World Footy News

The Adelaide Crows and Dubai Heat have run out easy winners in their respective matches in the AFL's first foray into the Middle East. The main match, the NAB Cup opener between Adelaide and Collingwood, saw the Crows run away with the game 4.15.10 (136) to 0.7.13 (55) - note under NAB Cup rules goals from outside 50 metres are "supergoals", worth 9 points each. In the curtain raiser, the two local teams proved to be a mismatch, as the Dubai Heat defeated the Dubai Dingoes 11.8 (74) to 0.5 (5). Perhaps more important than either result (though tell that to Pies fans, who have been knocked out of the NAB Cup), was that the day appears to have gone very smoothly and the AFL are now talking up more pre-season games internationally.

From what we can gather, the Dubai local derby was played in good spirits, as worldfootynews.com was assured it would be after our last story on the matter. At half-time on the Channel 7 telecast across Australia, the local teams were profiled, including the Heat's star recruit, former Collingwood and Sydney player Andrew Schauble. There was also a short spot where Nathan Buckley visited the local NAB Auskick clinic.

Philip Temple, Dingoes Club Secretary, told WFN that "the game was played hard and in good spirit". Temple says the Dingoes started well, controlling most of the first quarter but scoring only behinds, until three late goals to the Heat set the scene for the rest of match. The Heat took full toll with the breeze in the second stanza, surging further ahead while the Dingoes were unable to penetrate a tight half back line that was "simply too big, fast and well organized".

Temple felt another factor that told against his club was lack of experience beyond Rugby-sized fields, compared with the Heat who have played at the Asian games playing on full size grounds with 18 a side. Temple was still proud of his boys, who despite being flustered at half time with the score 5 to 39, were pulled together by Coach Bruiser, and fought out the match to at least keep the final score from blowing out to 100 plus points.

The Dingoes' better players included "Moe, Jahnsy, Morey, Presto and Matt", as well as their besieged backline, in two Australian Army and one ex-Australian Navy men, "none of them below 35". The losing side also had players from Ireland, South Africa and the UK all playing for the first time on a full size ground. As Temple said, "Welcome to the big time you could fit 10 rugby grounds on this". For the Heat, the club's Daniel Dugina named their best as James Hope, Nick Pitter, Andrew Bereza, Andrew Schauble and Gordon Lewicki.

The Dingoes felt the day was a great success, and Temple noted that supporters travelled from Australia, from around the Gulf and even from England. "The Dingoes would also like (to take the) opportunity to thank the following: Collingwood Football Club for officially naming The Dubai Dingoes a sister club. Steve Nugent the Dingoes AFL Day event manager, your effort was priceless. Our major sponsor JML, and EPG Property Group, The Dubliners, Hydrolite Leisure, EW Cox, North West Marine. Without their generous support the Dingoes would not be here today". He also thanked the umpires for their efforts.

The local clash was followed by the official opening game of the NAB Cup pre-season. The Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club fields, transformed into a quality Aussie Rules stadium, was actually the third choice venue, and so far out of Dubai city that it is actually across the border in Abu Dhabi, another of the United Arab Emirates. We're told Abu Dhabi will soon have its own local side.

The Adelaide-Collingwood clash, in front of 6102 spectators, was a fairly high standard affair, with both teams moving the ball very well for so early in the season, especially the Crows. Scores were close at quarter time, but that was after Adelaide kicked into a stiffening breeze, so the writing was on the wall for the Pies. As the match wore on the South Australian team pulled further away. There were reports that Collingwood players had been suffering from gastro, and added to their long three week journey to Africa, not too much should be read into their loss. The real benefits of training at altitude and the team bonding from the African experience, will be demonstrated more subtly later in the season.

Apparently spectators were only allowed on one side of the field, reportedly to give a better impression on TV. With all five stands full and fans five deep on the boundary, the plan worked, and is probably a fair enough ploy provided the attendance is correctly noted, which we have no reason to doubt. Certainly it can detract from a game when it appears to be an empty ground, when in fact all the supporters are in the grand stand on the side from which the game is filmed.

Adelaide coach Neil Craig was happy with his team's showing, and said "Overall I think it's been a good hit-out for both clubs and a great day for the AFL". It's important that the clubs support such matches, and the club's chairman, Bill Sanders, said "In the past, we've been to New Zealand, we've played in South Africa and we know the need to develop overseas. We're also mindful that Australia doesn't get neglected in all of this".

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou was obviously happy with the experiment as well, saying that the AFL would pursue pre-season games in Japan, South Africa and the United States. "South Africa certainly is a priority and so is Japan - with our Toyota partnership - and Los Angeles has appeal as part of our Australia Day celebrations over there. And we certainly plan to continue to rebuild our relationship with Ireland". There was also a report that the Victorian government put AUD$150,000 into the AFL's international funding.

Our thanks to Philip Temple for his information and quickly getting photos to us.

Action from Dubai Dingoes versus Dubai Heat, as the crowd slowly builds for the Magpies versus Crows.

The Dingoes try to re-group.