1997 Arafura Games

The International Australian Football Championship was expanded in 1997 to include an Australian division and an International division. Teams:

Australian Division
Australian Defence Force, Northern Territory Football League, Central Desert Eagles.

International Division
Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore.

During the tournament the International Australian Football Council (IAFC) was formed by the competing countries. The IAFC was formed to promote and develop the sport internationally. The purposes and principles of the Council included:

promoting and fostering the game of Australian Football amongst its members and to other countries;
managing and coordinating international matches and tournaments;
establishing and promoting an official World Cup of Australian Football, and
gaining recognition as the International Federation of Australian Football.

1997 Results

Round 1
Hong Kong 8.12 (60) d. Singapore 5.4 (34)
Australian Defence Force 13.6 (84) d. Papua New Guinea 4.1 (25)
Central Desert Eagles 9.16 (70) d. Japan 6.4 (40)
NTFL 19.9 (123) d. New Zealand 2.3 (15)

Round 2
Hong Kong 11.2 (68) d. Central Desert Eagles 7.7 (49)
NTFL 15.10 (100) d. Australian Defence Force 2.1 (13)
Singapore 9.7 (61) d. Japan 3.2 (20)
Papua New Guinea 8.6 (54) d. New Zealand 5.7 (37)

Round 3
Australian Defence Force 18.13 (121) d. New Zealand 0.1 (1)
Central Desert Eagles 12.8 (80) d. Singapore 4.5 (29)
NTFL 21.4 (130) d. Papua New Guinea 3.4 (22)
Hong Kong 11.7 (73) d. Japan 1.4 (10)

5th v 6th
Singapore 16.9 (105) d. Japan 3.2 (20)

Semi-Finals
Papua New Guinea 18.7 (115) d. Central Desert Eagles 2.3 (15)
New Zealand 12.3 (75) d. Hong Kong 4.5 (29)

International Bronze
Hong Kong 15.5 (95) d. Central Desert Eagles 11.16 (82)

International Gold
Papua New Guinea 14.9 (93) d. New Zealand 9.6 (60)

World Team
W. Lipou, G. Isaiah, G. Koare, D. Lucas (PNG), M. Lynch, D. Warke, J. McGinley, S. Grimmer (ADF), B. Stanislaus, A. Perry, W. Worden, J. McLeod, D. Parfitt, A. Hoban (NTFL), D. McNair, S. Stasiakowski, N. Hyland (Hong Kong), B. Wongawol, D. Butler, A. Farmer (CDE), I. Francis, C. Jones, A. Hunter, J. Brann (NZ), T. Boatman, W. Barker (Singapore), K. Takagi, S. Sibraa (Japan)