Maffra provide the NZ Falcons with an invaluable lesson

July 12 2005

From the NZAFL website

The Maffra Eagles have beaten the NZ Falcons by 70 points in a hard fought match at Manurewa on the weekend. In the first ever senior match between an Australian team and the Kiwi national side in NZ, the Maffra team were too good for a very competitive NZ team.

The match was played in wet and windy conditions for most of the afternoon with many players from both sides finding it hard to keep their feet on the slippery surface.

The NZ team started very well with Todd Danks kicking the first goal of the match. NZ seemed to get a little jump on the Maffra team who were slow to get out of the blocks. Louis McLennan was winning the ruck duels until he was forced off with a hip injury. Matt Callaghan entered and continued the ruck dominance, enabling the NZ midfield to get first hands on the ball. The statistics at the end of the match showed that the crucial centre break clearances were even between the teams.

Other NZ Players to shine in the first half were wingman Dougal Henderson, Centre Half forward Richard Bradley and half back John Mailing.

The Maffra team, regarded as the best team in the West Gippsland Latrobe Football league in recent years, stepped into top gear after their slow start and began to move the ball swiftly into their attacking 50 metre zone with precision passing. Hayden Biguel, Ben Coleman and Scott Henning were dominating at stoppages and with their quick handball policy, they were able to move the ball swiftly through traffic to the fast leading Adrian Burgiel at full forward.

The second half saw NZ make skill errors under pressure with the Maffra team making the Falcons pay with fast counter attack. Adrian Burgiel finished with 5 goals.

The NZ players were rotated frequently off the bench and into various positions throughout the afternoon.

NZAFL General Manager, Rob Malone was delighted with the entire exercise.

"The game was reasonabley predictable with the obvious difference in talent, game awareness, overall skill level and understanding of each teamates game being superior with Maffra. I thought the NZ players competed hard, particularly in the last quarter when the game was slipping away from them."

"A credit to Maffra as they travelled and presented themselves extremely well. Our boys certainly learnt from the experience and they could see that a number of things they are currently working on was ruthlessly implemented by the Eagles - this was the invaluable lesson".

"Its important to put the result into perspective. Most of the Maffra team have been playing together for a number of years and all of the team have grown up playing AFL from the age of 8 or 9. They also had two players, in the Burgiel boys who have actually played at Senior AFL clubs in Hawthorn and Richmond".

"The NZ team is full of players who have had limited years actually playing the game and it is an enormous learning curve for them all. For example, Alex Fakatoumafia only picked up a Football in November 2004 and was one of our better players against Maffra with his athletetism and build. He is only 18 and will be so much better in the next year or so".

"The NZ group were very positive about the expereince and are looking forward to playing in the International Cup in August".

Final Score:

Maffra Eagles 15.10 100

NZ Falcons 4.4 30

NZ Falcons announce 35 man squad and Team leaders

May 18 2005

From the NZAFL website

The NZ Falcons team have announced a squad of 30 players plus 5 emergencies following a recent camp in Auckland. In addition, the team leaders were selected for the upcoming AFIC in August.

The team will be captained by Takapuna Eagles (AAFL) player, Andrew Congalton. Andrew plays in numerous positions for both his club and NPC team and was a member of the successful 2004 Auckland AFL NPC Championship team. He currently plays rugby at Premier league level for East Coast Bays on the North Shore as a fullback. He has been one of the leading players in the Auckland league for a number of years and is considered one of the most accomplished Kiwi born players in the country. It will be Andrew's first International Cup campaign as he was unavailable for the tournament in 2002.

Head Coach Jim Lucy - "Andrew has been the standout leader during our build up. Not only is he a very competent player, he understands the game exceptionally well. The coaching staff are very confident he will lead the team with distinction".

The team will have two Vice Captains in Geoff Thomas and Jason Pocock.

Geoff Thomas enters his second tournament, having played for NZ in 2002. A regular in the Canterbury NPC team, Geoff is well known throughout NZ for his long career. A small, quick and very fit player, Geoff will provide that "wise head" out on the ground.

