UPDATE: The Malaysian Warriors have just joined the Singapore Wombats, Hong Kong  Dragons, Jakarta Bintangs and Vietnam Swans in supporting the idea of having a combined AFL Asia team playing a Royal Australian Navy team in 2014.]

AFL Asia and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) have been in ongoing discussions regarding a combined Royal Australian Navy team taking on a combined AFL Asia team – a team of AFL Asia’s best – somewhere in Asia.

This week, the proposal received a massive boost when the President of the Singapore Wombats, Belly, declared that the Wombats could host the proposed match.

With a ground being offered, the Hong Kong Dragons, Jakarta Bintangs and Vietnam Swans all quickly said that they would be able to join the Singapore Wombats to field a representative AFL Asia team to take on the RAN. Other clubs are still to declare their level of interest.

Additionally, the RAN is keen to be involved with Auskick programs while on their tour. Accordingly, it has been proposed that the big match be scheduled on the same weekend that the Singapore Sharks host a massive Auskick Carnival for Auskickers around Asia.

Dates are still to be locked in due to a date for the Asian Champs, Asia’s biggest footy tournament, still to be confirmed (a date for the Champs was proposed for August 2014 in the Philippines. However, due to a clash with the International Cup in Australia, the organisers of the Champs have been requested to consider changing the date to October. That would then open up the possibility of a November fixture for the proposed mega blockbuster against the Navy).

Luke Mitchell of the Royal Australian Navy, replying to the exciting news coming out of Singapore during the week, said, “This is fantastic news! An update from this side of town, we have now approached several sponsors who are looking excited about jumping on board. While I can’t give a 110 per cent guarantee on funding and availability, it is really looking promising and gaining momentum.”

AFL Asia’s President, Phil Johns, thanked the Singapore Wombats for offering to host the event and, of course, the RAN for being so keen to be involved. He added that such a match, “if it becomes a reality – and we are now so much closer to that happening – will be a seminal moment in the development of AFL Asia and footy more generally in Asia. This is a huge opportunity for multiple parties on multiple levels.”

Melbourne’s Eastern Football League’s (EFL) website has just run a story about two junior EFL umpires who happened to be in Cambodia at the time of this month’s Indochina Cup in Phnom Penh.

The original article has been reproduced below.

A family holiday to Cambodia turned into an opportunity for two young junior field umpires from the Eastern Football League, to help promote the game of Australian Rules in South-East Asia.

Here is their story, penned by their father, Steve Fulton…

On arriving in Cambodia on the 4 November this year, our family friend Phillip Molloy, who is involved with AFL Cambodia, informed Dylan and Ben Fulton that he had nominated them both as boundary umpires in an upcoming tournament the local AFL team was having. Dylan, in his third year as a junior field umpire, and Ben, having just completed his first, both jumped at the chance.

This did mean the family trip to visit the temples of Angkor Wat was delayed by a couple of days. But it’s not every week you get to watch a little AFL while vacationing in the northern hemisphere.

The ‘tournament’ the local team was having was later confirmed as AFL Asia’s 2013 Indochina Cup, played between the Cambodian Eagles, Lao Elephants, Thailand Tigers and Vietnam Swans. The games were played at the Cambodian Naval base in Phnom Penh on an oval a little narrower than you’d see in Australia and a playing surface which appeared a little uneven in places.

The games were to be played over two 15-minute halves, due mainly to the 34-degree temperature and near 90 per cent humidity. Two massive Eskies of ice and water were available to all players and officials. Even the umpires had their own waterboys to ensure nobody dehydrated in the heat.

Like many suburban grounds, the scoreboard wasn’t electronic. In fact, it was a white sheet with team names and the scores stuck to the front with Velcro. It was the siren, however, which was a real South-East Asian touch. Parked just outside the boundary line was a Tuk Tuk with its rider sitting positioned ready to sound his horn to start the first game.

The first game was between the Cambodian Eagles and Thailand Tigers. Dylan was named as boundary umpire, along with a couple of the local volunteer umpires, while Ben was to run water in the first game with his younger brother Josh. The teams were very evenly matched and in hot conditions the contest was pretty tough. Yet the Eagles came away with the win, much to the delight of the local crowd.

