World Footy News

The Under 16 New Zealand Hawks accounted for both Samoa and Fiji on the first day of the Oceania Cup held in Suva Fiji this weekend. The Hawthorn scouts present would have been very pleased with their recent international scholarship signing, Kurt Heatherley, as he was named best for New Zealand in both games. The following is the Kiwi perspective of the day courtesy of Rob Vanstam, head of AFL New Zealand.

The Hawks' first match against Samoa was played at the Cathedral Gardens grounds right on the sea's edge on Suva's coastline.

A forty to fifty kilometre wind straight down the ground was a huge advantage for the New Zealand team in the first quarter and they went into the first change with a two goal lead. The Samoan team fought back strongly with three goals of their own to take a slight lead into the half time break.

The Hawks could not utilise the breeze as well as they would have liked in the third term and kicked only one goal to level the scores but leaving an up hill struggle in the final term with Samoa having a huge breeze at their advantage.

Brandon Sucu kicked the only goal into the breeze in the final quarter of the match with the backline bolstered by Rhys Panui Leth as an extra man in defence.

NZ Hawks 5.3 (33)
Samoa 4.3 (27)

NZ Best Players: Kurt Heatherley, Luke Campbell, Brody Cleave, Lokeni Gavet, Michael Kee
NZ Goal Scorers: Kurt Heatherley 2, Brandon Sucu 2, Mitchell Harding 1

The second match against the host team Fiji started with the Fijians making first use of the breeze. Two majors by the Fijians were answered by another goal into the wind by Brandon Sucu with the New Zealand coach Fatui Ataata happy with the efforts at the first break.

The Hawks' second quarter saw a further two goals whilst keeping the Fijians scoreless. Dom Purdie-Timoteo was winning the rucks well and farming the ball out to running players Vandyn "Diesel" Hartman, Byron Groenewald and captain Sami Tuitopou.

It was going to have to be a big effort from the Hawks to restrict the Fijians with the assistance of a healthy breeze in the third quarter and although the Fijians peppered the goals, pressure from the New Zealand backline resulted in inaccurate kicking. Shem Tatupu marked strongly in the goal square to add another major for the Hawks with the three quarter time score NZ 4.0 (24) to Fiji 2.7 (19).

The last quarter saw the NZ forwards dominate piling on four goals to nothing to take out the match.

NZ 8.3 (51)
Fiji 2.7 (19)

NZ Best Players: Kurt Heatherley, Dom Purdie-Timoteo, Brandon Sucu, Mitch Harding, Byron Groenewald
NZ Goal Scorers: Brandon Sucu 3, Byron Groenewald, Zac Maio, Mitch Harding, Shem Tatupu