NEW ZEALAND KAHU Pacific Cup Squad
Name Region Club
Chloe Rahui-Durkin Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Kirsten Meates Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Sam Lightfoot Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Anna Muru Paenga Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Izzy Goodwin Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Kate Turnbull Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Alanah Goldingham Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Rebecca Isaacs Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Sam McCombie Wellington Wellington / Central Shakers
Jess McCormick Canterbury Team Manager
Shane Leat Auckland Regional Coach (Falcons Squad)
Andrew Howison Canterbury Regional Coach (Falcons Sqaud)
Alastair Maisey Auckland Regional Coach (Falcons Sqaud)
Axel Oswald Sunshine Coast North Shore Tigers
Buell Verkade Sunshine Coast North Shore Tigers
Latisha Trigwell-Achmad Auckland North Shore Tigers
Emily Hunter Auckland North Shore Tigers
Coola Baudry Auckland North Shore Tigers
Makenna Jones Auckland North Shore Tigers
Mia Goodsell-Matthews Auckland North Shore Tigers
Jolyn Collins Melbourne Melbourne University
Rubee-Leigh Poata Melbourne Melbourne Brunswick Renegades
Andrew Cadzow Brisbane Head Coach
Naia Toaolamai-Holden Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
Demi Salton Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
Sally Houlahan Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
Zoe Gullery Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
Indy Gibson Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
June Manning Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
Courtney Churstain Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
Kaylee Tavendale Canterbury Canterbury / Southern Stars
Trish Harkins Auckland Campaign Manager
Liv Waldron Auckland Auckland Blues
Ceyan Drollet Auckland Auckland Blues
Holly Lightbourne Auckland Auckland Blues
Peter Geale Wellington Assistant Coach

This week Adam, Greg and Troy discuss the news, scores and upcoming events in the next two weeks of footy around the world.

Adam, Greg and Troy discuss the AFL's Round 0 season kickoff, cover all the recent footy news and results and look at what footy is coming up around the world.

Australian football is in mourning following the death of South Australian great Neil Kerley AM. The following statement is from the AFL.

AFL Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan today paid tribute to Australian Football Hall of Fame member Neil Kerley AM, describing him as the lifeblood of the game in South Australia.

The AFL this past weekend released the following statement confirming a further delay in the International Cup until 2024.

The AFL has decided to postpone the AFL International Cup scheduled for 2023, with planning underway for the next edition, targeting 2024.

Taking into account a number of factors, including the significant investment required from the AFL to host the event and with the ongoing financial impact on the AFL and AFLW competitions caused by the pandemic, it has been determined that the competition will be rescheduled.

It is one of the AFL/VFL’s most stirring theme songs – Melbourne’s song being belted out by the faithful at Optus Stadium in Perth after claiming the club’s thirteenth premiership after a 57-year drought.

Last night people across the world were able to join in song with the Demons as emotions ran a faction higher than normal as droughts were broken, curses lifted, debts paid, potential realised and dreams came true.

I knew the words, having been to every Port Melbourne flag from 1974 to 1982 – six flags in nine years, all at the grand old Junction Oval. Port had the same theme song and I belted it out with gusto, and my family, as we took out Oakleigh, Dandenong, Sandringham, Coburg and Preston – all comers. None could down The Boroughs, and the song resonated across Melbourne for years – and in our car on the way home. But it wasn’t often applied to the Melbourne Demons over that era.

Life has a habit of presenting second chances to people. Not all are taken, but there are many cases of people believing their chance to do something has passed only to be given a second chance and gleefully take it. I know it has happened to me – more than once – and my life has been changed and bettered by the experience.

The appearance of Ben Cousins at Sunday night’s Brownlow Medal count in Perth rated as one of the subtle highlights of the night. He didn’t say much to the salivating press, but what he said was, it seems, genuine, grateful and optimistic. Admitting that it had been a while since he had been to such an event (since his retirement from the AFL level in 2010), he was happy to state that it was “great to be here” and that he was “looking forward” to the night.

He even offered a concession, stating that “we all find ourselves in different situations along the way and it’s just great to be here tonight”. It amounted to a candid acknowledgement of his journey in life to date.

Yesterday in the AFL Cairns competition, the Cairns City Lions defeated the Cairns Saints by 11 points. It was their first flag for a little less that 13,000 days (for those who like to count such things), but there was something far more significant about this win. This time we only need to go back a bit over four years to complete a remarkable footy story.

(Image: AFL Cairns)

I was lucky enough (in a sense) to be on the field back in late 2017 wearing a Cairns City Lions jumper as they went down horribly by 290 points to the South Cairns Cutters. That day I played mainly forward or bench. Either way I was in a great position to watch a massacre that many would see as the nadir for the Lions. It was the day that a crossroad became real. The club had people like myself and some other Pyramid Power lads fill in to ensure they fielded a team. They had no reserve grade. With less than 20 players on their list, a terrible season on the scoreboard and potentially some sponsorship fallout, the future, that day, was grim.

 

Whilst the term "drought breaker" has a far more serious meaning across the world in these times of global warming, the 21st has been a drought-breaker so far for a large number of AFL clubs. A brief look unearths:

• In 2001 Lions win first flag for 57 years

• in 2004 Power wins first ever (in AFL)

• in 2005 Swans win first flag for 72 years

• in 2007 Cats win first flag for 44 years

• in 2016 Dogs win first flag for 62 years

• in 2017 Tigers win first flag for 37 years

• in 2021 Demons win first flag for 57 years ??

 

The AFL has today announced that Optus Stadium in Perth will host the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final.  However the start time is yet to be determined.  While he timeslot is likely to be determined by the biggest audience in the eastern Australian states,  many around the world eagerly await that timeslot to see when the match will start for them.

Grand Finals parties are an important part of the calendar for footy clubs around the world who use the event to fund raise and to build their footy community far from the home of the Australian game.  At any rate there are few places outside of Asia/Pacific that the time is hospitable, but the sooner clubs know the sooner they can promote the event, book venues and sell tickets.       
 
The announcement comes after the Victorian Government agreed to the Grand Final being relocated from the MCG for the second year running due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.