World Footy News

In 2010 the AFL has embarked on a new venture inviting two international teams, the World XVIII and the South Pacific Nations, to compete against Australian Under 16’s teams from varying states.

Both of the international teams will consist of U18 players from all around the world, tallying up to a whopping 21 countries represented. The teams will head down to Australia in July to take part in the NAB U16’s tournament, beginning with a game between the two international sides on Sunday July 4th, followed by games against other Australian states that week.

As the story was reported only a few weeks back on oafl.ca, the OAFL Insider got the chance to sit down with the two boys from the Ontario Australian Football League (OAFL) club, the Etobicoke Roos, who were selected for the World XVIII squad.

I guess the first question all your mates would probably ask is: Why Australian Rules Football? How did you both get into it?

John Elliot (J): Well I was born in Vancouver and the Rugby Union season out there is pretty much year round. So when I came out to Toronto and figured out that rugby here was for only about 4 months of the year, I wanted more; Aussie Rules provided that for me. I first got into Footy after I played Christian Harbour (an Etobicoke Roo’s player) in Rugby, and noticed how good his kick was, he said it was because of Aussie Rules, so I went out after that and joined the team.

Riyad Karacic (R): I got into through my friend Christian Harbour when we were fifteen. One day he called and asked "you wanna come try Aussie rules?" and I was clueless to what that sport was. The Roos were holding a clinic out for young people and it was just fun playing and learning. It was a great experience. Then I just stuck to the game, and played.

Obviously Aussie footy is a rarely unique sport, both in play, skills involved as well as being extremely fast paced, but what aspects of the game do you think you’ve been able to pull from other sports that are similar?

J: I think I have been able to draw from my experience in Rugby Union to help me with the physicality of Footy, especially when the ball is loose and everybody is scrambling for it. Soccer has also helped with how much kicking is needed in Aussie Rules.

R: I haven't pulled much from other sports really. I played soccer growing up and I still play now. But basics were generally understandable. Kick to the open guy, first to a contest/first to the ball and other things like that. The ball can switch ends in seconds just from a kick, and it's the same in both sports. Skill wise though, Aussie rules is much harder to master. Constantly learning techniques and ways to play the game.

What aspects of the game did you have the most trouble grasping at the beginning?

J: I think the hardest aspect of the game for me to figure out was the fact that you want to defend by being in front of the player you are matched against, where as in all the other sports I’ve played in you, defend by being goal-side.

R: The hardest aspect of the game that took me a while to grasp was all the talk needed in this game. Constantly yelling for the ball, telling your man how much time he's got, man on, things like that. The game has so much talk throughout it, yelling to the ruckman to send the ball out the back door, his 6, or his 9, things like that.

Who did you both find was a key mentor, or reason for staying involved in the sport of footy here in Ontario?

J: I think the effort Greg Everett has put into me, getting me to practices etc. and helping the league was a big influence. I’ve also stayed involved in footy here because of the enjoyment I get from the game.

R: The biggest reason I had stayed in Aussie Rules was because of my friend Chris Harbour and his family. They really did a lot for me, as in driving us all the time, and just the time they put towards footy. As well the team, they were all such good friends and such a positive attitude all the time. They made me feel such a part of them I really enjoyed it. So I stuck around.

So let’s get back to the reason we are here. You both were lucky enough to make the World XVIII squad to hit Australia later this year. Can you tell us a bit about the application, selection process etc? What did you have to do to be selected in the squad?

J: Greg Everett contacted me in January to tell me about the possibility of making the team; I trained toward the tryouts at the end of February. Here we had to do a series of tests; kicking to a mark, sprints and a 3 km run; as well as body measurements. The results were then sent in, plus videos that our coaches had taken, finally we waited to find out whether we had made the team.

R: During the winter I heard about the possibility of making the team. And Greg Everett was very pushy that I make it to the practices and clinics they were running in a dome. So I would go down and at the end of February we had three days that they were filming us. We had to have our physical features measured, short sprints, long runs, repeated sprints, beep test, and skill test. Then we sent out the videos to Australia and such, and we waited. Then we waited. They were supposed to inform us of who made it by the end of March, but we heard nothing. Then In April we got the results.

How did you hear the news that you had been selected for the squad? Phone call, email, website etc?

J: Greg Everett called me early Friday morning to tell me that I had not made the team, but I was just behind Riyad and Jimmy, he then called back later to say Jimmy couldn’t go and that it was a green light for me.

R: Greg Everett called me in the morning at like 7:20 or so. I was still sleeping. My cell phone had four missed calls, and my house phone woke me up. I didn't pick up because I was just so tired. Then I get up and call Greg back, only for him to tell me that I had made the team. I was so excited. Just the fact of going to Australia was amazing.

What did you say to your friends and family, how did they respond?

J: My friends and family are happy for me, but my brothers think the Aussies are going to run circles around me.

R: My family was proud and happy for me. My dad was joking around about how much it would cost him to send me over there and everything. Then my friends were also happy for me. So it was a good day in general.

Obviously you spend a majority of your time playing footy with fellow Canadians, do you feel that you will be ready, prepared, to take on a full strength Australian team? How do you think you will prepare for it?

J: No, I don’t think I will be ready to take on a whole team of Australians, but I’ll prepare as best I can. I’ll try and improve all aspects of my game, but especially my game sense, because of the difference in the time I have spent playing Footy compared to the Aussies.

R: I honestly have no clue. I am preparing myself fitness wise so I can keep up and hopefully just be ready in that sense. I’ll still be working on my skills and such but definitely my fitness.

In heading to Aus as a part of the World Squad, what do you really hope to achieve from the trip?

J: I hope to come out of Australia feeling like I didn’t totally get dangled by the Australians and I also hope to have some fun.

R: I'm really excited to actually learn about footy more. From much different perspectives there. Can't wait to learn all I can while I can.

Is this the highest sporting accolade you have achieved to date?

J: Definitely!

R: By far it is. How many sports give you the opportunity to go to Australia and play in a cup against the elite players in Australia? haha.

It’s pretty tough to catch a live feed over here in Canada, but do you both follow the footy in Australia? Do you have heroes, guys you look up to either in the AFL in Oz, or the OAFL here in Canada?

J: Can’t say I have any AFL heroes, but I look up to my teammates, especially Justin Rigney and Travis McKenzie because of their experience and love of footy.

R: I don't really spend much time watching TV and such to try and catch up with footy in Australia. I was just never really motivated to do so. The guys I look up to are all the people I have played footy with. They are all my mentors. My coaches and players.

Riyad; You were a part of the infamous 2009 season where your team, the Etobicoke Roos, went undefeated for the entire season yet managed to lose the Grand Final. Do you think this has helped you mentally going forward in your footy career?

R: It has definitely taught me how take a loss. Being part of a team that never lost raises your confidence so much in you and your teammates. Now though, you learn you really have to work for a win. It will not just come to you.

Lastly, hot tips on who is going to take out the OAFL Flag this year??

J: No idea.

R: We'll see how it turns out by the end of the season. Too early to tell.

Thank you both for your time, and everyone from the OAFL wishes you the best of luck in your trip to Australia!!

Riyad and John are two of the four Canadians selected for the World XVIII side, and play for the Etobicoke Roos in the Ontario Australian Football League.