THREAT LEVEL MIDNIGHT: IC14 UPDATE ROUND 2

Two rounds of football have been played in the 2014 edition of the International Cup of Australian Football, and now the pecking order amongst the competing nations is starting to take shape. A notable absence from this year's cup is top-10 team Denmark, giving many of the team's a chance to improve on their 2011 ranking. Here's a rundown of where the Montreal contingent are placed and headed in the week ahead.

Note: Cup format explained in more detail below.

"Canada Northwind" 2011 overall placing: 10th (Reps: Ronan Shaughnessy)

After a strong first up victory over China, the Northwind went toe-to-toe with the USA for three and a half quarters before being overrun in the final ten minutes against their perennial nemesis. With a favourable group draw can still advance to the final four as a wildcard, but the flurry of late USA goals might come back to haunt the Northwind's final-four chances.

Outlook: Should comfortably account for Sweden next Saturday and possibly still secure 2nd in their pool with a 2-1 win-loss record. Trouble is if results go as planned, Nauru, Great Britain, South Africa, Tonga and the USA will all finish on 2-1 and all will be fighting for the wildcard (Ireland, PNG and New Zealand to advance undefeated). More realistically fighting to make the 5th v 6th final and a chance to equal or better 2008's best finishing position of 6th.  

"Canada Northern Lights" 2011 overall placing: 2nd (Reps: Kelsey Martin, Margo Legault, Aimee Legault)

Two big victories first up, but none more important than the 9 goal demolition job of the USA Freedom. Basically (barring a disaster) guarantees the team a top two finish and a shot at redemption in the final.

Outlook: Should easily account for Fiji and Tonga in next two matches and finish top of women's table. Could conceivably even lose one game and still finish in top 2. Ireland most likely opponent for final.

"Canada Midnight Suns" 2011 overall placing: N/A (Reps: Emily Legault)

The team that was bolted together at the eleventh hour might have started as rank outsider, but "the other girls" have quickly established themselves as the competition dark horse. Hard fought first up win over Tonga and a gallant 56 point loss to the USA Freedom still has the team eyeing a possible 4th placed finish.

Outlook: Daunting task of Ireland next up then a very winnable shot at the USA's development squad the "Liberty". A win against the Liberty or even a narrow loss might see the team through to 4th place and a likely rematch against the USA Freedom in the 3rd v 4th final. 

"France Les Coqs" 2011 overall placing: 14th (Reps: Clemente Coste, Kevin Barranco)

Brutal first up opponents in Great Britain and Ireland saw two heavy defeats and France sitting with an 0-2 record. A serious hit to the team's aspirations of finishing in the top 6 (as mentioned by team captain Gregoire Patacq). Coached by Richmond footballer Dan Jackson, Les Coqs should register a convincing victory this Saturday over a struggling Indonesia which will no doubt lift team spirits.

Outlook: Will finish with a 1-2 win-loss record, which for some teams will be enough to make the Super 8, but France's heavy defeats will see them play off in the 13th-18th ranked final series. If all goes well, should claim the Division 2 crown.

Cup format: 

Women: 7 teams total, each play 4 randomly selected opponents before advancing to a 1 v 2 final, 3 v 4 playoff, 5 v 6 playoff, 7th ranked team eliminated.

Men: 18 men's teams divided into three pools, play 3 preliminary games within their pool, first placed in each pool and one overall next best "wildcard" advance to final four, teams ranked 5-12 move to a Super 8 stage (Division 1), teams ranked 13-18 contest a Division 2 finals round.

Montreal set for biggest ever Aussie Rules tournament

2012 Women's Cup teams

If you build it, they will come.

That was the motto used  five years ago when the fledgling Montreal footy club was desperate to get visiting teams into town and build a unique 9-a-side event that put the spotlight on rookie Aussie Rules players.

Armed with the lure of a European style city like no other in North America, for the very first time some applications for the 2013 tournament had to be refused as the tournament’s 4 women’s and 8 men’s slots filled in record time. Teams from New York, Ottawa, Boston, Baltimore and Halifax all committing to take on Montreal’s spread of home teams in the AFL Quebec Preseason Cup. An estimated 150+ players will be on hand for what will be Quebec footy’s finest hour.

While the historical blue-stoned streets of Montreal’s Old Port, background hum of French drifting through the streets and the smell of Poutine in the diners (chips and gravy with cheese curds - it’s ridiculously better that it sounds) play a big role in attracting visitors, it’s the focus on the players and more importantly the rookies that keep them coming back year after year.

The Halifax Dockers (located over 1,200 kilometres east of Montreal) will be using the tournament to make their official debut, bringing with them six Canadians playing Aussie Rules for the first time. Club co-founder Jonah Scott is excited at the prospect of what his band of Aussie Rules rookies will bring, noting that they play a huge role in the Dockers chances and that the Preseason Cup is the perfect environment to let them off the chain.

Saturday’s event will not only see a tournament rookie MVP awarded for both men and women, but several accolades and much attention showered on the first and second year players who inject a huge amount of excitement and unpredictability into the cup. In 2012 the West Island Eagles took out the men’s division with a team almost entirely comprised of rookies and without a single Australian in the line-up. It was a defining fairytale moment and represented exactly what the cup was initially created to achieve. It’s this approach of recognizing and nurturing future talent that encourages teams to unveil their debutants in Montreal’s tournament, a sure sign that after a weekend in “La belle province” and a first day of footy that won’t go unnoticed, the products of Montreal’s Preseason Cup will be footy fans for life.

CANADA WELCOMES ITS NEWEST "WHARFIES"

Image Courtesy of: Halifax Dockers

Aussie Rules in Canada has enjoyed a purple patch of late. Mike Pyke’s rise to fame and imminent AFL Grand Final appearance with the Sydney Swans has coincided with solid growth on his home soil. Most of the Canadian leagues - spread across four of the thirteen provinces and territories - have expanded their number of teams in recent years, some even adding women’s divisions and second tier competitions.

That purple patch is set to continue with the exciting new formation of the Halifax Dockers; a team looking to break new ground and promote Aussie Rules on a completely new frontier: the province of Nova Scotia.

When Halifax-based Aussies Jonah Scott and Joel Porter met around three years ago, their love of the game led them to get out for a kick whenever they could. Through word of mouth and the interested eyes of some curious onlookers, their group slowly began to grow. It wasn’t long before the boys from Halifax; located fourteen hours from their closest rival Aussie Rules club, had outgrown the one ragged yellow Sherrin that had been the centrepiece of their existence.

