Canada
Team Profile: Canada Northwind
Country snapshot
CANADA – 'O, Canada' – is in northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic oceans. It is the world's second largest country (Russia is the largest), and 23 per cent of its 33 million people are of French origin. Canada's largest city is Toronto but its capital is Ottawa, in the central province of Ontario.
Canada's official sports are ice-hockey (winter) and lacrosse (summer). The high proportion of Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Indians, particularly in Toronto, are helping to establish cricket as the nation's fastest growing sport.
Famous for: Degrassi Junior High, maple syrup, Rocky Mountains, Mike Myers, Pamela Anderson, Keanu Reeves, Celine Dion, Jim Carrey, bison, beavers, mounted moose heads, mounted police.
Australian football history
AFL Canada was established in May, 1989, when two clubs formed and played in Toronto, Ontario, for the inaugural Conacher Cup. The award is named after Canada's greatest all-round athlete, Lionel Conacher – a 1920s champion in Canadian football, ice-hockey, lacrosse, baseball, boxing and wrestling, who later went into politics.
Australian football in Canada has expanded to include 17 clubs (including a 10-team league in Ontario), a junior development program comprising 14 teams, and a national side.
The Canadian Northwind team is selected from the best Canadian-born players from clubs across the country to play in international tournaments and exhibition matches.
National jumper
White with a red maple leaf.
Canada's Mr Football
Mike McFarlane – excuse the pun – got the ball rolling for Australian football development in Canada, establishing the North Delta Junior Football League, the only one of its kind in North America.
McFarlane played footy in Australia with the Port Melbourne Colts in the early '80s and returned to the sport to play with the Vancouver Cougars 10 years later. He played with the Northwind for two years before becoming assistant coach, travelling to Melbourne for the 2005 International Cup. He is now president of the North Delta Junior Football League and a Northwind scout.
Thanks to McFarlane, Canada has developed a relationship with the Sydney Swans, enabling Canadian players Scott Fleming and George Dimacakos to train with the Swans on a 2005 trip to Los Angeles.
Eighteen-year-old Fleming has since accepted a scholarship with Gold Coast side the Broadbeach Cats, playing in this season's AFL Queensland competition.
Secret weapon
Coach Mark "Flash" Block is a fantastic motivator. Block has had a successful playing career with the Toronto Eagles, winning nine premierships, and captaining the side for six years. He won the league best and fairest twice.
Most of the squad is more than 182cm tall, which could present problems for shorter sides like Papua New Guinea.
Then there's Fleming, who will have spent virtually a season training and playing with Broadbeach, learning the ins-and-outs of being a key position forward.
Canadians are naturals at footy because:
* They are not afraid. Coming from ice-hockey and gridiron backgrounds, they're used to taking a hit or two.
* They're sponges. So keen to learn, the juniors have even set up an 'Ask Ed Barlow' function on their website, giving direct access to the Sydney Swan who has agreed to answer their footy questions online.
