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.

The tournament is considered the pinnacle of Asian Australian football calendar and is challenged by a growing number of teams from over a dozen Asian countries. 21 teams from 13 countries competed in 2018.

Format

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 each division, each team plays each other once then there is a knock-out finals series including Semi-Finals, Preliminary Final and Grand Final.

First division is played as a 16-a-side format. Second division is played in a 12-a-side format.

There are 3 Men's Divisions, Women's Division and an All-Asia Cup (only local players allowed).

Teams

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.

History
Hong Kong Dragons after winning the 2007 Championship in Bangkok, Thailand
Malaysian Warriors team pictured from the 2014 event at Clark Field, Philippines

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.

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.

In 2008 a junior division was introduced, however this was short-lived.

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. 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.

Tournament Details
Year Date Venue Men's Div 1 Champions Women's Div 1 Champions Men's Div 2 Champions Men's Div 3 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, 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 11th October Angeles City, Philippines Singapore Wombats [5] - - - - - -
2015 17th October Bangkok, Thailand Hong Kong Dragons [6] - Lao Elephants - - - -
2016 14th-15th October Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Philippine Eagles [7] - Bali Geckos - Indonesia Garudas - -
2017 21st October Manila, Philippines Malaysian Warriors - Bali Geckos - China Dragons - -
2018 13th October Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Indonesian Volcanoes Vietnam Swans PNG Muruks - China Dragons China Reds -
2019 31st August Pattaya, Thailand PNG Muruks[8] Malaysian Warriors Vietnam Swans Japan Goannas - - -
2020 Cancelled (due to COVID-19 pandemic)[9] Thailand
2021 Cancelled (due to COVID-19 pandemic)[10] Thailand
2022 22 October[11] Bangkok Patana School Sport Complex, Bangkok, Thailand PNG Muruks Singapore Wombettes Thailand Tigers Pakistan Markhors - - -
2023 9 September Thai Polo and Equestrian Club, Chon Buri Bangkok, Thailand[12] - - -
  • 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. "Home". afl-asia.com.
  2. "HK Dragons win their 6th Asian Champs". 19 October 2015.
  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. "Singapore Wombats win 2014 Asian Championships". 29 October 2014.
  6. "HK Dragons win their 6th Asian Champs". 19 October 2015.
  7. "Phillipine [sic] Eagles win 'Best Ever' Asian Championship - World Footy News".
  8. "Awards & Champions of Asia -". 10 September 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  9. Statement: 2020 Asian Championships cancelled September 3, 2020
  10. Statement: 2021 Asian Championships cancelled August 16, 2021
  11. Play HQ results AFL Asia Championships 2022
  12. Asian Championships locked in for 2023 AFL Asia 9 March 2023
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