Call for Nominations for the 2011 World XVIII team

The Australian Football League (AFL) are calling for nominations from around the globe for the 2011 World XVIII Team. Please see Memorandum from AFL International Development Manager, Tony Woods: Building on the success of the 2010 World XVIII team which competed in the NAB AFL under 16 Championships we would like to call for nominations for 2011. The squad will comprise of the best Under 18 talent participating in competitions conducted by International affiliates and will take part in the 2011 NAB AFL under 16 Championships.

The 2010 squad played under the leadership of Head Coach Michael O'Loughlin (ex Sydney Swans & current AIS/AFL High Performance Coach) and his assistants Chris Johnson (ex Brisbane Lions) and Stewart Edge. Players in the squad represented nations including South Africa, United States, Sudan, Canada, England and Ireland.

The World XVIII provides an innovative and targeted approach to the development of International talent and aims to achieve the following objectives:

• To showcase and develop international talent for the AFL competition, particularly with the introduction of the International Scholarship List.
• To simulate the development of the game in foreign markets, particularly at youth level.
• To develop an international fan base of the game.
• Player Selection Process

International affiliates will have the opportunity to nominate a player/s to participate in the World XVIII. To nominate a player International affiliates will be required to accurately complete the attached Player Nomination and Evaluation Form and forward it to World XVIII Team Manager Peter Romaniw by no later than March 4th, 2011. The Player Nomination and Evaluation Form should be accompanied with any other supporting materials e.g. video footage of the nominated player.

Player Selection Criteria

It is a requirement that all nominated players complete the fitness tests outlined in the Player Nomination and Evaluation Form. Please dowload the AFL Draft Camp Protocols outlining how each test is conducted and the fitness test results from 2010 AFL Draft Camp. We strongly suggest that International affiliates look at the mean averages for each of the position categories to provide an accurate assessment of the nominated players athletic capabilities compared to our Australian (under 18) talent pool.

In addition to the above players must be:

• A passport holder of a country other than Australia
• A resident of country above for more than a minimum of the last three (3) years
• Registered and nominated participant of an AFL International affiliate
• Aged between 15 and 18 years in 2011 (players cannot turn 19 years of age in 2011).

Available from Monday 4th July through to Saturday 16th July to participate in a five (5) day high performance camp and the NAB AFL U16 Championships.

Once all nominations have been received a squad of 25 players will be selected by the World XVIII section committee comprising of

• Tony Woods AFL International Development Manager
• Peter Romaniw World XVIII Team Manager
• Coach (TBC) World XVIII Head Coach
• Kevin Sheehan AFL Talent Manager
• Michael O'Loughlin AIS/AFL High Performance Coach

It is important to note that by submitting a Player Nomination and Evaluation Form it does not guarantee a players selection in the World XVIII squad.

Financial Support

The AFL with cover all on ground costs for players selected in the squad including:

• Accommodation
• Meals
• Team Apparel
• Playing Apparel
• Ground Transport
• Medical

Players will be required to pay for their return airfares; however we would expect that International affiliates assist with these costs through fundraising and or a direct contribution. We recognise the NAB under 16 Championships immediately precedes the IC11 and may place an additional financial burden however we consider it as critical to build on the momentum of 2010.

Please don't hesitate to contact Peter Romaniw +61 (3) 9643 1713 if you have any further enquiries at this stage. Kind regards Tony Woods AFL International Development Manager