To read the rest of the article, .

To see more articles that have been published about the Vietnam Swans, click onto the Media tab at the top of this page.

The Vietnam Swans and Saigon Shooters will hold a joint Christmas Party and Awards Ceremony in Saigon on 8 December 2013 (the Vietnam Swans in Hanoi shall announce details of their end of year function shortly).

What matters

• When: 12 midday to 4pm, Sunday 8 December
• Where: McSorleys Alehouse, 4 Thao Dien, D2, Saigon
• Info: The event will be poolside so bring your bathers. All welcome – kids, friends and families.
• Special Guest: Expect to see a special guest appearance by Santa!
• RSVP: Friday, 6 December. Please email Mark Stennett at

Kev. Mark and the Auskick team bring us up to date on some big things in AusKick!

G’day Auskickers and Parents,

While the AFL clubs have just about sorted their draft picks for next year, Auskick rolls on today with the second last training session for the year – followed by the all important pie lunch at Al Frescoes!

Pie Lunch…  Today, 23rd November

Pie nights (lunch in our case) are a traditional feature of junior footy in Australia and there’s no reason why those of us here in Saigon should miss out…

We’ll head to Al Frescoes (that’s the one in D2 on Xuan Thuy) straight after footy.  Mum and Dad can also enjoy a pie, beer and wine as a reward for all the sideline cheering over the year!!!!

Singapore Auskick Tournament in 2014

Fantastic news just in… The Singapore Sharks junior Aussie Rule club have confirmed they are hosting the first ever international Auskick tournament next year. How good would it be to have Saigon represented and really reward the kids for their hard work. More info on the date will filter out shortly but this is something for us all to work towards in 2014.

AFL Asia President, Phil Johns, sends a note to the Asian Presidents on the passing of former Philippine Eagles President, Steve Arthur.

Dear Asian Presidents

I have just been advised of the passing of Steve “Fat Cat” Arthur, former President of the Philippine Eagles (he only resigned earlier this month).

The Eagles have just posted on Facebook the terribly sad news:

“It is with great sadness and heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of Steve ‘Fat Cat’ Arthur. Steve passed away early this morning due to compilations that cause the swelling of the brain which then cause a seizure.

“Steve was a Stawell of the PAFL and his years of commitment and passion to the PAFL and the game is a key reason for its success and growth. A passionate Kangaroo, Motorbike and Cricket fanatic, he will be greatly missed by all those that had the fortune of knowing him.

“Our thoughts are with his wife Einah and children Shannon & Stacey at this time. A memorial will be held with details to be provide later.”

To recently appointed Eagles President, Peter Hammon, please pass on AFL Asia’s deepest sympathies and condolences to Steve’s family. This is a massive shock for us and so we can only imagine what it must be like for the family.

As a mark of respect, the Vietnam Swans will wear black armbands at their next match (25 January) and I am sure many other AFL Asia Clubs will do the same at their next matches.

R.I.P. Steve Arthur.

It’s getting close to the end of the year. And that means in Melbourne, the Swannies start cranking again for our annual cricket (at the MCG), golf and soiree days.

• Saturday 28 December – Day 3, Boxing Day Test Match (Australia Vs England), MCG (the Swannies’ 7th Annual)
• Sunday, 29 December –  The Swannies 9th Annual Ryan Jeffery Golf Classic (ambrose), Melbourne
• Sunday 29 December – The Swannies’ 3rd Annual Twilight Soiree @6pm, Carlton (venue tbc)

These are becoming big events with more than 40 attending last year’s Soiree.

If you would like to attend any of these events, please email [email protected]

Footnote:

Please disregard earlier advice that had scheduled the cricket day on 29 December and golf / soiree on 28 December. The cricket has been returned to 28 December (3rd day’s play) to ensure we have a full day of cricket to watch (last year there was no cricket on Day 4). Golf and soiree will be on 29 December.

UPDATE 22 November 2013: The decision to hold the Champs on 23 August 2014 will be reviewed due to a clash with the International Cup. This decision has been delayed due to the death of former Eagles’ President, Steve Arthur.

Peter Hammon, President of the Philippine Eagles has just confirmed some “great news”.

