World Footy News

On the list of teams hoping to make their International Cup debut in 2011 are Indonesia, planning to field a squad composed both of from players from Indonesia as well as Indonesians resident in Australia. AFL Indonesia Development Officer Lee Van Gils is currently recruiting Indonesian nationals through the West Java league coordinated by the Jakarta Bintangs, with current plans to bring at least 12 local players across from Indonesia, possibly more if the necessary funding can be secured.

The Australian-based contingent are being organised by the Indo Footy Stars, who last year made their debut as Team Indonesia at Aussie Rules International's Harmony Cup, and who are currently preparing for another tilt against other Australian Multicultural community teams at the 2011 HC, this year to be held on March 21st at Collingwood's spiritual home Victoria Park.

24 men's and 6 women's teams still in contention.

Once the AFL's 2011 Australian Football International Cup was announced a large array of countries lined up as possible attendees. Inevitably this has thinned out as some nations decide they do not have the players or fundraising capability to get a large squad down to Australia for two full weeks.

Here is a quick snapshot of who we think are still in contention. Note it is an unofficial list, primarily summarising the results from interviews we've conducted.

For the women's it seems that despite the men from Italy waiting until 2014, the women still plan to make the journey. The list remains Ireland, PNG, USA, Italy, Canada and a combined Multicultural and Indigenous team. With a small number of countries one would think that makes getting all the international sides to IC2011 crucial for a vibrant tournament.

Read on for the men's list.

AFLPNG has released its Binatangs side to play in the Under 16 Queensland State Championships in Brisbane.

Commencing on April 26, the championships will see the PNG Binatangs play against Queensland Regional sides.

Building on the success of 2010 which saw PNG perform successfully on the international stage, AFLPNG is hopeful of continuing the improvements of the sport throughout PNG.

Nathan Upkai has been named coach of the side, with AFLPNG officials Mesea Dorogori and Ian Karme named as his assistants.

The squad is:-
Jeremy Pikik, Kennedy Lavatu, Junior Francis, Isaac Bakani, Jacky Tony, Bruno Arnold, Ben Otio, Ricky Robert, Ben Tirang, Joshua Kavapo, Joshua Pisep, Samson Augerea, Harry Kambuou, Tony Ronnie, Nane Rai, Albert Gabi, Wilfred Dorogori, Daniel Gitua, Michael Macca, Jeconiah Peni, Raymond Prenai, Ruben Jiak, Max Lavai, Scott Johnson, Eddie Meli, Ori Nilmo, Noel Maguna, Freddy Kalandi

AFLPNG Asia/Pacific manager Andrew Cadzow has arrived in Port Moresby to oversee upcoming PNG coaching updates and school programs as part of the development of the game and to discuss with his large on ground staff the future of the sport for 2011 and beyond.

With a busy schedule awaiting Mr. Cadzow, he is hoping to improve the structure to the 2011 season so that development within PNG can reach even greater heights.

He will be overseeing the plans for the AFLPNG Academy in 2011, and will be hoping to improve the facilities as well as increasing the ways in which the system is run. “We are aiming to consolidate its position as a premier institution whilst creating the opportunity to partner with both the private and business sector to improve facilities, give more opportunities for higher level coaching, whilst ensuring the boy’s education is paramount”. The AFLPNG Academy was established in 2010 and was a great success in its initial year. Building on this success, AFLPNG recently appointed Moses Kar as the New Director of the Academy.

The AFL Europe will soon welcome Ben MacCormack as its new Regional Manager, after the previous apointee Peter Romaniw had to return to Australia following visa problems.

Gerard Murphy says he was disappointed Romaniw could not stay in Europe, stating "He was doing an excellent job and we were disappointed that he couldn't stay with us. Peter is working for the AFL in Melbourne and is continuing to provide us with support from Australia until Ben starts in mid-March."

The AFL Europe only received its current name after last year's Euro Cup in Milan, with the move creating some talk in the international footy scene. Murphy explains that "At the initial meetings, there was lots of discussion about what the relationship with the AFL should 'look like'. It was agreed by the countries that we should have a strong relationship with the AFL and that this relationship should be fostered and developed to produce maximum benefits for the region."

"The decision to establish ourselves as the EAFA was taken in order to create a 'neutral' brand that would enable everyone to join regardless of previous alignments. However, 9 months later in Milan, it was decided by the general assembly that we should change our name to AFL Europe, pending some clarification from the AFL on a small number of queries."

"We now have a very close relationship with the AFL and we have just appointed our new Regional Manager, Ben MacCormack, a position funded by the AFL. The appointment of Tony Woods has also been an excellent step forward as he is able to deal with any concerns that we have promptly."

 AFL International Development Manager Tony Woods was in Adelaide this week for the launch of a major AFL Fiji fundraiser by Port Adelaide's Fijian connection, David Rodan and Alipate Carlisle; more on that later.  worldfootynews.com took the opportunity to sit down with Woods to discuss a range of issues about the sport's international growth, and some of Tony's thoughts will be featured across several articles.

