New Zealand Falcons representative Liam Ackland has secured a trial with the Glenelg Under 18 team next month. Glenelg is part of the South Australian National Football League and home of many champion AFL and VFL footballers, with Stephen Kernahan and Bryce Gibbs immediately springing to mind for this Carlton supporting correspondent!

Liam attended the 2008 International Cup as a sixteen year old. This forum was a great opportunity for potential youngsters to perform in front of a myriad of talent scouts from the AFL clubs. Amua Pirika from Papua New Guinea was soon signed by the Gold Coast consortium and is now playing for Southport in the Queensland AFL competition and the Gold Coast in the TAC Cup.

After securing a position in the 2008 International Cup squad, Liam was afforded the opportunity of attending an Australian Institute of Sport Scholarship camp in Canberra last December through funding contributed by AFL New Zealand (newly renamed from the similar "New Zealand AFL") and the AFL itself. The AIS camp provides the best young talent from throughout Australia to be monitored by all of the 16 AFL clubs. NZ has had a sprinkling of attendees at events similar to this and they have always presented and performed well.

The Gold Coast's Papua New Guinean recruit, Amua Pirika (pictured), has made his presence felt at the 2009 NAB Under 18 Championships, which concluded in Melbourne today. Due to the creation of the Gold Coast Football Club, to enter the AFL in 2011, Queensland's Under 18 side has effectively been the Gold Coast TAC Cup Under 18 side. Coach Guy McKenna has rotated many players through the team, using the experience as a development process.

Since the excitement of being listed by the Gold Coast, Pirika and fellow PNG youngster Stanis Susuve have been starved of opportunities due to various circumstances that will be discussed in a future story when certain information is no longer embargoed. But Pirika played for Queensland against Tasmania and in today's game against the Northern Territory the 18 year old was unleashed with great effect, kicking 3 goals and being named his team's third best player in their 1 point loss. Hopefully the breakout game will boost his confidence and if worst came to worst and the Coasters did not persist with him all the way to 2011, then shining in front of all the AFL club talent managers will have been a good career move.

Given the dearth of available talent being predicted over the coming years, it is ironic that the Gold Coast, with an array of draft picks, has been the first club to take any kind of punt on players developed as Aussie Rules players outside of Australia.

Nick Naitanui has started his career with two exciting games that have the AFL community buzzing. With his stunning performances interest in talent from the Fijian-Australian's ancestral home must be at an all-time high. This makes the establishment of AFL Fiji all the more timely. The initial meetings will be held in Suva on July 10th and 11th.

The first meeting is open for all interested people to discuss AFL Fiji. AFL Oceania Development Manager Andrew Cadzow has said that they will advertise this through all papers and media.

The second meeting will be the first formal meeting of the steering committee of AFL Fiji. Cadzow says, "Very important we get as many as possible to the first meeting to ensure we add to the quality of our steering committee. At the second meeting we will be outlining and planning for the commencement of AFL Fiji including Junior Development, Talent Pathway, Auskick (Fiji Kick), Competitions, Finances, Resources, Academy, Volunteers/Staffing/AYAD, Formalising Advisory board".

The meetings will be hosted by Cadzow and steering committee chairman Damian Ames.

"We are looking at an 8-10 person Committee with representatives from all regions, Nadi, Labasa etc. As well as Australia".

Tim Grose, the brother of former Port Adelaide player Gavin Grose, will next week travel to Tonga where he will spend twelve months as an AFL Volunteer, working with AFL Tonga to develop the country's football program. Grose recently completed a week in Canberra and two days at AFL Queensland in preparation for the the role.

AFL Oceania Development Manager Andrew Cadzow said, "the progressive AFL Tonga committee, who already has full time JDO (Junior Development Officer) in place and expanding and working through the schools, will find Tim a fantastic boost for the next 12 months. His priorities are to assist and develop the Auskick and schools programs and to develop their talent program to include a team in the November Under 16 Oceania Cup and a competitive squad in the 2011 International Cup."

The West Coast Eagles' Fijian-Australian recruit, Nic Naitanui, made an impressive debut last Saturday night at Etihad Stadium. Although the Eagles lost to Richmond (beware the club that has just replaced its coach), Naitanui was very useful in ruck and in the forward line.

Taken at number two in last year's draft, the big Fijian had injury concerns to overcome before finally playing his first AFL match. His athleticism was undoubted, but the question was whether he would also have the footy skills and smarts, particularly as he is relatively new to Australian football and was not prolific in statistics in lower grades thus far.

