World Footy News

Established international football powerhouse New Zealand have just completed a clean sweep in a 3 test Pacific Cup series over newcomers Tonga. The first two games were close to 100 point drubbings from the slick Kiwis but Tonga went down by the lesser margin of 10 goals when they were assisted by NZ’s only International Cup winning coach, Jim Lucy, in the third test.

The series received coverage on the local TV which can be viewed here http://www.facebook.com/video/video.p...amp;ref=mf

This saturday, November 20, AFL Fiji is running a Melbourne based fundraising night to help send the Fiji Power U16s to Tonga for the AFL Oceania U16 tournament in December. Details as below:

AFLPNG is looking for footy loving Aussies based in Port Moresby interested in participating in friendly matches on a monthly basis. As the number 2 ranked Australian football nation in the world, any Australians looking for a game should find a pretty high standard in Papua New Guinea's capital.

Send your name to info at afl-png.com or call AFLPNG on 3254943. The hope is to host the first match by March 2011. All organised by AFLPNG and the Southern Sharks Development Staff.

The official launch of the new name and colours of Team GWS occurred on Tuesday night. To be called the GWS Giants, they enter the new NEAFL in 2011 and the full AFL in 2012, with a sneak peek in the 2011 NAB Cup pre-season competition. Here is a look at their promo video, which heavily features star Rugby League convert Israel Folau and the multicultural nature of Greater Western Sydney.

The Port Adelaide Football Club was one of the strongest SANFL clubs for a century, but by the 1950s they came to dominate in premierships, supporter base and influence. Through the 1980s and 1990s the club seemed to have their way even more, playing their tough style of football that some followers would argue escaped sanction too often as their brutal style won flag after flag. Supporters bragged that they would do the same in the AFL if given the chance.

The one critical decision that went against the Magpies was when they tried to go against an agreement with the SANFL and join the AFL, whereas the SANFL had long pushed for a more equitable national competition with the support of its clubs. The move forced the South Australian hand and saw court action and the formation of the Adelaide Crows.

With AFL competition in the city from 1991, the local league took a back seat, then from the 1997 season the AFL granted a second licence to the state. After various submissions and a strong public push to not reward Port Adelaide the proud club once again won out, becoming SA's second side. But what occurred was a Jekyll and Hyde split between the new Port Adelaide Power and the old Port Adelaide Magpies - or was that the new Port Adelaide Magpies and the old Port Adelaide Power, with both haemorrhaging money.

The SANFL has now controversially voted to end the split and allow the two parts of the club to unite under one banner - a move almost certainly good for Port Adelaide but arguably the death knell for other SANFL clubs.

The 2010 NAB AFL Draft will be held next Thursday, November 18 on the Gold Coast at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This year marks only the second time in the 25 year history of the draft where the event has been moved outside of Victoria.

In the lead up to the draft, AFL National Talent Manger, Kevin Sheehan has released his list of 30 leading prospects. Detailed profiles of Kevin Sheehan’s Top 30 are below.

The Convicts' tour of South America continued on 23rd October with a match in Buenos Aires against Argentina's Eagles, who were captained by Martin Parsons. With both squads low on numbers and limited facilities available the match was played with soccer goals instead of footy posts.

After a hard fought match the visitors emerged with a 4-3 victory. Silsirado Diego (Argentina) was selected as the best player in the game.

Details have been slow to filter out of South America but the final match was scheduled against a Brazilian squad.

Plenty of AFL players have been heading to the US in the offseason with Jordan Lewis and Shane Mumford probably the highest profile as they made headlines for a nightspot punch on in LA. But far from rest and relaxation (and other not so healthy activities) are the high altitude camps undertaken by North Melbourne and Collingwood.

North Melbourne have spent the past week in Utah and are hoping to benefit from the long proven theory that training at high altitude can significantly improve fitness due to the change in the body such that more oxygen can get into the body through red blood cell level increase.

There has been a sprinkling of former AFL players who have drifted to foreign lands and played footy on foreign shores. But as far as we know Ariel Steinberg could be one of the first Australian to play in a foreign local competition prior to being drafted to an AFL club.

The 18 year old looks to be a good chance to be drafted in the 2010 AFL draft which will take place on the Gold Coast this Thursday. At the start of 2009 he moved to Edmonton with his parents on a teaching exchange, and played in his high school football team as a punter and outside linesman. But he also took advantage of keeping in touch with Aussie rules at the Edmonton Australian Rules Football Club as well as helping to coach and umpire the Edmonton Emus women's team.

The AFL today announced that a North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) will be introduced in 2011, bringing together teams from NSW, Queensland, ACT and NT into one competition. The new league will build upon the successful existing competitions of AFL Canberra and AFL Queensland.

In 2011, Team GWS will join current AFL Canberra teams to form the Eastern Conference, comprising seven clubs. The Gold Coast Suns’ feeder team will combine with existing QAFL teams to form the Northern Conference, comprising 10 teams, including NT Thunder.

The Junior Secondary Schools Hawks Cup Cluster competitions have been completed for the New Zealand North Island. The Hawks Cup sees Junior Secondary School teams across New Zealand compete for North and South Island honours and positions in the New Zealand Under 16 team.

The competition has been buoyed by the announcement that the Senior Secondary School competition has been sanctioned by New Zealand Secondary Schools Sports Council and will enter the sanctioned sports calendar as of March next year.

All the North Island results below, courtesy of the AFL New Zealand - nzafl.co.nz

AFL Tonga will play AFL New Zealand Hawks in a three game series at Parrs Park Oratia West Auckland commencing Saturday November 13th at 4.00pm, competing for the “Pacific Cup”.