Four AFL Vanuatu Professional Players to Talent Camp in Australia

The Talent Camp will feature professional AFL players across the pacific to go to training camp in Gold Coast in Queensland Australia to be part of the talent pathway for AFL in the South Pacific.

With assistance from AFL Queensland the players at the camp will play games against Academy teams from AFL clubs Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns with talent scouts there to assess the talents on display.

The training camp is also funded by the Australian Government’s Pacific Australian Sports Program.

The boys’ competition will be held on from March 2 to 6 while the girls’ competitions will run March 8 to 13.

Representing Vanuatu among other professional players from PNG, Fiji, and Nauru would be Naviti Friman, Patricia Salili, Miaka Kieron Kapea, and Rawo Malnaim Viona. Each participant is impressed with the talents and determination needed to succeed in footy and as such will be able to take part in high-performance coaching, training, and education for four days. The players will be accompanied by Development Manager ,Nancy Patterson, and local coaches Ryan Bonga, Lenty Tevi, and Jesta Toka she has been invited to part of the training camp a few years ago with a professional club in Australia, the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

AFL Vanuatu acknowledged the Carbine Club Vanuatu and its current president, Glen Craig who is the main sponsor behind their trip to Australia.

Craig said it was the first time that the club has provided this support to AFL Vanuatu with vt480,160 cheque.

According to Craig, he is incredibly impressed by the raw talent and athleticism displayed by the sportsmen and women chosen, and that club officials taking part to also increase their coaching skills and knowledge bodes well for the future of the sport in Vanuatu.

While AFL Vanuatu just open its doors last month, the selected participants are ongoing training sessions awaiting for the upcoming competitions next month in Australia.