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IC 2011 results

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Had a ripping day up at Blacktown on Day 1 watching and covering the IC11. Getting into the rooms with Tonga post match was a privilege.

Can't help but think that had Dylan Wolfgramm been on board that Fiji would've progressed to Div 1.

Looking out to see if John James, Don Barry and Dylan turn up for their sides during the rest of ths week.
 
Saw an absolute cracker of a contest yesterday between two small Pacific nations - Nauru v Tonga.

Both sides were as hard at it as I have ever seen, some of the body clashes were earth-moving yet they get up.

Tonga certainly play a physical game based around a Rugby like style of rushing forward and forcing the ball with them - taking all in their path. There were few prisoners taken.

Nauru are a much more skilful side who also relished in the physical contest, in the end their ability to use the ball better and have more men standing enabled them to win the last quarter after being challenged.

Probably the biggest concern was the lack of control shown by the umpiring given it was such a physical clash - I'm surprised how well both sides maintained control given the nature of some contests.

Both these sides are going to scare a few sides during the contest.
 
Eagle Eye said:
Saw an absolute cracker of a contest yesterday between two small Pacific nations - Nauru v Tonga.

Both sides were as hard at it as I have ever seen, some of the body clashes were earth-moving yet they get up.

Tonga certainly play a physical game based around a Rugby like style of rushing forward and forcing the ball with them - taking all in their path. There were few prisoners taken.

Nauru are a much more skilful side who also relished in the physical contest, in the end their ability to use the ball better and have more men standing enabled them to win the last quarter after being challenged.

Probably the biggest concern was the lack of control shown by the umpiring given it was such a physical clash - I'm surprised how well both sides maintained control given the nature of some contests.

Both these sides are going to scare a few sides during the contest.
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ON Saturday a couple of the real 'shoulder' charge tackles from the Tongan lads stood out, okay, that was against the French who they COULD catch, whereas in the PNG game, the PNG lads tended to be harder to catch and were more likely to be running down the Tonga lads as they were attempting to dispose.

re the umpires - I'd have to agree, there were a couple that left a tad to be desired. It can't be easy though with potentially language and cultural 'obstacles' - but, you'd really like to see the best possible umps out there. It's an issue other 'international' tournaments have to deal with - so, the AFL just has to get better at that side of things too.
 
@Mollyfud re Heatherley, he may have been in the wider training group, not too sure.

Munro_Mick said:
ON Saturday a couple of the real 'shoulder' charge tackles from the Tongan lads stood out, okay, that was against the French who they COULD catch, whereas in the PNG game, the PNG lads tended to be harder to catch and were more likely to be running down the Tonga lads as they were attempting to dispose.
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Yeah here a lot of the Maori and Islanders line up each other at school level. Quite funny to watch.
 
mollyfud said:
I notice in the box score that Kurt Heatherley was mentioned in their playing list. Was he added to the side late?
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there may be a few 'speculative' squad selections, or guys who have other commitments but can get released for a game here and there.

for example, Dylan Wolfgramm was BOG for Avondale Heights on the weekend but is listed for Fiji and may well make an appearance, probably next week at least when they come to Melbourne.

PNG also listed John James (Mt Gravatt) and Don Barry (Bris LIons) who both played NEAFL on the weekend.

South Africa though was able to get Sikiti and Moagi from South Launceston.
 
New Zealand absolutely kill Great Britain 15.10.100 to 0.2.2. The team is wholly NZ-based bar one or two lads as well. Speaks for the quality of our leagues. Fantastic result and long may this form continue. Go Hawks!
 
Had the privilege of waving the calicos at the PNG vs USA game today, bit lopsided result but PNG were faster and consistently played a loose man up forward. Not much future when the USA backline were continually kicking to 1 on 2, 2 on 3 and even a 1 on 5 contest.

Stayed to watch the Ireland vs NZ game. Ireland too good off the boot and harder at the ball.

Saturday's GF is going to be a ripper.
 

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AuckMel said:
Pity about NZ. Would have been nice to be World Champs in 3 team sports.
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What?!? Are you forgetting that there's no Australian team in the competition? You Kiwis would take bragging rights for tiddlywinks if you could. An Australian team would make a mockery of all other comers. If you could remove Australia from "the World" - and I'm sure you'd love to - then maybe you'd have half a chance to make a claim of world AFL champions.
 
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Dogmatic6 said:
What?!? Are you forgetting that there's no Australian team in the competition?
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Really? Shit. I just thought you guys had a really crap team.

Dogmatic6 said:
You Kiwis would take bragging rights for tiddlywinks if you could.
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Tiddlywinks? Please. We set our sights much higher than that.

Dogmatic6 said:
An Australian team would make a mockery of all other comers.
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I think some form of Australian team representation would actually add something to it even if they did win it easily.
 
About the only thing that stood out negatively was the organisation of the women's comp . IMO Ireland , USA and Canada would be competitive against the individual Australian state teams and they should think about combining the two.
 