Eager to keep developing a call was placed to the Ontario AFL for some assistance. In true Canadian spirit the league was happy to help. They directed the group to Halifax-based and former OAFL player Aaron Adams who was able to supply the new team with four footballs. Finally armed with enough equipment to run a proper skills session the group committed to a regular training schedule two times a week. Further assistance came from AFL Québec aiding Jonah Scott’s quest for a junior development program at Charles P. Allen High, the school where he teaches. Combined with a Facebook page that was launched in the winter of 2011/12, the Halifax Australian Rules Football Club was able to lift their regular training numbers to an impressive twenty players.

The next boost in the team’s journey came when they contacted the Fremantle Football Club seeking support. Jonah and Joel’s hard work and persistence would once again pay off, securing the Dockers as official partners. So committed to promoting International Aussie Rules were Wade Spickler and the Fremantle F.C, that they outfitted Halifax in red Dockers heritage jumpers to ensure they wouldn’t clash with Fremantle’s other partner club in the region, and Halifax’s closest rivals; the Old Montréal Dockers.

Co-founder Jonah Scott has big plans for footy in Halifax: “I would love to have men’s, women’s and high school leagues running in Halifax in 5 years time. As I say this it seems like a big task, but, the enthusiasm that I have seen from the high school students that I have coached has convinced me that this is a possibility in five years”.

The start of Scott’s grand plan will begin in 2013 when Halifax launches its own 9-a-side league. As with many new clubs, the biggest hurdle now is finances and equipment. Scott remarked “The support that we have received so far from the Fremantle Dockers Football Club, AFL Canada, the Quebec AFL and the Ontario AFL has been amazing” and added “Looking at costs related to field rental, insurance, travel and Canada AFL membership [for next season], to develop Australian Rules further in Halifax we are going to need financial support through sponsorship.” While growth has been well structured and a steady increase from day one, crucial items such as a website and additional footballs could very likely see Aussie Rules explode in the Canadian Maritimes city next year.

Footy has now expanded into five provinces within Canada, a sure sign that the game in America’s Great White North is gaining momentum. For Halifax, right now it’s full steam ahead as they prepare for their first official match. As the closest Aussie Rules inhabited city, Montreal’s marquee Pre-Season Cup event in April next year could be the Dockers perfect place to start. The tournament has boasted visiting teams from Toronto, New York, Boston and Ottawa in the past, and would be the ideal event to showcase Canada’s newest member to the footy family. Scott was eager to see his charges tested against the regions best “That is a very exciting prospect. I know I can speak for all the Halifax Dockers when I say that we would love to be a part of the tournament. It might work out that our very first game as the Halifax Dockers will happen at that event. Fingers crossed!”

UNSLAYABLE DRAGONS SURGE TO ASIAN CHAMPS TITLE

2012 Asian Australian Football Champions: Hong Kong Dragons

In one of the most tightly contested and entertaining tournaments of recent years, the Hong Kong Dragons have prevailed victorious, claiming the 2012 Asian Champs crown.

For picture from the tournament click here.

The nine competing teams from South-East Asian were treated to glorious sunshine and the pristine fields of the Thailand Polo Club as they arrived at the venue in South Bangkok. The two football ovals constructed side-by-side on the vast expanses of the Polo pitch were arguably some of Asia’s best Aussie Rules playing surfaces.

The tournament format saw each team square-off against four randomly selected opponents in a 2 x 10 minute half; round-robin format. The four highest placed teams advanced to a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 semi-final stage. A modest 2-3 goal breeze favoured one end, adding an extra twist to the games, the battle for each victory very much a tale of two halves.

The first surprise of the day was the shock early exit of perennial grand finalist Singapore. Pitted against three of the four eventual semi-finalists, the reigning champs could not overcome their tough preliminary round draw and a penchant for slow starts. Narrow losses to the reinvigorated squads of Vietnam and Malaysia forced a do-or-die clash in game three against arch-rivals Jakarta. Surging in the latter stages of the game after another sluggish start, Singapore had drawn even with less than a minute remaining in the match. The Bintangs then worked the ball from defence and with barely a second on the clock took a running shot on goal from forty metres out. The siren blared as the ball hurtled toward goal in mid-air, the sound of the leather Sherrin smacking into the goal post and the resulting behind ending the Wombats back-to-back title aspirations.

Hong Kong emerged from the preliminary rounds as the only unbeaten team, doing so by narrowly escaping with a 5 point victory over Jakarta. The Bintangs 3-1 record good enough for third place. The impressive 2012 continued for the Malaysian Warriors as they secured second place with superior percentage, also finishing with a single loss, conceding a 1 point nail biter to Vietnam. The Swans proved how open the battle for the cup was by rounding out the final four with a well deserved 3-1 record themselves.   

The round-robin schedule also produced an unexpected mini-final in the last game of the day. First time tourists the Philippines Eagles went head-to-head with the Laos Elephants, both teams without a victory and looking to avoid the unenvied moniker as winless wooden spooners. After twenty minutes of tough, desperate footy, the “Phants” clad in their eye-catching pink guernseys had outlasted the Philippines to the tune of 7 points, consigning the Eagles to the bottom of the table.

As the first semi-final got underway there were more than a few nervous glances in the Dragon camp as the Vietnam Swans controlled much of the early play. Defending well and with the aid of the breeze at their backs, the plucky Swans registered the first two behinds of the match and looked likely to build some real scoreboard pressure. However, as the half wore on, Vietnam was squandering their chances up forward. The class of the Dragons shone through as they snatched back momentum scoring two late goals before the main break.  Kicking against the wind in the last half, the gallant Swans were unable to bridge the gap and were eventually overrun by 19 points. Hong Kong 4.4 (28) def. Vietnam 1.3 (9).

Malaysia made a brilliant start in their quest for a first ever Asian Champs Grand Final berth using the breeze to slip out to an early two goal lead. Their early dominance was curbed by a solid effort from the Jakarta back six who did well to get the Bintangs to half-time only 10 points adrift. The final stanza would prove an epic battle between two deserving teams. The Warriors stood tall faced with the prospect of defending their lead into the breeze, but the experience of the Bintangs would eventually force the first crack in the Warrior armour, a goal to Jakarta edging the Indonesian team back to within 4 points. The final five minutes of play saw the ball reach both goal squares on numerous occasions, the final few metres needed to score a game defining 6 points seemingly just out of reach of both combatants. It was a fortunate bounce and a swooping Bintang snap on goal that broke the deadlock. With barely more than a minute in the game Jakarta had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Malaysia would get the ball forward twice in the dying moments whilst cries of “Warriors, we need a goal! We need a goal!” rang out from the bench. The Jakarta full-back carrying the weight of his team refused to concede and the ball was repelled on both occasions. Locked in an exhausted pack of players on the wing, the siren sounded and propelled Jakarta into their first Grand Final in nine years.

