2008 Australian Football International Cup
The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested.
| 2008 AFL International Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Australia |
| Dates | 27 August – 5 September |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  |
| Runners-up |  |
| Third place |  |
| Fourth place |  |
It was scheduled for 2008 (as part of the 150th year celebrations of Australian Football), with 16 nations competing.
The tournament was hosted by both Melbourne and Warrnambool in Victoria, Australia between 27 August and 6 September, with a single match additionally played in Geelong.[1]
Like previous tournaments, the competition was open to men's teams with strict nationality eligibility rules.
The Grand Final was played between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea were victorious by 8 points with a goal kicked after the siren. Like the Grand Final in previous years, the match was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a curtain raiser to the 2008 AFL Season finals match between Hawthorn Hawks and Western Bulldogs which attracted a crowd of 76,703 spectators. However unlike previous tournaments, the final was not televised.
History and build up
The WAFL and Perth, Western Australia raised the possibility of bidding for the tournament soon after the 2005 cup had been completed,[2] however the AFL has confirmed that the cup will once again be held in Melbourne for at least for one more year, as the 2008 Cup will coincide with Australian Rules football's 150th anniversary. The AFL later indicated that a regional round and semi-finals would be held in Warrnambool.
The AFL indicated that unlike earlier cups, it would likely be split into two divisions, a premier division and development division, with some discussion as to whether the eligibility rules could be loosened for the development division, to enable more countries to participate. Leagues were given the opportunity to nominate which they would prefer, with eight in each division being an initial target.[3] Ultimately, this idea was dropped, with the sixteen teams being seeded into four pools.
In December 2007, it was announced that Melbourne and Warrnambool would co-host the two division event, with Melbourne matches to be played mainly in Royal Park North. Several potential new sides were announced by the AFL, including an Israeli-Palestine combination supported by the Peres Centre for Peace, China and India.[4][5]
The USA Women's team announced an intention to send a squad to play against Australia and possibly Papua New Guinea. Additionally Canada and England announced their intentions to send Under 17s squads.[6] As a result, there was speculation over an inaugural women's and under 17 divisions. However the AFL denied these divisions in favour of a senior men's competition only. In response, and with the Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament being cancelled, British and Canadian junior teams had to organise their own tours and matches against Australian schools. Despite both international teams being in Australia at the same time, they did not play against each other.[7] The US women's team announced a 2009 tour instead.
Competing Nations
The AFL confirmed in July 2008 that sixteen nations will compete.[8] In addition, there will be friendly matches played between Melbourne-based migrant community teams under the names "Team Africa" and "Team Asia", as well as the Tongan side which was unable to commit to the full tournament. Also despite a previous appearance, the Spain Bulls will not be competing.
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
|---|---|---|---|
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Games
Round 1
| Team | Score | Team | Score | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.12 (84) |  | 1.0 (6) | McAlister Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 11:00 AM |
| 13.13 (91) |  | 0.2 (2) | Ransford Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 11:00 AM |
.svg.png){kind=small} | 18.22 (130) |  | 0.0 (0) | Western Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 11:00 AM |
 | 16.20 (116) |  | 1.0 (6) | McAlister Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 1:00 PM |
 | 20.15 (135) |   | 1.2 (8) | Ransford Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 1:00 PM |
 | 11.6 (72) |  | 1.4 (10) | Western Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 1:00 PM |
| 20.26 (146) |  | 0.0 (0) | McAlister Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 3:00 PM |
| 10.9 (69) |  | 3.2 (20) | Ransford Oval | Wednesday, 27 August 3:00 PM |
Round 2
| Team | Score | Team | Score | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.19 (229) | | 0.0 (0) | Western Oval | Friday, 29 August 11:00 AM |
| 13.20 (98) | | 0.0 (0) | McAlister Oval | Friday, 29 August 11:00 AM |
| 16.18 (114) | | 0.0 (0) | Ransford Oval | Friday, 29 August 11:00 AM |
| 20.20 (140) | | 1.1 (7) | McAlister Oval | Friday, 29 August 1:00 PM |