“I would like to inform AFL Asia that the PAFL last night confirmed that we will be hosting the 2014 Asian Championships in Clark. The only change was the proposed date that we mentioned earlier. (Instead) of October, we are now looking to hold the the event on Saturday 23rd August 2014.

“In the next week or so will begin our arrangements to start organizing the event.”

AFL Asia President, Phil Johns, added, “It’s not easy to host the Asian Champs and the Thailand Tigers have done an amazing job over the previous three years.

“Now, we thank the Philippine Eagles, who are becoming increasingly active on the Asian footy circuit, very much.

“Bring on the 2014 Asian Champs in the Philippines!”

Below is an article by Shane Hendrickson on the .

The article was published on World Footy News yesterday.

The Vietnam Swans have won a fourth consecutive Indochina Cup, overcoming the Thailand Tigers, Lao Elephants and Cambodian Eagles in Phnom Penh in the seventh instalment of the event.

The round robin tournament was played in the 18-a-side format, with the Swans finishing undefeated on top with an impressive percentage of 282%.

The Eagles finished second with two wins and one loss, the Tigers finished third with only a win over the Elephants, and the Elephants finished fourth without a win.

This is the second consecutive year that Cambodia have had to settle for second position, despite some keys players coming back from injury.

Although leaving without a win, the tournament was an incredible achievement for the Lao Elephants, which managed to get 11 local Laotians to take the 15 hour bus ride down to play in Phnom Penh.

With such numbers coming out of Laos, the Elephants could become a future powerhouse in the Indochina Cup, as the locals gain experience and bridge the gap between themselves and the Australian expats.

The hosting Cambodian side also managed to field four locals.

With four consecutive titles, the Vietnam Swans will have a target on their backs, as the other sides will be hungry to make sure they do not get their fifth consecutive title next year.

It’s just five months before the 2014 ANZAC Friendship Match in Vung Tau between the Vietnam Swans and the Malaysian Warriors. And interest is well and truly building.

Last Thursday, Swannie, Patrick Stringer (who now lives in Shanghai) called to say that he had been speaking with a former gun AFL player who had expressed a very strong interest in playing in next year’s curtain raiser, the Legends Match.

A day earlier, Vietnam Football League Premier, Ron Vernon, returned to Australia. Before leaving, Ron confirmed he had already purchased his ticket back to Vietnam in February. Ron works with Glenn Nolan each year to restore the playing surface of the Lord Mayor’s oval (now the dog track) to tip top condition for the ANZAC Friendship Match.

Brad Vernon has been clamouring for promotional posters to spread around his home state of Queensland. Steve Nolan has promised to turn up to next year’s ANZAC Match with a Go Pro camera. John Corrall, Water Safety Vietnam Director – and father of Swannie, Adam – has said a trip to Vietnam next April is “very likely”. Last month at the Gaelic Championships in Kuala Lumpur, members of the Malaysian Warriors team were speaking excitedly of the upcoming match. Tourists to Vung Tau now are also promising to return next April…

Not to be outdone, Vietnam Football League historian, Stan Middleton has leap frogged 2014 and is talking about bringing a tour group of 30 in 2015.

Meanwhile, , co founded by Swannie, Phil Jordan and a Silver Sponsor of the Vietnam Swans, is running a special golf tour through Vietnam timed to coincide with the ANZAC Weekend in Vung Tau. A percentage of the price of the tour will be donated to Swim Vietnam and the Vung Tau Orphanage.

for further information re Golf Life Tours’ ANZAC Weekend.

The Vietnam Swans ANZAC Friendship Match continues to grow in significance.

For more information about teh ANZAC Friendship Match, click here.

The Swannies have just received this photograph this afternoon from the Osaka Dingoes – sporting the Swannies tops in Osaka!

Osaka Dingoes President, Jonathon Cooper (left) says that the photo was taken with fellow Dingo, Matt Gale at their last training session before the 2013 JAFL (Japan AFL) Grand Final.

Jonathon says, “We finished second at the end of the ‘home and away’.

“We then played the third placed Senshu University team for a place in next weekend’s Grand Final against the Tokyo Bay Suns who finished the ‘home and away’ in first place.”

Next weekend’s Grand Final in Yokohama will be the third consecutive appearance for the Dingoes on the JAFL’s biggest stage.

