World Footy News

As already discussed on WFN, Samoa will not compete at this year’s International Cup. This is obviously hugely disappointing to the international football community, let alone the Samoans themselves after being a stalwart of international competition in the South Pacific since the Arafura Festivals in Darwin.

Behind their withdrawal lie a number of factors. These include most significantly the fact that the Samoans have not been able to develop any enduring local competition, that the AYAD Officer (Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development) who have previously done a lot of the on-ground development (Michael Roberts who is now at the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup) has not been replaced and therefore due to the lack of organisation funding streams could not be put in place, particularly given the massive tsunami that devastated the country in 2009.

The next round of matches for the World XVIII and South Pacific in the NAB AFL Under 16 Championships are as follows:

You can also read more about their first round here:  International teams in upset wins on the AFL website.

Pleasingly we can confirm that many of the truly international (still based outside of Australia) players selected did indeed play in the World team's win over the Northern Territory. Specifically, there were 8 internationals played: 3 Canadians, 2 South Africans, 1 from USA, 1 from Scotland and 1 from Ireland.

The following is for a fundraiser in Ireland.

The Irish Banshees are playing in the AFL International Cup for the first time this August. This is also the first time the AFL have included a Women’s Division in the competition! It was only last year that the Banshees wailed their success, defeating Italy at the Euro Cup- can they add another international trophy to their cabinet? OF COURSE! Can they do the Irish nation proud? OF COURSE! Can they show the world that chicks really do have balls!? OF COURSE! ... And they know how to kick them too!

The Banshees have been fundraising for the trip like mad but they are still to reach their target, so they expect to see everyone come together and support their national Irish team at a Table Quiz event on Saturday 23rd July at the Woolshed in Dublin. First Bounce 8pm sharp.

Tickets are 10 euro each and 4 to a table. 

Please contact Leiha or any of the team for tickets!

Ph: 08 5734 1096

Help support the USA Revolution and USA Freedom and buy an Offiicial Supporter's T-Shirt! All proceeds go toward helping fund the teams for 2011 International Cup. Shirts are available in men's, women's and kids sizes.

Shirts are $25 and can be posted out to USA or Australia ($5 for one T-shirt or $11 for up to six T-shirts) They can also be collected free from your local USAFL club or from the teams in Sydney and Melbourne.

Orders must be placed by July 17. To order online, click here. Payments can be made by PayPal to freedom@usafl.com, or by cheque within the USA, made out to USA Freedom, and mailed to USAFL, 1500 7th Street #6J, Sacramento, CA 95814. The T-shirts will be shipped out on August 3.

If there are any problems or questions, please contact Amy Bishop at freedom@usafl.com

Donations to USA Revolution and USA Freedom can also be made by PayPal. Click here to visit their PayPal site.

Interesting interview with Collingwood's recruiting manager Derek Hine and how they look at the juinor carnivals and looking outside the usual recruiting sources. Gives a good indication of why it is so important for the World XVIII and South Pacific to be at the Under 16 Championships as part of the talent pathway.

With now just a matter of weeks to the start of the 2011 fourth instalment of the AFL International Cup, the build-up begins in earnest. Our previews commence with the reigning champions.

The 2008 winners and three time finalists are Papua New Guinea. After finishing runners up to Ireland in 2002, and then to New Zealand in 2005, finally a young new generation of talent took the title in 2008, with some help from a few stalwarts. Their fleet footed players were supplemented by a few slightly taller finds that could take a mark and in a pulsating come from behind win they knocked over the Kiwis in the 2008 Grand Final at the MCG. Some of the names have become reasonably familiar to followers of international footy. Whilst providing a fitting finale to the international career of veteran Overa Gibson, the 2008 tournament also launched at senior level players such as Stanis Susuve, John James, Emas Wartova, Donald Barry and Amua Pirika.

PNG is on an upward curve that is hard to match, and many of those stars return. But the Mozzies will not quite be at full strength so back-to-back Cups may not be the formality one might expect.

