Arafura Games

The Australian football section of the Arafura Games in Darwin has been held in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005  and 2007 (the Games were not held in 2003).

Competing international teams have included Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Samoa and Nauru.

Arafura has never been successful in attracting teams from outside the Asia-Pacific Region, and it is for this reason that the IAFC decided to stage the inaugural International Cup in Melbourne.

However, Arafura can still be of immense value, particularly to the Asia-Pacific region. This was demonstrated by Samoa in 1999. It was their first tournament and the media exposure they generated was enormous. More importantly, it provided a real 'carrot' or incentive for the players to strive towards and was a real boost to Australian football in Samoa.

The future of Australian football at the Arafura Games remains undecided. One option is that the Arafura Games could be remodelled as the centrepiece of an Asia-Pacific Development Program, aiming to ensure the participation of new nations that have recently taken up the sport, such as India and China.

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