World Footy News

The Australian Institute of Sport / Australian Football League elite youth squad has just completed its second tour of South Africa. The following report is courtesy of AFL South Africa, with additional reporting by this author.

“Don’t fence me in” said Kevin Sheedy, as he spoke to the AIS/AFL Academy and South African teams on the eve of the second International game between the two countries this week. One nation has been playing the game for 150 years; the other an emerging country which has only just embraced the Aussie game in the last ten years, with major progress made in the last 12 months. After travelling Australia spruiking the 150 message and talking up international footy, and having visited both the US and Canada previously, we think this was Sheedy's first trip to the AFL's best supported international project.

The message was clear from one of the most visionary men in the game’s history. “The closer the world gets and the more I see other games such as soccer, rugby and American football, the more I am convinced that we have the greatest game on the planet and we should be sharing it with the rest of the world – South Africa is well and truly part of that vision”, said Sheedy at a special function in Potchefstroom in the North West Province on Monday night ahead of Tuesday’s International clash.

Sheedy is part of an AIS/AFL Academy delegation of players, officials and supporters in South Africa for a 10 day tour of footy and cultural exchange which has seen a group of 30 young men from all parts of Australia mature and grow every day of the journey.

The AIS/AFL Academy squad arrived in South Africa on Sunday 23 March where they spent 3 days in Johannesburg and Pretoria . Activities on Monday included training sessions at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria as well as a visit to the AFL South Africa supported Sparrow HIV Village, a hospice providing palliative care for HIV positive children and adults. The highlight of the day was dinner at Carnivores in Muldersdrift, where players, staff and supporters were treated to game meat carved on to your plate from giant spears and an amazing interactive Drumming Session that literally brought the house down.

On Tuesday the squad visited the Johannesburg township of Thembisa where they took part in the first ever footyWILD clinic for that region.

“The AIS boys are pioneers in their own right helping AFL South Africa introduce the Australian game to brand new areas as we grow. Major partner of footyWILD Costa Logistics draw local staff from the township making it an obvious choice as a new growth market and a fitting way for visitors to provide tangible help to the game in a foreign country,” said AFLSA Ambassador Mtutuzeli Hlomela.

That afternoon saw the Buckley vs. Voss Challenge match at SuperSport Park in Pretoria, the same venue which hosted the Fremantle vs. Carlton exhibition match in early February this year. Ten South African players fleshed out the AIS/AFL squad of 30 for an internal practise game which was played in fine spirit. Wednesday saw visits to the Apartheid Museum and to Soweto, after which the squad travelled to Pilansburg National Park for a few days of R&R. With AFL names like Jason McCartney, Nathan Buckley, Michael Voss, Luke Darcy and Kevin Sheedy on the tour, one can only imagine the experience for the young Australian and South African players.

On Friday 28 March, the squad travelled to Cape Town, where they visited Robben Island and climbed Table Mountain . On Sunday 30 March, the squad and supporters visited the township of Khayelitsha to watch a series of local games between the two development zones of Khayelitsha and Nyanga. The curtain raiser game between Under-13s was won convincingly by Khayelitsha, showing that the area has some genuine upcoming talent in their ranks. The Senior game, which included the best players from each township, was won by Nyanga, whose discipline in the last half of the game saw them hold on to victory. Building local rivalries will be an important feature of the game's growth in the country. With many living on low or no income, providing local competition will be critical to ongoing grassroots development.

“It was quite surreal to see full size goalposts standing tall and proud as permanent fixtures in a setting normally reserved for soccer goals and certainly sent a clear message that footy has arrived in South Africa ”, said AIS/AFL Assistant Coach Luke Darcy, who has been blown away by the whole experience.

On Monday, the squad left Cape Town for Potchefstroom to prepare for the upcoming International game against the South African National team, with players chosen from all four Provinces for the first time. Approximately 80% of the players that played against the AIS/AFL Academy are likely to be selected for the International Cup in August 2008, though there is hope that new players will be discovered through the inaugural National Championships to be held in July this year. Jason McCartney used the game to develop local coaches as they vie for selection to lead their own Provinces at the National event.

Although the scoreboard shows a 98 point victory to the AIS/AFL Academy, reports from those who toured a year ago would suggest that there has been significant improvement in the level of competitiveness displayed by the South Africans.

A big first quarter saw the AIS kick 8 goals to South Africa’s solitary major to lead by 46 points at the first change. The floodgates threatened to open in the second term but some solid defensive work by Julian Horn and Wilco Jonker aided by some excellent run through the mid-field from Samuel Sethibe (The Mask), Sandile Xhasa and Benji Motuba, saw the locals stem the tide a little, to go in at the last change 70 points down. Five last quarter goals from a fitter AIS team eventually saw the Aussies run out winners by 98 points, testament to their superior skill level and knowledge of the game, but an encouraging indication that there has been considerable improvement in a South African team that suffered a 150 point defeat, 12 months ago during the inaugural tour. Tyson Davis-Neale, Jackson Trengrove and Michael Hurley were stand-outs from a very even Australian team.

AIS/AFL High Performance Coach Jason McCartney, who took time out from his AIS duties to coach the South Africans, was impressed by the progress made in a short space of time, “The third quarter in particular, was a pretty even contest where the physical pressure of the South Africans and willingness to ‘take on’ the more talented AIS boys, allowed us to match the Aussies, not only around the stoppages but also on the scoreboard”, said McCartney.

The final day of the tour was spent at a training session at Sedgars Park, which was watched by the South African players and coaching staff as part of a Coaching Course facilitated by AFL legend Kevin Sheedy and Jason McCartney. In the afternoon, the squad assisted AFL South Africa staff with a FootyWILD clinic in the township of Ikageng completing an amazing journey of self-discovery in footy’s newest frontier.

The squad departs South Africa on Thursday 3 April for Perth.

Results for the AIS/AFL Academy vs. South Africa , Tuesday April 1, Sedgars Park Stadium, Potchefstroom:

AIS/AFL 19.18 (132)
South Africa 5.4 (34)

Goalkickers:

AIS/AFL – John Butcher 3, Anthony Motabilo 3, Sam Blease 2, Lewis Johnston 2, Michael Hatley 1, Nick Saban 1, Travis Davis-Neale 1, Ayce Cordy 1, Tom Hill 1, Ben Griffiths 1, Alex Carey 1, Bevan Declan 1, Tom Scully 1

South Africa - Sandile Xhasa 2, Benjamin Motuba 1, Julian Horn 1, Steven Matshane 1

Best Players:

AIS/AFL Academy – Tyson Davis-Neale, Jackson Trengrove, Michael Hurley, Antony Morabito, Ayce Cordy, Kane Lucas

South Africa – Samuel Sethibe, Sandile Xhasa, Benjamin Motuba, Steven Matshane, Julian Horn, Odin Williams