Mega Thread International Cup 2014 - Team Previews (with coach/admin interviews)

[The_Wookie]

The United States Revolution - Mens team



As we head towards the 2014 International Cup, I had a brief chat with Matt Bishop, the coach of the United States mens Australian Football side, the Revolution.

Matt spent some time playing junior footy in central Queensland and on the Far South Coast of New South Wales. Most of his senior footy was played in Brisbane and Sydney. He began his coaching career at the Manly-Warringah Club in Sydney where he coached the reserves. He moved to Washington D.C. where he was involved in coaching their team from 2006 to 2008, before moving to California where he founded and coached the team in Sacramento.

Matt has been coach of the Revolution for the last six years, taking over after the team finish seventh in 2008. He says that the skills of the players and the way the game has been picked up is greatly improved. Geography conspires to make coaching difficult, but technology evens that out somewhat and extensive use is made of google hangouts and well as other video. In addition theres now plenty of AFL football available to viewed whether on tv or over the internet.

The United States men have competed at every International Cup since 2002, with a best placed finish of third in 2005 where they defeated Ireland by 35 points. In 2011, they finished fourth going down to New Zealand in the 3rd place playoff by 35 points. At the Cup they are ranked fourth with a win ratio of 70%.

28 players have been selected for the 2014 tournament, with staff, coaches and family making up a touring party of about 40. The selection process includes a training camp, and national championships.

The United States side is fairly unique in that there are no Australian based players, with all members of the team selected from US teams via the process. Some players may have spent short periods of time playing in Australia while studying.

Matt says the USAFL has considered the prospect of Australian based scholarship players, such as the recently signed Mason Cox, taking part in the International Cup (St Kilda listed Joe Baker Thomas is named for New Zealand) but says they are at present shying away from this from a cultural perspective. Matt believes it would be unfair for local players to work hard to earn a place only to be replaced by superstars from Australian lists. However he says the issue is likely to show up more and more, as greater numbers of players are drafted from combines held in New Zealand, Ireland, Europe and the United States.

Matt says support has come recently from St Kilda, with some US players having the opportunity to get out to the Saints preseason training camps in Colorado, and development coach Paul Hudson has lent a hand in recent times.

The 2014 Fixture sees the Revolution playing Finland, Canada and New Zealand. The USA plays Canada every year there isn’t an International Cup, taking out a 31 point win over the Northwind in August last year, and it seems likely that the real threat in their group is from New Zealand, with Finland are relatively unknown quantity.

Matt says the biggest gains from being involved in the international cup are actually made once the cups are over. Former Revolution players are taking active roles in the USAFL, whether in administatration or coaching, with several USAFL clubs now coached by Americans.

Players to watch out for:

• Andrew "Tiger" Werner - Full forward/midfielder from the Minnesota Freeze. 2011 World XVIII
• Bryan Dragus - Centre half forward from the Golden Gate Roos. 2011 World XVIII
• Steve Fashant - midfielder from the Minnesota Freeze. 2011 World XVIII
• Ben Carpenter-Nwanyanwu - Of Nigerian Descent, won the National Championships with Austin Crows last year.

You can see the full team list here. You can find more details on the Revolution on the USAFL site. The International Cup begins on August 9th, 2014 in Melbourne.

You can listen to the interview on youtube or download the audio from here.

 

[The_Wookie]

United States Freedom and Liberty - Womens


For the first time at the International Cup, the United States will be sending two womens sides to take part - the Freedom and the Liberty. I had a brief chat with their coach Leigh Barnes about how preparations are coming along.

Leigh Barnes is originally from Tasmania, where he was a champion full forward (kicking 100+ in a season twice) with Burnie and North Launceston, as well as playing three games for the state. Barnes would go on to play for a number of clubs in Queensland, where also played for the state before moving to America where he was the founding President of the Golden Gate Australian Football League in San Franciso.

Leigh has been coaching the Freedom since the 2011 International Cup. The Freedom finished third behind Ireland and Canada that year.

The USA sends two womens teams to its games with Canada, and both countries are sending two womens teams to the cup. This will bolster numbers with several countries expected to have teams unable to get teams up - the New Zealand program not quite up to speed, and the New Guinea side unable to get funding.

While the US players are funding the trip themselves, Leigh says that they had no trouble filling the teams up.

