Below is the Men's Division 1 ladder after Round 3 of the 2017 AFL International Cup.
Unlike Men's Division 2 and the Women's Division, the Men's Division 1 do not go to semi-finals, instead their fourth round of matches are regular scheduled games, with the top two nations after that going through to the MCG Grand Final.
New Zealand and Ireland are the only undefeated teams, both on 3 wins 0 losses, whilst PNG and USA are both on 2 wins 1 loss. It seems certain the grand finalists will come from these 4 sides. The blockbuster match between Ireland and New Zealand will see one of them undefeated and straight through to the MCG. The loser will be on 3 - 1, likely to be joined by USA (who face France) and probably PNG (a tough but winnable assignment against South Africa).
Percentage then becomes all important. New Zealand's miserly defence drives their extremely high percentage and they look well placed even if they narrowly lose to Ireland. But if Ireland lose they could well be caught on percentage by PNG or the USA, the latter likely to crush France in their early game then sit back nervously watching as other results unfold. It's going to be a very tense Wednesday at Royal Park.
Read on for the ladder.
| 2017 AFL International Cup Ladders - completion of Round 3 (Saturday August 12th) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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