Well into the mid-afternoon after an 8am start, the Grand Final would reveal which team had managed their list best in the sweltering South Bangkok sun. Jakarta started well with the wind stunning the Dragons by skipping away to an early lead. Hong Kong had enough of the ball inside their attacking fifty to keep their eager opponents on a tight leash, but crucial misses to the Dragons would see them head into the main break 9 points behind. Hong Kong 1.4 (10) trailing Jakarta 3.1 (19).

The game had slowed to a crawl as fatigue took over and every contest became game defining. Longer halves for the final hinted to the fact the Bintangs 9 point lead might not be enough to see them home. The Dragons rose to the occasion slowly reeling in the deficit and then finally putting their noses back in front. Refusing to give-in Jakarta fought on strongly. But a solid Hong Kong mark and goal from thirty-five metres out directly in front put the game beyond doubt. Finishing the stronger of the two teams, Hong Kong added five last half goals to secure a hard earned and well deserved Asian Champs title. Hong Kong 6.7 (43) def. Jakarta 4.1 (25).

Final Standings
1. Hong Kong Dragons
2. Jakarta Bintangs
3. Malaysia Warriors
4. Vietnam Swans
5. Thailand Tigers
6. Singapore Wombats
7. Bali Geckos
8. Laos Elephants
9. Philippines Eagles     

ASIAN CHAMPS SET TO KICK-OFF IN PATTAYA

Singapore at Malaysia 2012

Bangkok airport will be overrun by flying Sherrins and Aussie Rules banter this coming weekend as ten nations descend on the land of smiles to fight out the fourteenth annual Asian Australian Football Championships. It will be the fourth time the Thailand Tigers host the largely ex-pat dominated tournament affectionately known as the ‘Asian Champs’. In a change from previous years, Pattaya has been selected as the host city over traditional venue Bangkok.

The full-day tournament is often played in sweltering Asian heat making player management, a sizable playing list and shrewd coaching moves just as important as the individual efforts on the field. 2011 saw the Vietnam Swans, Hong Kong Dragons, Indonesia Bintangs and Singapore Wombats emerge as the top four teams from the group stages to square off in the semi-finals. The Dragons and Wombats would eventually win their way through to the Grand Final, Singapore victorious over Hong Kong in a tough match to claim a record fifth crown.

The region’s ‘Big Three’ of Singapore (5), Hong Kong (3) and Indonesia (2) currently lay claim to ten of the thirteen championships. No other participating team has been able to break through for the coveted title. While the regular season form of touring teams is always hard to gauge as squads vary greatly while abroad, the Malaysian Warriors have impressed in 2012 with some eye catching performances both at home and away. The addition of former St Kilda ruckman Michael Rix and an injection of classy youth in the midfield have led to the team’s most successful year to date; claiming the Manilla 12’s Cup back in May. It all bodes well for the weekend’s action and one of the closest and most unpredictable battles for the cup in years.      

FIVE YEARS ON AND FOOTY IN QUEBEC IS FLYING

AFL Quebec Round 2: Laval Bombers v Montreal Demons

Montréal celebrates five years of Aussie Rules this year, and the prospects for French-Canadian footy have never looked better.

After an initial three years of promising growth, the Montréal based Québec Saints slipped backward in 2011. The team withdrew from the Toronto based OAFL division 2 competition, their 9-a-side development league was reduced to just two teams and the women’s program failed to play a single stand alone game for the year. The impressive individual performances of the eight Québec players and coaches at IC11 (with both Canada and France) would offer up the only shining light in what was a disappointingly dark year. But just as footy in Montréal seemed destined to spiral down further, the four remaining committee members; Margo Legault, Neil Koch, Tim Nixon and Frenchman William Teissier drafted a bold new plan for 2012.  

  

Recruiting went into overdrive during the winter offseason and the committee relaunched the 9-a-side league as AFL Québec. The four team competition boasted three with official backing from AFL clubs. Under the guidance of newly arrived Matthew Payne, a Team Canada member originally from Vancouver’s impressive Wolfpack juniors program, the West Island Eagles became the first independent AFL Québec team to conduct separate training sessions and establish their own home field. The transformation of footy in Québec continued as the Montréal Angels underwent a complete rebranding, retiring the iconic royal blue Québec flag jersey they shared with the men’s team in favour of a unique purple, white and black strip they could call their own.  

Using the league’s marquee invitational event – the AFL Québec Pre-Season Cup – as a springboard for the season ahead, the league also shifted its focus from Toronto partners five hours to the west to United States affiliates to the south, namely Boston and New York. With six men’s teams, three women’s sides and close to 100 participants the Pre-Season Cup was a raging success. The resurgence in Québec footy had not gone unnoticed in the local media, several newspapers running stories on the Aussie game being played in the heart of Montréal and the West Island media adopting the Eagles as ‘their team’ with front page coverage. CBC Radio also decided to get in on the act after they caught wind of the game from the land downunder, sending a roaming reporter down to training to conduct interviews with the French-Canadian Aussie Rules converts.

2012 has been an outstanding success thus far and has seen the Angels form a close bond and exciting new tri-city rivalry with New York and Boston, Montréal players feature prominently with partner club the Ottawa Swans in the OAFL and the team reintroduce the time-honoured tradition of the footy ‘road trip’, ticking off Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Calgary and Ottawa on their list of destinations players have travelled to all in the name of fun and a game of footy.

Québec footy has its mojo back and the future is looking brighter than ever. In the coming months several young Québec-based Canadians will be pushing for selection on the national team and plans for expanding the league yet again have already begun. And while there is no disputing the mantra has, and always will be ‘Montréal is hockey’, as those thousands of hockey players twiddle their thumbs during the summer looking for a way to keep fit, the free flowing, 360 degree game of Aussie Rules that has plenty of goals, big plays and big hits might just be a match made in French-Canadian heaven.     

WOMEN'S AUSSIE RULES RISING IN CANADA/USA'S EAST

Clockwise from top left: Boston Lady Demons,
Montreal Angels, High Park Lady Demons, New York Magpies.

It used to be the trash talk of every eight-year-old boy in Australia: “You kick like a girl!” But having spent the last four weeks in Canada and the U.S witnessing players like the Montréal Angel’s Lindsay Belzie blindly spin out of packs and snap goals over her shoulder, and New York’s Andrea Casillas clear the ball from half-back with laser-like precision, “you kick like a girl” can no longer be considered anything less than endearing.

And that is why the Boston Lady Demons now proudly wear “Kick like a girl, Score like a lady” emblazoned across the back of their team shirts.

