World Footy News

Our old friend and International Cup icon, Mtutu from South Africa features in today's video which looks at the South African team during IC11.

One of the highlights for the attendees at IC11 was the group songs of the Tongan team, often heard from their changerooms before and after their matches, here is a closer look (and listen).

Along with Samoa, the other main absentee from the 2011 AFL Oceania Youth Cup tournament was the Solomon Sharks, who had debuted in 2010 to the delight of many.  As it turned out this year, the will was there to attend, but, the finances is another issue entirely.  The Solomons were able though to leverage off neighbours PNG and sent 2 players plus a team manager along with the main PNG squad.

 Ed Burton is the AFL development officer in the Solomons, and he recently prepared a 2011 year in review, noting that it was written/published on the AFL Solomons facebook page during the recent Youth Cup.

Merry Christmas to all our international footy news followers out there - and as kids across the world are hopefully getting a footy in their stocking, our gift to you today is this video from 1979 - "Up there Cazaly."

As the 4th AFL International Cup slips away to now being several months ago we thought it time to chat to the AFL International Development Manager Tony Woods about how he thought the tournament played out, ranging from questions on media, the women's division and staging it across two cities, to his own personal highlights of the experience.

WFN:  Overall I assume you were pretty happy with IC11.  A record 18 men's teams including 3 new ones (Tonga, Fiji and France) and only 3 countries that have attended in the past were not there (Samoa, Finland and Spain), which given the status of international footy is a very good return rate.  And of course the inaugural Women's Division with 4 nations and the Australian indigenous and multicultural (AIM) team.  Particularly pleasing must've been having all the committed nations turn up... no late withdrawals or no shows in 2011.

One of the clear disappointments in the vibrant Pacific region for Australian Football was the non-appearance of Samoa at both the 2011 International Cup and the recent Youth Tournament in Fiji.

Here is an update on AFL Samoa. AFL Samoa has a newly re-formed and restructured board and committee. Across three days in late November they were pleased to host a visit from AFL Asia Pacific Manager of Football Operations, Andrew Cadzow. Andrew was in Samoa to among other things to convene the first ever AFL Samoa Coaching and Umpiring AFL Level 1 Accreditation workshop. Outside of that, Andrew also took time to run some skills clinics.

The AFL Youth Oceania Cup tournament wrapped up last weekend.  Like 2010 in Tonga, an important element of the week was the AFL Combine testing conducted.  This time around, on the Saturday of the tournament, 40 selected players were tested.

Last week’s Rookie draft saw the listing of two Irishmen. But also we saw some others with exotic heritage listed with AFL clubs, such as Tasmanian born Gold Coast recruit Aaron Hall’s whose mother is Fijian.

Richmond are putting together a highly varied multicultural mix.  Joining their Irish recruit John Heslin (and PNG scholarship listed players) are Ben Darrou whose father was born in Morrocco and Samoan Piva Wright (see Youtube video of Piva on TAC future stars below).