The best 50 Asian-born footballers will relish the opportunity to play on the big stage during this weekend’s curtain closer clash following the Port Adelaide and St. Kilda game. The Team AFL China Dragons will be looking to build on their previous successes in the annual clash, having beaten the AFL Asia Lions during their previous two encounters.
Team AFL Chia Dragons
The local China Dragons will have Darren Stuart at the helm as coach and will be well led by newly appointed captain Lin Dian Yu (Guangzhou Scorpions), who has taken over the reins from long-standing leader and defensive stalwart Zhanghao. The well oiled Team AFL China Dragons have played together for a substantial period of time, have match winners all over the field and play with an enormous amount of team spirit and self-belief.
The match will, as always be a hotly contested affair. Can the Asian Lions team come together to win their first ever encounter or will the AFL China Dragons hold them off again?
AFL Asia Lions
1993 Essendon premiership player and former Collingwood and North Melbourne star Rick Olarenshaw will coach the AFL Asia Lions after leading the Indonesian Volcanoes to the ultimate glory of Asian footy by winning the AFL Asia 2018 Asian Championships. The AFL Asia Lions are a well balanced side littered with talent and will be led by exciting Philippine Eagles utility Evan Spargo and Japanese veteran Michito Sakaki, who was awarded the AFL IC17 Division 2 MVP.
Emerging AFL Asia Talent on Show
The game will also feature two of AFL Asia’s Rising Star Award recipients in Liu Rong (Team AFL China Dragons & 2018 Guangzhou Scorpions Best & Fairest) and 17 year old sensation Tyler York (Thailand Tigers).
The curtain closer promises to be an entertaining affair and will be an absolute arm-wrestle right until the final siren!
