World Footy News

Sudanese immigrant Majak Daw continues to create interest as the AFL Draft approaches (November 26). Big in athleticism but raw in football skills with only 4 years in the game, there appears to be growing discussion in media and AFL club circles suggesting that rather than be a rough chance to be rookie listed, he may in fact be picked up in the main draft, possibly even quite early.

AFL clubs are increasingly confident that with full time coaches and full time players, inexperienced athletes can be fast tracked into good players. Although he wasn't invited to the main draft camp, Majak Daw attended the Victorian state screening and posted impressive statistics; a 70-centimetre standing vertical jump would have put him third at the main camp in Canberra, a beep test of 13.6 (compared with the best tall forward at 13.3) and 3.03 seconds for 20 metres (quicker than the tall forward mean).

On top of that is the prospect of what is being billed as the first African to play in the AFL and the associated attention that may bring. Technically, there have been others listed by AFL clubs who have had African heritage, such as Caucasian South African-Australian Luke van Rheenen and (more successfully) Essendon's Damian Cupido. But in the popular imagination, a tall and very dark skinned African-born player has not been seen before at the game's top level.

Daw is very much aware of the growing hype and the potential to inspire other African immigrants to play Australia's indigenous game. But meanwhile he continues with his studies and plays the waiting game. "I reckon I've got a bit of a chance, but I'll wait and see. If it happens, I'm happy to be the first Sudanese to play AFL".

An in-depth discussion in The Age is Majak Daw: one giant leap.

See also our previous articles Multicultural camp trials, Sudanese immigrant a chance for rookie listing and Majak receives scholarship.

A team from the English city of Sheffield took the field for the first time in 2008 - with the student-based Sheffield Thunder completing a handful of games in the ARUK Central Division, before pulling out of the league due to the pressure on the squad of combining running the footy club with university commitments.

Aussie Garth Nevin, previously of the New York Magpies, recently took over the reins at the Thunder and is planning to get the club onto the pitch full time in 2010.

In the second part of an article about the recently completed AFL New Zealand National Provincial Championships, WFN presents the story as told by Wellington's Assistant Coach Mark 'Langers" Langdon, with just a short footnote from a very proud former long-time Wellington Coach!

The following is a press release from the AFL regarding the entry of a World 18 side in the annual NAB AFL Under 16 Championships. We have referenced other media reports on this in a recent story; apologies for not getting the full release to our readers immediately, due to staff absence.

Press Release from Denver Bulldogs.

Mason, Ohio – October 11th, 2009. The Denver Bulldogs are once again the Australian Football National Champions. The US Footy League National Championship tournament was held over the October 11th weekend in Mason, Ohio. Thirty two men’s and eight women’s teams from across the US and Canada competed for the title.

Reports have emerged that the AFL intends that next year's national Under 16s championships will for the first time feature a "World 18", with a squad of 25 players from outside Australia. The squad will compete in Division 2, with Queensland, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and NSW/ACT.

It was reported that 15 squad members will be recruited from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and South Africa, with the remaining ten to be picked from Europe, the US, Canada, Japan and the remainder of the Pacific.

The World 18 will be allowed to include overage players in the side, meaning the playing group will be in the age range 15-18 years. Only players having spent at least the last three years overseas will be eligible for selection.

An official announcement is expected today. For more, see the article AFL to add "World XVIII" to national under-16 championships from Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper.

Hawthorn FC's New Zealand venture scored the back page of Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper this morning, with a lengthy article detailing the Hawks Cup and the related "HanzUp!" schools program.

As World Footy News reported earlier, the Hawks in conjunction with the NZAFL are founding a national schools tournament, with the Hawks investing in excess of A$50,000.

The full article is available at Hawks cast recruiting net across Tasman.

While Melbourne footy fans can be notoriously hard to convince that footy's international potential is worth exploring, the comments on the story make for interesting reading. Maybe an AFL side in NZ isn't too far off - or at least a few Hawks games not just in Tasmania, but across the Tasman Sea.

Ever wondered how hard it could be to get a representative team to the National Champs?

Here is a brief rundown of the Wellington Tigers journey to the AFL New Zealand National Champs held in Auckland on the 24/25 October, as provided to WFN by Wellington Assistant Coach Mark Langdon.

Over the last weekend of October, the Victorian Amateurs Under 18 Representative side went on the footy trip of their lifetime - off to Auckland to play the New Zealand Falcon under 20s. Though there would be a significant age disparity in the Falcons' favour, the Victorians were tipped to have the edge in skill level.

Despite a concerted effort from the New Zealand AFL, Aussie Rules remains far from a mainstream sport and many of the Junior Falcons would lack real understanding of the game, though it is likely they would have a high level of natural ball skills.

The young Ammos went on to win the series 2-zip, though it would be very fair to say the New Zealanders would be pleased with their efforts.

Game 1

VAFA Under 18s	8.11 (59)
NZ Falcons Under 20s	5.6 (36)

Game 2

VAFA Under 18s	16.11 (107)
NZ Falcons Under 20s	12.12 (84)

For a related story profiling some of the young Victorians ready to embark on their trip, read Snowdog's Pups to take on New Zealand.

The post AFL-season trade period has seen plenty of footballers change clubs this year, with international footy followers noticing a few ups and downs in the fortunes of Irish imports.

Irishman Colm Begley has elected to return to the Emerald Isle, after breaking into St Kilda's senior team only once this season. Begley moved to the Saints at the end of 2008, after playing 29 games with the Brisbane Lions over three years, starting in 2006.

Also delisted by St Kilda was Khan Haretuku, a Sydneysider drafted as a NSW rookie by the Saints last year, of Pacific Islander descent via New Zealand.

Fellow New Zealander Adam Campbell was delisted by the Fremantle Dockers, after managing just 13 senior games over the past four seasons. Campbell was born in Christchurch, moving to Australia at age 16 and making very quick progress after taking up the Australian game.

Meanwhile, back in Sydney, Swans coach Paul Roos has told the media he is not putting any pressure on Tadhg Kennelly to return to the club, after recent speculation the Irish superstar was considering a return to the AFL. Kennelly has told Irish media his brain was "fried" over the decision of which football code to play in 2010.

Melbourne's The Age newspaper today ran a substantial article on European footy, including interviews with Australian Football League Germany president Malte Schudlich, and fellow German Jörg Pareigis, president of the AFL Sweden.

Topics covered include the relationship between European clubs and the AFL, the International Cup, and moves in Germany for the AFLG to join the German American Football community as an umbrella organisation (a move that would give the AFLG greater government recognition, without actually switching to gridiron).

The full article can be read at Against the odds, oval ball bounces into Europe.

The Montpellier Fire Sharks recently achieved the first appearance of a French Australian rules football club on national television, with a report on the club appearing on l'Equipe TV on October 23rd.

The Fire Sharks also got some media coverage with their visit to the Seaquarium Grau de Roi for the launch of European Shark Week, an initiative starting this year hoping to save shark populations in Europe's seas.

As a further tie-in to the Shark Week charity, the Montpellerains are looking at hosting a future Sharks tournament, where the club would play other 'Sharks' sides from around the world - such as Glasgow or Birmingham Uni from the UK, or even any of the many Australian clubs with that name who want to make the trip.