15th August, 2008


This occasion marks another historic milestone in the ongoing development of footyWILD in South Africa as five young footyWILD players have been invited to play with the Swan Districts Football Club in Australia in the lead up to the 2008 AFL International Cup in Melbourne later this month.

Bayanda Sobetwa from the Western Cape Magpies joins North West Dockers players Steven Matshane, Steven Malinga, Thabiso Phakedi and Tshepiso Mogapi in Perth, Western Australia for what promises to be a remarkable experience and the fulfiment of what must surely be a dream for many footyWILD players in South Africa. Each lucky player was selected as a result of strong performances in the recent AFL South Africa footyWILD National Championships held in Potchefstroom in July 2008.

The five South African youngsters will be spending two weeks playing Aussie Rules with Western Australian Football League (WAFL) with State League Club Swan Districts �?? as part of the ongoing preparations for the SA Lion�??s tilt at the 2008 AFL International Cup.

Bayanda Sobetwa, a talented young football from the Khayelitsha township in Cape Town said of his opportunity to travel to Australia for the first time �??I am so excited to be chosen to represent South Africa at the International Cup. I am even more excited to have the chance to play with Swan Districts in the WAFL at a much higher level, not to mention the chance to meet some of the Fremantle FC players and see them in a real, live AFL game. There is so much I am looking forward to in the coming weeks �?? it�??s so exciting to go overseas for the first time ever, but playing alongside my South African team mates in Melbourne will definitely be the highlight�??.

In addition to match experience (the boys will play at least two games for the Swans), the boys will train twice a day, going through a range of skill and fitness sessions, including �??game review�?? utilising the club�??s video analysis systems. The players will also get to watch Fremantle FC play St. Kilda FC in their home game at Subiaco Oval this weekend and even spend some time soaking up the atmosphere in the change rooms before and after the game. To top off the whole experience they will spend some time visiting local primary schools to help conduct school coaching clinics with Swan Districts Development staff.

"This is an amazing opportunity for the cream of our young players to play the Aussie game at a much higher level whilst learning from professional development coaches in Perth. We are hoping the boys will take the opportunity with both hands and soak up as much knowledge as they can. This brief taste of Australia could open the way for similar opportunities in the future for more South Africans", said AFLSA Operations Manager Joel Kelly.

Mr. Brendan Parker, General Manager Football Operations at the Swan Districts Football Club was invited by the AFL to travel to the recent footyWILD National Championships in the North West Province and said of the experience �??I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Potchefstroom. It was a great opportunity to witness first hand what footy in South Africa is all about. It was a pure joy to witness the sheer enthusiasm for the game �?? it really reminded me of being a young kid playing footy all over again!�?�

While at the National Championships, Brendan had the opportunity to watch footyWILD players in action across the four days of the Championships, provide advice and input into the SA Lions team selection and take part in the National Talent Camp. Mr. Parker said, �??I had the chance to take the newly selected team through a series of skills, drills and tests as well as various sessions on team building. Bringing players from across the country together �?? traditionally passionate rivals on the footy field �?? required a determined re-focus to instill a strong and proud team culture in those lucky enough to be chosen to represent South Africa�?�

�??I had a lump in my throat at times when individual players got up in front of their peers and told of what is meant to be able to pull on the South African team guernsey�?�

Back in Australia after the footyWILD National Championships, Mr. Parker organised the two weeks of activities for the talented young South African players, a valuable experience which will contribute significantly to their growth as young football players, as role models and as young people.

�??It was such a hard decision to choose only five boys to come and play, when it could have easily been ten. The five ultimately chosen are well developed athletically, possess good hand-eye coordination and a skill level that is advanced enough at this early stage in their careers to see them go on to playing at a higher level in Australia. But it was their willingness to soak up as much information as possible and their real passion for the game that helped me make my final decision. I feel very luck to be able to provide them with this opportunity�?�, said Parker.

Leading into the 2008 AFL International Cup, SA Lions International Cup Head Coach Jason McCartney is extremely positive about how these experiences will contribute to the SA Lions as a team. �??footyWILD in South Africa has had an incredibly exciting year of growth and development and this unique experience for five South African Lions to spend time with a State League side will round out what has been a near perfect preparation for the team,�?� said MCartney.

�??As one of the coaching staff, I couldn�??t be happier with the work that has taken place over the last couple of months. These experiences will not only provide a positive benefit for the individuals concerned with regards to match conditioning, but also provide an excellent learning opportunity, which can be transferred across the group�?�, said Jason.

About footyWILD and AFL South Africa

footyWILD is a breathtaking sport that combines the sublime kicking skills of soccer, the powerful tackling of rugby, the speed and agility of athletics and the aerial grace of basketball. Based on Australian Rules Football (AFL), footyWILD attracts some 8,000 participants nationally with growth underpinned by a quality participation model extending from an introductory skills program for boys and girls through to Regional, Provincial and National competitions, International Tours, national workshops and talent camps.