Women’s footy in the east of Canada and the U.S has been bubbling along for around four years now, but May 2012 just might be the point in which women’s footy thrust itself in to the limelight, no longer an ad-hoc undercard to the men’s competition.

Boston Lady Demons: Kick Like
A Girl, Score Like A Lady.

The beginning of the massive month of female Aussie Rules started with Montréal’s “AFL Québec Pre-Season Cup”.  One of the few women’s teams that do not share its name or mascot with a men’s team, 2012 saw the Montréal Angels take another major step forward in establishing their own identity. Having previously worn the same playing strip as the Québec Saints men’s team, the Angels unveiled a new jersey and colour scheme (proudly produced by jersey supplier BIG ROOSTER FOOTY) completing the bold step of establishing themselves as a separate entity from the men’s team in nearly all respects. The Angels were joined in Montréal by the New York Magpies, Boston Lady Demons and a handful of Ottawa players from the newly established Swans women’s squad. The 9-a-side tournament was eventually won by the Angels, but both the Magpies and Lady Demons proved that they have plenty of talent coming through the ranks.

To check out footage from the Montreal tournament click here.

The following two weekends heralded the start of an exciting new chapter for women’s football in the Ontario Australian Football League. After a three team competition was established in the Toronto based competition last year, 2012 saw the league expand to six teams, including teams from Hamilton (one hour south of Toronto) and Ottawa (Five hours North-East). The impact has been huge as women’s footy becomes a regular fixture each and every week of the football season. The competition is doing so well that  the High Park Lady Demons were able to get more players to Ottawa recently than their men’s squad (who were runners-up in 2011) both teams playing at the same venue. The ensuing women’s game between High Park and Ottawa (who were helped out by a band of Montréal Angels for the day) turned out to be the main attraction. The tough 14-a-side match played on a slightly reduced sized field ended in a nail-biting finish, the Lady Demons claiming their stake as the team to beat in 2012 with a classy away win over their upstart Swanette counterparts.

Action from Philly: Boston/Montreal v New York/Balt/Ont

The massive month of women’s footy came to a close in Philadelphia where the originally planned U.S EAFL tournament between Baltimore, New York, Ontario (touring team) and the host city was enhanced by yet another female footy spectacular. With most women’s footy games consisting of 9-a-side matches, New York’s Andrea Casillas put forth the bold plan to play as close to a full squad as possible. Her idea paid off, and a 14-a-side match between New York/Baltimore/Ontario and the Boston Lady Demons/Montréal Angels was played out on a pitch 130 metres in length. The wide open spaces allowed the players to experience the full extent of the game, a mesmerising run down the wing that included two bounces, impressive pack marks and a host of highlight reel goals just a few of the crowd pleasing moments for the day.

To check out highlights from the women's Philly tournament click here.

It’s hard to believe that little over 12 months ago women’s footy matches in the region were few and far between. The growth in that time has been remarkable, and only possible due to the great deal of hard work from the people who laid the foundations in the early years. The sentiment is that when it comes to recruiting new players, women leave the men for dust. The High Park Demons a prime example boasting player numbers in the mid 20’s already. Many women’s teams are starting with only two or three players, training with the men and finding games as top up players for opposing women’s teams while they recruit. The ability to transform those few players into a 9-a-side ready unit for competition has been the cornerstone to success, and hopefully it will be the recipe for many more teams to come.

The only question a football team ever asks itself once the women’s squad is established is: “Why didn’t we do this earlier.” If you’re at a club that is without a women’s footy team, the time to recruit that first single player is now.

2012 AFL ASIA TOURING SEASON READY TO KICK OFF

WOMBATS v BINTANGS

It’s a competition that requires a passport and plane ticket for nearly every away game, has one team boasting a forward line that includes champion Hawthorn AFL premiership player Trent Croad and another that finetuned its campaign under the guise of Brisbane Lions triple premiership player and Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis – welcome to AFL Asia.

The five time winners and reigning Asian champion Singapore Wombats will kick off their 2012 campaign at the end of March, playing an opening fixture against the Jakarta Bintangs in Indonesia.

 In a 2011 season that saw the dominant Wombats taste defeat on only the rarest of occasions, their Bintang rivals were able to buck the trend and solve the Wombats in two of their three encounters. Adding insult to injury, Jakarta claimed both victories by the narrowest of margins, taking the honours at home by 3 points and then again in Manilla by a solitary point.    

2011 Wombat’s coach Justin Hotton has stepped down from his position and the reins have been recently handed over to a co-coaching duo that includes two of the Wombats most respected club stalwarts; Justin Lucas and Craig Geehman. It will be a baptism of fire for the coaching pair as they try to stave off an opening round loss, the Jakarta cauldron never yielding a soft win to any visiting foe.

Both teams are considered amongst AFL Asia’s best; the Bingtangs reaching the Asian Championships final four undefeated before being eliminated in the semi-finals to Hong Kong. The Wombats maintained a perfect record throughout the entire tournament emerging the eventual champions. The two heavyweights will go head to head in Jakarta on Saturday the 31st of March.

   

AUSSIE RULES HISTORY BOOKS: EVERY PAGE COUNTS

Stephen 'Sticks' Kernahan a legend in the Carlton history books.

Before the debate begins I believe it’s important to reveal my hand to some extent. I’m a Carlton supporter, one that doesn’t hate Collingwood anywhere near as much as I should, but one that despises Essendon so much so that it overflowed to a general loathing of other sporting entities that shared those same putrid colours. Ferrari F1 and the Chicago Bulls I’m talking to you. Now - moving right along.

The Western (nee Footscray) Bulldogs have endured a somewhat barren existence as a football club. You can follow their tiny website history tab to ‘1954’ revealing their one shining (albeit  fading) moment of glory. Ah, the memories of winning a school yard argument against those dish-licker supporters over the years. “I’ll see your one flag and raise you 13, 14, 15...16” worked every time. Those were the days (thanks Big Jack). Only thing is the Doggies are a club with a long and proud history, one that should be boasting ten premierships – not one.

And this is where things get tricky.

Many fans seem to embrace two types of history when it comes to footy; whatever serves their purpose at that particular moment and that everything that falls outside of the VFL/AFL history books is moot. There’s no better example than the Bomber faithful that steadfast refuse to adhere to a clash jumper that would require them to alter their ‘sacred’ sash, one that has supposedly been in existence since the dawn of time. History reveals the fact the Essendon Football Club began with red and black stripes, not their beloved sash, and that the club has decided for whatever reason to ignore that part of their history in recent times (Heritage Round?). Without that first chapter of the Essendon history books, the rest simply would not exist.

