! What a fantastic game of football to finish the AFL Oceania Cup! close all game with Nauru able to finish the strongest to register a well deserved Grand Final win! Congratulation to all 3 teams on a tremendous tournament! Tonga Thunder, Fiji Tribe and the winning Nauru Stars! It has been a terrific week of South Pacific AFL Footy! Tough, hard, silky and exciting. Selections for the South Pacific U16 Talent camp in 2016 will be announced within the next fortnight! Well done to everyone involved in this years tournament! It has certainly been a very memorable one!!

Wrap up courtesy of AFL South Pacific

Fiji Sun coverage of the Grand Final Nauru Champs in 2015, image above left sourced Fiji Sun. Fiji Times coverage of the Grand Final Nauru wins under-15 AFL Oceania Cup title ...

Raising the profile of the International Cup

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The AFL International Cup is the pinnacle event on the Australian Football international calendar and has grown steadily in stature and standard. Despite financial considerations limiting numbers, participation is greater than some other football world cups, yet the IC. profile remains low.

With this in mind I have started an electronic petition for the SBS to broadcast the IC. It is an ideal event for the SBS as it forfills all it's charter points. The I.C. is multi-cultural, multi-lingual, entertaining, educational and advances the spirit of world friendship. Without jumping too far ahead, any lift in the profile of the IC. will produce direct and indirect benefits for the competition. Those benefits in all probability will be small at first but it is the "foot-in-the-door" to leverage the future.

Currently there has great response from individuals at https://goo.gl/GwnmAK but I need organisations to promote this petition. to achieve the "reach" simply by sharing WFN's facebook post.

 

I have watched the growth and development of Australian Football around the world for quarter of a century. Leagues, clubs and individuals have battled hard to spread the word in their part of the land, but it has been my contention that the biggest barrier to assistance is the lack of knowledge on Australian's behalf.

Put simply, if Australians new more about football overseas, then there'd be more interest and interest more than ever has a monetary value. It originated as coins paid at the turnstiles, then television advertising revenue, sponsorship deals, assorted grants and now has many internet variations.

Internationally, the Australian media's sole focus is on overseas players making the grade in the AFL.  Hopefully this petition will change the public and media perceptions similar to the AFL taking insight from the prolification of televised national women's competitions.
  ...

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