The Sydney Swans today hosted a good old fashioned Aussie barbeque for teams competing in the 2011 AFL International Cup.
Swans players including Kieren Jack, Josh Kennedy, Trent Dennis-Lane and our own international Mike Pyke were all on hand to chat to the teams and offer some tips.
Some 1000 players competing in the International Cup will take part in a parade of nations at half time of the Swans versus St Kilda match at ANZ Stadium this Sunday afternoon.
As a curtain raiser to the match, the USA will play South Africa.
The USA kicked off their International Cup campaign with a dominant 19 goal victory over Japan on Monday, and speaking at today’s barbeque, USA captain Dan Sarbacker said his team was looking forward to a huge challenge against South Africa at ANZ Stadium.
“This will be our first time at ANZ Stadium. It’s the Olympic Stadium and everything about that will just be phenomenal. Sunday will just be dream,” said Sarbacker, who booted three goals in the USA’s first round victory over Japan.
“We’ve seen South Africa in nearly every International Cup and their program has increased over the past few years. They beat us last time and it was a well-deserved win.
“Their pace will be a factor in the game and I’m sure their skills have only improved since last time, so it will be a very good challenge for us,” he said.
Sarbacker, who took up Australian football on the advice of a gridiron playing friend of his at college, said he had attended a number of live AFL matches over the years in Australia, and loved the atmosphere.
“The crowd is way more active. I think the team songs are something that don’t really happen in the States.
“That collective sensation when you get 60,000 people screaming ‘ball’ at the same time, it’s not really something that happens in American sport.”
It would be easy to dismiss the AFL International Cup as just a holiday for participants. But in speaking to Sarbacker, and other participants, there is an overwhelming sense of passion for the game and contest.
“This is definitely business for us. Guys commit a lot of money and time to come over here. A lot of American’s only get two weeks of holiday a year, so this is even a stretch on that. People commit a lot just to get here in the first place, and that doesn’t take into account all the training and preparation we do too,” he said.
The curtain raiser match between the USA Revolution and the South Africa Lions will commence at 10.45am on Sunday at ANZ Stadium. The parade of nations will take place at half time, featuring a special performance by Christine Anu.
