1 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,547 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine 2 00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:12,067 Speaker 1: from newstalk zb. 3 00:00:12,627 --> 00:00:16,267 Speaker 2: Okay, let's talk some Australian rules football. The AFL Pacific 4 00:00:16,387 --> 00:00:19,467 Speaker 2: Cup on in the week ahead starting tomorrow through till 5 00:00:19,507 --> 00:00:22,627 Speaker 2: next weekend. It's being played at the Marouchi Door Multi 6 00:00:22,707 --> 00:00:27,147 Speaker 2: Sports Complex on Australia's Sunshine Coast. Now our men's team, 7 00:00:27,187 --> 00:00:30,147 Speaker 2: the Falcons and our first ever women's team, the CA 8 00:00:30,307 --> 00:00:33,627 Speaker 2: who are taking part in the AFL Pacific Cup. New 9 00:00:33,707 --> 00:00:37,667 Speaker 2: Zealand Falcons head coach is Chris Mandel, who joins us now. Chris, 10 00:00:37,667 --> 00:00:39,307 Speaker 2: thanks for taking the time, tell us a bit about 11 00:00:39,307 --> 00:00:42,867 Speaker 2: the AFL Pacific Cup and what lies ahead for you 12 00:00:42,907 --> 00:00:45,387 Speaker 2: over the week or so ahead. Yeah. 13 00:00:45,427 --> 00:00:50,307 Speaker 3: So, the Pacific Cup is the first international carnival competition 14 00:00:50,427 --> 00:00:54,507 Speaker 3: with pals. In twenty seventeen, the former iteration was called 15 00:00:54,507 --> 00:00:57,107 Speaker 3: the International Cup, where countries from all over the world, 16 00:00:57,107 --> 00:01:00,187 Speaker 3: about twenty four countries came to Melbourne and played with 17 00:01:00,267 --> 00:01:02,107 Speaker 3: the restrictions of COVID. We haven't been able to get 18 00:01:02,147 --> 00:01:05,667 Speaker 3: back into that system since then, and this is the 19 00:01:05,707 --> 00:01:09,347 Speaker 3: AFL's new regional model where for the first time the 20 00:01:09,467 --> 00:01:12,507 Speaker 3: nations from the Pacific will get together and compete and 21 00:01:12,587 --> 00:01:16,227 Speaker 3: runs alongside a Transatlantic Cup and a European Cup which 22 00:01:16,227 --> 00:01:18,667 Speaker 3: has also been how recently, so really exciting for us 23 00:01:18,707 --> 00:01:21,547 Speaker 3: to get back out into the international foray and to 24 00:01:21,587 --> 00:01:24,507 Speaker 3: get back and try and avenge our one point loss 25 00:01:24,507 --> 00:01:28,667 Speaker 3: which is still stinging a number of our players even. 26 00:01:28,507 --> 00:01:32,667 Speaker 2: Seven years later. So does that mean that with all 27 00:01:32,907 --> 00:01:35,427 Speaker 2: with a slightly different format now, if you were to 28 00:01:35,467 --> 00:01:39,627 Speaker 2: win the Pacific Cup, will that feed you into another competition. 29 00:01:40,307 --> 00:01:42,547 Speaker 3: That hasn't been outlined yet from the RSL. We would 30 00:01:42,547 --> 00:01:44,947 Speaker 3: obviously love to play as much international foot as we can. 31 00:01:45,027 --> 00:01:47,907 Speaker 3: We love getting across the pitch and exposing our local 32 00:01:47,947 --> 00:01:50,827 Speaker 3: players to the full, big, wide world of oursel So yeah, 33 00:01:50,827 --> 00:01:52,987 Speaker 3: that would be our preference, but we haven't had that 34 00:01:53,067 --> 00:01:53,907 Speaker 3: outlined it yet. 35 00:01:54,547 --> 00:01:56,307 Speaker 2: How strong is the squad you've pulled together? 36 00:01:57,587 --> 00:02:00,747 Speaker 3: Yeah, really good. We've got a really good mix of experience. 