| 4.7 (31) | | 8.7 (55) | Ransford Oval | Friday, 29 August 1:00 PM |
| 2.6 (18) | | 10.5 (65) | Western Oval | Friday, 29 August 1:00 PM |
| 16.12 (108) | | 1.1 (7) | Ransford Oval | Friday, 29 August 3:00 PM |
| 9.11 (65) | | 3.2 (20) | West Kardinia Oval | Saturday, 30 August 12:00 PM |
Round 3
| Team | Score | Team | Score | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6 (30) | | 2.2 (14) | Reid Oval | Monday, 1 September 11:00 AM |
| 6.7 (43) | | 2.2 (14) | Reid Oval | Monday, 1 September 11:00 AM |
| 10.11 (71) | | 1.2 (8) | Walter Oval | Monday, 1 September 11:00 AM |
| 15.16 (106) | | 0.0 (0) | Mack Oval | Monday, 1 September 1:00 PM |
| 5.6 (36) | | 8.10 (58) | Reid Oval | Monday, 1 September 1:00 PM |
| 7.9 (51) | | 3.2 (20) | Walter Oval | Monday, 1 September 1:00 PM |
| 17.20 (122) | | 0.0 (0) | Reid Oval | Monday, 1 September 3:00 PM |
| 28.9 (177) | | 1.1 (7) | Walter Oval | Monday, 1 September 3:00 PM |
Group Results After Rounds
Pool A
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points For | Points Against | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 391 | 10 | 3910.00 | 12 |
| 2 | | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 163 | 112 | 145.53 | 8 |
| 3 | | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 155 | 133 | 113.13 | 4 |
| 4 | | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 451 | 1.33 | 0 |
Pool B
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points For | Points Against | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 260 | 47 | 553.19 | 12 |
| 2 | |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 262 | 94 | 278.72 | 8 |
| 3 | | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 173 | 124 | 139.51 | 4 |
| 4 | | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 452 | 4.86 | 0 |
Pool C
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points For | Points Against | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 269 | 56 | 480.35 | 12 |
| 2 | |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 222 | 68 | 326.47 | 8 |
| 3 | | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 152 | 137 | 110.94 | 4 |
| 4 | |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 382 | 0.00 | 0 |
Pool D
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points For | Points Against | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 212 | 20 | 1060.00 | 12 |
| 2 | |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 252 | 37 | 681.08 | 8 |
| 3 | |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 56 | 206 | 27.18 | 4 |
| 4 | |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 271 | 5.16 | 0 |
Finals
Finals Round 1
| Team | Score | Team | Score | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 (50) | | 4.2 (26) | Mack Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 1:00 PM |
| 4.4 (28) | | 8.4 (52) | Reid Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 1:00 PM |
| 7.3 (45) | |
3.5 (23) | Walter Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 1:00 PM |
| 5.7 (37) | | 4.4 (28) | Mack Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 3:00 PM |
| 5.4 (34) | | 4.3 (27) | Reid Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 3:00 PM |
| 0.3 (3) | | 7.7 (49) | Walter Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 3:00 PM |
| 8.9 (57) | | 2.3 (15) | Reid Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 5:30 PM |
| 9.8 (63) | | 2.3 (15) | Reid Oval | Wednesday, 3 September 7:30 PM |
Finals Round 2
| Team | Score | Team | Score | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playoff for 13th and 14th | |||||
| 2.2 (14) | | 14.5 (89) | Western Oval | Friday, 5 September 10:00 AM |
| Playoff for 9th and 10th | |||||
| 8.9 (57) | | 1.11 (17) | Ransford Oval | Friday, 5 September 10:00 AM |
| Playoff for 5th and 6th | |||||
| 12.8 (80) | | 7.7 (49) | Ransford Oval | Friday, 5 September 10:15 AM |
| Playoff for 11th and 12th | |||||
| 0.2 (2) | | 14.19 (103) | Western Oval | Friday, 5 September 11:45 AM |
| Playoff for 7th and 8th | |||||
| 14.13 (97) | | 2.4 (16) | McAlister Oval | Friday, 5 September 11:45 AM |
| Playoff for 3rd and 4th | |||||
| 5.2 (32) | | 4.9 (33) | Ransford Oval | Friday, 5 September 12:00 PM |
| Playoff for 15th and 16th | |||||
| 6.6 (42) | | 7.14 (56) | Ransford Oval | Friday, 5 September 1:45 PM |
| Grand Final | |||||
| 7.4 (46) | | 7.12 (54) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Friday, 5 September 5:30 PM |
Knockout-Chart (Final 4)
| Semi Finals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||
| A1 | | 8 | 9 | 57 | |||||||||
| D1 | | 2 | 3 | 15 | |||||||||
| WSF1 | | 7 | 4 | 46 | |||||||||
| WSF2 | | 7 | 12 | 54 | |||||||||
| B1 | | 9 | 9 | 63 | |||||||||
| C1 | | 2 | 3 | 15 | Bronze medal match | ||||||||
| LSF1 | | 5 | 2 | 32 | |||||||||
| LSF2 | | 4 | 9 | 33 | |||||||||
Individual awards
World Team
The world team was selected based on player performance in the pool rounds only. India, China, the Peace Team and Finland all missed representation in the team.