Head Coach Jim Lucy - "Geoff has been around for a while and is the most accomplished player in Canterbury. He can be used in a number of positions and has excellent leg speed and endurance. Another player who prepares himself very well. He is the most professional player in the team".

Jason Pocock plays for the strong North Shore Tigers team on Auckland's North Shore. He has only been playing the game for a few years, however has developed a reputation as a no nonsense type of player. A powerfully built key position player, he has excelled in Surf Lifesaving and Ski paddling. It will be Jason's first International Cup campaign.

Head Coach Jim Lucy - "Jason is a very handy player who demands respect from the playing group. He accepts nothing less than 100% from his teammates and pound for pound is the strongest player in the squad. Having reached the highest level in various sports, he has that experience and knowledge of what is required for sustained high level performance. No one works harder than Jason".

The 35 man squad comprises 15 Auckland players, 10 Wellington players, 7 Canterbury players and 3 Waikato players.

NZ Falcons Team

Andrew Congalton (Capt)

Geoff Thomas (V. Capt)

Jason Pocock (V. Capt)

Todd Danks (Auckland - North Shore)

Craig Ashton (Auckland - Takapuna)

James Bowden (Canterbury - Eastern Blues)

James Kerse (Wellington - Demons)

Marcus Jones (Auckland - Mt Roskill)

Caleb Stick (Auckland - North Shore)

Louie McLennan (Auckland - North Shore)

Steve Froggatt (Auckland - University)

Alex Fafatoumafi (Auckland - Manurewa)

Paul Gunning (Auckland - Manurewa)

Scott McNally (Canterbury - Eastern Blues)

Byron Roff (Wellington - Eastern Bulldogs)

Al Hunter (Wellington - Eastern Blues)

John Mailing (Auckland - Waitakere)

Guy Ferguson (Wellington - Eastern Bulldogs)

Andrew Marsden (Auckland - Waitakere)

Tristan McArley (Auckland - North Shore)

Tim Stevens (Wellington - Saints)

Matt Callaghan (Auckland - Mt Roskill)

Ryan Spooner (Waikato)

Jason Everson (Canterbury - Eastern Blues)

Richard Bradley (Canterbury - Eastern Blues)

Shaun Allison (Canterbury - Cougars)

Dougal Henderson (Waikato)

David Cory-Toussaint (Auckland - University)

Shane Wahl (Wellington - Saints)

Paul Mason (Wellington - Saints)

Emergencies

James Kusel (Wellington - Eagles)

Bevan Morris (Waikato)

Anthony James (Wellington - Eagles)

Nathan Rose (Wellington - Eagles)

Rano Leaugla (Canterbury - Cougars)

NZ Falcons to play Maffra in July

May 3 2005

The NZ Falcons will play a game against a team from the Maffra Football Club on the 9th July.

The NZ Falcons will play a game against the Country Victorian team, Maffra. Maffra Football Club (20kms north of Sale, south East Victoria) have won three Premierships in a row in the third ranked country Football competition in Victoria. The League was voted the 2004 Victorian Country Football league Club of the year.

The match will be tremendously important for the NZ team as it will provide the Falcons players with a very solid hit-out prior to the Australian Football International Carnival (AFIC) in August. In addition, it will be the first International match played by a NZ team on home soil.

The Maffra team will travel to Auckland during a bye in their home and away season. The team will be hosted by the Auckland AFL during their stay.

NZAFL General Manager, Rob Malone said he was delighted that the National team were able to play a professional outfit like the Maffra team in the lead up to the International Cup. "It is a wonderful opportunuty for our players to compete against a very highly ranked team like Maffra. It will be a great test for our boys and the game will provide the coaches and players with the opportunity to put some of the strategies we have been working on into practice. The Maffra team will be strong, very committed and match hardened. The NZ Falcons players and coaches are looking forward to the match and lets not delude ourselves, we will not get better match practice than this opportunity prior to competing against the likes of the Irish, Canadians etc".

NZ Falcons vs Maffra Football Club

Date: Saturday 9th July 2005

Venue: Auckland TBC

AFL looks to NZ for expansion

Feb 25 2005

by David Reed from the Age

The league hopes New Zealand can become a land of the long, white Australian football goal posts.