37 00:02:00,787 --> 00:02:02,667 Speaker 3: As I say, we've got probably eight or nine players 38 00:02:02,707 --> 00:02:05,747 Speaker 3: who were in that twenty seventeen final and we've got 39 00:02:05,787 --> 00:02:08,347 Speaker 3: a real grudge. And you add to that a whole 40 00:02:08,347 --> 00:02:10,427 Speaker 3: group of players who some of them may not even 41 00:02:10,427 --> 00:02:13,027 Speaker 3: been paying footy when we last played back then. So 42 00:02:13,227 --> 00:02:15,547 Speaker 3: a lot of youth and an experience. It's a good mix. 43 00:02:16,507 --> 00:02:18,587 Speaker 3: AFO User has done a huge amount of work in 44 00:02:18,627 --> 00:02:22,587 Speaker 3: the development space and increasing our skills and capacity and 45 00:02:22,587 --> 00:02:25,227 Speaker 3: capability of our players, so we think we're going over 46 00:02:25,307 --> 00:02:28,187 Speaker 3: with a stronger team across the board than we have 47 00:02:28,227 --> 00:02:29,187 Speaker 3: probably ever put forward. 48 00:02:29,347 --> 00:02:30,947 Speaker 2: What sort of build up have you managed to pull 49 00:02:30,987 --> 00:02:34,547 Speaker 2: together before you head away, Chris, Yeah, so a. 50 00:02:34,467 --> 00:02:37,467 Speaker 3: Lot of our players are obviously rugby and football converts. 51 00:02:37,467 --> 00:02:40,787 Speaker 3: They played through their winter sports there. Our local AFL 52 00:02:40,867 --> 00:02:44,227 Speaker 3: competitions run from sort of September to December, so that's 53 00:02:44,507 --> 00:02:48,467 Speaker 3: the players last September December we're playing club footy. That 54 00:02:48,547 --> 00:02:51,667 Speaker 3: then elevated them into our AFL New Zealand Premiership, which 55 00:02:51,707 --> 00:02:54,147 Speaker 3: is essentially a bit of a franchise model. We get 56 00:02:54,187 --> 00:02:56,907 Speaker 3: the best players from around the country together. From there 57 00:02:56,907 --> 00:03:00,067 Speaker 3: we then pick our national squad who have been training 58 00:03:00,107 --> 00:03:02,707 Speaker 3: sort of in conjunction with both their other sports and 59 00:03:02,747 --> 00:03:06,827 Speaker 3: now the local club leagues for probably five or six months, 60 00:03:05,747 --> 00:03:08,827 Speaker 3: so it's spread out. You know, we've got players based 61 00:03:08,827 --> 00:03:11,947 Speaker 3: in Australia Christos to need in fun today Auckland or 62 00:03:12,027 --> 00:03:14,267 Speaker 3: run the place, but we keep together with the one 63 00:03:14,347 --> 00:03:16,947 Speaker 3: of the technology and connect wherever we can to try 64 00:03:16,987 --> 00:03:18,067 Speaker 3: and ensure we're all the line. 65 00:03:18,507 --> 00:03:21,467 Speaker 2: So who will be your stiffest opposition across this week? 66 00:03:22,707 --> 00:03:24,867 Speaker 3: Look, Papa New Guinea. They are the team that beat 67 00:03:24,947 --> 00:03:27,187 Speaker 3: us by a point back in twenty seventeen. We've only 68 00:03:27,187 --> 00:03:29,267 Speaker 3: ever beaten them once across sort of the last twenty 69 00:03:29,267 --> 00:03:32,307 Speaker 3: odd years. They are a really strong nation who have 70 00:03:32,347 --> 00:03:35,107 Speaker 3: a lot of their players playing both locally but also 71 00:03:35,147 --> 00:03:38,747 Speaker 3: in Australia. They've got a really strong base and we'll 72 00:03:38,787 --> 00:03:41,507 Speaker 3: be fierce competition and so we're both