World Footy News

Carlton look set to play 21 year old Irishman Zach Tuohy this week against Port Adelaide in Adelaide. Assuming that Setanta O'hAilpin plays, that will make two Irishmen in the one side, although technically Setanta is Fijian-Irish and born in Australia.

Foxsports is reporting that it will be the first time an AFL side has featured more than one Irish player in a game since Jim Stynes and brother Brian played for Melbourne in 1992, they discount fellow Gaelic footballer Sean Wight given he was Scottish.

Tuohy was recruited from Laois in northeastern Ireland and has spent 2010 and 2011 playing for Carlton's VFL feeder club, the Northern Bullants.  He has been elevated from the rookie list.  Countryman O'hAilpin will play his 77th game in this his 7th season (starting from his debut year).

The Port Adelaide Football Club has been in the news again this week, crippled by debt, with an under-spending football department, tiny crowds, and board under siege and calls for radical changes.

As I see it, there is one key reason for Port's problems; its supporter base.  That base can be divided into three groups - long term core supporters, bandwagon fans (the ones who only follow during success) and the next generation.  I contend the hard core supporters are divided, the bandwagon group was larger (as a percentage) than most clubs, and the next generation has been slow to be converted.

To explain these thoughts requires some history.

If you keep up to speed with footy news in Australia and on this site, then you’ve probably come across comments by Hawthorn’s President, Jeff Kennett regarding how the AFL is being run at the moment, as well as his thoughts on the international development of the game. Soon after this came a thoughtful response from Mtutuzeli Hlomela, a South African player currently looking forward to the 2011 International Cup, which sparked my interest in the matter. Mtutuzeli’s letter put’s forward good counter-arguments and Mr Kennett’s remarks may have been heat-of-the-moment, but where do you see footy going in the next 25 years?

Let’s look at other sports across the world today. Sports you can make a direct comparison with such football and rugby – had their own humble beginnings back in the mists of time. The former consisted of dozens of people from neighbouring British villages getting the ‘ball’ from one point to another and the latter was invented when a football player took advantage of a loophole in the rules and used his hands rather than his feet. There was no inkling then of the popular, widespread and powerful forces that these sports would become.

Outspoken Hawthorn Football Club President Jeff Kennett has launched an offensive against AFL support for international football, in an attack that was ironically wrong in so many ways, and prompting a response from former South Africa Lions captain Mtutu Hlomela.

Kennett, also a former Victorian Premier, said that "AFL football will never be an international game." Regarding a proposed African match Kennett said, "To be quite honest, I would rather my players, if they were asked, didn't go on the trip", also stating "trips to South Africa are just a part of the gravy train".

The first point in which he is wrong is whether Australian football will be an international sport, because it simply already is. A sport does not have to be professional to have "made it". There are tens of thousands of players across dozens of countries. As Mtutu Hlomela pointed out in an open letter published on the AFL website, "I invite you to take some time in August to go and witness the AFL International Cup. It's a magnificent event that is full of colour and cultural diversity; things I think are great for the game. It will also show you how the game has grown internationally in the last decade despite minimal resources in some countries".

It was ironic that such an attack came from the President of a club that has invested in New Zealand and which is already yielding promising results, with Kiwi rookies Kurt Heatherly, Rhys Panui-Leth and Shem Tatupu already signed by the Hawks. It was also Kennett who not so long ago called for an AFL club to one day be based in NZ. Why can Australian football be successful in one country, or a series of countries around Oceania, but not others?

Russia's set to go from having no organised Australian rules football presence a month ago, to having clubs in two separate cities by mid-June, with the fledgling club in Krasnoyarsk to be joined by a new group in Moscow who will begin training on the weekend of June 12th.

Australian expat Roger Scott is leading the charge in the Russian capital, after being inspired by news of Paul Kube kicking the footy with locals in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. Phil Porublev from the EAFA / AFL Europe, being an Australian of Russian background, has also been working hard to support a footy presence in Russia, sending materials such as balls to Moscow.

Scott has found around a dozen initial interested players so far, with only two of those, an Englishman and another Aussie, being non-Russians. Judging by the size of Moscow's population and the positive response to the idea so far, he believes that having a number of 9-a-side teams playing by the end of the summer isn't out of the question.

AFL F has teamed up with iconic fashion designer Peter Morrissey to create a new range of football sportswear specifically designed to fit women’s body shapes.

The new football guernsey deigns and other footywear will be worn by AFL Femminile Italia’s team and some of the other women’s teams at this year’s history making female division of the AFL International Cup.

Though designed with footy in mind, there Female-Fit range also hopes to cater for female players of many different sports. Items in the new range include team guernseys (jumper) and shorts, running tights, performance polo, tracksuit jacket and pants and socks.

A unique Aboriginal pattern of fish spawning designed by famous Indigenous artist Billy Doolan will feature on the signature range, but the designs can be customised for team colours and to include club and sponsor logos.

