World XIII to compete in AFL Under-16 Championships
- 2009-11-05 08:15:00
THE AFL is poised to ramp up its international development program by adding a World XVIII team to its elite junior program.
From next season, a team comprising the best teenage prospects from outside Australia will play in the national under-16 championships.
The World XVIII will compete in division two of the July titles, under the noses of AFL club scouts. The 2010 event will be held in Sydney from 3rd – 10th July.
The players, who will be aged up to 18 owing to their inexperience compared to Australian-born players, will also take part in a five-day high performance camp to hasten their development while in the country.
The squad of 25 will include about 15 players from Papua New Guinea, South Africa and New Zealand. The remainder will come from Ireland, Japan, Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, Canada, the US and Europe.
Aussie Rules UK has spoken to the AFL about the inclusion of a young English player in the World XVIII. Lewis Brackstone, 16, has been playing the game for 4 years, graduating from the Aussie Rules Schools program to the GB Bulldogs junior team that toured Australia last year. This year he was part of the West London Wildcats team that won the AFL London premiership, and was also a member of the England Dragonslayers team that won the EU Cup in Croatia.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou heralded the concept as a major step in casting the AFL recruiting net wider. "This is the most significant step in the AFL's international development plans," Demetriou said. "There are some genuine opportunities we are seeking to pursue.
"Karmichael Hunt was born in New Zealand, Mal Michael came from PNG and we have more than 15,000 young players in South Africa."
Only international-born players, who have been living outside Australia for at least three years, will be eligible for selection. If successful, a World XVIII could also take part in the national under-18 championships.
The AFL has already invested in logo and jumper designs for the team and sees the concept as its most significant step into international recruiting.
AFL general manager of game development David Matthews said overseas recruiting would gain momentum with the introduction of the international rookie scheme. "With this expansion phase there will be 80 new jobs created ... why not look at international talent?," Matthews said.
The World XVIII will compete against Queensland, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and NSW/ACT.