The US Womens teams will comprised of about 49 players, and with staff will have a touring party of 60 or more. Leigh says that there are rules regarding teams mixing during the tournament, but much is still to be worked out.

For those who remember the footballers of the eighties - The US midfield coach is none other than John Ironmonger, formerly of East Perth, Sydney and Fitzroy.

Selection for the side comes from 6-8 full womens sides, comprising about 120 players. Final numbers are cut down through the training camp, and then the National championships. The US teams will have no players based in Australia. A team listing can be found here

The Freedom played the Canadian women at the 49th Parallel Cup in Edmonton last year with the Canadians scoring a convincing win. Leigh said he told the girls that everyone has a bad day, and importantly they learnt from the experience.

Leigh expects the Irish Banshees to be the team to beat, with the Canadian Northwind seeded second, and the US third. Newcomers Fiji and Tonga are unknown quantities, while the Australian Indigenous side wont be reappearing.

While the Cup womens draw hasnt been released yet, hopefully the US teams aren't drawn to play each other as they share coaches, and Leigh says they are flat out as it is. Having two teams will have some advantages, particularly in training and practice.

Leigh says the benefits of being involved in the International Cup are huge. Its a massive experience for the team. In 2011, the Freedom were involved with Collingwood, Sydney and Carlton, and Barnes is hoping to replicate the experience in August - Carlton at least should be finals free!. The women also receive tremendous support from local womens football groups in Australia.

Players to watch out for

• Alexa Blatnick from Sacramento is a dynamic new player
• Haille Lee from Denver, our ruckman is extremely physical and returning from IC 2011
• Lindsay Kastenek, a forward who was in the all world squad in 2011.

The International Cup begins on August 9th with the Womens Grand Final scheduled to be held at historic Punt Road Oval, home of Richmond, on August 23rd. You can find out more about the International Cup here.

For more information on the USA Freedom and Liberty, please visit their fundraising page here or check out their page at the USAFL site. More news and information on womens football can be found at womensfooty.com.

You can listen to the interview here or on youtube.

 

[The_Wookie]

Ireland Warriors - Men



The Irish Warriors are the most successful team in the International Cup, having won the event twice and placed in the top four at every other event since. They are the current title holders. Along with Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, the Irish are in the upper echelon of international sides. They are currently ranked third overall for wins at the cup with 78%.

In addition, the Irish are the current holders of the European Championships (18 a side), but could only manage 5th at the Euro Cup (9-a-side).

The recent resignation of the Irish coach, Shane McElhone, has opened the door to David Stynes to take the reigns for the International Cup. David Stynes is a three time international cup veteran, and the younger brother of AFL Brownlow Medalist, the late Jim Stynes. For the last three years, Stynes has been the head coach of the Moorabin Kangaroos in Victoria. He will also remain part of the playing squad for this tournament.

The Irish will be sending both mens (Warriors) and womens (Banshees) teams to the tournament, with a squad of 28 that will include 14 traveling from Ireland along with 14 based in Australia. Australian based players are playing for clubs in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

To qualify for the Irish side, players had to participate in trials in both Ireland and Australia, as well as from feedback from the relative clubs. There are a lot of new faces in the Irish squad, especially those coming from Ireland, but they were all part of the European Championship winning side.

Training for the Irish players has continued since January between ARFLI fixtures, while Australian based players continue to train with their clubs, as well as playing in the Harmony Cup earlier this year.

The Irish side has been able to attract some sponsorship through Blu Marine this year for both mens and womens sides, which will go a small way to defraying the costs of the tournament for the sides involved but the majority of funding has come from the players themselves.


AFL Europe has provided some assistance in the form of a raffle with prizes including tickets to the AFL Grand Final, a sherrin signed by Buddy Franklin, and a signed Collingwood jumper. (If you are overseas and interested in buying a raffle ticket please email paul.brogan@arfli.com )

Ireland havent been beaten in 18 a side football since 2009. When asked about Irelands chances of beating the likes of New Guinea and New Zealand, the President of ARFLI, Paul Brogan, told me that while standards in Europe have been improving - as evidenced by the close finish in the final against Great Britain last year - its teams like New Zealand and Papua New Guinea that are still the ones to beat.

The International Cup is showcasing the worldwide talent, that exists in the sport, giving the opportunity for lads to aspire to play on the greatest stage of all, the MCG. This tournament helps the development of the sport outside Australia, giving guys and girls the chance to represent their nation at a global event.