you know, we're 73 00:03:41,547 --> 00:03:43,667 Speaker 3: really looking forward to that challenge. That's what we're you know, 74 00:03:43,707 --> 00:03:46,587 Speaker 3: they're our team we're targeting across this competition. But that 75 00:03:46,587 --> 00:03:48,507 Speaker 3: that's not to say, you know, the likes of Nauru 76 00:03:48,667 --> 00:03:52,427 Speaker 3: where AFL's the national sport, Fiji, Tonga, those guys, you know, 77 00:03:52,467 --> 00:03:55,427 Speaker 3: we know what there's those countries produced in terms of athletes, 78 00:03:55,467 --> 00:03:56,947 Speaker 3: and we're certainly going to be ready for them. 79 00:03:56,987 --> 00:03:59,067 Speaker 2: Are you able to do any scouting of any sort 80 00:03:59,347 --> 00:04:01,787 Speaker 2: or are you really just concentrating on what you guys 81 00:04:01,787 --> 00:04:02,347 Speaker 2: are all about. 82 00:04:03,387 --> 00:04:04,987 Speaker 3: Look a bit of both. So we try whereever we 83 00:04:05,067 --> 00:04:07,507 Speaker 3: can to get an understanding of our positions, but it 84 00:04:07,547 --> 00:04:10,747 Speaker 3: is very tricky, you know, not at this level. Not 85 00:04:10,827 --> 00:04:13,707 Speaker 3: many games a televised and not many games are able 86 00:04:13,747 --> 00:04:15,747 Speaker 3: to be seen. So wherever we can, we've tried to 87 00:04:15,747 --> 00:04:17,907 Speaker 3: get an understanding. We had, you know, a network of 88 00:04:17,907 --> 00:04:19,707 Speaker 3: people who know these countries, who know how they go, 89 00:04:19,867 --> 00:04:22,387 Speaker 3: so we'd pull from that. But as you say, our 90 00:04:22,387 --> 00:04:24,347 Speaker 3: primary focus is on can we achieve how we want 91 00:04:24,347 --> 00:04:26,307 Speaker 3: to play? Can we get our game plan to be 92 00:04:26,307 --> 00:04:28,267 Speaker 3: more effectives in theirs? Essentially, how do. 93 00:04:28,187 --> 00:04:31,147 Speaker 2: You assess the strength of the sport here in New 94 00:04:31,227 --> 00:04:32,147 Speaker 2: Zealand at present? 95 00:04:33,667 --> 00:04:35,707 Speaker 3: Look, I think you know, we took a real hammering 96 00:04:35,867 --> 00:04:38,907 Speaker 3: with COVID As a smaller sport. We were doing alphone 97 00:04:38,947 --> 00:04:41,187 Speaker 3: user number, doing a huge amount of work prior to COVID. 98 00:04:41,187 --> 00:04:43,667 Speaker 3: In the school space, we had a primary school in 99 00:04:43,667 --> 00:04:46,947 Speaker 3: a high school competition that was beginning to create a 100 00:04:46,987 --> 00:04:48,987 Speaker 3: pool of talent and a pool of players that can 101 00:04:49,027 --> 00:04:51,667 Speaker 3: start to develop further. So that really set us back, 102 00:04:51,907 --> 00:04:53,307 Speaker 3: and we've gone back with a little bit and we 103 00:04:53,347 --> 00:04:56,627 Speaker 3: are rebuilding and regetting ourselves in that school space. But what, 104 00:04:56,707 --> 00:04:58,587 Speaker 3: as I said earlier, what's been really positive is that 105 00:04:58,667 --> 00:05:02,067 Speaker 3: the overall level of the players who played the sport 106 00:05:02,147 --> 00:05:05,427 Speaker 3: across the country has increased through exposure through more games 107 00:05:05,427 --> 00:05:08,907 Speaker 3: on TV, seeing more of these superstars and getting down 108 00:05:08,947 --> 00:05:11,947 Speaker 3: to their local clubs. So, you know, while we're rebuilding 109 00:05:11,947 --> 00:05:14,547 Speaker 3: in terms of our player development base, we are still 110 00:05:14,747 --> 00:05:17,907 Speaker 3: working with that, you know, an interested parties and a 111 00:05:18,067 --> 00:05:20,307 Speaker 3: keen group of players to develop the skills. 