By Chris McAsey

There’s no questioning the commitment of every player who took the field at the 2025 Asian Championships in Chon Buri, but there were a handful of players who went above and beyond the call.

Talha Yousaf, who pulled on a jumper for the Barbarians (a composite team made up of players from several Asian countries), certainly qualifies on that score.

While Pakistan couldn’t raise the funds to send a team to the Championships this year, Talha and three mates made the trek to Thailand to represent their country.

‘We’re playing with the Barbarians to make an appearance on behalf of our country,’ Talha said. ‘We were lucky enough to get sponsorship so that four of us could come over to represent Pakistan.’

At 196 centimetres, the athletic AFL Pakistan captain was easy to spot in the ruck for the Barbarians. But it’s not just his height that stands out – it’s his commitment and passion for the game.

‘I was introduced to AFL back in 2018 by a couple of guys who took the initiative to develop AFL footy in Pakistan,’ Talha said.

‘As soon as I started playing AFL, I absolutely loved it. I used to play soccer and I just completely switched on to AFL.’

‘I like the the hard tackles and the physical aspect of the game.’

‘You just forget about everything once you’re on the field.’

Talha playing for Pakistan at the 2023 Asian Champs.

Talha led the Pakistan national team to strong performances at the inaugural AFL Asia Cup in Vietnam last December. Pakistan won two of its four pool matches but lost narrowly to eventual champion Japan (60 – 70) and runner-up Cambodia (54-58) to miss the finals.

‘Unfortunately, four of our top players couldn’t get a visa for Vietnam,” Talha explained. ‘We missed out on making the finals, but the boys who showed up did pretty well.’

Talha is a passionate advocate for AFL in Pakistan.

In a nation where Australian rules football is still developing a presence, the opportunities for international competition are hard-earned.

‘We’re growing the game, but funds are scarce,’ Talha said. ‘We try to get sponsors and help from the government.’

‘Sometimes it’s the men who can make it, sometimes the women. It’s difficult to take the whole squad.’

But resilience has been a constant since the game was introduced in Pakistan. Its rise has been steady: winning Division 3 at the Asian Championships in 2022, a competitive tilt in Division 2 in 2023, before the strong showing at AFL Asia Cup in 2024.

Off the field, Talha works as a sales manager for RDX Sports, a UK-based combat sports brand. He has travelled widely for work, and while he hasn’t made it to Australia yet, it’s on his bucket list.

‘My sister lives in Melbourne so we’ve got a good connection with Australia,’ he said. ‘I’ll definitely get out there one day to see a game at the MCG.’

After watching Talha on the field and listening to his passion for the game, I’ve no doubt we can take him at his word.