The Wellington AFL (WAFL) competition has just concluded with the Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs easily accounting for the North City Demons in the Grand Final. The Bulldogs have now lost just one game in the past two seasons, and that was midway through 2008 when the Demons trounced them during the home and away season. The Bulldogs used that to focus for the remainder of the season to go through and take their third Premiership in the past four years.

Much has happened in the South Island of NZ with Aussie Rules over the past few months. Funnily enough, Aussie Rules had just about dwindled away to nothing in Canterbury in the mid 90’s. Previous to that they had a competitive competition centered in Christchurch, but by the mid 90’s they were often down to playing 6-a-side games, with young kids involved, just to get a kick for the die-hards.

In late 1997, with an invitation to the WAFL from a keen Canterbury committee, I took a team down from Wellington to Picton, the beautiful ferry port at the top end of the South Island, and reignited the Wellington/Canterbury Provincial rivalry which had been dormant for about 8 seasons.

Things have changed greatly in just over a decade since.

AFL Oceania Development Manager Andrew Cadzow has confirmed the identities of the four young players selected for the November AIS-AFL Camp, as discussed in Oceania young talent to be tested at AIS. The players were the two previously reported, 16 year old Liam Ackland from New Zealand and 17 year old Tienan Carbry from Papua New Guinea (both representatives of their countries at the 2008 International Cup) and the two Fijians International Scholarship Listed by the Western Bulldogs recently. Cadzow also alludes to plans in 2009 for a Junior Oceania Cup.

The four players are not the first to have been exposed to this program, as previously reported by worldfootynews.com, with talent from PNG, Japan, Great Britain and NZ previously tested. As Cadzow explained, "The AFL’s strong, progressive and innovative talent program headed by Kevin Sheehan, Alan McConnell, and the AFL Talented Player Pathway staff have continued to present opportunities for International boys to attend the annual November AIS Academy camp as one part of the Academy program".

The Canterbury AFL will host the inaugural Under 20 NZAFL National Provincial Championships in Christchurch on March 14th and 15th early next year.

Such tournaments have been held previously at various age levels, but not to the magnitude of the one being planned. The event will be open to the Canterbury League, Waikato League, Auckland League, Wellington League and, if the tournament criteria can be met, a special invitation will go out to the Otago Region.

The New Zealand AFL website is reporting that several footballers from around Oceania have been invited to the AFL and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) annual week long talent camp held in Canberra for some of the most promising (usually Australian) young footballers.

Not to be confused with the AFL-AIS draft camp that puts on show the best young players that are of draftable age, this camp targets exciting prospects around 16 years of age. As explained in the NZAFL article:

The camp is a very important part of the AFL’s highly successful NAB Rising Star Program which leads directly to the AFL Draft for players over 18yo. 30 players are selected at the Under 16 National Championships to participate in the AIS Camp. From there they are expected to progress through the AFL’s player pathway, the TAC Cup and into the AFL Draft.

A confirmed starter is New Zealand's Liam Ackland, who has already represented his country at the International Cup, despite being just 16 at the time (he's pictured in action against Japan). Ackland is in only his second season of Aussie Rules, playing for Mt Roskill in the Auckland AFL. The forward has kicked bags of 6 and 5 goals in his last two outings.

The report says several Papua New Guinean and Fijian players have also been invited. WFN has confirmed that there is one PNG rep, Tiernan Carby, and possibly two Fijians. We hope to find out more details soon.

Australian football appears to be on an encouraging trajectory in Oceania (the region around Australia, New Zealand and PNG and including the island countries such as Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and many others). The formation of AFL Oceania appears set to continue the exciting growth of recent years.

Possibly the biggest threat to the game's future in this region is climate change. Many of the small countries in the area are low-lying and particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and increases in severe storms. Salt damage to soils will precede the inundation. Already we are starting to see the first repercussions of these effects, such as in Climate change refugees to be resettled in PNG.

Of course these people have a lot more to worry about than sport, but as a football website, it is interesting to ponder what the effects climate change will have on Aussie Rules. We've seen drought delay football seasons in Australia, and in the years ahead we may even see whole emerging football nations threatened. It seems unlikely that the public and political will exists to prevent some of the serious medium to long terms effects - most of the world's countries continue to increase their per capita energy usage, and most countries are still fundamentally committed to population growth as a cornerstone of their economic system. Population tends to be the proverbial "elephant in the room" that doesn't get mentioned.

Andrew Cadzow has wasted no time in the new position of AFL Oceania Development Manager. His appointment started in late April 2008 after sustained success by himself and others with Papua New Guinea. In July he undertook a study tour of the region, meeting with people such as the Australian High Commission, local football committees, media outlets, Olympic committees and AVI (Volunteers abroad), and producing a report on the current situation and opportunities.

At the 2008 International Cup the region performed very well, with PNG finishing 1st, New Zealand 2nd, Nauru 5th, Samoa 10th, and Tonga appearing for the first time, playing in the adjunct Multicultural Challenge.

During the tournament officials from the Oceania nations took part in an Oceania meeting, in addition to the International Forum. Cadzow has released the Oceania Plan 2009 - 2011. It discusses a three to five year vision and continues on the theme of increasing participation, identifying and providing pathways for potential AFL talent, determining funding streams, and events and promotion. Further details follow.

The Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper today reported that AFL club the Western Bulldogs have rookie-listed (not strictly true) young Fijians Inoke Ratu and Solomoni Loki, after conducting trials in Labasa and Suva during the weekend. Ratu is described as a 19-year-old 197cm tall with good pace and an excellent leap, while Loki is a 16-year-old seen as a potential midfielder.

Both will remain in Fiji under a $1000-a-year commitment from the Bulldogs, but will follow a strict development program and visit the Bulldogs' home base Whitten Oval in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray several times. The article also mentions the pair will play in a new Oceania zone of the International Cup - a piece of information we'll be sure to investigate in the very near future.

The full article can be read at Dogs' Island Delight.

Note: It appears this is the first use of the International Scholarship List. Canadian Rugby International Mike Pyke, recruited by the Sydney Swans, appears to have been obtained via Sydney's normal rookie list.

The Western Bulldogs are broadening their recruitment base, announcing plans to take a group to Fiji to trial as many as 5000 young Fijian athletes at the end of this month.

Bulldogs recruiting manager Scott Clayton last night confirmed that at least one player, but possibly as many as four, will be signed under AFL international rookie rules.

3000 copies of the poster at left have appeared at Coca-Cola outlets around Fiji, with open trials to take place in Labasa and the Fijian capital Suva.

Footy in the South Pacific is spreading, with eight countries to date now having either an organised league or informal games played. This year saw footy surface in Vanuatu for the first time, as well as renewed interest in rebooting footy in Fiji. Footy in the Solomons saw a revival led by Australian peacekeepers late last year.

Together with the four Pacific nations at the IC, plus Tonga who couldn't make the full draw, this gives eight nations with some footy presence in the region. All of them are now being investigated as part of the creation of AFL Oceania. The ninth link in Pacific footy could now come from a country traditionally somewhat separate from the Australian sphere of influence, the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.

Laurent Caravel, a Parisian who was previously involved with Australian football in France, is in the New Caledonian capital Noumea and wants to see footy formalised in the island nation.