World Footy News

AFL Fiji continues to make great strides, with AusAID development officer Glen Butler reporting a growing 9-a-side competition in Fiji which will be used as a basis for their International Cup side if they do indeed make the final commitment to attend in 2011.

At last count the 9s competition had four teams playing each week on fields such as the Saint Marcellin Primary School grounds in Vatuwaqa.  Butler is hoping to expand to more teams to grow their player base.  A lot of players have a Rugby background.  As Butler explains, "The players' knowledge of the game (is improving). The boys (and girls) are picking up the skills very quickly. It will just be a matter of more match practice to better understand rules and intricacies of AFL, and of course getting away from the rugby-passes, encouraging knock-on's and off-sides".

"The average age is 17-20, the core group of players are from the Fiji Power Team that competed in Tonga last year for the Oceania Cup. Due to the school clinics and through word-of-mouth, many of the new players now playing are from high schools around Suva. Planning to now target some of the Universities around Fiji as well to attract more players in the 20-25 age bracket". 

Butler thinks AFL Fiji will likely name the squad for IC11 in June but getting to Australia is still subject to funding, with plans to host a fundraiser in Fiji and hopes of gaining a major local sponsor(s) and generating greater public awareness.  If that is a success they are planning two sets of trials to confirm a 25-30 man squad.  "We currently have Nemani Rokobuli (head coach), myself (assistant coach) and David Rodan Snr (Coaching Director) in Melbourne who will discuss how the selection process will take place".

Butler arrived early November 2010 and his contract is until mid November this year, although he hopes to stay until December for the Oceania Cup.  From Box Hill in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Glen is enjoying the current power balance at AFL level, being an avid Collingwood supporter.

Photos are from recent rounds of the local competition, and below is a description of how Round 5 went from Dr Robert Wolfgramm, AFL Fiji's PR man.

Bula all, another great round of AFL Fiji 9s matchups this past Saturday. This time - Round 5 - we were at Marist Brothers High School Ground and it was back to soggy, boggy conditions. Players slipping and sliding with the ball seemingly glued to the mud. Or skating across the grass like marbles on glass. The footy therefore was difficult and the scores show this. Max's Reds going down like the sun to Semiti's Blues. Then Mesake's Red's thumped by Jim's Blues. For third and fourth place, Max and Mesake's teams played out a draw. The final was nearly as close - Jim's Reds by a solitary point over Semiti's Blues. Compliments of 'McDonalds', Jim (captain of Jim's Reds) won 'Mark of the Day' with a wonderful, strong grab of the greasy ball while falling back in the mud and holding out an opponent late in the final quarter of the final. The 'Best on Ground' McDonalds voucher as voted by Lupe and our umpires (Nemani and Glen) was won by Alipate. And McDonalds 'Encouragement' voucher was won by Apakuki. A big vinaka vaka levu to McDonalds for choosing to come on board to support us this season.

Under 17s

Senior players