World Footy News

As previously reported, the AFL is allowing the inaugural World XVIII youth squad to be supplemented by "multicultural" youths born overseas who have been living in Australia for no more than 5 years and have at least one parent born overseas.

Yesterday (Sunday) saw trials in Melbourne for eligible players.

It was also announced that two players from China will play in the World Team and will train at Monash University in the lead-up to the Under 16 championships in July.

The AFL's General Manager National and International Development, David Matthews, said the AFL's overseas talent programs had increasingly identified young athletes who had the potential to play AFL football at the elite level, with most prospects coming from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, Fiji, Tonga, Nauru and Samoa (spanning both the World and South Pacific regions), and that other talented athletes could also be identified from affiliated leagues in Canada, the USA, China and continental Europe.