World Footy News

The National Provincial Championship (NPC) is set for AFL Grand Final weekend and will be played in the capital city of Wellington. Four provinces will contest the Championships this year with Auckland, Canterbury, Waikato and Wellington the contenders.

Previous results (available here) have shown the well-established six club competition in Auckland to be the country’s strongest. Last year’s NPC saw the Auckland team clearly superior, with an improved Canterbury team runners-up. A disappointing Wellington team, who have slipped from their high standards earlier this decade, and the Waikato team, involved in their second campaign after forming as a competition in 2004, made up the numbers.

In recent years these Championships have served as a key part of the selection process for teams to attend the Arafura Festivals, International Cups and also the Australian Country Football Championships. They are always hotly contested as provincial bragging rights are established for the following year.

As with competitions all around the world that involve travelling you do not get all the key players involved due to cost and time. Being mid season for three of the provinces they will be also minus some of their best due to injury. Even taking these absences into account there is little doubt that this event will showcase some very skilled football.

Auckland AFL

Auckland will this year be coached by the NZ Falcon’s captain from the 2005 International Cup, Andrew Congalton. Playing Coach Congalton had this to say about the squad "Despite lacking many of the Auckland NZ reps due to unavailablity, there is a good mix of experience and youth. All clubs in the Auckland competition are represented and all but two players are eligible for NZ selection. Once again, the Auckland team will be looking to the powerful midfield to provide consistent ball to the forward line, and the experienced backline to repel opposition attempts on goal".

Morgan Jones, who is a committed defender who provides great run, will captain the team assisted by David Cory–Toussaint, a fellow defender, who are both current members of the NZ Falcons. Other Falcons in the team include Jon Mailing another defender who provides good linking play, Ben Horne, Marcus Jones who is a very fit on-baller with great disposal, Lewis Hirst, a tough and uncompromising on-baller, Andrew Chrighton who will be a key member of defence, NZ Legend Paul “Guppy” Gunning and Matt Callagahan (recently returned from a season in WA playing for the Thornlie Lions, see this article for more information).

According to Congalton, players to watch in the line up are Matt Hackett who is a tall, young forward with physical presence who will be at his second NPC, Dave Rattenbury who is a fast and skilful link player who never stops running, Matt Duffy who is 17 and has great potential, Andy Buckthought who is an upcoming on-baller with quick hands from a contested situation and Brad Wade who is 18, with great speed, work rate and silky skills.

Canterbury AFL

Canterbury has developed a very good core of footballers since their competition was resurrected around a decade ago. Key players will be flashy forward and on-baller James Bowden who has starred at the last two International Cups, Richard Bradley who plays in the manner Australian born followers of the game expect a true, clean CHF to play and Geoff Thomas, who along with Bradley and Bowden, has been an instrumental part of the last two International Cups. Supporting these three are Shaun Allison, who will captain the side, and was at the 2005 International Cup, fellow 2005 International Cuppers Scott McNally (who has recently returned from playing for the Prahran Club in Melbourne) and Jason Everson. They will also field Joe Hendry who represented the Falcons last year at the Australian Country Football Championships.

Canterbury will be coached by Ben Nolan who has been playing the game in Canterbury for ten years after deciding to give the game a go. Coach Nolan is very confident that this year could be the one where they finally win the NPC after over two decades of failing to do so. He says two players to watch are Jarod Court - still only 19 years old and playing his 2nd NPC who has lightning pace and is very fit. Nolan feels he “will run rings around the older players”. The second player to watch is one who has been around for quite a while, Shane Browne, 24 years old and a very solid player who should push for NZ selection. For further squad details view the NZAFL website

Waikato Thunder AFL

Jim Lucy presented the information for the Waikato Thunder. This provincial League is a direct result of the passion for the game of Jim, a local resident and NZ Falcon’s winning coach at the 2005 International Cup. He feels the Thunder have developed to the stage where they will be competitive and will “want to give everyone a fright”. Rob Neish will coach the side. He played footy much earlier in his life in the B Grade Amateurs in Melbourne. Recently he has been the physio for the Tall Blacks (NZ’s basketball team) so he will have learnt many things in preparing an elite team that will be transferable to this competition.

Key players for the Thunder will be their captain and NZ Falcons International Cup player Dougal Henderson who is strong at both ends of the field. Supporting him will be Luke Kneebone a tall, defensive running player who will probably start on a wing or half-back flank, Moss Doran who has just returned from a stint with South Warrnambool, a tall marking forward with a huge kick and strong hands, James Quinn-Casey who is a mobile forward with strong hands and a keen sense for goals, Riki Te Wharau who is a strong ruckman who was BOG in the Auckland Reserves GF for Manurewa last year, Phil Mourits who was a NZ Falcon last year at the Australian Country Championships, Ray Castle who is a wiry half back flanker who can make the transition from defence into attack nicely and Mitch Mace who is a quick rover with a love for the goals.

Wellington AFL

Former NZ Falcons’ captain at the 2002 International Cup, John Jackson, will coach the Wellington side. Unlike the other three provinces that are all in the middle of their seasons Wellington will be rather unknown after off-field upheaval has left the competition in disarray. Wellington will use this tournament as a springboard to get enough interest developed to run their traditional four team competition. This upheaval has not created the best environment for John “Jacko” Jackson to assemble his premier squad despite it being played in their city.

Certainties to front up for Wellington will be their young captain Jim Kerse who was a very solid contributor as a teenager off the HBF at the inaugural International Cup, dual International Cup tall forward Byron Roff, Team of the International Cup 2002 ruckman Mike Severinsen, tough haka leader and rover at the International Cup 2002 Josh Hema and his fellow on-baller Guy Ferguson who has been a NZ Falcon at both the International Cup 2005 and in the Australian Country Championships last year. As such they will be no pushover but given their lead up both on and off field they will certainly be challenged to be truly competitive on the scoreboard.

Jackson said up and coming players to watch include Isaac O’Connor who is a tall 17 year old with Junior Falcons experience, Jase Trenberth is a quick on-baller/wing, Andrew Leolofi who is a high flying half forward and two who are new to the Wellington competition but are expected to play well, Andrew Cuttriss from Christchurch and Graham Rattenbury from Auckland.

The initial train on squad for the Australian Football International Cup will then be announced at the conclusion of the event.