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Ah so actual full-blown women's teams from each state, in same mix as the international women's teams? Nice idea.

There probably isn't as much scope yet to see overseas women's teams up against aust women's teams. A little tricky to judge where's they're at. Have there been any instances of overseas women footballers coming over and playing with women's clubs here in aust?

But they sure gave the IM team some serious what-for. And in hindsight, without the IM team in the IC, we wouldn't really have known this.
 
Rocking up to the last full day on Friday - the Melbourne weather was again super kind - the footy was pretty good across the board. The thing standing out in the main was that the teams had pretty well sorted themselves out, over the 2 weeks,

however, also, that a team like Tonga, pretty well a junior side from the last 2 years of U16s and beyond from the Tongan program - that these lads had by the last day, and the game against and win over Canada - that these lads had learnt to play footy......well, that was Jim Lucy's proud assertion.

And that's a great value of these tournaments. The 'minnows' in any early game may get smashed, but, they see the standard. And over the 2 weeks playing 18 a side on full size ovals - the footy learning that goes on is just of unspeakable value. By the end of the 2 weeks - I think the vast majority of them 'get it'. Seeing the difference between India day 1 and game day 8, and China likewise in their finally do or die struggle with East Timor. The contests on offer on the last day were spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sweden v Japan game too.
 
You're right about teams learning and growing in stature as the tournament went on . There was plenty of good football to be seen .In fact a lot of the style was better than the current AFL .Unfortunatley it didn't show on the scoreboard .Nauru and Japan have 100% skills ,but lack height . Flashy sides like PNG and RSA needed a little forward structure .I was really impressed with Sweden - athletic , skilled and balanced .just couldn't finish it off .Tonga are going to be big when then start playing real football .They did well playing very much a rugby style.If they can start to finesse the ball and keep most of their kicks low then they'll do even better .If nothing else the new teams learnt that one good handpass can relieve a lot of pressure .
 
cos789 said:
You're right about teams learning and growing in stature as the tournament went on . There was plenty of good football to be seen .In fact a lot of the style was better than the current AFL .Unfortunatley it didn't show on the scoreboard .Nauru and Japan have 100% skills ,but lack height . Flashy sides like PNG and RSA needed a little forward structure .I was really impressed with Sweden - athletic , skilled and balanced .just couldn't finish it off .Tonga are going to be big when then start playing real football .They did well playing very much a rugby style.If they can start to finesse the ball and keep most of their kicks low then they'll do even better .If nothing else the new teams learnt that one good handpass can relieve a lot of pressure .
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What people need to consider now is 'footy tourism'.

Whether it be taking a club end of season trip to Vanuatu and hooking up with the AFL Vanuatu people and running a clinic, playing some scratch matches and doing some coaching.

And on the point of coaching, in many cases, the locals who get involved in development for their kids, have only a background in Rugby and or soccer. Their capacity to teach 'finesse' is severely limited.

So, even for individuals - take a holiday to somewhere like Tonga, Samoa, Solomons, Timer Leste, whereever - and before you go, check out about the contacts for footy there and see what you can do.
 
Munro_Mick said:
What people need to consider now is 'footy tourism'.

Whether it be taking a club end of season trip to Vanuatu and hooking up with the AFL Vanuatu people and running a clinic, playing some scratch matches and doing some coaching.

And on the point of coaching, in many cases, the locals who get involved in development for their kids, have only a background in Rugby and or soccer. Their capacity to teach 'finesse' is severely limited.

So, even for individuals - take a holiday to somewhere like Tonga, Samoa, Solomons, Timer Leste, whereever - and before you go, check out about the contacts for footy there and see what you can do.
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I looked into this and sadly there's not a simple mechanism whereby a person can log his general destination and skills and be pointed in the right direction .
As an umpire it's easy just to rock up and offer your services otherwise it entails making emails etc .
I believe South Africa is the exception .

Eco tourism is reasonably well established .The strange thing is that in most cases it's not cheap to help out .

I travelled around Europe for 8 weeks in a van but managed only to catch the end of the French and German seasons .We loved it so much that we'd go again tomorrow (if the world regains it's economic confidence).We'd go earlier next time when it's cooler and cheaper and catch more of the action .Staying in caravan parks is cheap ,flexible and convenient .
 
I write for WorldFootyNews - we might see what we can get going. Perhaps have a little register of the opportunities on any rolling 2 or 3 month time frame.

at WFN we deal with our contacts at the coal face, so they are the right people to be put onto.

Is there anywhere in particular you might be interested in going in the near future?? I'm planning on taking my family to Vanuatu - after seeing one of my 8 yr olds (the one who hadn't been fluey for the last few weeks) in at the Int Cup on Friday, autographs and photos with the Tongans, and kick to kick with the South AFricans - I can't wait to get the kids over to somewhere like Vanuatu and play footy with the villagers.
 

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IC 2011 results

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