- ARFLI President, Paul Brogan

The difference between Ireland and the other contenders is a more developed grassroots system, according to Brogan. Players in New Guinea and New Zealand have the advantage of being able to pick up the sport from a very early age and develop relatively naturally, whereas Irish players have to adapt skills learnt in rugby and gaelic football to the Australian game.

Brogan says that based on history, Papua New Guinea will be one of the main challengers, but New Zealand should be favorites to take out the tournament, particularly when you factor in their excellent performance against an AFL Academy side earlier this year.

The Irish side will arrive in Melbourne on the 6th of August. The International Cup commences on August 9th.

Players to watch:

• Muirus Bartley - Plays for the Leeside Lions and has played some representative footy with the European Legion and named in the 2011 World XVIII. He kicked the winning goal to get the Irish over the line in the 2013 European Championships.
• Ronan Geraghty - currently playing for Sydney University in the NEAFL on an AFL scholarship. He debuted in July last year for the Uni after only playing the game for 18 months.

Note: AFL Europe has an article on the Irish side at http://www.afleurope.org/title-defences-no-walk-in-the-park-ic14/

 

[The_Wookie]

India Tigers

In the lead up to the International Cup, I had a brief chat with Sudip Chakraborty, the Secretary General of the Australian Rules Football Association of India (ARFAI).

IN 2008, Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting began promoting the game of Australian football in Kolkata, India. At the time Sudip was in his final year of high school, and he fell in love with the game, forming a team with school friends.

He later got a degree in Sports promotion in England where he also played for some English sides . He spent four years touring England and India while spending a lot of time and his own money learning how other countries run Australian rules. Sudip says his best support has come from the Australian Trade Commissioner in India, Tom Calder (who also serves as the President of the ARFAI)

Sudip was further inspired by watching the footy at live events, including Lance Franklin kicking his 100th goal at Telstra Dome.

Indian football is funded by a grant from the Australian Sports Commission through the Australian Sports Outreach Program at this time, but Sudip says that there has been little to no involvement from expatriate Australians in the games development. Its Australian football, by Indians for India.

Sudip says that that Indian football is City/State based, with one major team supported by district sides. In total, there are roughly 500-600 players in six states in India, which includes 4-5 womens teams. There are 250 players in the state of West Bengal alone. When he started, Sudip had almost no players and a single state. Its fair to say he's come a long way in four years.

City sides play once a year in a national tournament, due to the distance between cities. Sudip says that to set up the second city in India for development, he had to take a 22 hour bus ride (equivalent of driving from Adelaide to Perth)

Sudip says that the goal at the moment is to develop another two states to meet the eight state minimum required for official government recognition. This is important because some players cant get time off for national commitments as the sport is not officially recognised by the Indian Government.

States are aligned to different AFL sides, including the Giants, Bombers and Tigers. Sudip says Richmond are the top supporters of Australian Football in India, providing the jumpers, and other assistance particularly during the International Cup.

Playing fields are hard to come by, and the competition is 9 a side, played on rugby or soccer pitches throughout India. Sudip does say that they are hoping to get a cricket field in Mumbai this year for the National Tournament.

Coaching is mostly done by experienced players - expat Aussies are almost non existent in the Indian football environment - with the assistance of videos and other materials.

Indian Football drew from rugby players in its early days, and Sudip says that many people still confuse the two games

Sudip was part of the first Indian team to go to the International Cup in 2008, and he will lead the team in its 2014 journey. He recalls being beaten quite badly as one of the newest teams on the block. India have finished 16th in both 2008 (from 16 teams) and 2011 (from 18 teams) and are ranked 19th at the tournament with a 9% win/loss ratio.

The Indian team at the cup will be picked from the National Championship between the six states, and those who can afford it will make it to Australia, with about half the side made up of Australian based Indians. Sudip says that many talented players cant make it to Australia due to the expense.

The International Cup begins on August 9th in Melbourne. You can find AFL in India facebook page here. You can listen to the interview here or on youtube.

You can read about the AFL in India in this article from the Time of India.

 

[The_Wookie]

Great Britain Bulldogs



In a few short months the International Cup will kick off in Melbourne, and one of the teams making the journey down is the Great Brtain Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs squad consits of 28 players - 3 from Scotland, 3 from Wales and the rest from England. The team includes fourteen players presently based in Australia - ten from Melbourne, one from Port Lincoln, two from Brisbane and one from the Gold Coast. (Eligibility rules say that you must have lived in the country you represent between the age of 10 and 16.). Uk based players are screened and tested before Christmas and then again at Easter to make sure they are prepared for the journey south.

