World Footy News

Canada's junior team, the Wolfpack, headed down to Australia in big numbers just prior to the third International Cup. In part 1 of our story on the tour, we talked to young players Chris Harbour and Justen Oertel and began an interview with coach Mike McFarlane. In part 2 we continue to talk to Mike about the impact the tour had on the players and plans for the future.

Invariably a long and successful trip like this produces some great friendships and special stories. McFarlane pointed to the bonds built with one club in particular. "I think the special stories that came out of this had to be the bonds that we formed with a couple of the clubs we played against. In particular Healesville FC. The effort they put out for us was above and beyond and made that whole experience the highlight of our trip to Melbourne. This club organized a day at the Healesville Sanctuary, meals before and after the game, presentations for the players including medals and jumpers, a banner for the boys to run through and the whole atmosphere was electric. The local school came out to watch the game and the local kids and our boys got on famously. We are in discussions with them to become sister clubs and also to host them for their pre season in the next couple of years".

But at the end of the day, what impact will this have on the young players and their footy? "The players all felt that it was a valuable experience for them football wise and personally. A lot of the players are considering moving to Australia for a period of time to improve the football skills. A lot want to emulate what Scott Fleming has done in Broadbeach. As many of them are now looking at university, they are investigating doing this in Australia or at least part of it on an exchange basis. I think this has helped many of the kids to decide to remain in footy. A vast majority of them had their first taste of senior footy this year and many of them that I didn't think would stick with it are now asking me when we are going to start our indoor training. I think that up to 80 - 85% of them will continue into the seniors. I would say that there are around 10 that have a good chance to play with the Northwind in the coming years".

And McFarlane hinted that a junior competition could be included in the next International Cup, and the Canadians are already planning for it. "We are planning to identify a group of our younger players from the NDJAFL and getting them into a program to prepare them for this possibility. This will begin in January. As we have 4 players from this past group that would qualify under a U19 banner we are putting them into a leadership group to help prepare the next group for Australia. It also gives 3 years to prepare instead of 7 months".

Of course the NDJAFL has featured both boys and girls, whereas this was just a boys team. "We have always encouraged the girls to play and it was a little disappointing to not be able to give them an opportunity to play. Four girls on the trip play footy and I think it also got into their heads that they would like to travel to Australia one day to play footy as well. With Jake Anson's program in Calgary doing so well and with ours girls coming of age in a few years I think there will be an opportunity for them to travel to Australia with a women's national team. I think with our juniors, women's and men's success this past year it bodes well for the progress that Canadian footy is making. I think that we have to be viewed as one of the up and coming nations in terms of our overall development and progress".

Finally McFarlane, a former President of AFL Canada and a central figure in the founding of the NDJAFL, was keen to press his country's need for more support. "We hope that this trip opened the eyes of people at all levels of football in Australia (including the AFL) that there is progress being made in all parts of the world in regards to football and it is being done without any real support and that if they want to make this a truly international game they need to get behind all of the nations that are making the effort on their behalf. They need to see where the progress is being made and offer support to those organizations to help them take it to the next level. Sometimes the obvious options are not the best".

Plenty of rain against De La Salle...

... and plenty of mud too.

A famous Australian landmark, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A scene from the Great Ocean Road.