World Footy News

Tokyo Bay Suns victorious in AFL Japan Top League.

The AFL Japan Top League2014 Grand Final was played out between the Tokyo Bay Suns and the Tokyo Goannas at the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club on the 29th November.

In a close fought match the Tokyo Bay Suns reigned supreme 12-10 (82) at the final siren, to the Tokyo Goannas 10-13 (73). 

 

Parrs Park in the West of Auckland is the setting for the return match of women’s  U18 Football, the Australian Woomeras versus the New Zealand Kahus. It’s the last football game on the N.Z. football calendar.  Fortunately Parrs Park is well drained  as the area had received torrential rain for much of the Sunday morning leading up to the game which was played in light rain and  a blustery East wind.

The Kahus were looking to improve on their first outing with the Woomeras where they were comprehensively beaten. Parrs park is quite a picturesque ground with good a surface, good markings, facilities and solid goal posts. It’s also the home ground of the Magpies, one of six teams in the Auckland league.

The Kahus won the toss and decided to kick with the aid of a slight cross wind which unfortunately swung around almost straight after bounce down. The Woomeras were immediately into attack and the Kahus were constantly defending but after a period they able to break out of defence and mount attacking moves. It was a good quarter with the slightly inaccurate Woomeras scoring only one goal four behinds.

The 2014 AFL Europe Talent Combine took place in Dublin, Ireland, over the weekend. Whilst the vast majority of attendees were from Ireland, one Englishman, Sam Willatt, was there to fly the flag for England and pursue his own individual journey to the big time.

As Sam says, “I’ve always wanted to try the combine as a way of taking the next step in my football journey, and leapt at the chance when AFL Europe invited me. My dream would be to get picked up by an AFL club.”

So how did Sam’s journey start, and where will it go from here?

“I discovered the sport at my first week of university in 2012. Before this I played soccer and basketball to a local and school level. The speed and athleticism of the AFL players caught my interest, and highlight reels seeing blokes take huge marks definitely appealed to me.”

The 2014 AFL U/15 Oceania Cup Carnival in Suva, Fiji has wrapped up on Friday with the finals well contested.

AFL Pacific development officer Ben Drew summaries the day :
We certainly witnessed some terrific, disciplined football today from all 4 finals side’s.
Tonga held off a determined Vanuatu team who pushed all the way to the last second! Both teams have been fantastic all week. Tonga held on for a narrow victory to finish 3rd.
The Grand Final was certainly the best game we have had at the Oceania Cup! It was hard, tough and low scoring. The game was on the edge with both teams having their opportunities throughout. A couple of the Fiji players lost their discipline at times and were severely penalised. Time in possession was very even throughout the game.
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After a rest day on Wednesday, and some warnings about bad water, the 2014 AFL U/15 Cup carnival in Suva, Fiji, continued on Thursday with largely one sided – on the scoreboard at least – matches.

AFL Pacific Development Officer Ben Drew sums up the day :
It was another action packed day at the AFL Oceania Cup here in Fiji.
Vanuatu pushed Nauru all the way to the end and then Nauru turned the tables later in the day against Fiji to remain undefeated through the pool stage!
Tonga were strong once again and the Pacific All Stars gave everything in their last round!
Tomorrow we will see Vanuatu Volcano’s take on the Tonga Thunder for the 3rd and 4th playoff and Fiji Tribe take on the Nauru Stars in the 1 v 2 Grand Final day!
Albert Park will be packed to capacity!
It has been a fantastic week, and today also marked the arrival the Australian Wanderers U/14 side who are playing a 4 match test series against the Fiji Jnr Tribe U/14’s! Very busy week with lots of Football action! What more could you want?!
Jump on the AFL South Pacific Nations Facebook Page to see all the action from today.

Day 2 of the 2014 AFL U/15 Oceania Cup Carnival in Suva, Fiji, witnessed the first matches of the main Oceania Cup tournament after Mondays lightning carnival.

The AFL's Ben Drew described the culmination of another terrific day of footy "And to finish the day with one of the best games of football between Nauru and Tonga to be played at the Oceania Cup in the 6 years we have been coming together was a fitting end to a great day."