In the lead up to the 2011 AFL International Cup we're getting various questions from supporters that want to see the action. We'll endeavour to answer what we can and find out what we don't know.

Answers to recent questions:

Q: When is the draw out?!
A: July 1st, i.e. it's out now! See Final IC11 draw released. Note that there have been several revisions and we endeavour to keep the latest there.

Q: Where is BISS?
A: The draw for the first round of IC11 shows BISS1 and BISS2. These are two ovals at the Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney. It's also home to the next AFL club, the GWS Giants, as well as a baseball club. See www.blacktownsportspark.com.au

Q: How do I get to BISS and what's the weather like?
A: Visit BOM for weather and here's a very brief guide to the weather and transport options to the ground: Transport and weather for Sydney start

Q: Can the public buy tickets to the IC11 Gala Function at the Crown Palladium?
A: At this stage, no. Limited tickets were sold in 2008 but this year the capacity is reduced and the number of players and officials has increased. If some space remains the AFL has said they will advise us and we will publish the details.

As reported previously, in a first for the championships, both the World XVIII and South Pacific teams won today. The results highlight the talent opportunity outside Australia.

South Pacific 11.13 79 defeated Tasmania 10.17 77

Goals
South Pacific: Beno (PNG) 5, Alphonse (PNG) 2, Tatupu (NZ) 2, Joel (Solomons), Stegman (PNG)
Tasmania: Wiggins 4, Boscott 2, Webster 2, Sergeant, Visser

Best
South Pacific: Simon (PNG), Heatherley (NZ), Beno (PNG), Gavuri (PNG), Joel (Solomons), Logo (PNG)
Tasmania: Sergeant, Boscott, Johnston, Webster, K.Kolodjashnij

World XVIII 13.11 89 defeated Northern Territory 11.7 73

Goals
World XVIII: Masaki (Japan/VIC) 2, Gamakhulu (South Africa) 2, Jalloh (Sierra Leone/NSW-ACT) 2, Saad (Lebanon/VIC) 2, Aneet (Sudan/VIC), Majok (Sudan/TAS), Lual (Sudan/SA), Selman (?), Aliir (Sudan/NSW)
Northern Territory: Richardson 2, Sedan 2, Wasley-Black, McGarvie, McDonald, Pollard, McAuliffe, Simpson, Darcy

Best
World XVIII: Saad (Lebanon/VIC), Aneet (Sudan/VIC), Masaki (Japan/VIC), Abdallah (Lebanon/VIC), Peni (Samoa/VIC), Gamakhulu (South Africa)
Northern Territory: Ankers, Seden, Pekham, Rioli, Pollard, Fuller
 
 

Three Greater Western Sydney GIANTS International Scholarship players from Nauru, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea will tomorrow join the GIANTS for training at Blacktown International Sportspark.

Yoshi Harris(Nauru), Charlton Brown (NZ) and Theo Gavuri (PNG) have all been signed by the GIANTS under the AFL’s International Scholarship scheme and are currently in Australia playing for the South Pacific Nations side in the Under 16 National Championships.

The World XVIII has defeated the Northern Territory by 16 points in the NAB AFL Under 16 Championships.

Unlike the South Pacific which has a true international list, the World squad is a mixture of players who are learning the game overseas and those who are first generation Australians, such as with African refugee backgrounds.  The World XVIII also had more significant age concessions than the South Pacific side.

Nevertheless, coupled with the South Pacific's 2 point win over Tasmania earlier in the day, this is a tremendous result for international footy.  They key outcome of these championships may be a scramble by AFL clubs to scholarship list some of these players.  It also begs the question, has international football reached the point that it demands 1 or 2 teams in the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, the main recruiting forum for AFL clubs?

More details of the U16s if and when we can procure them.

In a major breakthrough for international Australian football the South Pacific team has defeated Tasmania at the NAB AFL Under 16 Championships in Sydney.

The match was this morning from 10am at Blacktown Olympic Park.

Final scores (courtesy of AFL Asia Pacifc's Andrew Cadzow):

South Pacific 11.13 (79)
Tasmania 10.17 (77)