World Footy News

 AFL Canada is pleased to announce that four players have been selected by the Australian Football League (AFL) to represent the World XVIII under 18 team in the up coming NAB Australian Under 16's championships to be played in Sydney, Australia in July. This is the 2nd year in a row that four Canadian Juniors have been selected for this honour.

All four players Alex Tivy, Jason Silen, Darren Ledoux, Brennan Lew-Cooke hail from the very successful North Delta Junior Australian Football League (NDJAFL) based in Vancouver, British Columbia that also produced two of the four players selected in the 2010 version of the World XVIII. Vancouver, British Columbia is home of the first Canadian to play professional AFL, Mike Pyke who plays for the Sydney Swans.
 
 

The World XVIII and South Pacific teams are additions to the seven state teams based in Australia that compete in the yearly event. The NAB Under 16 Championships are the first step in players advancing to being drafted by an AFL club.
 
All players are leaders in the NDJAFL and participate in community events that the NDJAFL is involved with from local parades, anti-bullying in sports seminars, local skills clinics to promoting Australian Football and mentoring programs that have been initiated by the NDJAFL.
 
Following their involvement with the World XVIII  the boys will be staying on in Australia and billeting with families from the Healesville Football Club in Melbourne. This is so they can join up with the remainder of the Canadian Wolfpack Under 19 national team that arrives from Canada. They Canadian Under 19 team will be on a three week tour of Melbourne and Queensland playing games against local competition.

The boys will be in Australia for about seven weeks immersed in the Australian Football culture that will enable them to take their game to new levels as they look to move from this current level of football to represent Canada with the mens national team "The Northwind" at the 2014 International Cup.
 
Below is a brief bio of each of the players selected to the World XVIII:
 
Alex Tivy: Age: 16, Height: 6’ 0", Weight:170 lbs. Second year of footy. Natural athlete who has played high level soccer. Made his senior debut this year with Delta BayHawks. Leader on and off the field, hard at the ball, has all the tools to play for the Northwind. A member of the WolfPack team headed to Australia this August.
 
Brennan Lew-Cooke: Age: 16, Height: 5’10”, Weight:160 lbs. Third year of footy. Natural athlete who has played high level soccer. Made his senior debut this year with the Delta Bayhawks. Elite speed, great endurance and has all the tools to play for the Northwind. A member of the Wolfpack team headed to Australia this August.
 
Darren Ledoux: Age: 18, Height: 6’6”, Weight: 200 lbs. Second year of footy and has good ground skills for his height. Works hard on his skills and has endless potential. Very athletic for a big man. Made his senior debut for the Delta BayHawks last year and was part of their premiership team. Could make the Northwind if he continues to work hard. A member of the Wolfpack team headed to Australia this August.
 
Jason Silen: Age: 15; Height: 5’7”, Weight:120 lbs. Fifth year of footy. Small, quick athlete who has played high level soccer. Quiet leader, very coachable and fearless. Made his senior debut with the Delta Bay Hawks this year. Always gives his all every game, never takes a second off. Should be on the Northwind one day. A member of the Wolfpack U19 team headed to Australia this August.