World Footy News

The AFLNZ Under 20 Championships were held for the second time on the weekend of March 13th and 14th in Wellington at Hutt Park, with the Under 20 teams from Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington, as well as the New Zealand Hawks Under 16 team taking part.

The final saw the Canterbury Cobras triumphant, running out 20-point victors over Auckland.

The new facilities at Hutt Park provided the teams with a fantastic surface and amenities, care of Hutt City Council and Stop Out Football Club, and the Wellington AFL will look to discuss further the opportunity to utilize the facility as their new home ground for the upcoming 2010 season commencing in September.

Once again, Hawthorn Football Club provided a presence with both Chris Pelchen, General Manager of Player Personnel and Strategy and Graham Wright, East Coast Recruiting Manager in attendance for the weekend.

All teams competed in a round robin schedule of three games per team, consisting of two 25-minute halves, followed by a play-off for third and fourth positions and a grand final to determine the eventual winners.

At the end of the round robin, Canterbury were undefeated and Auckland with a single loss to the Canterbury team. Wellington and the New Zealand Under 16’s were left to battle for minor honours.

The Grand Final was played out between reigning champions Auckland coached by New Zealand International Cup representative James Monaghan and rising star Canterbury coached by David De Cuevas. The Canterbury unit ran out winners and were easily the best performing team on the weekend, with Canterbury 6.16 (52) defeating Auckland 4.4 (32).

The talent on display certainly assisted New Zealand Under 20 coach Lachlan Keating, naming a squad of 47 players in preparation for scheduled matches against the Victorian Amateur Football Association at Westminster Park Park Christchurch in October 2010. The team will train in conjunction with the Senior and Under 16 teams also scheduled to participate in tournaments later this year.

Hawthorn recruiter, and former Collingwood wingman, Graham Wright mentioned in his address to players on the Saturday evening function that the standard had doubled from last year’s inaugural event. This was also evident in the ever improving coaching and management structure of the competing teams.

The player pool is increasing and with the current Under 16 players now looking to be distributed to provincial Under 20 teams, an increase in playing ability is likely to continue.

Kurt Heatherley, New Zealand’s first International Scholarship, continued to impress by winning the tournament Best and Fairest on count back from current New Zealand Under 20’s captain Andriu Sucu, a great achievement playing against opposition five years senior to himself.

The Wellington AFL, and in particular Tournament organisers Byron Mabbett and Margaret Lavery, should be commended for their efforts in producing a fantastic venue and event. Congratulations to all involved yet again.

Game 1 - Auckland vs Wellington

Auckland	9.14 (68)
Wellington	6.2 (38)

Goal Kickers:
Auckland: Williams 3, Simons, Sucu, Gore, McCarthy, Young, Woods
Wellington: Shrivers 2, Wood, Geale, Carson

Best Player Votes: 4-Sucu, 3-Annand, 2-Young, 1-Griebenauw

Game 2 - Canterbury vs NZ U16s

Canterbury	13.10 (88)
NZ U16s	0.3 (3)

Goal Kickers:
Canterbury: Swift 3, Baker 2, Howison 2, Roughan 2, Crighton, Morel, Clarke, Church.
NZ under16: -

Best Player Votes: 4-Clarke, 3-Sky Thomson, 2-Heatherley, 1-Crighton

Game 3 Wellington vs Under 16’s

Wellington	6.2 (38)
NZ U16s	4.7 (31)

Goal Kickers:
Wellington: Annand 3, Griebenauw, Willis
NZ U16: Harding 2, Fusitu’a, Maio

Best Player Votes: 4-Heatherley, 3-Shrivers, 2-Panui-Leth, 1-Hartman

Game 4 Canterbury vs Auckland

Canterbury	8.10 (58)
Auckland	5.4 (34)

Goal Kickers:
Canterbury: Talaepa, Stevenson, Clarke, Sky-Thomson, Roughan, Kingan
Auckland: Large, Young, Woods, Hope, Simons

Best Player Votes: 4- Crighton, 3-Morel, 2-Sucu, 1-Gore

Game 5 Wellington vs Canterbury

Wellington	2.3 (15)
Canterbury	8.7 (49)

Goal Kickers:
Canterbury: Stephenson 4, Clarke 3, Satterthwaite
Wellington: Annand, Willis

Best Player Votes: 4-Clarke, 3-Howison, 2-Annand, 1-Crighton

Game 6 Auckland vs NZ U16s

Auckland	10.10 (70)
NZ U16s	3.4 (22)

Goal Kickers:
Auckland: Kapene Belcher 3, Large 2 Young, Gregson, Deegan Woods, Hope
NZ U16: Maio, King, Tuitupou.

Best Player Votes: 4-Heatherley, 3-Sucu, 2-Tuitupou, 1-Woods

Game 7 NZU16s vs Wellington (3v4)

NZ U16s	9.4 (58)
Wellington	11.4 (70)

Goal Kickers:
NZ U16: Fusitu’a 4, Tatupu, Panui-Leth, Gavet, Sucu, Maio
Wellington: Sherring 3, Annand 2, Geale 2, Willis 2, Lavery, Griebenauw

Best Player Votes: 4-A.Crighton, 3-Cleave, 2-Hartman, 1-Grienbenauw

Game 8 Canterbury vs Auckland (Grand Final)

Canterbury	5.15 (45)
Auckland	5.4 (34)

Goal Kickers:
Canterbury: Baker 2, Clarke, Howison, Satterthwaite
Auckland: Williams 4, Deegan

Best Player Votes: 4-Church, 3-Woods, 2-Howison, 1-Sucu

Best and Fairest Players:

Under 16 New Zealand Hawks - David Fusitua
Wellington - Hayden Schrivers
Auckland - Tom Woods
Canterbury - Andrew Howison

Leading Goal Kicker - Carl Williams

Tournament Best and Fairest - Kurt Heatherley

Most Determined - Justin Clarke

New Zealand Under 20s Squad

Liam Ackland, Luke Deegan, Robbie Gore, Michael Gregson, Kiwi Kapene-Becher, Zach Large, Adam Rice, James Simon, Andriu Sucu, Matt Turner, Carl Williams, Tom Woods, Tamati Young (Auckland), Daniel Annand, James Ferrari, Brendan Garrick, Harley Geale, Matthew George, Troy Lavery, Sam Sherring, Hayden Shrivers, Michael Willis (Wellington), Adam Baker, Sam Blackler, Ethan Church, Justin Clark, Matthew Crighton, Ethan Hardiing, Mitchell Harding, Andrew Howison, Ryan Marshall, Chris Morel, Tom Satterthwaite, James Stevenson, Brendon Swift, Nile Talaepa, Stephan Van Gruting, Zac Williams (Canterbury), Ludwig Hope (Waikato), Brody Cleave, Ben Fisher, David Fusitu’a, Vandyn Hartman, Kurt Heatherley, Zachary Maio, Rhys Panui-Leth, Domenic Purdie-Timoteo, Shem Tatupu, Sam Tuitupou (NZ U16s)