The international team members will leave Britain and fly to Australia - the team is lucky to have Brunei Airlines as a major sponsor - meeting their Australian based compatriates just two days before the tournament is due to begin, in order to reduce costs. They wont even have a practice match - the teams first game together in Australia will be their first game in the International Cup!

The Bulldogs are coached by Mark Apitura, who has been head coach of the side since 2009. He has an assistant coach, a physio and two runners to assist him. A relatively small operation compared to what some countries will send.

Great Britain has had a mixed fortune on the International Australian Football scene in the last year. A Bulldogs side won the 9 a side EU Cup in Bordeaux last year, while in the 18 a side European Championship, they went down by a point to the top ranked European side, Ireland.

British sides have competed at every International cup since 2002, however Great Britain has never finished higher than sixth and are currently ranked 11th having finished 7th at the last Cup and with a winning percentage of 45%.

The close game against the highly rated Irish side at the European Championships, puts the Bulldogs within reach of the tournaments big 4 sides. Ireland have won the tournament twice, New Zealand and New Guinea once each. Mark believes that if his squad can gel quickly, and if they can get a little bit of luck, then they can achieve their tournament goal of finishing higher than 7th and showing some imrpovement. However, he also added that all countries will be seeking to improve, making the challenge all the more greater.

The 2014 International Cup begins on August 9th in Melbourne. You can find more details about it here.

Players to watch:

• Sam Willat - Centre half forward from Birmingham. Willat comes from a soccer and basketball background, and the coach says that he has a great pair of hands and good speed for his size.
• Sean Waltan, the team captain from the Birmingham Bears. Sean will be at his second tournament, and was part of the team that won the EU Cup last year in france - being named to the team of the tournament. The coach is expecting him to have a very good tournament. You can read more about him here.

You can find the full team line up on the AFL England website.

 

[The_Wookie]

NZ interview with coach Justin Davies is done, the article should be up monday. Canadian mens and womens coach interviews will be done this week. Hoping to get Finland and PNG done too

 

[Casino]

@ Wookie: Mate, this is fantastic stuff and really appreciate the focus on the international game. I'm in the coaching group with Ben Roberts on the Team Canada men and have a IC14 diary going here: www.sportsdiatribe.com. Feel free to follow along and let me know if you need anything from Team Canada.

 

[The_Wookie]

@ Wookie: Mate, this is fantastic stuff and really appreciate the focus on the international game. I'm in the coaching group with Ben Roberts on the Team Canada men and have a IC14 diary going here: www.sportsdiatribe.com. Feel free to follow along and let me know if you need anything from Team Canada.

Ill be talking to Ben later this week hopefully

 

[Cmarsh]

Are AFL players involved in this tournament from a (non playing) perspective at all? I would have thought it would have been a great gesture of goodwill if a group of them ran a footy skills session for the competing players.

 

[The_Wookie]

Are AFL players involved in this tournament from a (non playing) perspective at all? I would have thought it would have been a great gesture of goodwill if a group of them ran a footy skills session for the competing players.

Apparently some of the better organised teams teams do arrange for trips to afl clubs. India have some association with Richmond, the US last time spent time at Carlton and Sydney facilities.

 

[The_Wookie]

Ive been buys, but NZ and the Canadians are coming.

 

[FavoriteSun]

I can speak on 3 of the players for the US Women's teams that will be representing from Boston.

Emily Reihl is a blistering midfielder that has the equal in pace and footy smarts of any of the men, Australian or otherwise, at our club here in Boston. She has an endless tank of energy and is one of the best female players in the country. Look for her to really make an impact.

Holly Teufel, aka the vulture, is a fantastic rebounding center half back. She has a knack for being where the ball will be and reading the play excellently from her background in soccer. She's one to watch for attacking out of the backfield and penetrating the forward 50.

Lisa Arrendondo is a superb backman, possible fullback for the liberty. Great use of the footy off the deck and strong over the ball. Should make her direct opponent flinch.

 

[The_Wookie]

ok I wont get time to write the articles on these i think, but heres what i have done for NZ, Canada and Japan - interviews with their coaches.