World Footy News

Nauru is well known amongst Australian football fans as the one other country, besides Australia, to fully embrace the Aussie code of football. An attendee at the Arafura Games in 1995 and one of eleven nations at the inaugural International Cup in 2002, the tiny island nation was absent in 2005, a late withdrawal, and has suffered a ban on the game at home. Footy fans will be happy to see the team return in 2008 as the Our Airline Nauru Chiefs and plans to re-launch the sport. With 17 players currently guest participants in the VCFL (most of them pictured below in their club jumpers), could they be a dark-horse when the Cup gets under-way next month? We talk to coach Wes Illig on the nation's expectations.

Illig spent the 1990s in Nauru as a school teacher and married a local. He played and coached during his stay there. "Since my return to Stawell in the Wimmera (Victoria) I have been an umpire for a few years and am currently the secretary for the Stawell Warriors Football and Netball club. We have placed 17 footballers in the Wimmera FL with Stawell, the Horsham District FL with Great Western and Swifts and the Lexton Plains FL with Navarre. All of the boys have enjoyed playing except for the cold weather. They train with their own clubs twice a week and train once a week with me as a group".

The coaching staff are attempting to instil a "high pressure, free flowing possession (game) with multiple options and use the ball well, however what we get may be a different thing".

One difficulty nations face is whether to play eligible players who may have moved to Australia to live long term, but Nauru is only planning on using players brought over specifically for the Cup, either early or immediately before it starts. "All of the 17 here with me now are from Nauru and have left to come here for the 4 or 5 months that the whole season with the club and International Cup will take. No ringins in this side".

The hope is for the Cup to be the impetus that gets the game going again in Nauru. "One of the main focuses is to make sure the local competition continues and these boys take home the knowledge and skills they have learnt here and continue a program to improve the younger generation".

The islanders' coach didn't really see the Our Airline Nauru Chiefs as having an arch rival and wasn't really aiming any higher than racking up a win for the country. Having finished 8th in 2002 with a win over Japan and pushing Britain, Denmark and Samoa, and with the valuable experience being gained in Victorian footy in recent months, perhaps the Chiefs might score more than a single win and knock off a few of their more highly fancied opponents.

If they do have a successful Cup they'll be very grateful to Old Geelong in the VAFA and Port Fairy whilst on the Warrnambool leg, and the previously mentioned clubs Stawell, Great Western, Swifts and Navarre, who "have taken our boys under their wings and taught them so much". When Nauru started out on the journey of trying to make the Cup it must have seemed a huge mountain to climb with many doubters (WFN wasn't expecting them to make it, despite our best wishes). "It would not have been possible to make this trip without the generous support of all the families back on Nauru who have been relentless in their fundraising efforts. Also to our main sponsor "Our Airline" who generously provided air travel to Australia for the whole squad at a cost of around $25000, in recognition of this the team is officially called the Our Airline Nauru Chiefs. The townships of Stawell, Navarre and Great Western have made the 17 players here feel welcomed and have treated the group extremely well".

The full squad assembles on August 25th, two days before the first game, with 8 players arriving from Nauru with other officials to join the 17 already there. They depart on September 6th, presumably straight after matches finish.

The Country and Australian football

Tiny island in the Pacific, population around 14,000. Fallen on hard times since the winding back of phosphate mining. Footy has been their number one sport, reportedly getting started in the 1930s, but the Nauru Australian Football Association is looking to rebuild after the Cup.

Strengths and Weaknesses

May lack tall, key position players, but are a strong, hard bodied group of young men. Lack of recent matches until some playing in Victoria in 2008 may tell against them. Expect Nauru to be fast, creative, but perhaps lacking in execution under pressure and taking too many risks.

Players to Watch

With footy in hiatus in Nauru after some on and off-field drama, it's hard to judge which players are the ones to watch for the Chiefs. Coach Illig felt they would field a pretty even side, "All of the boys have played some good games for their clubs and difficult to pick out a stand out player however Deamo Baguga who stands about 5'10" took mark of the year last week in the first quarter and then bettered it in the third quarter. All the boys play an exciting brand of football".

Form Guide

Eighth at the International Cup in 2002, with a big win over Japan and pushing but losing to Britain, Denmark and Samoa, with their only significant loss being 47 points to runners-up PNG. With no internationals since but players gaining experience in Victoria, should be competitive with middle ranked sides.

Bottom Line

Expect Nauru to claim some scalps and be one of the crowd favourites.

Most of the Nauru team are having guest appearances with clubs in country Victoria