| Player | Nation | Club | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Barry | | Gulf | Half Back Flank |
| Joe Lla | | Central | Ruck Rover |
| Overa Gibson | | Gulf | Centre Half Forward |
| Stanis Susuve | | Gulf | Interchange |
| Richard Bradley | | Eastern Blues | Full-Forward |
| Andrew Crighton | | North Shore Tigers | Fullback |
| Andrew Congalton | | Takapuna Eagles | Interchange |
| Mike Finn | | Heidelberg Tigers/Caulfield Bears (VIC) | Centre Half Back |
| Ian O'Sullivan | | Leeside Lions | Forward Pocket |
| Cian Quigley | | Leeside Lions | Interchange |
| Julian Horn | | North West Province | Back Pocket |
| Thabiso Phakedi | | North West Province | Back Pocket |
| Scott Fleming | | Vancouver Cougars | Forward Pocket |
| Emmanuel Mattata | | Etibicoke Kangaroos | Ruck |
| Agir Amwano | | Tigers | Centre |
| Torio Mwareow | | Navarre Football Club | Half-forward Flank |
| Aiden Dillane | | Putney Magpies | Half-forward flank |
| Luke Matias | | Caulfield (SFL, VIC)/Nottingham | Interchange |
| Páll Tómas Finnsson | | Jylland | Wing |
| Jen Djernes | | Jylland | Interchange |
| Chris Candelaria | | Denver Bulldogs | Interchange |
| Michito Sakaki | | Waseda University | Rover |
| Fia Tootoo | | Moorabbin Kangaroos | Half Back Flank |
| Andreas Svensson | | Landskrona Bulldozers | Wing |
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| Coach: | Not Named | ||
Tournament Best & Fairest winners
| Player | Nation | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Finn | | Heidelberg Football Club |
Gallery
New Zealand's captain Andrew Congalton takes a strong mark in front of an Indian opponent
New Zealand's Richard Bradley takes a high mark against India
The USA and China contest the ruck
Canada's ruckman Manny Matata takes a kick against Sweden in round 2
Canada's Scott Fleming kicks one of eight goals against Sweden in round 2
Swedish team lines up for the national anthem before taking on Canada
A British Bulldog gets a kick away despite close checking from a Nauruan opponent in Britain's round 2 loss
Robert Dipierdomenico coach of the Peres Peace team joining with his team to sign the joint anthem
The Papua New Guinea Mosquitos line up for the national anthem before taking on the Peace Team
Samoa lines up for the national anthem before taking on Japan in round 2
Big pack mark by Ireland's Mike Finn over South Africa
Another Mike Finn special
Irish player gets a kick downfield
South African player kicks the ball against Ireland
Running shot for goal by Ireland's Mike Finn
South Africa and Ireland contest the high ball with South African attempting to spoil
Irish player takes an overhead mark
Nauruan takes a shot on goal
Peace team gets a kick away against Finland
Papua New Guinea shortly after the final siren at the MCG
Papua New Guinea celebrates winning the cup- Papua New Guinea after a lap of honour
See also
- List of Australian rules football leagues outside Australia
- Australian football around the world
- AFL Women's National Championships
References
- AFL International Cup goes to Warrnambool
- World Cup For Perth. 28 August Digby Beacham, Sunday Times, Perth
- Cup dates proposed as AFL ponders divisions
- Israelis and Palestinians to play side by side
- Warrnambool to co-host 2008 International Cup
- Plenty of issues to consider for Cup organisers
- Wolfpack hunt in big numbers from worldfootynews.com
- World Footy News – 16 teams to contest IC08, a dozen more in the wings
External links
- Official 2008 International Cup Homepage
- http://www.aussierulesinternational.com
- Long term view to IC2008 – part one article from World Footy News with predictions on 2008 results
- Long term view to IC2008 – part two article from World Footy News with predictions on 2008 results
- World Footy News International Cup homepage
- Video of Aussie Rules from YouTube
| Tournaments | |
|---|---|
| National teams (men) |
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| National teams (women) |
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