A little over six months ago Geelong president Colin Carter wadedinto the history debate attempting to build a case for the VFA premierships won prior to 1897 to be included into the official VFL/AFL tally. It would drastically alter the landscape of the premiership standings with Essendon rising to outright first on twenty, two clear of their arch-rival Carlton. Not surprisingly the team championing the move – Geelong - would add a handy seven titles to their tally, leap-frogging quite a few on the existing table.

Is a VFL premiership won in 1897 any more valuable than the VFA trophy held aloft in 1896 in a league that consisted of basically the same teams? Was the VFL always superior to the VFA/SANFL/WAFL? Some would say these are questions without definitive answers. Do club officials that worked tirelessly so that our clubs of today survived the difficult first years and the players who where the best of the best at the time deserve recognition? The answer has to be yes. These were achievements that cannot and should not be ignored any longer.

But I’m yet to be convinced they should be added to the AFL’s official tally.

In my opinion a club’s and league’s history is not necessarily intrinsically entwined. The VFL/AFL has a set of records that cannot be altered ad-hoc for the simple premise of historical romance. Most clubs own history that existed outside of the current league, does that make it any less worthy to the club? Of course not.

The complication of “topping-up” the flag count gets even messier when considering current AFL clubs boast the ultimate prize from a range of competitions including the VFL, VFA, SANFL and Challenge Cup of yesteryear. What is the solution to pay appropriate tribute to these important achievements?

The VFL/AFL acknowledges their past and each of its premiers. Now it’s time for individual club’s to follow in the footsteps of teams like Port Adelaide and acknowledge theirs – all of it. No it won’t help the Blues skip clear of the Bombers in the AFL premiership race, but next time Sticks opens his “I AM CARLTON” speech (click here to sign up for 2012 by the way), I want him to be proud and proclaim a club that has celebrated the ultimate achievement twenty-three times (VFL/AFL, VFA and Challenge Cup), sixteen of those within the VFL/AFL. The people that paved the way for him to stand proudly at the podium representing 40,000+ members deserve nothing less.     

SINGAPORE WOMBATS CLAIM FIFTH ASIAN CHAMPS

Singapore Wombats claim the 2011 Asian Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

While most eyes were on the 2011 International Cup in August, another highly prestigious Aussie Rules tournament was being fought out in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Asian Championships is a gruelling one day event that saw eleven expat dominated teams from all over Asia stake their claim to the region’s most coveted footy trophy. All teams battled fiercely throughout the preliminary matches in an attempt to qualify for the semi-finals and what would be a shot at the cup. After the dust had settled on a hectic morning of non-stop football, one that included four games for most, the race to glory had been narrowed down to just four.

The Singapore Wombats, Jakarta Bintangs and Hong Kong Dragons all entered the semi-finals undefeated with the Vietnam Swans completing the quartet of finalists. Jakarta drew Hong Kong in the first semi-final and although the Bintangs started strongly the Dragons eventually ran over the top maintaining their unbeaten streak en route to a place in the Grand Final.

In semi-final number two the Singapore Wombats showed no mercy thumping the Vietnam Swans 70 to nil. It set up what would be an epic showdown between two countries that collectively owned 7 of all 12 Asian Championship crowns.

The Grand Final lived up to expectations with Singapore edging out a narrow early lead over the inaccurate Dragons to head into the main break 17 points clear in what was clearly a ripping contest. The game delicately poised it would be a late goal to Singapore that would eventually break the Dragons spirit and put the game beyond doubt, the Wombats clinching a record breaking fifth Asian Champs crown with a hard fought out 23 point victory.

IC11 Peace Team v China Red Demons Q1

This footage from IC11 shows the first quarter of the Peace Team taking on the China Red Demons in the Division 2 Pool stages. The footage was filmed as part of France's (Les Coqs) preparation for their match against the Peace Team in which the winner would advance to the Division 2 Grand Final.

2011 Australian Football Power Rankings

Ireland claim the Women's IC11

The 2011 Australian Football International Cup has been run and won and along with three new cup winners there is a new order of world rankings. World Footy News has released their official WFN Rankings but the list below is a more up-to-date “Power Ranking” system that gives greater weight to the IC results factoring in recent results for teams not in attendance.

For the record the Ireland Warriors won their second International Cup, the Ireland Banshees won the inaugural Women's Division Cup and Fiji Tribe made their debut one to remember taking out the Division 2 Cup.

Men’s Current Power Rankings as at the end of IC11

1. Australia (IC11 Finish N/A - WFN Rank 1)

2. Ireland Warriors (IC11 Finish 1 - WFN Rank 2)

3. Papua New Guinea Mosquitos (IC11 Finish 2 - WFN Rank 3)

4. New Zealand Hawks (IC11 Finish 3 - WFN Rank 4)

5. United States Revoultion (IC11 Finish 4 - WFN Rank 7)

6. South Africa Lions (IC11 Finish 5 – WFN Rank 5)

7. Nauru Chiefs (IC11 Finish 6 – WFN Rank 6)

8. Great Britian Bulldogs (IC11 Finish 7 – WFN Rank 9)

9. Denmark Vikings (IC11 Finish 8 – WFN Rank 14)

10. Tonga Tigers (IC11 Finish 9 – WFN Rank 8)
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11. Canada Northwind (IC 11 Finish 10 – WFN Rank 11)

12. Sweden Elks (IC11 Finish 11 – WFN Rank 12)

13. Samoa Kangaroos (IC11 Finish N/A – WFN Rank 10)

14. Japan Samurais (IC11 Finish 12 – WFN Rank 17)

15. Fiji Tribe (IC Finish 13 – WFN Rank N/A)
16. Croatia (IC11 Finish N/A - WFN Rank N/A)

17. Germany Black Eagles (IC11 Finish N/A – WFN Rank 13)

18. France Les Coqs (IC11 Finish 14 – WFN Rank N/A)
19. Iceland (IC11 Finish N/A - WFN Rank N/A)

20. Peace Team (IC11 Finish 15 – WFN Rank 15)

21. India Tigers (IC11 Finish 16 – WFN Rank 19)

22. Finland Icebreakers (IC11 Finish N/A – WFN Rank 18)

23. China Red Demons (IC11 Finish 17 – WFN Rank 16)

24. East Timor Crocs (IC11 Finish 18 – WFN Rank N/A)

Women’s current Power Rankings as at the end of IC11.

