World Footy News

The AFL has made a major commitment via expansion clubs Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney Giants. Part of a long term plan they have drawn both criticism and support from within and outside of football circles. Few non AFL journalists though have focussed on the AFL more than the Sydney Morning Herald’s Roy Masters. However, in his latest attack on GWS he’s made a bit of a blue that is worth reviewing especially given some recent developments and stories around GWS.

USA Freedom are hosting an open training camp in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from June 15-17 . All players are welcome and there's a chance for the best players to earn a place on the national women's team for the 49th Parallel Cup on August 4-5. To reserve a place, contact Head Coach Leigh Barnes - freedomcoach@usafl.com and for more information, contact Team manager Amy Bishop - freedom@usafl.com.

 

Australian professional golfer Scott Hend recently joined the Jakarta Bintangs for footy training, some of that session can be seen in the video below.

AFL international development manager Tony Woods and St Kilda chief executive Michael Nettlefold have recently departed Wellington and it appears that there will be a wide-ranging deal between the AFL, St Kilda Football Club and Wellington City Council with finalising the games appearing a formality after several months of talks.

Both the AFL and Wellington officials have suggested they are hopeful of selling out the 34,500 seat stadium, which would be a landmark moment for the sport.

For more see:

AFL aims to sell out Anzac Game
Radio story
 

Results from last weekend's interstate matches between various state leagues.

The SANFL narrowly defeated the WAFL, the VFL smashed the Tasmanian State League and QLD/NT destroyed NSW/ACT.

Detailed result follow:

The AFL this week named the nine players to come from outside Australia to be part of the World 18 team. As in previous years the rest of the team will be made up of multicultural players living and playing footy in Australia.

In addition to the two American players featured previously on WFN, South Africa is represented by four players and one each from Indonesia, Denmark and Hong Kong.

 

 Please note that these details are correct at the time of publishing. WFN accepts no responsibility for any changes to these times by broadcasters. Please check local guides or afl.com.au.

2012 TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 10 INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE Friday 1 June  – Sunday 3 June.

 

After two and a half seasons in the VFL, has Shae McNamara's time come? With the injury to Collingwood's Lachy Keefe last weekend adding to an already heavy injury list, McNamara has moved one spot closer to his AFL debut. The opponent this week is the winless Gold Coast which could make a soft landing for a debutant which could be in his favour.

But the Magpies are not likely to gift an AFL debut out of sympathy, so it would have to come on the back of them needing a tall defender, which is where McNamara has been spending time this year in the VFL. He is also competing for a spot against his VFL teammates in Ceglar, Witts and the Irishman Caolan Mooney who continues to advance in his adopted game.

While Collingwood has some injuries they also have some players on the way back from injury in Tarrant, Brown and Reid who all are some chance to return this week which would probably be coach Nathan Buckley's preference with the team already down on experience.  So all in all his chances are probably better than ever, but still slim at this stage.

The AFL helped facilitate the recruitment of Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau from the NRL for obvious promotional reasons. There was an obvious time and place opportunity with new sides in both Queensland and Sydney that made this move viable. The question has remained about what circumstances might deliver another cross code recruit.

Does the AFL need to stump up big money, or are there players out there seeking the challenge? NSW Waratah’s and Wallabies player Lachie Turner has made some interesting comments around a desire to one day play in the AFL.

  As reported in an earlier WFN article students from the International School of Manila were to play a curtain raiser to the Eurekas v Dingoes match in the PAFL. The match was duly played on Saturday 19th May with the Eurekas’ Juniors victorious over the Dingoes ‘Pups’ 8-4 (52) to 6-4 (40).  

The Director of Athletics/Activities at International School of Manila, Mark Pekin, last year introduced an Australian Rules Football program for the middle school aged 9-13 years of age children, which was very well attended with 18-20 kids participating in weekly 90 min skill sessions and modified 9/10-a-side game play.  

The Northern Territory has defeated Vic Metro in one of the biggest upsets in the competition history in the opening match of the 2012 NAB AFL Under -18 Championships at TIO Stadium in Darwin.

Northern Territory 15.10 (100) defeated Vic Metro 11.16 (82)
 
 

The Malaysian Warriors are this year returning to Manila to contest the Manila Cup after a hiatus in 2011. They are determined to go one better than in each of their three previous appearances in the cup, that is, competing in but losing the Grand Final to the Hong Kong Dragons, going agonisingly close in 2009.

This year the traveling party is about 23 strong with about 15-16 players and support staff of around 7 including the coaches. The team is made up of mainly cup veterans, some who have played in all three of their previous contests in the tournament. There are three players, however, touring for the first time, namely Marcus Coombes (ruck), Stuart Job (centreman) and Adam Kaminski (ruck rover). This year the entire touring squad is ex-pat Aussies.  

The Malaysian Warriors were founded in the late 1980's by ex-pat Aussies working and living in Kuala Lumpur and in the early years played against the RAAF stationed at Butterworth, Penang. Later, matches were played against the Singapore Wombats and Jakarta Bintangs.  

The Malaysian Warriors currently number between 25 and 30 regular players of which there are twenty ex-pat Aussies, a handful of Malaysians and a couple of Irishmen.  

The Warriors' touring party is traveling to Manila on the Friday before the Cup and will fly out on Sunday night as the Sunday brunch gatherings have become somewhat a ritual for the Warriors who all love playing in Manila, although a few stay on till Monday to return home.  

The Warriors have twice hosted the Asian Championships in Kuala Lumpur first in 2004 and again in 2009.

Thanks to Michael D'Oliveiro with assistance for this story.