The AFL's focus on expansion has shifted to New Zealand, with community camps to be held there next year, as well as a Wizard Cup game, probably between Geelong and Melbourne.

The two clubs have been sounded out about the idea, with the Cats particularly keen as the club is popular among the burgeoning Auskick centres in NZ.

Positive strides have been made in converting predominantly expatriate playing stocks to a 50-50 split with local players.

Last year, the AFL appointed former St Kilda player Rob Malone as general manager of the NZAFL, one of five full-time staff, including three development officers.

Malone found a market, if not quite ripe, certainly revealing buds of fruit. For instance, Friday night football is somewhat of a hit, albeit on Saturday mornings when it appears on NZ television screens.

The main success has been exposing 15,000 Kiwi schoolchildren to the game in the past year. Auskick centres and structured competitions for 13 to 18-year-olds are in place in four regions - Waikato, Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury - aided by $150,000 of AFL funds.

"We need to be realistic and understand that Kiwis have not grown up with the game and it will take time," Malone said. "(But) for AFL to be considered the No. 1 alternative winter sport in NZ outside of rugby and netball in the future is not out of the question."

Malone is putting the finishing touches on his proposal to get the camps and pre-season match and while the top brass at the AFL will have the final say, Malone says it could be the first step towards playing a home-and-away match overseas.

"(A pre-season match) is quite realistic as it is only a three-and-a-half hour trip from Melbourne to Auckland or Wellington - AFL teams are currently travelling from Melbourne to Darwin and so on," he said. "Regarding future official matches, I would think the AFL would like to see more growth in the game, raw numbers. However, I think it certainly could work."

The raw numbers of players Malone refers to are stark - there are only 800 registered senior players - but he said moves to convert school players into weekend participants in a rugby union stronghold was where the battle was being fought.

"It is certainly a different environment than growing up with the code in Australia," Malone said. "The Kiwis love any type of ball sports and as there are certain similarities with rugby, they enjoy it. They certainly enjoy the physical side of the game, particularly the Samoan and Maori players.

"The 360-degree-nature of AFL also appeals to the Kiwis, with no knock-on or forward pass rules as such."

AFL football has strong historical links with NZ 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. But the interest all but disappeared until it was revived in the 1970s.

The AFL then got involved, scheduling an Ansett Cup match between Melbourne and Sydney at the Basin Reserve in 1998 followed by two more games in Wellington in 2000 and 2001.

Despite last week's glowing annual report, AFL Commission chairman Ron Evans said he wanted the game to grow faster. He cited south-east Queensland and western Sydney as the boom areas but the shift further east won't be easily dismissed.

The NZ investment is due to be reviewed next year.

Oh When the Saints... Go Marching in

Feb 24 2005

The Saints are the 2005 Wellington AFL Premiers after defeating the Bulldogs in a close contest at Sladden Park in Pentone.

Wellington Grand Final Match Report

The Wellington Saints are the Wellington AFL Premiers after defeating the Eastern Bulldogs in a tough match on Sunday.

In sunny but windy conditions, the Saints kicked with the wind in the first quarter and had most of the scoring opportunities. Both team's defences were excellent with Saints Centre Half back Tim Stevens in top form and veteran Bulldogs players Bryon Roff and John Jackson steady for the Bulldogs. Wayne Harvey provided a target up forward for the Bulldogs however at the first break the Saints held a 14 point lead.

The second quarter saw the two opposing ruckman, veteran Mike Sevrinsen (Bulldogs) and youngster Shane Wahl (Saints) continue a mighty battle at the centre contests and around the ground at stoppages. This contest was absorbing to watch with both players giving their respective team ascendancy at various times through the first half. Saints half forward Doug Somerville began to get hold of the ball across half forward with some skilful disposal. At the other end, Bulldogs danger man, Vince Serci was being well held by tagger Alex Skipkov. Stevens continued his solid form playing a loose man across half back.