1. Australia (IC11 N/A - WFN Rank N/A)
2. Ireland Banshees (IC11 Finish 1 – WFN Rank N/A)

3. Canada Northern Lights (IC11 Finish 2 – WFN Rank N/A)
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4. USA Revolution (IC11 Finish 3 – WFN Rank N/A)

5. Papua New Guinea Flame (IC11 Finish 4 - WFN Rank N/A)

6. Italy (IC11 Finish – WFN Rank N/A)

*Apologies to any team that was not listed, without sufficient information a ranking was not given. WFN current Ranking system only has 19 teams ranked. As more info comes in teams will be added to the list.

IC2011 Aussie Rules finalists confirmed

PNG will take on Ireland in the Men's Division 1 final while Canada will battle it out against Ireland in the first ever women's cup final. In division 2 France and Fiji will be looking to finish their first campaigns on a high by collecting some silverware of their own.

USA and New Zealand will go head to head in the final for 3rd place.

The Men's split division concept has received a welcomed tick of approval with early suggestions that an increase in teams in 2014 may lead to a three tier format.

Irish "Planted-Player" strategy will give Warriors edge

Canada v Ireland IC2008.

The fourth instalment of the International Cup of Australian Rules football will proclaim a new (or renewed) champion on August 27^th, but rest assured the team hoisting the cup aloft at the hallowed MCG won’t be the only country leaving IC2011 as winners.

It is fitting that now, ten years since the inaugural cup, a little bit of tournament history is adding a spicy new flavour to the mix. Controversial rankings, simmering rivalries and long overdue retribution are but a few of the items on the menu.

The head to head grudge matches are aplenty. Ireland has battled South Africa in every cup taking the honours on nearly every occasion, but the one point loss in the third place final in IC2008 will have left a sour taste in the mouths of the Irish Warriors, a team expecting nothing short of ultimate glory this time around. In contrast, arch-enemies Canada and the United States have only met once on Australian soil, a thumping U.S win way back in 2002. Although the Canadians finally finished higher than the U.S Revolution in the final rankings in ‘08, two sound defeats for the Northwind in the past two annual 49^th Parallel Cup matches between the two nations mean the U.S have wrestled back the favourites tag. The two teams square off on day one of the tournament.

Perhaps the most high stakes rivalry of the cup lies with the countries at the very top; Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. PNG have made every cup final battling it out with New Zealand in the previous two. The ledger currently sits at one cup all, and debate is divided on which country has been the better over the ten year journey. IC2011 will finally give us that answer.

Now to the numbers. Every cup has seen a nation make the long trek home without even recording a solitary victory, South Africa and Japan in 2002, Spain in 2005 and India in 2008. Four new countries: France, East Timor, Tonga and Fiji join the returning India all looking to officially open their IC win account. History says someone is going home empty handed.

The coveted “Final Four” has been an exclusive club of only six nations: PNG, NZ, Ireland, U.S, South Africa and Denmark. The question is with PNG, NZ, Ireland and South Africa all considered the elite super-teams of the tournament, can anyone force their way in?

The cup format is vastly improved from previous tournaments. The 18 countries will fight out a “grading” day of matches. The top twelve advancing to the fight for the cup, the bottom six looking for the consolation prize in the division 2 finals. While it will be a brave effort to predict the final standings, one thing is a certainty – every country has a final ranking they will measure the success and failure of their cup by. Let’s have a look.

Ireland Warriors (Cup finishes: 1^st – 4^th – 4^th)

2011 Seeded: 4th - Predicted finish: 1st – Team pass mark: 1st

The Warriors will accept nothing short of their second International Cup victory. They’ve employed a massive “planted-player” campaign of drawing half their squad from Irish players currently playing footy and living in Oz. Carlton Blues star Setanta OhAilpin’s “little” 198cm brother and former Carlton VFL player Aisake will add the icing to the cake.

New Zealand Hawks (formerly Falcons) (Cup finishes: 3^rd – 1^st – 2^nd)

2011 Seeded: 2nd - Predicted finish: 2nd – Team pass mark: 1st

For a half of football in the IC2008 Grand Final New Zealand looked set for back-to-back Cups. PNG’s late surge robbed the Kiwi’s claim to undisputed international footy powerhouse.  

Team rankings to be continued...

Jakarta survive a late surging Singapore in Indonesia

Singapore Wombats and Jakarta Bintangs go head to head July 23, 2011

The Singapore Wombat's unbeaten run has come to an end with the Jakarta Bintangs surviving a late onslaught from the 'Bats to escape with a 3 point win. The game was a nailbiter with the 'Bats peppering the goals in the final few minutes, several misses coming back to haunt the team. The siren sounded with the ball deep in the Singapore attacking area.

Full story to come soon...

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 15% OFF "AN AUSSIE RULES JOURNEY THROUGH CANADA" FOR JULY!!!

The book is done! L'histoire des bleus et blancs: An Aussie Rules journey through Canada is available now through Blurb. 220 pages, 50,000+ words and over 400 photos on the beginnings of the Montreal based Quebec Saints Australian Rules football club.

Anyone keen on grabbing a copy be sure to buy in US DOLLARS (other currencies are inflated on the site) and enter BLURB15 promo code for a 15% discount.

A big thanks to all those people who contributed to the book!

Check out the preview here.

AUSSIE RULES IN THE BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD

Nugget beats an opponent to drive the ball forward for East Burwood in the VWFL.

The Canadian women’s Ice Hockey team won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They were heroes, celebrated by the nation – and rightly so. There’s a simmering debate about women’s hockey as an Olympic sport: the argument is that it doesn’t have huge numbers worldwide. Canada has the highest amount of registered women players in 2011 with 85,000, Finland who scored bronze has less than 5,000. Whatever the outcome of the Olympics debate one thing is undeniable; these women are elite athletes and deserve every minute of their glory. It’s also a good starting point for some perspective.

Ask most Australians about Women’s Aussie Rules and they will be surprised that a women’s league even exists. It does. And as I sat at Etihad stadium during AFL Women’s round the announcement on the scoreboard threw out some very interesting numbers. There are now 70,000 women/girls playing Aussie Rules football in Australia. It’s one of the country’s fastest growing sports among females. Amongst this army of forgotten footballers lies what is considered by most the premier Women’s league in the world, the Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL).

Aimee Legault in action for the Devils in their 95 point win.

For season 2011 that is where Canadian and former Montréal Angel Aimee Legault decided to play, setting herself the ultimate challenge – to play amongst the best.

The East Burwood football club warmly welcomed Aimee into their fold, and the former Angel became a Devil.

Aimee’s goals were simple to start with – just make the team. As worry and anxiety crossed her mind about whether or not she could make the cut, or even just gain a place in the reserves squad, all she wanted was the chance to let her newly adopted club – The East Burwood Devils – see her play. They did, and the results are nothing short of superb.

