CAN THE WARRIORS PULL OFF A QUADRELLA?

After winning their very first piece of silverware ever, in taking out the Manila Cup in June, the Malaysian Warriors have again defeated Singapore Wombats to win the Changi Cup and also the Finnegans Cup and are bringing to Pattaya, what veteran Warriors believe is their strongest contingent yet to the Asian Championships this year.

A touring party consisting of 27 players and coaching and support staff of six headed by club veteran Phil Lee will be flying in the night before in order to able to leave the hotel at around 6am ready for an 8am first game start.

Championship debutantes are midfielders Stuart Job, Clint Watson, Shane Lawson and defenders Jason Mosel, Matt O’Brien and Kogulavaanan. Kogulavaanan is the sole Malaysian but a proud product of the Warrior’s grassroots recruiting programs a couple of years back.

The Western Bulldogs today confirmed exciting utility, Lin Jong has been elevated to the Club’s primary list, replacing Daniel Cross who has been placed on the long term injury list.

Jong has been in terrific form at Williamstown this season and is in the mix to make his senior debut in the coming weeks.  His parents are from East Timor and Taiwan.

Bangkok airport will be overrun by flying Sherrins and Aussie Rules banter this coming weekend as nine nations descend on the land of smiles to fight out the fourteenth annual Asian Australian Football Championships. It will be the fourth time the Thailand Tigers host the largely ex-pat dominated tournament affectionately known as the ‘Asian Champs’. In a change from previous years, Pattaya has been selected as the host city over traditional venue Bangkok.

The most up-to-date list of competing teams is as follows: Bali Geckos, Jakarta Bintangs, Hong Kong Dragons, Singapore Wombats, Laos Elephants, Malaysian Warriors, Thailand Tigers, Phillipine Eagles, and Vietnam Swans.

The Cambodian Eagles leave Vietnam unbeaten, after defeating both the Saigon Whites Swans and the Hanoi Reds Swans in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, on Saturday. The Saigon Whites beat the Hanoi Reds in the third and final match of the day.

Each game was played with two halves of fifteen minutes and consisted of fourteen players on each team. The tournament was played in a round robin format at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) International University in Saigon South.

Passionate individuals remain the driving force behind football in India.

This little star from Burma has taken to Aussie rules like a duck to water. The story featured in the Geelong Adverstiser last month.

The AFL continues to put in place opportunities for athletes around the world to be exposed to Aussie Rules and for their abilities to be tested in the style of the new "combines".  This is part of a wider AFL plan to one day see star players emerge from international markets, thus helping promote the game in both those markets and amongst immigrant communities in Australia.

The latest piece in that puzzle is an academy in Guangzhou, China.  Opening on July 9, with a total of 30 athletes to be selected for the two-week program, the AFL will select two players to attend the annual draft combine at Etihad Stadium that follows the AFL Grand Final.

The Malaysian Warriors at the fourth attempt have taken out the Manila Cup with a 22-point Grand Final win over the Singapore Wombats. Grand Final Malaysian Warriors 7-5 (47) d Singapore Wombats 4-1 (25)

Wins over Philippine Eagles, Jakarta Bintangs and the Wombats and a loss to previous Cup nemesis Hong Kong Dragons in the preliminary round robin games were enough to put them thru to the Final with a rematch against the Wombats.