From all the Swannies, we wish the Dingoes (and Suns) the best of luck next weekend.

Go you Dingoes and Swannies!!

Jason Lassey is running a series of podcasts for Big Footy and the Roar website on international footy. Last week, Jason interviewed Phil Johns, President of AFL Asia and the Vietnam Swans, about footy in Asia and Vietnam.

Click on the You Tube link above for the original 42 minute interview. Below, read Jason’s article which was published on the Roar’s website on 12 November 2013.

For this instalment of the international footy series I talk to Phil Johns, the President of the newly formed AFL Asia and the Vietnam Swans.

Phil became involved in the game in 2003 when a guy he knew told him about the Asian Championships being held at the time. When the Swans started in Vietnam he became involved and several years later Vietnam became part of the Asian Championships.

Phil says that people forget that expats in Asia aren’t actually in Asia to play footy, most expats in the region are fairly senior staff at major multinational companies.

The Vietnam Swans is predominantly an expat team with guys from Australia, Europe and the rest of the world.

Phil says that some other sides in the Asian region feature a majority of local players.

This includes a new league in Guangdo in China that had 80 players reportedly turn up for its first round – all locals.

Laos had about 40% locals in its side at the Asian Championships.

Indonesia are sending a team to the International Cup – which means they have a full side of Indonesian natives. Indonesia benefit from having a full-time development officer.

AFL Asia was formed in July this year at a meeting of Asian club presidents, and formally aligned with the AFL at the same time.

Phil says that this gives the game in Asia greater credibility and helps with management and communication across Asia.

He also says that the association has enabled the clubs to be more self reliant and not needing as much cover from the Australian Government and the AFL.

Phil says the increase in organisation in recent years means that the games are more organised and less ad hoc than they used to be with regularly held tournaments like the Indochina Cup and Asian Championships.

There are 21 clubs involved in AFL Asia, but the numbers can fluctuate somewhat. The association encompasses teams from East Timor and Bali, right up to Beijing, and from Tokyo to Islamabad.

As Phil says its a huge area to cover. Phil says Pakistan and India aren’t really fully involved yet, but have expressed interest.

Most clubs will play 14 or 16 a side locally but games like the Indochina cup and Asian Championships will be 18-a-side.

Phil says that a big problem in Asia is finding vacant green areas on which to play football on, and as such games are typically played on rectangles such as those used for football and rugby as there are limited ovals available.

Several of the Asian clubs meet in the Indochina Cup which features games between the Vietnam Swans, Laos Elephants, Cambodian Eagles and Thailand Tigers.

This season’s cup will mark the seventh such series, having begun in 2007.

The Asian Championships dates back to 2000, and this year 12 clubs played in the 18-a-side competition.

It’s a lightning premiership conducted on a single day. The competition is run on two ovals held simultaneously side by side.

These games can only be held in a limited number of places due to limited space.

Phil says you can hire an oval in Singapore for $50,000 if you want, but it gets expensive.

Thailand have hosted the last three championships, with the next one likely to be held in the Philippines.

Perhaps the biggest single games in the area are the ANZAC Day cup which is currently held in Thailand and hosted by the Tigers.

Phil says the Swans played there in 2009. Teams went to the Dawn Service at Hellfire pass, the morning service at the Kanchanaburi war cemetery, before playing the match itself with three former prisoners of war in the crowd.

In the evening, there was a dinner held on a boat that sailed on the River Kwai.

Phil says that Vietnam is seeking to do its own war memorial match.

The event is a politically sensitive issue and as a result, it’s an ANZAC friendship match. Held not far from Long Tan, all players on both sides wear two armbands to recognise all the dead on both sides of the war.

The Borneo Bears (all Borneo nationals) have hosted a game at the same time at Balikpapan, which this year featured the Jakarta Garudas (all Indonesian nationals).

Phil says that these matches are being held at places of great historical significance. He states that while being at the MCG on ANZAC Day is great, you can’t really beat actually standing at the side of these events.

We’ll be covering more countries in more depth as this series progresses. Including the new league in Guang Do, and other countries in the Asian region.

You can learn more about AFL Asia and its clubs at their website at .

Original Sources

• by Jason Lassey