High on the agenda was August's International Cup, with two questions that come up each Cup top of our list - what format will be used and what support will the AFL be offering competing countries.

The AFL Italia have deciding to withdraw their men's team from the 2011 International Cup, with league president Nicola Giampaolo saying "Only in the last few days we have taken the hard decision to not go to the IC. The main reasons are the financial difficulties of funding a 30 person squad between players and staff, and the availability of the best squad of players for a period of three weeks."

Giampaolo remains upbeat about the AFL Italia's progress and believes they will be a strong position to compete in 2014. "We are a very young association. AFL Italia just stared kicking a footy around in mid 2009 and was formally registered in april 2010 and has already made huge steps forward both on the playing field (6th overall in the Euro Cup) and off the field hosting a great Euro Cup in Parabiago."

"We want to concentrate our attention on developing the national competetion and expanding the number of registered players and begin to play some 18-a-side matches. Our main goals are the European Championships in 2013 and the next International Cup in 2014 when we will have much more experience under our belt and will be able to field a competitive team."

Update: The AFL Italia women's team are still planning to attend, it is only the men's side that have withdrawn.

It was a first for Welsh ARFL club the Swansea Magpies on Tuesday 14th February 2011 where two of their senior players, Tim Atkins and Aled Morris, took Australian Rules Football into the classroom of Bishop Gore Comprehensive School. The club was invited by the local 5x60 officer, Louise Snelgrove, to introduce Aussie Rules to the Year 9 boys and girls.

The lesson went very well, with the children responding positively to a brand new sport that all but one of them had never heard of. The pupils are at a stage where they will soon choose which G.C.S.E. subjects they will take in years 10 and 11. The school were looking to use the session to help promote Physical Education G.C.S.E. and potentially offer an alternative pathway to football (soccer) and rugby. Maybe Aussie Rules will find its way into the curriculum at some point in the future.

The AFL Timor-Leste have decided to withdraw from the running for the 2011 International Cup, and will instead focus on building their domestic competition with a view to making their IC debut in 2014.

Since beginning in 2007, the AFL Timor-Leste has grown to an 11-a-side league of six teams in 2011, with the playing base now composed of over 80% local Timorese. In conjunction with senior footy, the AFLTL has been conducting Auskick clinics, and the Timor Crocs national team has made appearances at tournaments in Bali and Darwin.

The league recently received some assistance from Australia, with the Brisbane Lions sending a full set of their 2010 white away jumpers over to East Timor. Association representative and avid Lions supporter Anthony Draper said "I heard the jumpers were no longer being used and so I asked them if they could help us out, they were fantastic and sent us an entire playing kit plus some balls."

Round 1 of the NAB cup saw the new 3 team 20-minute half format. Half the clubs took the park in week 1. The preseason games allow the clubs to see how players who haven't yet made their senior AFL debut will fair against seasoned opponents and with a number of players on club lists still recovering from injuries this gives some of the internationals at clubs a chance to show their wares.

Melbourne had the best of the Adelaide teams on their own turf on Friday night showing the benefits of seasons of rebuilding a list at the bottom of the ladder. English born Brad Moran in for the Crows and Fijian-Australian Alipate Carlile suiting up for Port Adelaide.

Saturday night saw the big drawcards Collingwood, Carlton and Richmond fill Etihad stadium,  and the Pies continued where they left off 2010 in solid form. Three Irishmen took the field in Jamie O’Reilly for Richmond playing in defence, Setanta o’hAilpin at centre half forward and Zac Tuohy both lining up for Carlton. Not a great deal to report for any of them but they are up and going and in the mix for the season proper.

With the beginning of the 2011 season fast approaching, the Portland Power Australian Football Club is pleased to announce that the team has been renamed the Portland Steelheads Australian Football Club.

The Steelheads name was chosen after an exhaustive search process. Club members submitted and voted on over 100 suggestions for the new identity before choosing the Steelheads name. The image of a steelhead swimming upstream and leaping across rapids is an iconic one in Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Australian Rules Football League of Ireland's preparations for the International Cup are in full swing, with the Green Machine taking the unorthodox step of announcing that they are aiming to field a team consisting of only around 50% players from the Irish domestic league.

The remaining fifteen in the squad of thirty are to be selected from Irish expats currently playing footy in Australia, a move which ARFLI President Ciaran O'Hara says reflects both their belief that the Warriors should contain the best Irishmen playing Australian Football wherever they are, and also the fact that a number of former ARFLI players are now playing Down Under, particularly since last year's financial crisis saw a large number of Irishmen emigrate.

With a large dose of Australian suburban and country footy experience, the Irish could be very tough to beat at the IC11, although O'Hara is expecting old rivals such as PNG, New Zealand, South Africa and Nauru to have stepped up in standard since 2008.