Aimee has become an integral part of the Devils line-up as they hold onto the last remaining finals spot, all the while jostling for position in what seems to be a certain post-season run. Frequently named in the best players she has played all nine games in the seniors (premier team) and currently sits third in the club goal kicking with 11. A little under two years ago the former semi-professional soccer star did not even know the game of Aussie Rules existed.

Watching the Devils dismantle the Melbourne Uni Muggars at Eley park in Round 9 I got a feel for exactly what the VWFL stands for. Aimee, affectionately branded “Leggo” by her teammates got in on the action early - swooping in to add to her goal kicking tally by snapping a goal from deep in the pocket early in the first term. The Devils full-forward Meg “Hutchy” Hutchison was a powerhouse up front, leading well and marking strongly overhead. Her lethal accuracy from 30-40 metres out enough to put many an AFL player to shame, 6 goals the result of her day out up forward. Perhaps the true reflection of the league was best summed up by Jess “Nugget” Foster. The tiny on-baller who has been kicking a footy for as long as she can remember was relentless in her attack on the ball. Courage, football smarts and class came to mind as the petite number 40 carved up her opponents – it was obvious that the best talent on the field was the equal to that of any women’s Ice Hockey team’s stars, the only thing lacking is the due respect.

The AFL are planning to launch a Women’s national league – sadly it has been put on the back burner due to the introduction of the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants. The new 2020 expected launch date will no doubt ensure that a majority of the leagues current talent never get their rightful opportunity to sparkle on the big stage.

In August the International Cup 2011 of Aussie Rules football will play out in Blacktown NSW and Melbourne. For the first time a women’s division will stand alongside the expected 25 countries that will field men’s teams. Aimee will join her sister Margo pulling on a jersey for Canada, and for two weeks women’s footy, albeit international versions, will hopefully get the respect they so richly deserve.

Wombats make it 5 straight against Richard Champion's Masters

Luke Anderson and Richard Champion

Rumours had been flying around a few weeks out about the possible ex-AFL talent the Australian Masters would be bringing along to their hit-out against the Singapore Wombats. Sure, the team would be made up of over-35’s, but given that 36 year old Dustin Fletcher would technically make the cut on that team – and he’s currently holding down full-back in a top 8 AFL side – the ‘Bats went in to battle preparing to give the Masters Kangaroos’ plenty of respect.

Sure enough ex-Brisbane Lions star Richard Champion looking in as good a form as the day he played his last match strode out to Centre Half-Forward. As part of the ‘Bats back six once again, I was quietly rueing the fact that all former league champs, no matter what position they played in the big league, always seemed to settle in to the forward line in their retirement years. 

The whistle blew and the game got underway and the first lesson learnt was plain and simple – a master’s team means less speed, less vertical leap and plenty more cunning. The Kangaroos won the first centre clearance and speared a pass in to full-forward which was duly marked by their tall-timber spearhead. Twenty seconds in and the Wombats were already down by a goal. Under the assumption there was a little element of good fortune in the first goal, some worried sideways glances were shot from the ‘Bats bench as the Kangaroos won centre clearance number two. This time the Wombats defence weathered the storm, rebounded and finally got the ball forward of centre. The Singapore forward line which had been of concern early in the year was starting to find its feet and before long the ‘Bats had equalled the score. As the quarter wore on the ‘Bats wrestled the dominance in the midfield back and in doing so opened up a floodgate of goals for the term. After the worrying first few minutes, the Wombats had managed to kick six goals to one in the first term.

Quarter number two started as the first had ended but the Kangaroos were also getting their share of footy this time around. With Richard Champion having to push up the ground to make an impact the ‘Bats defence tightened the clamps giving nothing away, Singapore adding 4 majors for the term and led 10.1 (61) to 1.0 (6) at the main break.

With the focus at training the day before on developing some sound kick-out structures the message from the coach was simple “for f#@k’s sake, rush a behind so we get the chance to practice it!”

The third term had tightened right up and although the Wombats added a few more goals to the board the Kangaroos were finally looking dangerous going forward. The rock-solid Wombat defence finally cracked when a centring kick from defence fell short and landed in the hands of the ‘Roos. The resulting goal their only for the quarter as the Wombats extended their lead to 69 points at the last change. With the result beyond doubt both teams shifted down a gear, the Roos found their way forward adding another two goals to bring their tally for the afternoon to four but the Wombats responded with three of their own to keep the margin ever growing. The final siren brought to a solid day of footy in which the Wombats extended their winning streak to five games taking home the chocolates to the tune of 74 points. Singapore Wombats 16.6 102 defeated the Australian Masters Kangaroos 4.4 28. 

SINGAPORE WOMBATS MAKE IN FOUR-ON-THE-TROT

HMAS Ballarat become victim number 4 in 2011

After starting the year 3-0, the Singapore Wombats entered the fourth game of the “touring” season fairly confident of making it four-on-the-trot. Determined to end the ‘Bats streak were the visiting Navy boys from the HMAS Ballarat. The Ballarat boys were keen to say the very least, suited up and ready to go a full hour before kickoff. The Wombats looked as if they might have a tough day at the office ahead.

In scenes akin of the Collingwood Malthouse-Buckley succession plan, Coach Hotton handed over the reins to budding understudy CK for the afternoon. Having found a neat little spot in the Wombats backline playing on the flank (a backline that had been conceding a miserly whisker under 5 goals per game) chances of me escaping the shackles of defence looked grim. That was until CK decided to change things up and throw me forward for the start of the match. The move may had been spurred on by my inspired last quarter efforts up forward last time out that saw me rack up some handy “goal assists” on the stat sheet, or it may have just been because I was wearing CK’s jumper that he didn’t want to get dirty, fact was heading into the fourth game of the year my mission was simple – kick a bloody goal!

With a midfield engine second only to the Judd-led Carlton football club the Wombats fired out of the blocks sending the ball forward. The Ballarat boys quickly tried to mop up, getting first hands on the loose ball and looking for a clearing kick to an open player in their defensive pocket. Swooping in, about to lay a tackle the Ballarat back pocket – now very aware of my presence – try to flick off a quick handpass. In a scene that could have been plucked straight out of the Matrix and was, as they say, more ass than class, I intercepted the ball in midair with my left hand, pinned it back to the chest of the stunned Ballarat player and tackled him into the turf before he (or I for that matter) had realized what had happened. Free Kick for holding the ball. You beauty! From around 30 metres out on a tightish angle I lined up and kicked possible the straightest ball of my life for goal number one of 2011. This was followed a few minutes later by another ball that has dribbled along the boundary just metres from our goal line. With three opponents to beat I got my hands on the ball, ducked, weaved and ducked some more before kicking POINT of the year. A narrow miss from a hurried snap hard up against the behind post made it Wombats 1.1 7 (via my 1.1) to the HMAS boys yet to score. The rest of the quarter was all Wombats as we pushed out to a five goal first term lead. The news wasn’t any better for the Navy boys in the second, despite having some class players around the ground – the Blue and White brigade’s best player was literally bare foot and keeping his charges semi-competitive, a late second quarter charge by Ballarat saw them keep within 5 odd goals heading into halftime.

