In late 2015 AFL New Zealand broke new ground with their inaugural draft for the 2016 AFL New Zealand Premiership. A four team super league is you will. This time around the draft was held again but with a 2nd year variation – each of the 4 sides was able to retain 13 of their list – a base roster – from the 2016 season to provide a level of continuity.

The 2017 competition will again see matches played over 9 rounds at Auckland’s QBE Stadium at North Harbour. The first round of matches will start on February 12th culminating in the final round on April 9th.

Hutt Park Wellington plays host today to the Wellington AFL 2016 Grand Final. First bounce at 3pm will see the Wellington City Saints engage in battle with the Eastern Suburb Bulldogs who have played in every grand final for the last 10 years and are gunning for a FourPeat.

While in Australia the Chappell-Hadlee One Day cricket series kicks into gear today – over in the land of the long white cloud attention may be directed elsewhere. Not by everybody mind you – but for AFLNZ it’s the big day of the year for the Auckland AFL with their Grand Final.

Waitakere Magpies take on the University Blues at Aucklands QBE Stadium (not that you would know it by checking “What’s on” via the stadium website!!) with ball up 2pm (local time) today. The scene is set for a monster game – the defending premier (Uni Blues) defend their crown against the thus far undefeated Magpies. The script writers have penned the dream encounter. In fact the Magpies will contest their 7th Grand Final in 8 seasons – lead this year by skipper Shane Tyson-Leat. The Uni Blues have perhaps had to do it the hard way this year, coming from 4th.

With the AFL season drawing to an end tomorrow, so too have been many regional and suburban leagues and, also, near by international leagues. The 2016 AFL Fiji mens season wrapped up on Saturday with the Raiwaqa Cooparoos taking on the West Coast Eagles at Albert Park in Suva.

The Suva based Cooparoos (Roos) won 14.7.91 to 10.11.71.
Best on ground was the Roos captain Juita Vateitei, who is also a Fiji national volleyball representative who attributes footy as assisting his development in that game too.

The victorious Cooparoos.

St Kilda Sharks spearhead Moana Hope reached the 100 game milestone against Seaford in the Victorian Women's Football League on Sunday.  Hope, who has recently been announced as one of the marquee players for Collingwood in next year's AFL national womens league has New Zealand heritage. Her family and friends rewarded her milestone with a performance of the Haka in the post-match.

See the video below.

Last week New Zealander Kurt Heatherley became the first player to start seriously learning Aussie Rules overseas before coming to Australia to complete his journey.  Unfortunately after his breakthrough match last week for Hawthorn he has been squeezed out of the side.  But below you can see some clips of his jumper presentation (as we showed in a previous story) prior to debut and a post-match interview.

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Ironically the week after AFL South Pacific graduate Kurt Heatherley made his senior AFL debut – a young man from Vanuatu will lead the Sydney Swans onto the field in their crucial match against St Kilda this weekend at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. Keep a look out for the Vanuatu flag.

The first week of August saw an important progam held at the Holiday Inn in Suva, Fiji, with the AFL Fiji Staff Conference. In recent months Simon Highfield has joined as AFL Fiji’s new development officer and AFL Fiji have also received support from Australia’s Pacific Sports Partnerships Program. Once again – this December Fiji will be hosting the AFL Oceania Cup. However – last week it was the AFL Fiji staff getting upskilled – along with training from the Fiji Ministry of Health & Medical Services and the Fiji Women’s Crisis centre with an aim to inclusion of awareness messages into the AFL Fiji school and community programs.