But Naitanui quickly showed what made him so sought after and has sent the Western Bulldogs to Fiji in search of similar talent. His leap at the centre bounces gave him a distinct advantage, but equally impressive was his second efforts to gain the ground ball, and his use of his height to keep his arms clear of a tackle and feed out handballs. He finished with 3 kicks, 8 handballs, 3 marks and 7 hitouts. To cap off the show he took a screamer, jumping atop three Richmond defenders to bring down a spectacular mark. Although his shot on goal hit the post it was still a fine performance. He moved and handled the ball differently to any other AFL player, and at 201 cm, with dark skin and long dreadlocks, he stands out from the crowd and is an instant cult hero.

The Queensland Under 16 Championships have recently concluded with the PNG team winning one and losing two of their matches. The PNG side easily accounted for the Suncoast Power but were overwhelmed by the Northern Raiders and the Country Kookaburras. In pleasing recognition of the football talent located in PNG Naime Gordon and Collins Brand-Slim were selected in the State team. Collins Brian-Slim was also selected by the PNG coaching staff as their player of the tournament.

The Fiji Daily Post last week revealed that Australian charity, "The Spirit of Sharing" will send a delegation to Fiji's second-largest island - Vanua Levu. The delegation, consisting of charity-founder Peter Cole, his brother John and charity members Darren Mayer and Karl Houben will distribute donated sports equipment to a majority of the island's schools. Whilst in Fiji, John Cole also plans to share Australian Football with the local school children. If you can offer support contact petercole20 [at] hotmail [dot] com

Further to recent news on the Western Bulldogs' recruiting efforts in Fiji, there's confirmation that they indeed are still looking for more talent in the small Pacific country. A brief report in the Fiji Times said:

Australian rules football officials were at the tfl National Stadium yesterday to scout for budding talents. Officials from the AFL club the Bulldogs were spotted at the marshalling area and the corporate boxes talking to potential youths. Joining them were Inoke Ratu and Solomoni Loki, who have signed up for the club.

Former PNG Mosquito Emmaus Wartovo has clinched Best on Ground in each of the first 3 games played by his East Devonport Football Club in Northern Tasmania. The addition of Wartovo has seen the Club viewed as a genuine chance to play finals footy. EDFC club secretary Pettina Borlini said “Emmaus’ exceptional speed, ball skills and goal kicking ability have proved to be a great asset for the EDFC."

“His good form so far this season has him in contention to play in two representative games. If he performs well in the two games, he is likely to be selected in the Tasmanian under-23 side, which plays in a carnival in Adelaide in July. The best 25 players in this carnival are then selected to play for Australia in an international game against Ireland, later in the year,” Borlini said.

Those involved in international footy have long known the potential was there for success such as this - it has been more about the opportunity and a pathway. Awareness has now grown and with the increased exposure of international footy through the International Cup, the youth tours to places such as South Africa, Ireland and PNG, appointment of internationally-focused staff such as Andrew Cadzow by the AFL and now the AFL International Scholarships, the work done by many in laying the foundations now seems certain to lead to something beyond many of our wildest expectations.

For more, see this article in PNG newspaper "The National".

Editor (Brett): I will temper that just a little by noting that although The National report seems to suggest Wartovo was best on ground in each match, the Northern Tasmanian Football League website only has him amongst the best each week. Still, an excellent effort, especially 4 goals in round 3 in a 19 point come from behind win, given he's a non key position player. He has also been noted in other media as scoring votes in two games, so he's definitely getting recognition.

Melbourne's The Age is reporting that the Western Bulldogs' Fijian recruit Inoke Ratu has still not received a visa to enter Australia for training, and that the outlook is far from positive. Ratu was already struggling to be cleared, given Australia has restrictions in place for family members of people associated with the Fijian military. That policy relates to a coup d’état that overthrew the government, so the recent dismantling of Fijian government institutions is likely to lead to a hardening of the Australian Government's attitude.

Fellow international scholarship holder Solomon Loki, 17, has been to Australia for training. Happily the Bulldogs have reiterated their commitment to both players for the duration of the two year agreement. The article reports that the Bulldogs' Simon Dalrymple will fly to Fiji next week with scholarship program benefactor Shaun Bassett, and that the players are currently on programs of skills and weights training three times a week, under local supervision. We've previously reported that AFL Oceania intends to start a local Fijian competition, and Dalrymple said it was on track for next month (although he was also due to get an update from AFL Oceania).

More details in Dogs recruit refused visa to enter country, by Jesse Hogan.