Current NZ squad member Al Hunter began to get many possessions through the middle of the ground to keep the bulldogs in the game. His tackling was an absolute highlight. Colin Jones also worked hard for the Saints and continually found himself at the bottom of the packs.

Just before half time, John Jackson (Bulldogs) kicked a long team lifting goal that saw both teams locked at the main break, with the Bulldogs backline holding the Saints scoreless in the quarter.

Saints forward Gregor Kempt kicked two quick goals in succession to give the Saints a two goal lead early in the third term which proved to be an unassailable advantage.

Doug Sommerville and Colin Jones added to the scoreboard with a goal each during the third quarter.

With the wind showing no signs of letting up, the big question on everyone's mind was if the Saints three goal lead would be enough with the Bulldogs kicking with the advantage in the last quarter. The Bulldogs tried to close the gap but once again the Saints back line was very well organised with Stevens, Mason and the entire Saints backline scrambling as hard as they could.

The Saints went through the season undefeated, the only Saints team in the history of the Wellington AFL to do so - a colossal achievement. Congratulations to coach Tim Stevens and his players.

Final Score

Saints 6.8 44

Bulldogs 4.6 30

University Blues win Auckland AFL Grand Final

Dec 8 2004

The University Blues are the Auckland AFL's Premiers after beating the Mt Roskill Saints by 18 points in what most punters are describing as the best Grand Final in many years.

Auckland AFL Grand Final

University Blues 8.1.(49) d Mt Roskill Saints 4.7.(31)

In front of a healthy crowd of over 350 people, the University Blues overcame a determined Mt Roskill side in the last quarter to win it's third Premiership in succession.

The Saints got off to a solid start and were very hard at the contest which seemed to unsettle the skilful Blues team. Saints Ruckman Matt Callaghan set the tone for the day with some brilliant work in the centre square. Little

players such as Peter Boyce, Richard Ault and Ben Jansen were on top of their Blues counterparts early in the match. When the Blues did venture into their forward line, the Saints half back line stood tall, rebounding strongly. Chris Blyth started well for the Blues and was gathering plenty of uncontested ball through the middle of the ground.

The second quarter saw the Saints continue to apply colossal pressure to their much fancied opponents. Dion Nash was playing an outstanding game in defence in only his eighth game of Aussie rules. The former Black cap was almost singlehandedly keeping the Saints in the match. Veteran forward Steve Fairweather was providing a great target up forward for the Saints, leading well and kicking truly. Fairweather was harshly dealt with by a Blues player during the quarter. The end result was a free kick to a Blues player and Saints player David Kay been sent from the ground by umpire Ian Bull. This incident was pivotal in terms of the Blues gaining ascendency. The Saints should have scored, however the Blues rebounded and kicked a goal. At the other end of the ground, David Kuss was playing the game of his life on dangerous Blues forward Steve Froggatt. Blues defender David Cory-Toussaint was his teams best player in this quarter. Playing across half- back, he was simply inspirational with his attack on the ball and ability to read the play. Cory-Tossaint has an enormous future as he is athletic, tall and possesses enormous courage. Some of his marking was reminisent of the great Carlton player Ken Hunter.

The third quarter saw the Blues spring into action. Young forward James Monaghan became more invloved and in addition to setting up a few goals with some clever assists, he kicked a miraculous goal from the forward pocket. Matt Callaghan continued to underline his rapid improvement with his clever positioning across half back where he assisted Dion Nash in repelling many of the Blues forward moves. The scores were deadlocked on 31 points each at the last break.

The last quarter saw the Blues overun a gallant Saints team. Williams, Calleju, Taverner and Blyth, who had been consistent all day, stepped up a gear and ran all over their tired opponents. Two goals through a 50m penalty and a crued late tackle by a Saints player allowed the Blues to move away. The Blues never looked pack, kicking 3 goals to the Saints none in the last quarter.

One of the features of the Blues game was their accuracy in front of goals, kicking 8.1 with nine scoring shots as opposed to the Saints who had 11 scoring shots.

Todd Taverner and his team are to be congratulated for another outstanding season. The current Blues team have now won 35 games on the trot which is a great record in any league.

