AFL Japan
Encyclopedia
AFL Japan is a league and governing body for Australian rules football in Japan
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The Top League season runs from April to November, with a summer break during August. All teams including the University teams compete in the Top League. The most successful team has been the Tokyo Goannas, who have been premiers since the inaugural Top League season. In 2007, the Osaka Dingoes joined the Top League. The league recently expanded again with the addition of the Nagoya Redbacks in 2009.
The Japan national Australian rules football team, the Japan Samurais, competed in the triannual Australian Football International Cup
in 2003, finishing 10th out of 11 competing countries, in 2005, finishing 7th out of 10 competing countries and 2008, finishing 8th out of 16 competing countries. In 2011, they finished 12th in division 1, beating Fiji and narrowing losing to Sweden along the way.
In addition, a combined team of Japanese and Expat players compete in the annual Asian Australian Football Championships as the Japan Goannas. Also, every year, the University Samurais tour Australia in August.
Their best and fairest player (from the 2005 International Cup) was Michito Sakaki
. Sakaki, along with teammate Tsuyoshi Kase was later invited to join the Australian Football League
/Australian Institute of Sport
academy camp in Canberra
and Sakaki played for the Essendon Football Club
annual 16-a-side match against the Sydney Swans
at the North Sydney Oval
on 3 March 2005 in front of 9,654 spectators. Both have since moved to Australia. Sakaki played in the semi-professional Ovens & Murray Football League
and Kase in the amateur VAFA. At the recent International Cup 2011, Ken Sato of the Komazawa Magpies was named in the International XVIII team.
Also, through the support of the Box Hill North Football Club, a Japanese player receives a scholarship to train and play in Australia annually.
Australian rules football in Japan
Australian rules football in Japan is a minority team sport which dates back to 1910, but found its roots in the late 1980s.Japan competes regularly at international level and Japan's national team has defeated amateur Australian clubs on numerous occasions....
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The Top League season runs from April to November, with a summer break during August. All teams including the University teams compete in the Top League. The most successful team has been the Tokyo Goannas, who have been premiers since the inaugural Top League season. In 2007, the Osaka Dingoes joined the Top League. The league recently expanded again with the addition of the Nagoya Redbacks in 2009.
The Japan national Australian rules football team, the Japan Samurais, competed in the triannual Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
in 2003, finishing 10th out of 11 competing countries, in 2005, finishing 7th out of 10 competing countries and 2008, finishing 8th out of 16 competing countries. In 2011, they finished 12th in division 1, beating Fiji and narrowing losing to Sweden along the way.
In addition, a combined team of Japanese and Expat players compete in the annual Asian Australian Football Championships as the Japan Goannas. Also, every year, the University Samurais tour Australia in August.
Their best and fairest player (from the 2005 International Cup) was Michito Sakaki
Michito Sakaki
Michito Sakaki , is an Australian rules football player from Japan.Michito has achieved recognition as currently being one of the best and most successful players to learn and play the game outside of Australia....
. Sakaki, along with teammate Tsuyoshi Kase was later invited to join the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
/Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
academy camp in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and Sakaki played for the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
annual 16-a-side match against the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
at the North Sydney Oval
North Sydney Oval
-Development:* The first cricket pitch was laid on 6 December 1867, making it one of the oldest cricket grounds in Australia.* The first structure built, in 1879, was a simple pavilion overlooking the cricket ground...
on 3 March 2005 in front of 9,654 spectators. Both have since moved to Australia. Sakaki played in the semi-professional Ovens & Murray Football League
Ovens & Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
and Kase in the amateur VAFA. At the recent International Cup 2011, Ken Sato of the Komazawa Magpies was named in the International XVIII team.
Also, through the support of the Box Hill North Football Club, a Japanese player receives a scholarship to train and play in Australia annually.
Top League
| Year | Premiers | Runners up |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Tokyo Goannas | Eastern Hawks |
| 2007 | Tokyo Goannas | Osaka Dingoes |
| 2008 | Tokyo Goannas | Eastern Hawks |
| 2009 | Tokyo Goannas | Eastern Hawks |
| 2010 | Tokyo Goannas | Nagoya Redbacks |
| 2011 | Osaka Dingoes | Eastern Hawks |
Current Leagues & Clubs
- Top LeagueTop LeagueThe Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
- Tokyo Goannas Official Site
- University Samurais
- Eastern Hawks Official Site
- Osaka Dingoes Official Site
- Nagoya Redbacks Official Site
- Tokyo University League
- Komazawa UniversityKomazawa UniversityKomazawa University is one of the oldest universities in Japan. Its history starts in 1592, when a seminary was established to be a center of learning for the young monks of the Sōtō sect, one of the two main Zen Buddhist traditions in Japan.The university in Tokyo campus comprises eight faculties...
Magpies Official Site - Senshu UniversitySenshu Universityis a private university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Former "Senshu College" was founded in 1880, the first school in Japan comprising Economics and Law Departments to systematically offer a specialized educational curriculum in the Japanese language....
Power Official Site - Tokyo Leopards (formerly Blues) Official Site
- Komazawa University