The day also included the match up of Nakasi Cats taking on Suva Swans in Round 7 of the 2014 Vonu Challenge - played as an exhibition match for the Oceania Cup 2014 championship. Vanuatu Development officer, Nancy, (GO NANCY!!) joined along with a number of new local players. The Cats better in front of goals with 6.5(41) to Swans 2.9(21). Woman of the Match was Lini Drotini (Cats).

When Essendon Football Club went so hard to secure the signing of Irishman, Conor McKenna, after his performance at the AFL Draft Combine, it raised the question. Why? The following video from AFL Europe gives a very good idea of why Essendon representatives courted him on two trips to Ireland, and why AFL Talent manager, Kevin Sheehan, has stated that Conor may yet be the pick of the Irishmen this year and maybe of all.

Conor is a product of the AFL Europe Talent Program, a talent pathway which includes the European Legion team which has played Australia's AIS Academy team in recent years. This year's team not only featured Conor, but also fellow 2014 Irish rookies Paddy Brophy (West Coast), Padraig Lucy (Geelong), Sean Hurley (Fremantle), Daniel Flynn (Port Adelaide) and former Greater Western Sydney rookie Aksel Bang from Denmark.

For more information on the AFL Europe Talent Program, go to: http://www.afleurope.org/talent-progr...an-legion/

The 2014 AFL U/15 Oceania Youth Carnival got started on Monday with a Lightening Cup tournament held at Albert Park in Suva, Fiji. With national teams from host Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Nauru as well as a composite Pacific All Stars side – the tournament was well contested and a good warm up for the main tournament matches to follow.

AFL Pacific Development officer Ben Drew described the opening day as a terrific day of footy. Each side bringing something of their own to the games - "Tonga were tough, Vanuatu were slick, Fiji were silky, Nauru were skillful and the Pacific All Stars fought hard all day"

The following story from Jennifer Phelan at afl.com details the granting of funding to Richmond player, Bachar Houli, to allow his leadership academy for Islamic participants to develop and grow further. In keeping with the previous article looking at the Multicultural Community Programs initiated by the AFL, the Bachar Houli Program and Bachar Houli Leadership Academy represent further cultural advances as the AFL itself, and through individual initiatives such as these, which will continue the link between the game and the communities and cultural groups which embrace it.

 

Bachar Houli has received a $200,000 grant from the Australian government to help push the 'Bachar Houli Program' into western Sydney. This year, the program engaged more than 5000 participants from Islamic schools across the country.

 

In 2015, the national Bachar Houli Leadership Academy, based at Punt Road, will include 35 participants – up from 25 – and will further increase its encouragement and engagement with young Muslims aged between 14-17 across Australia. And, it will create another leadership academy in western Sydney, which will include a further 35 participants.

The Saints have returned with their Community Camp Camp to their 2nd home, and have met with supporters, local AFL players and schools.

Players and club staff visited Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with a busy schedule in each location of coaching clinics and public appearances
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In Wellington, a highlight was the homecoming of Porirua teenager Joe Baker-Thomas, now an International Scholarship holder with the St Kilda Saints.

Joe Baker-Thomas brought some of his teammates to his former school Porirua College, where they trained and played with students at the school.
Other school visits covered the breadth of the Wellington region.

On Tuesday the players visited Amesbury School, Johnsonville School, Fraser Crescent School and Hutt Central School. On Wednesday they saw kids at Paremata School and Rangikura School, along with the Porirua College visit.

This year's NPC will be held in Wellington this weekend. With 4 teams competing- Auckland, Canterbury,Otago and Wellington it should be a great weekend of footy.

Auckland's team is dominated by the AAFL's Grand Final winning University Blues and their opponents, the Waitakere Magpies. It is a team that is chock full of International Cup experience and includes current Hawthorn international scholarship holder Siope Ngata and previous scholarship holder, Rhys Panui-Leith, They are defending champions and will be a formidable team.

Canterbury won the three previous titles and will be ready to reclaim their Cup. They too are a team chock full of experience internationally and will possibly be part of the title deciding game on Sunday afternoon.