By Rob Spurr
Dyna Kuy is pacing the boundary line nervously in anticipation of the upcoming men’s final.
It’s been another brutal morning of footy and his Cambodian Eagles have outlasted a classy Indonesian outfit under a baking Saigon sun to qualify for the big dance. As a sign of confidence, he flashes a smile and points to the Eagles tattoo that was inked in hometown Phnom Penh where he works in the hospitality sector.
His opposition across the field includes baby faced Haruto Watanabe, a pacy midfielder from Kanagawa, Japan. Haruto was selected for the national Samurais following some strong form with the Senshu Powers University team, one of the four locally run AFL clubs in Japan.
Dyna and Haruto are two of more than 300 local players striving to get their hands on the foundation Asia Cup at the Thang Long Sports Centre, a hair-raising forty-minute commute from central HCMC.
Twenty countries play footy in the region and ten have sent teams to the first regional event comprising solely of national players.
The tournament is a hands-on affair with the AFL’s Queensland and International head, Trisha Squires and her team overseeing an airtight fixture under modified rules.
The organising committee has worked hard to overcome a challenging lead up. Permitting issues, goal post manufacture, player visas and umpire scheduling have created an overlay of complexity largely unknown in an Australia context. On the ground, the three-day format has become a test of endurance and depth for all countries competing across the men’s and women’s divisions.
As the Japanese and Cambodian men commence their warm-ups, the women from Thailand celebrate a thumping boilover win in the AFLW final against the tenacious Cambodian Apsaras.
The Thailand Serpents are led to victory by their inspirational captain Nongcran Saunders, who at age fifty, had her world opened to AFL through the exploits of her gifted son Mani, a stand-out in the men’s Division. Still only 18, Mani has the ability to both crash packs and damage teams on the outside with a beautiful right leg.
Other competing countries watch the finals exhausted from the shade of their marquees, proudly draped with national flags.
In the back corner of Oval 1, it’s not hard to spot team Laos in their sparkling pink jerseys. Onphanmany “Lucky” Vilaylack started playing footy twelve years ago with the expat Aussies at the Sepon Gold mine in the country’s south before continuing his career in the capital Vientiane. The Laotions and tournament hosts Vietnam finish down the men’s division table this year but the “local derby” style intensity displayed in their qualifying match was one of the tournament highlights.
The Pakistani men’s team includes the imposing figure of Ahmad Arif, a quietly spoken ruckman from the Islamabad Rovers whose passion and humility make him both a popular teammate and competitor. Pakistan’s participation at the 2022 Asian Championships in Thailand turned Ahmad and his teammates into minor TV celebrities at home. The national team now includes players from seven AFL clubs across Pakistan.
Their southern neighbours from India are the wildcard entrant for many and played an attacking brand throughout. Key to their success was the centre bounce clearance work of Prakash, a product of the Jharkand Crows, India’s 2023 national champions. Prakash was recruited from volleyball where his vertical leap and unique thumping “spikes” often result in the Sherrin landing in India’s forward line without unnecessary midfield intervention.
China and Hong Kong, China field complementary teams with China also bringing a fledgling women’s outfit. Stocky ball magnet Lin “Whisker” Dianyu from the Guangzhou Scorpions was introduced to AFL through Port Power’s China foray and hasn’t looked back. His non-compromising approach and strong body make him an imposing force throughout.
Players from clubs across Jakarta, Bali and Borneo combine to represent Indonesia. Nabila Putri from Jakarta Timur is being comforted by teammate Dini Septiawati after popping a shoulder in an earlier game. Both are relatively new to the game and have loved the opportunity to compete for a country where competitive women’s sport hasn’t typically been prioritised.
Their classy countryman Michael Latupeirrissa is a veteran of the men’s competition now after first attending the International Cup in Melbourne in 2014. Michael was seduced by AFL via an Indonesian AUSAID coaching program more than 15 years ago and is one of the stronger players overhead over the three days.
As the men’s final kicks off, all participants stand to embrace the sonorous national anthems of Japan and Cambodia. It’s been a long few days in the draining humidity and the ceremony provides a welcomed opportunity to take a breath and fully absorb the improbable nature of the moment.
With professional AFL umpire Andy Adair bouncing the pill to get proceedings underway, Haruto’s Japanese team establish some early supremacy and then pull away to win easily against the brave Cambodians. The Japanese have played with a unique flair throughout the tournament and deserve their humbly accepted silverware.
Michael, “Whisker”, Prakash and Mani are later named in the All-Asian men’s team. With even a cursory glance at the representative squads as they beam for their group photos, it would seem inevitable that AFL club scouts will soon follow the lead of other aspirational global sports and make the trip north in search of their next point of difference.
The All-Asia Women’s Team
With nearly half of the world’s population perched on Australia’s doorstop, the rewards will be great for those clubs prepared to leverage the existing footprint and invest patiently into such a gargantuan gene pool. The trick is, as always, to dip the toes in and find a way to get started.
Meantime, under the boiling marquees and across twenty Asian countries watching the action via the AFL live-feed, planning has already begun for an assault on Asia Cup 2.
Rob Spurr is an AFL Asia Advisory Board member.
