World Footy News

The annual Anzac Day Match of the Philippine AFL was a great success with eight new players turning out for the match, some with experience but also several keen to learn and play footy.

The game was played at the Nomads Sports Club, played at 10-a-side as there were enough players for interchanges, with Eurekas running out victors over ther Dingoes 15.11 (101) to 4.4 (28). The weather was "a stinker" it being hot and dry at this time of the year in Manila, so the very respectable crowd of spectators made good use of the bar. 

Group Captain Craig White, Royal Australian Air Force, who presented the Anzac Medal to Travis Bull, a new recruit from Australia, as the player who best typifies the Anzac Spirit, also conducted the Anzac Ceremony. He also unexpectedly presented all players and officials with a medallion to commemorate the day's events. This gesture was very much appreciated by all.

Preparations for the 2012 Manila Cup are reported to be well in hand with six teams contesting the event again this year. There are two Philippine teams as last year, the Philippine Eagles and the Alabang Crows, with the visitors being Hong Kong Dragons, Malaysian Warriors, Jakarta Bintangs and Singapore Wombats, the tournament expected to be played at 12-a-side this year.

This year the tournament will be played at the Nomads Sports Club, the new 'headquarters' of the PAFL, with matches starting at 8.30am and finishing around 6.00pm but late matches can be played under lights if need be.

This coming weekend on 19th May 2012 for the first time students from the International School Of Manila will play a curtain raiser to the Eurekas v Dingoes match. As part of their curriculum the students have been studying and training at Australian Football. The match will start at 1.00pm and all involved at the league are hopeful that this game is just the beginning of more to come.

Thanks to Peter Stone for assistance with this story.