Having had a reasonably good first half up front the rotation policy saw me return down back for the second half to mind the opposition Centre Half-Forward who had taken a fair dose of angry pills and was hell bent on smashing a few ‘Bats into the turf. Giving away 10cm in height and about 10kg I copped the brunt of a few cheap shots but was able to get the job done – angry man possession-less and dragged and the ‘Bats firmly in control cruising home to a whopping 81 point win.

Walking in the footsteps of Giants

As an Australian living abroad playing and spreading the word on Aussie Rules, I’ve often pondered what it would take to make our wonderful game part of the local landscape of my newly adopted city. The trials and tribulations of the dedicated few that man the ‘new frontiers’ around the world are more often than not the same: recruiting “converts”, finding fields and equipment, financing the whole project and simply spreading the word are all core to establishing our wonderful – yet hard to describe to the uninitiated – game of football. Many conversations at La Quebecoise pub in Montréal centred on the what if? What if we could run programs in schools and develop juniors? What if we had exposure in the media? They were the pipedreams of Aussie Rules pioneers thousands of miles from home.

But what if money wasn’t a problem? If fields were magically starting to appear, grassroots programs were put into place and the media took an interest so the ‘word’ was getting out – could it actually work?

We’re about to find out – thanks to the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

Now before the Hardcore rugby loving public of NSW tears my heart out, it’s important to know that “sport” is a choice on the menu, fans are the dining public and you can’t be “force fed” something you don’t like. It’s all about choice, and having an extra choice on the menu is not a bad thing. Footy is a great spectator sport, and when offering it up, makes a great side dish to the prospective fan’s other first love be it ice hockey, soccer or rugby. That said the Giants have a rather large PRO and an even larger CON that most ex-pat weekend warriors don’t experience in the Montréal’s, Toronto’s, Boston’s and London’s of international footy.

The PRO is footy already exists in Sydney. It’s far from being the number one sport but it’s definitely a known entity. The Sydney Swans have reached the pinnacle of the AFL in the harbour city, and although sporting success in any city will lead to fleeting popularity for a brief moment in time -the standard overseas conversation of “I play Aussie Rules Football” and response: “Oh, you mean Rugby (or Soccer)” does not apply. That’s a huge head start.

The CON is that there is direct (and in some cases loathing) opposition – Rugby League doesn’t want the big bad wolf lurking in their backyard. It’s been dubbed by some as a ‘Code War’. The NRL even went as far as rescheduling one of their marquee match-ups to coincide with the Suns big night in hopes to take the shine off the Gold Coast v Brisbane Lions first “Q-Clash” derby. It didn’t work, the Suns v Lions game was a roaring success. But perhaps the AFL should wear that slap in the face for poaching Hunt and Folau, two of the NRL’s finest. We’ll call it even – for now.


Like the very real prospect of every international Aussie Rules club: the Giants might fail. There’s no guarantees in this venture except that the AFL are planning to stick it out long-term. Now long-term doesn’t mean forever, but it certainly means that if the Giants don’t make it, it won’t be because they never had a chance. So what is the measure of success aside from simply surviving? Far from the “every kid gives rugby away and converts to AFL” Armageddon scenario in the back of the minds of some doomsayers, a sustainable team where local footy is played on weekends by plenty of kids, good crowds at Giants games and some Aussie Rules banter at water coolers in Sydney’s West on a Monday morning should suffice. There’s plenty of room for AFL and NRL in good ole Sydney town.

The path the Giants are carving is one many of us in the international community dream of. The fact they have amongst their playing stocks a rugby league convert also has to warm the hearts of the world footy community – we’ve all played in games where the rugby convert with huge potential invariably gets into open space and instinctively tucks the ball under his arm and darts away to the mild amusement of his/her teammates. Israel Folau has been much maligned but is far more advanced than those raw first gamers. Like Hunt, he has backed himself to be able to make the switch and has opened himself up to immense ridicule if he fails. The greatest basketballer in the world did that once too, although for different reasons I might add. Folau doesn’t expect to fail. Respect that, and judge him fairly, he’s not making a million dollars because he’s as good as Judd and Ablett, his inflated salary is all about getting the ‘word’ out. And it is money that seems to be well spent. He’s a first year player who has never played the game before just like Mike Pyke was when he started at Sydney three years ago. Pyke’s stock is on the rise, but realize it was not an overnight success.

Unlike the Gold Coast Suns who are tipped to be a force in only a few years (despite the fickle football public diving off the bandwagon after the round 2 loss to Carlton and hypocritically sneaking back on after the Q-Clash victory) the Giants are supreme underdogs. Nobody outside the Giant's inner sanctum envisions success, only doom and gloom. We’ve all heard the talk - no one will want to play there, they’ve got no chance of securing a big name, they’ll be the easy beats and blight on the competition – they’ll be located in Tasmania in less than ten years. Even their name and colours have been ridiculed by the very football public that they belong to. Not me, I’ve enjoyed the Suns making their grand entrance, the team born with a silver spoon in their mouth as they were described. Although I didn’t love the name or colours at first I’ve also warmed to the Giants, their effort to stand out, be noticed and fight what many describe as an unwinnable battle resonates with me and my time in Montréal with the Québec Saints. I understand what they’re doing, and I hope they succeed.

And that’s why I am now a GWS Giants foundation member. Although they’ll never displace my passion for my beloved Navy Bluebaggers – I’m in for the long haul (Although I might be somewhat miffed if they pinch Marc Murphy!).

There will be a plethora of international Aussie Rules rookies this year from New York to Mumbai kicking a footy for the very first time. Inevitably they’ll be faced with a decision on which AFL team to support. Their Aussie friends will be doing their best to recruit them into the fold of their dear and beloved teams. But here is an idea - make your team the Giants. They should be installed as the World Footy community’s adopted team – like Ben Lee said, we’re all in this together. They are the group that are, in a sense, standing in the trenches alongside us – the international footy community – fighting the good fight. After all, thanks to the Giants in twenty years time, the players of the Québec Saints who are knocking back a Labatt’s Bleu at La Quebecoise in Montréal will have an answer to the very question that bounced off the gritty walls of the team’s beloved watering hole not too long ago – what if...