This unique sportswear range will be available exclusively through AFL F and their manufacturing and distribution partner, Australian Rules Football Apparel (ARFA). The designs are in the final stages and images will be on AFL F’s website over the next few weeks. If you would like more information on the range or how to order, please email either Peta Lowry at peta@aflf.com.au or Barry Bird barry@footyapparel.com.au.

You can also follow the progress on their Facebook page or by following afl_f on Twitter.

The following matchday report is provided by AFL Vanuatu.

ERAKOR GOLDEN STAR AFL CLEAN SWEEP OVER MELE

Round Two of the AFL Vanuatu competition saw Erakor Golden Star AFL Club win a clean sweep of all divisions played this Saturday as hosts at Erakor Sal Wota Field.

The under 12 division game however only saw a result after Erakor’s Colson Kalsaru kick truly after the siren to register a win for the host club – the first win for Golden Star club in season 2011. Erakor 5.8.(38) def Mele 5.3.(33). Colson Kalsaru kicked three goals for Erakor in a dominant performance.

The women’s game was a walk-over win for Erakor as Mele AFL do not currently have a women’s team however a demonstration match was played amongst the Erakor female players.

A heated affair in the U/16 saw Erakor run out winners by 130 points however the score line distorts the fact that in many respects, it was an even affair (Editor: that's a big call!). Mele’s Alfred Malas was awesome all day but Erakor were better across the field. Erakor goal kickers Takau 9 & Charlie Sablon 6 combined with Erakors generally dominant ball movements meant that they had a lot more scoring opportunities, which they rarely wasted. All day though, the effort at ball was typical of two clubs who are both well aware that spots in the U/16 national squad are up for grabs.

After hearing no word for a while we were concerned whether plans for the 2011 NAB AFL Under 16 still included the World XVIII side. Happily the AFL has confirmed that indeed both the World XVIII and South Pacific will once again be international highlights for the youth championships.

The two international sides will be in Australia for less than the full tournament, resulting in them playing one less game each than the other teams in their grade, Division Two. The AFL's Peter Romaniw explained that "At this point in time they are part of the tournament by invitation, and the “traditional” states who have been involved over the past 16 or so years still wanted the opportunity to play each other, hence some of their games starting earlier. Currently the 2 new teams are allowed some concessions in relation to eligibility of players. We see that in the future they will become a permanent fixture, and therefore play all of the games".

Read on for the full Under 16s draw.

A small group of enthusiasts are hoping to found Russia's first footy club, based in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. The current project is led by Paul Kube, who first came to Krasnoyarsk in 2007, but on that occasion was only in Russia for a year and wasn't able to get footy going beyond some kick-to-kick.

Since returning to Russia last year, he's been more successful. "We returned as a family in May of 2010, but spent the Summer settling in, and since we didn't know many people I did not start anything then either."

"But this year is the beginning of something. I have been running very informal clinics for about a month now. This has mostly been with locals and neighbours at the school soccer field. I have just persisted in inviting people every week and the numbers are slowly growing."

Kube's fledgling squad held their first training match last weekend. Although there was only a small number of players in attendance, the experience of getting a game underway has seen the members keen to grow their numbers and get some regular games happening in future. "It's still very early days here, and we will have to see if it takes off," Kube says.

For anyone who reads Russian, Paul received a write-up on a local blog here.

The rumours of Marty Clarke's return to Collingwood seem to have been flowing since he returned to Ireland after the 2009 season. Having made a meteoric rise to the senior ranks and performing admirably at senior level, he left the Australian game to return back to the GAA football that he grew up with. Had he stayed he may have been part of the 2010 AFL Premiership team.

Some thought 2011 would see his return but it was not to be. Now after persistent rumours this year it looks like Clarke will return to Australia after this weekend for a brief period in which he is likely to meet with Collingwood about returning to the professional ranks in season 2012.

With Paul Cribbin on the list already and Caolan Mooney signed to come onto the list in 2012, it would have to make those who this year have called "The Irish Experiment" in the AFL to be finished, have second thoughts.

Following Queensland, the other three Division 1 teams- South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia- have all named their teams for the 2011 Women’s National Championships which will take place in Adelaide from June 7th to 11th. The Grand Finals will take place at Gliderol Stadium, Glenelg, on the 11th.

The South Cardiff Panthers were victorious for the second year running in the Cymru Clwb Challenge which was hosted by the Bridgend Eagles at Heol-y-Cyw RFC last weekend. In a tournament featuring all the clubs who will play in the WARFL in 2011, the Panthers managed a perfect record on the day, with four wins from four games.

The winners were decided in the last round where the unbeaten Cardiff club faced off against an unbeaten Swansea Magpies team.

Unfortunately for the Magpies the Panthers were in great shape going in to the game, coming off a bye going in to the decider. Ruckman Chris James proved unbeatable in the contest, ably assisted by no less than four of his GB Bulldogs team mates. The inexperienced Magpies managed to put in a brave effort but the fitness and skill of the Panthers proved too much for them.

The Bristol Dockers made their WARFL debut in the tournament, securing third place. They proved they are not to be underestimated in the league this year, which is certain to be highly competitive.

Congratulations to Billy Hall from the Dockers who was voted Best Player for the tournament.