Peter Boyce, Greg Cairns and the Saints team proved that they are very close to the mark.With a young team that will only get better, the Saints could be set for a very strong period in their history over the coming years.

Blues midfielder, Murray Wiliams was awarded the "Wells" medal for the best player on the ground. His work rate and linking defence with attack was a feature of his game.

Reserves Grand Final - McKay Rogers Shield

North Shore Tigers 7.2(44) d Mt Roskill 1.4.(10)

Best on Ground - Ben Browne (North Shore)

The Cougars win the 2004 CAFL Grand Final

Nov 2 2004

The University of Canterbury Cougars are Premiers of the Canterbury AFL after defeating the Eastern Blues 7.11.(55) to 4.12.(36) on Saturday at QE11 Stadium, Christchurch.

The Cougars proved too strong for the Blues after a closely fought match.

In cold but clear conditions, the Blues went into the match without star forwards James Bowden and Richard Bradley. The Blues kicked with the strong wind in the opening stanza and started brilliantly with Ross McWhinnie (1 goal) and Jason Lanyon (1 goal) providing good tragets up forward. Kieran Fitzpatrick, Shaun Allison and Rano Legulau were dominating in the middle of the ground for the Cougars however this dominance could not be converted into scoreboard pressure, with the Blues holding a 20 point margin at the the first break.

The second quarter saw the Cougars bounce back into action with Fitzpatrick continuing to dominate. Pat Orchard kicked three goals in this period for the Cougars and when Joseph Hendry snapped a fantastic goal mid way through the term, the Cougars looked very strong.

The Cougars went into the main break 8 points up.

The third quarter was a tough affair with the Blues attacking the goals, creating many scorng opprotunities, however only managed to kick 8 points. The Cougars on the other hand worked the ball well into the wind and scored a great goal (as a result of a 50 m penalty).

Going into the final quarter, the Cougars held a 6 point lead.

The final stanza saw the Cougars come home strongly with the wind and add 2 goals to the Blues 1 goal. When Joe Mildenhall kicked truly at the 20 minute mark of the quarter, the game was effectively over with the Cup heading to the Cougars.

Final Score

University of Cougars 7.11.(53)

Eastern Blues 4.12.(36)

from nzafl.co.nz

NZ senior National Falcons Squad announced

Oct 5 2004

Following the recent NPC held in Christchurch, the NZ Falcons training squad was announced in preparation for the 2005 International Cup in Melbourne.

NZ Falcons coach Jim lucy said that he was excited with the initial training squad as it represented a good mix of expereinced senior players with a healthy injection of a number of quality young players. All selected players will work under the guidance of their provincial coach with the first training camp to be held in January 2005.

NZ Falcons Squad

Auckland - Todd Danks, Andrew Congalton, Caleb Stick, Morgan Jones, Craig Ashton, Paul Robinson, Tristian McArley, Louie McLennan, Matt Callighan,

Paul Gunning, Grant Conway, Kyle Wiltenberg, Jason Campbell, Steve Froggatt, James Monaghan, Jeremy Blythe, Marcus Jones, David Cory-Tossaint, Jason Pocock, Marco Di Cesare.

Wellington - Guy Ferguson, Rob Willis, Colin Jones, James Kerse, Vince Serci, Paul Mason, James Kusel, Al Hunter, Bryon Roff, John Jackson, Shane Wahl, Tim Stevens, Joe Fui, Nathan Rose, Mike Severinsen, Bruce Malcolm, Dean Ellis.

Canterbury - Geoff Thomas, Jo Mildenhall, Mike Mullins, Alban Beaumont, John Aramowicz, James Bowden, Richard Bradley, Jason Everson, Shaun Allison, Daniel O'Keefe, James Aitken, Ross McWhinnie.

Waikato - Chris Eyes, Luke Kneebone, Dougal Henderson, Ryan Lucy, Bevan Morris, Ryan Spooner, Moss Doran, Adrian Harwood.

Aussie Rules helps All Black Nic Evans

Aug 31 2004

It was a heck of a comparison, but then Nick Evans has made some job of his first Super 12 season.

Whether his form leads to an All Black trial will not be known until this month, but if Tony Brown's assessment of the young utility back is borne out, New Zealand rugby will have something to celebrate.

Brown does not make outlandish public statements, he has a measured approach to match the lengthy contribution he has given to rugby as a five-eighths in the Deep South.

So when he declared that Evans was the closest player New Zealand rugby had to compare to the Wallabies' Stephen Larkham, the judgment carried some weight.

Evans' Super 12 contribution has already created some ferment in the transfer market. Otago are keen to secure him to replace Brown, who is leaving for a contract in Japan, and North Harbour want to roll over their NPC contract with Evans.

Whatever those outcomes, the 23-year-old has produced the sort of impact others such as Royce Willis, Ron Cribb, Mark Robinson, Andrew Hore, Keven Mealamu, Danny Lee, Corey Flynn, Sione Lauaki and Mose Tuiali'i have when they shifted or were drafted away from their local franchises.

A national sevens player who first represented Harbour in 2001, Evans had a sharp NPC last season when he filled in at first five-eighths for the injured Luke McAlister.

When it came to Blues selection, Evans missed out to Orene Ai'i and Tasesa Lavea, and went into the draft-player pool where he was recruited by Highlanders coach Greg Cooper.

"We had a decent look at two or three players, it was kind of a risk analysis in a way, and Nick Evans has really vindicated our decision to take him," Cooper said.

Evans covered five-eighths and fullback, he was quick, a strong defender and goalkicker and, in an irony, replaced his former Harbour team-mate Willie Walker.

"There just looked to be a spark about Nick and we have been delighted to watch his contribution to the Highlanders where he has been a strong decision-maker and made good assessments under pressure," Cooper said.

"He has good vision for the game and his flair is being able to think quickly and under pressure. The things he achieves in a game are not luck but a product of his skill range."

Cooper agreed that any comparison of Evans with Larkham was high praise, but he liked the judgment.

Like Larkham, Evans was starting his Super 12 career at fullback but the Highlanders coach felt his long-term position would be first five-eighths where his broad base of skills would allow him to control matches.

For a while it appeared as though Evans' sporting talents would be invested in Australian Rules.

He played for the Westlake Boys High first XV in 1998 at first five-eighths when that team won the North Harbour competition. But he also dabbled in Aussie Rules after being inspired by a group talking about that sport at school assembly.

"We played it over summer and it was better than fielding at fine leg at cricket," Evans recalled.

Evans graduated to the NZ under-21 and senior Rules sides, competed against Australian state teams and was offered a trial with the Sydney Swans.

"It is some game - they say some of the guys in the centre run about half a marathon each match," he said.

"The tactical kicking is clever and I learned to drop punt and spiral better, so I put about 10m on every kick."

Although Rules intrigued Evans, he was only going to reach a certain level, while there was a chance he could make more progress in rugby.

His real advance has come this season and, after he was pitched in for his first start as fullback against the Bulls in Pretoria, Cooper has persevered.

"Nick has shown us he has a great temperament and he is able to balance praise with pressure. He has the ability to go all the way," his coach, a former All Black, said.

Evans damaged his hip last week in the dramatic win against the Waratahs but, as a qualified physiotherapist, was certain he would be in top condition for tomorrow's Eden Park rendezvous with the Blues.

"I would not want to miss this for the world," he said.

"There will be pressure to perform, I come from North Harbour but have not played for the Blues - only their development squad. Being around home this year would have been the best option, but I have loved Dunedin and the Highlanders have given me a rugby chance."

Evans had enjoyed the solidarity shown by the southern rugby public and a team culture which extracted the best from each player.

"People like Anton Oliver teach you to be your own person and that has been great. They all graft hard and much of the learning has been about life-skills and making decisions."

Nick Evans

Born: August 14, 1980, North Shore.

Height: 1.78m.

Weight: 84kg.

Representative: NZ Sevens, NZ Colts.

Super 12: Debut v Reds, Invercargill, February 20, 2004.

Tries: 4.

NPC: North Harbour.