Asian Australian Football Championships

The Asian Australian Football Championships, also known as the AFL Asian Championships or Asian Champs is an annual tournament of Australian rules football between AFL Asia[1] member clubs. Australian Rules Football has been played in the tournament.

History
Hong Kong Dragons after winning the 2007 Asian Australian Football Championships

The Asian Australian Football Championships were first held in 2000, although a precursor tournament named the Four Nations Cup was held in Bangkok, Thailand in 1999. The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Australian football calendar and is challenged by teams from over a dozen Asian countries.

The tournament is played over one day with all teams playing shortened games between 20 and 24 minutes duration, with reduced numbers and smaller field sizes. In 2015 the tournament was expanded to two divisions, with a 16-a-side first division and a 12-a-side second division. In 2018 the tournament also included a women's division, with a record 21 teams from 13 countries competing.

Teams that have competed include the Hong Kong Dragons, Singapore Wombats, Bali Geckos, Brunei Sharks, China Blues, China Reds, Japan Goannas, Philippine Eagles, Indonesian Bintangs/Volcanoes (as a combined Jakarta and Bali side), Jakarta Bintangs, Thailand Tigers, Vietnam Swans, Malaysian Warriors, Dubai Heat, Cambodian Eagles, Lao Elephants, Myanmar Fighting Cocks, PNG Muruks and Macau Lightning.

There was an offer in 2005 to make the championships part of the Arafura Games, in Darwin, Australia, but this was turned down by Asian clubs.

While traditionally the tournament has been dominated by expat-Australian players, local players are becoming more prominent with 40 local players from China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam competing in an East Asia vs South East Asia local player exhibition game in 2015.[2] In 2016 an All-Asian Cup was held the day before the Asian Championships with three all-local player teams. In 2017 a local player quota of 2-players per team was introduced.

Tournament statistics
Year Venue Champions Women's Champions Div 2 Champions All-Asia Cup Winners* Div 2 Plate Winners Junior Champions
1999 Bangkok, Thailand Singapore Wombats - - - - -
2000 Jakarta, Indonesia Indonesian Bintangs - - - - -
2001 Bangkok, Thailand Singapore Wombats - - - - -
2002 Singapore Indonesian Bintangs - - - - -
2003 Hong Kong Hong Kong Dragons - - - - -
2004 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Hong Kong Dragons - - - - -
2005 Manila, the Philippines Singapore Wombats - - - - -
2006 Jakarta, Indonesia Singapore Wombats - - - - -
2007 Bangkok, Thailand Hong Kong Dragons - - - - -
2008 Singapore Dubai Heat - - - - Jakarta Bulldogs[3]
2009 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Dubai Heat - - - - Jakarta Bulldogs[4]
2010 Shanghai, China Dubai Heat - - - - -
2011 Bangkok, Thailand Singapore Wombats - - - - -
2012 Pattaya, Thailand Hong Kong Dragons - - - - -
2013 Pattaya, Thailand Hong Kong Dragons - - - - -
2014 Angeles City, Philippines Singapore Wombats [5] - - - - -
2015 Bangkok, Thailand Hong Kong Dragons [6] - Lao Elephants - - -
2016 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Philippine Eagles [7] - Bali Geckos Indonesia Garudas - -
2017 Manila, Philippines Malaysian Warriors - Bali Geckos China Dragons - -
2018 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Indonesian Volcanoes Vietnam Swans PNG Maruks China Dragons China Reds -
2019 Pattaya, Thailand PNG Maruks[8] Malaysian Warriors Vietnam Swans - - -
  • All-Asia Cup - 2016: All-local player tournament played between Indonesia, China and Indo-China, 2017 and 2018: China vs AFL Asia Lions all-local player match played at the Shanghai AFL game.

See also

References
  1. http://www.afl-asia.com
  2. http://www.afl-asia.com/hk_win_asianchamps2015/
  3. "Under 16s Asian Championships - Bulldogs maul Wombats, slay Dragons and club Cubs - World Footy News". www.worldfootynews.com. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  4. "2009 Asian Championships - Full Results - World Footy News". www.worldfootynews.com. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  5. http://www.afl-asia.com/singapore-wombats-win-2014-asian-championships/
  6. http://www.afl-asia.com/hk_win_asianchamps2015/
  7. http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20161019150245952
  8. "Awards & Champions of Asia -". 10 September 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
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