112 00:05:20,387 --> 00:05:22,067 Speaker 2: Yeah, you mentioned before that a lot of them come 113 00:05:22,107 --> 00:05:24,507 Speaker 2: from other codes. Can you see a time, Chris where 114 00:05:24,747 --> 00:05:27,427 Speaker 2: AFL becomes somebody's first choice? 115 00:05:28,467 --> 00:05:30,187 Speaker 3: Yeah, we hope. So, you know, like that's certainly what 116 00:05:30,227 --> 00:05:32,507 Speaker 3: we want to try and work towards. We've always positioned 117 00:05:32,507 --> 00:05:34,627 Speaker 3: the sport in this country as complementary to those other 118 00:05:34,707 --> 00:05:38,067 Speaker 3: sports as a way to improve fitness, prove cross code skills. 119 00:05:38,467 --> 00:05:40,227 Speaker 3: If you look at the likes of rugby and league, 120 00:05:40,427 --> 00:05:42,587 Speaker 3: there's a lot of AFL skills now being used with 121 00:05:42,627 --> 00:05:44,987 Speaker 3: the crosskeechs and the high overhead marks, et cetera. So 122 00:05:45,547 --> 00:05:48,307 Speaker 3: while we have traditionally positioned our sounds as complementary to them, 123 00:05:48,307 --> 00:05:50,307 Speaker 3: come and learn a new sports to improve your skills 124 00:05:50,307 --> 00:05:52,707 Speaker 3: for those sports, we'd certainly love to see a time 125 00:05:52,747 --> 00:05:56,067 Speaker 3: where AFL is New Zealand's first choice, and certainly in 126 00:05:56,067 --> 00:05:59,467 Speaker 3: the female space where the AFLW is a real tangible 127 00:05:59,507 --> 00:06:03,067 Speaker 3: opportunity for our athletes to get into. It's a little 128 00:06:03,107 --> 00:06:05,387 Speaker 3: shorter runway than it is for the men, and so 129 00:06:05,467 --> 00:06:07,747 Speaker 3: that's a real opportunity for us to target and say, look, hey, 130 00:06:07,747 --> 00:06:09,507 Speaker 3: here's a young female athlete, come and give the ass 131 00:06:09,667 --> 00:06:12,027 Speaker 3: at a primary sport and you've got a pathway to 132 00:06:12,067 --> 00:06:13,587 Speaker 3: play AFLWM be professional. 133 00:06:13,667 --> 00:06:15,867 Speaker 2: Yeah, and also I guess I think that's right, isn't it. 134 00:06:15,907 --> 00:06:17,587 Speaker 2: This is the first time a women's team has taken 135 00:06:17,627 --> 00:06:19,787 Speaker 2: part in a competition of the sort. The car who 136 00:06:19,907 --> 00:06:22,587 Speaker 2: are going to be playing alongside the Falcons in this competition. 137 00:06:23,307 --> 00:06:25,667 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's going to be very exciting. We've have aphon 138 00:06:25,707 --> 00:06:28,667 Speaker 3: the center of works towards twenty twenty was our first 139 00:06:28,707 --> 00:06:31,267 Speaker 3: initial attempt to try and get a female team across, 140 00:06:31,267 --> 00:06:33,867 Speaker 3: but COVID put the kibosh on that. So they have 141 00:06:33,947 --> 00:06:36,867 Speaker 3: been patiently building and developing and recruiting more players and 142 00:06:37,067 --> 00:06:39,627 Speaker 3: the game, the female game over here has really grown 143 00:06:39,627 --> 00:06:41,467 Speaker 3: in those last four years. So it's going to be 144 00:06:41,547 --> 00:06:44,227 Speaker 3: hugely exciting to see our Carho girls take the field 145 00:06:44,227 --> 00:06:46,747 Speaker 3: for the first time in an international carnival and you know, 146 00:06:46,867 --> 00:06:48,827 Speaker 3: really take it to these other nations. 