Thread: The Asia Champs 2007 - Aussie Rules

mate, i tell ya, i'm getting fired up this!

just been reading thru the teamlists... Bedford coming back? U beauty !

i'm sure they dont mind me ripping this content...

here if u want the linky

Update 11th June 2007

Previous Updates

The first official press release for the Asian Australian Football Championships 2007 was issued today:

BANGKOK HOSTS AUSTRALIAN SPORT EXTRAVAGANZA
An action-packed weekend not to be missed
For Immediate Release
BANGKOK - Asia’s biggest-ever Australian rules football tournament has been confirmed for Thailand in July as the sport continues to expand in the region with competition for the trophy sure to be intense through Singapore attempting a three-peat.
Ten teams from China, Dubai, Hong Kong, Indonesia (two teams – Bali and Jakarta) Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and of course Thailand will compete for the coveted Asian Australian Rules Football Championship at the Patana International School on Saturday July 14.
Dubai and Vietnam will be making their debuts in the tournament this year, with Dubai tipped to give regional powerhouses Bali, Hong Kong Jakarta and Singapore a real push in the tournament.
Home team, the Thailand Tigers, also have the advantage of not travelling and will have a full squad to select from who have been in full training under the watchful eye of coach and former Fitzroy star Geoff Everett.
In what will be a super weekend for Australian sports fans, the Socceroos international soccer team play Iraq in Bangkok on Friday July 13 and Thailand on Monday July 16 in the group stages of the soccer Asian Cup Championship.
The Thailand Tigers have extended an invitation to the Socceroos and their travelling supporters to the Australian rules tournament where the Australian Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Mr. William Paterson will preside over the day.
Thailand Tigers Organising Committee Chairman, Stephen Richards, said logistics planning for the event commenced in January and the response to the annual tournament has been so over whelming, organisers are claiming the international tournament may be the largest of its kind outside Australia.
“We are saying this will be Asia’s largest Australian football tournament ever because we know it is, but a lot of the teams involved think this might be the biggest international carnival outside Australia, which would make this event the biggest of its kind in the world,” Richards said.
“They have some pretty competitive leagues around the world particularly in Europe and North America, but we will have ten teams from different countries all together playing on the one day and through the Australian footy international grapevine we have not been able to come up with an event that will outmatch this in terms of the number of teams playing.”

Tournament details:DownUnder Sports BistroAsian Australian Football Championships 2007 Date:14 July 2007 Venue:Bangkok Patana School
2/38 Soi La Salle, Sukhumwit 105
Bangkok, 10260
Map to Bangkok Patana School
Information:Stephen Richards at asianchampionships@thailand-tigers.com
Jeff Wright at secretary@thailand-tigers.com


Previous Updates 17 May 2007 Final Line Up of Participating Teams Announced 2 May 2007 Asian Australian Football Championship Official Logo Launched

Hong Kong Dragons capture title with thrilling win

ALAN PARKHOUSE

The Hong Kong Dragons hung on to win their first Asian Australian Football Championships in a thrilling grand final at the Patana School grounds in Bangkok yesterday.

The Dragons won a nail-biting grand final which went into extra time against the Bali Geckos in a match that had the noisy crowd of more than 1,000 on the edge of their seats.

It was a fitting finale to the biggest Australian Rules football tournament ever held outside Australia, which saw 10 teams from Asia and the Middle East in action on the plush grounds of the Patana School grounds in suburban Bangkok, trying to kick goals and behinds through the bamboo goalposts.


Members of the Hong Kong Dragons team celebrate their victory at Patana School yesterday.

The one-day tournament featured non-stop action from 8.30am yesterday morning and finished with the nail-biting grand final late in the afternoon.

Australian Rules players are known to give their all once the action starts and yesterday's tournament was no different, with three players being sent off during the afternoon for fighting.

In the lead-up to the grand final, both the Hong Kong and Bali sides clocked up four wins each from four games to go through to the final, while pre-tournament favourites and tournament hosts the Thailand Tigers fell short with only one win from their four pool games.

The experienced Hong Kong side, who had won this tournament in the past, were tipped to take the honours again, but the boys from Bali, who had finished as runners-up in the past, really gave them a run for their money.

The grand final was played in two 20 minute halves and was a tight game right from the tap-off and after 17 minutes of the first half Hong Kong had a narrow three point lead. At half-time the score was 21-19 in Hong Kong's favour.

As the full time siren approached Bali kicked a behind to level the score and take the match into extra time. Two five minute halves of extra time were then played.

After the extra 10 minutes, with the crowd cheering loudly for the popular Bali side, the Hong Kong boys scored a scrappy goal with two minutes to go, followed by another behind on the siren to take a well-deserved 43-34 victory.

Australian Ambassador William Bill Paterson presented the trophies to the winning players and teams and popular Melbourne band the Fauves entertained the big crowd well into the evening.

Bangkok Post : Sports news

mate, other than the fact he is not there, he is loving it! honky boys are good boys!

The 'tangs did ok also!

Originally Posted by mrT

honky boys are good boys!

Not the same as the rugby crowd then. Bunch of gobby tosspots they are.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by mrT

honky boys are good boys!

Not the same as the rugby crowd then. Bunch of gobby tosspots they are.

ok ok - maybe i should rephrase that, i get on well with the honkies cos i'm much da same as dem!