Media Release From The AFL

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Second International Team to play in 2010 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships

The AFL today announced a second international team will be entered in the 2010 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships.While the introduction of a World XVIII team was announced in October, the AFL considers the interest and potential is significant enough to enter a separate Pacific Nations team.

AFL General Manager of Development David Matthews said several factors had led to immediately enlarging the AFL's search for international talent including:

.The success of the recent AFL Oceania Under 16 Championships which had been attended by AIS-AFL Academy Coach Jason McCartney.

.The recent experience for four young talented South Africans to engage for a week with the AIS-AFL Academy and a week with an AFL Club.

.The fact that a key feature of the NAB AFL Draft and NAB AFLRookie Draft was the selection of several international or international born players.

"We have an opportunity to better engage other countries in our game and while eight teams representing the states and territories of Australia will continue to generate the majority of the talent for the AFL competition we do want to provide more compelling career pathways for international talent," Mr Matthews said.

The announcement comes the day after eight international players were selected in the 2009 NAB AFL Rookie Draft; Sudanese born Majak Daw (North Melbourne), Japanese born Sean Yoshuira (Brisbane Lions), United States born Seamus McNamara (Collingwood) and five Irish players; Chris McKaigue (Sydney Swans), Nial McKeever (Brisbane Lions), Tommy Walsh (St Kilda), Jamie O'Reilly (Richmond) and Zach Tuohy (Carlton).

There are now 22 international players listed with AFL clubs including Gold Coast's Karmichael Hunt (born in New Zealand to Cook Islander and Samoan parents) and Sydney Swans' Tadgh Kennelly (Ireland) and Michael Pyke (Canada).

There are currently 52,908 international Australian Football participants playing in 273 clubs in 38 senior leagues throughout Europe, Asia, the United States and the Pacific region.

In 2008 16 nations competed in the third International Cup; Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, India, Japan, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peace Team, Samoa, South Africa, Sweden and the USA. Papua New Guinea defeated New Zealand in the final.

AIS-AFL Academy Coach Jason McCartney said he was so impressed with the talent at the recent AFL Oceania Under 16 Championships that it definitely justified the inclusion of a separate representative team in next year's NAB AFL Under 16 Championships.

"The raw athletic capability of some of the players was outstanding. It is certainly quite exciting to think what this squad could look like with the natural skill and speed of these boys," Mr McCartney said.

Five countries participated in the Oceania Championships; Tonga, Nauru, Samoa, New Zealand and Fiji.

The NAB AFL Under 16 Championships will be played in Western Sydney between July 3 to 10 next year.

The competing teams will now be:

Division I: Vic Metro, Vic Country, Western Australia, South Australia

Division II: Queensland, NSW/ACT, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Pacific, World XVIII

- Dave Matthews (AFL)