Aussie Rules Masters

02 February 2007, 09:33:59 (655 clicks)

The Bali Geckos Australian Rules Football Club will be holding its unique Bali Nines Masters Australian Rules Football Championships on March 17, 2007. Supported by Masters Australia Football, the event will attract teams from across Asia and Australia.

Club President Peter Muir said that the event will continue to assist in bringing Australian tourists back to the island. “Events such as this provide positive exposure for Bali in Australia and encourage Australians to come back and enjoy what Bali has to offer” Muir said.

The Bali 9s Masters will follow the same format as the very successful Bali Nines, where teams consist of only nine players on a ground the size of a soccer field. The added regulation being that all participating players must be over 35 years of age. For more details on the event, click on www.balinines.com or email coach@baligeckos.com.

The Bali 9s Masters event will be the first game for the Bali Geckos in 2007. The club will also be touring internationally and hosting visiting teams in Bali this season, the 10th year anniversary for the club. The Geckos will tour to Thailand twice this year, firstly to take on the Thailand Tigers in the ANZAC day cup on April 28. This game will be played at Kanchanaburi, not far from the infamous bridge on the river Kwai, and will be a part of ANZAC day services held there. A number of World War II veterans will be on hand to watch the game. The second tour to Thailand will be for the Asian championships in Bangkok in July. The Asian Championships annually attracts seven to nine teams from across Asia. It is expected that an additional team from Dubai will also attend this year’s event. The Geckos have been runners-up in the previous two championships held in Manila and Jakarta and hope to go one better this season.

The Geckos are also planning to conduct junior programs commencing in early 2007, including clinics to be held in local orphanages. For information how your child can be involved in learning Australian Rules Football, email coach@baligeckos.com. More information on the Bali Geckos can be found at www.baligeckos.com. - BB -