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.

The Malaysian Warriors have broken the stranglehold the Hong Kong Dragons have had on the Manila Cup competition for the past four years by defeating the Singapore Wombats in the Grand Final. Played in searing heat the Warriors were too strong to win by 22 points, Warriors 7-5 (47) d. Wombats 4-1 (25). 

Played at the Nomad Sports Club, ‘headquarters’ of the Philippine AFL under clear blue skies and roasting sunshine the player’s skills were on show although the energy sapping heat kept the ‘interchange gate’ very busy. All the teams put in great efforts and despite a couple of blowouts the sizable crowd were witness to an exciting day’s footy with four matches decided by less than a goal. 

Australian professional golfer Scott Hend recently joined the Jakarta Bintangs for footy training, some of that session can be seen in the video below.

  As reported in an earlier WFN article students from the International School of Manila were to play a curtain raiser to the Eurekas v Dingoes match in the PAFL. The match was duly played on Saturday 19th May with the Eurekas’ Juniors victorious over the Dingoes ‘Pups’ 8-4 (52) to 6-4 (40).  

The Director of Athletics/Activities at International School of Manila, Mark Pekin, last year introduced an Australian Rules Football program for the middle school aged 9-13 years of age children, which was very well attended with 18-20 kids participating in weekly 90 min skill sessions and modified 9/10-a-side game play.  

The Malaysian Warriors are this year returning to Manila to contest the Manila Cup after a hiatus in 2011. They are determined to go one better than in each of their three previous appearances in the cup, that is, competing in but losing the Grand Final to the Hong Kong Dragons, going agonisingly close in 2009.

This year the traveling party is about 23 strong with about 15-16 players and support staff of around 7 including the coaches. The team is made up of mainly cup veterans, some who have played in all three of their previous contests in the tournament. There are three players, however, touring for the first time, namely Marcus Coombes (ruck), Stuart Job (centreman) and Adam Kaminski (ruck rover). This year the entire touring squad is ex-pat Aussies.  

The Malaysian Warriors were founded in the late 1980's by ex-pat Aussies working and living in Kuala Lumpur and in the early years played against the RAAF stationed at Butterworth, Penang. Later, matches were played against the Singapore Wombats and Jakarta Bintangs.  

The Malaysian Warriors currently number between 25 and 30 regular players of which there are twenty ex-pat Aussies, a handful of Malaysians and a couple of Irishmen.  

The Warriors' touring party is traveling to Manila on the Friday before the Cup and will fly out on Sunday night as the Sunday brunch gatherings have become somewhat a ritual for the Warriors who all love playing in Manila, although a few stay on till Monday to return home.  

The Warriors have twice hosted the Asian Championships in Kuala Lumpur first in 2004 and again in 2009.

Thanks to Michael D'Oliveiro with assistance for this story.

The annual Anzac Day Match of the Philippine AFL was a great success with eight new players turning out for the match, some with experience but also several keen to learn and play footy.

The game was played at the Nomads Sports Club, played at 10-a-side as there were enough players for interchanges, with Eurekas running out victors over ther Dingoes 15.11 (101) to 4.4 (28). The weather was "a stinker" it being hot and dry at this time of the year in Manila, so the very respectable crowd of spectators made good use of the bar. 

Group Captain Craig White, Royal Australian Air Force, who presented the Anzac Medal to Travis Bull, a new recruit from Australia, as the player who best typifies the Anzac Spirit, also conducted the Anzac Ceremony. He also unexpectedly presented all players and officials with a medallion to commemorate the day's events. This gesture was very much appreciated by all.

Preparations for the 2012 Manila Cup are reported to be well in hand with six teams contesting the event again this year. There are two Philippine teams as last year, the Philippine Eagles and the Alabang Crows, with the visitors being Hong Kong Dragons, Malaysian Warriors, Jakarta Bintangs and Singapore Wombats, the tournament expected to be played at 12-a-side this year.

This year the tournament will be played at the Nomads Sports Club, the new 'headquarters' of the PAFL, with matches starting at 8.30am and finishing around 6.00pm but late matches can be played under lights if need be.

This coming weekend on 19th May 2012 for the first time students from the International School Of Manila will play a curtain raiser to the Eurekas v Dingoes match. As part of their curriculum the students have been studying and training at Australian Football. The match will start at 1.00pm and all involved at the league are hopeful that this game is just the beginning of more to come.

Thanks to Peter Stone for assistance with this story.