147 00:06:48,907 --> 00:06:50,867 Speaker 2: I've just had a look at the weather forecast for 148 00:06:50,907 --> 00:06:53,427 Speaker 2: the weak ahead in terms of temperatures for the Sunshine Coast, Chris, 149 00:06:53,467 --> 00:06:57,387 Speaker 2: their high twenties, so your players will be nice and warm. 150 00:06:57,987 --> 00:06:59,507 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, it's going to be something to think about. 151 00:06:59,547 --> 00:07:01,587 Speaker 3: You know, a lot of our New Zealand based players 152 00:07:01,627 --> 00:07:04,227 Speaker 3: are coming out of pretty damp and wet in New 153 00:07:04,307 --> 00:07:06,907 Speaker 3: Zealand winter and you know it's going to be a 154 00:07:06,947 --> 00:07:09,627 Speaker 3: bit of a shock to get into those high humored conditions. 155 00:07:09,707 --> 00:07:10,947 Speaker 3: I mean, I look at the forecast of the day 156 00:07:10,947 --> 00:07:12,667 Speaker 3: and there's a lot of rain as forecasts as well, So 157 00:07:13,187 --> 00:07:15,467 Speaker 3: that tropical kind of environment is going to be something 158 00:07:15,467 --> 00:07:17,067 Speaker 3: that's new to our players. What does it mean to 159 00:07:17,107 --> 00:07:19,307 Speaker 3: the suppery ball or does it mean to our hydration 160 00:07:19,427 --> 00:07:21,747 Speaker 3: and our recovery all those kind of things, But that's 161 00:07:21,787 --> 00:07:23,347 Speaker 3: all part of the junior It's part of the excitement 162 00:07:23,347 --> 00:07:24,467 Speaker 3: of going on these kind of campaign. 163 00:07:24,667 --> 00:07:26,227 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so good to have it back, as you say, 164 00:07:26,267 --> 00:07:28,587 Speaker 2: for the first time in seven years. Chris. All the 165 00:07:28,587 --> 00:07:30,347 Speaker 2: best for the week ahead. I hope it goes brilliantly 166 00:07:30,347 --> 00:07:31,947 Speaker 2: for you and also for the women's team as well. 167 00:07:31,947 --> 00:07:33,587 Speaker 2: We look forward to seeing the results coming through. 168 00:07:34,187 --> 00:07:36,227 Speaker 3: Yeah, really appreciate the time. Thanks mate, No, thank you. 169 00:07:36,307 --> 00:07:38,907 Speaker 2: Chris Chris Mandel there. He's the coach of our men's 170 00:07:38,987 --> 00:07:42,307 Speaker 2: AFL team, the Falcons. Our women are called the Caho, 171 00:07:42,507 --> 00:07:45,667 Speaker 2: and both sides are heading to Australia. I think they 172 00:07:45,787 --> 00:07:49,267 Speaker 2: head off tomorrow the Marucci Door Multi Sports Complex on 173 00:07:49,267 --> 00:07:53,747 Speaker 2: australia Sunshine Coast. Maruchi Door wonderful part of Australia, although 174 00:07:53,747 --> 00:07:56,987 Speaker 2: I get the feeling it'll be be more business rather 175 00:07:57,027 --> 00:07:59,507 Speaker 2: than pleasure for the Falcons and the Caho. Will keep 176 00:07:59,507 --> 00:08:02,187 Speaker 2: an eye on how the results go over the next 177 00:08:02,187 --> 00:08:03,467 Speaker 2: week or so. 178 00:08:03,787 --> 00:08:06,947 Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Pain, listen live 179 00:08:07,067 --> 00:08:10,347 Speaker 1: to News Talks it B weekends from midday, or follow 180 00:08:10,387 --> 00:08:11,987 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio