New Zealand Falcons

BACK-TO-BACK LOOMS
Kiwis look to bear fruits of AFL programs.

Australian Football has strong historical links with New Zealand, dating back to the 1890s when former VFA and VFL players headed across the Tasman in search of work.

A local league boomed so much that in 1901, there were 115 teams and NZ competed in the 1908 Jubilee Australasian Carnival at the MCG, beating NSW and Queensland. The game all but disappeared for the ensuing years, until it was revived in the 1970s, with competitions being established in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

New Zealand competed in the inaugural 1995 International Australian Football Championships in Darwin, losing the Grand Final to Papua New Guinea, with identical results in 1997 and 1999.

In November 1997, the AFL entered into a three-year licence agreement to advance the game in New Zealand by implementing the NZAFL development plan. As part of the strategy the AFL scheduled an Ansett Australia Cup match in Wellington in March 1998, with Melbourne defeating Sydney before an enthusiastic crowd of 8000 at the Basin Reserve. Further matches were played in Wellington in 2000 (Western Bulldogs versus Hawthorn) and 2001 (Brisbane Lions versus Adelaide).

In July 2001, a New Zealand under-21 team toured Australia, winning two out of its five matches, and one of those to represent New Zeland on the trip was current All Black Nic Evans. The ongoing support provided by the AFL has been imperative for the game's development in New Zealand, which faces stiff competition from the traditional rugby culture.

The year 2005 marked an important milestone for NZAFL, with the country's first victory at a major tournament, defeating Papua New Guinea at the MCG by 15 points to take out the 2005 International Cup.

The drawcard of national representation has added to the momentum of developing both under-16 and under-18 national teams in New Zealand. With the unfortunate postponement of both the Junior Barassi International Tournament and an under-18 tour by the Canberra Marists, both New Zealand junior teams were left without an itinerary for the 2008 season. It is hoped that an injection into the Australian junior system will soon provide ongoing pathways for elite player development.

New Zealand's 34-man training squad for the 2008 International Cup comprises of 17 players from Auckland, three from Wellington, 10 from Canterbury and four from Waikato.

The leadership group is composed of Andrew Congalton, who captained the team to glory in 2005, with deputies Geoff Thomas and Marcus Jones also returning from the '05 campaign.

The Falcons will boast five players now residing in Australia, with Scott McNally based at Old Melburnians, Morgan Jones the University of Queensland, Moss Doran at Warrnambool, Paul Gunning at Warnbro (Western Australia) and Matt Callaghan at South Fremantle.

The Hawthorn Football Club will host the New Zealand Falcons during its stay in Melbourne, providing first-class facilities to the side during the course of the 2008 Australian Football International Cup. One of Hawthorn's current players is New Zealand-born Trent Croad, who has certainly made an impact on the AFL landscape.

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