Imagine you are a local footy player and you have to train on concrete.

When you are thrown onto the ground in a tackle your body crushes against the rock hard asphalt.

This is the reality for the Garudas, Indonesia’s national AFL team. Most of them train in Jakarta where there isn’t a grassy AFL oval to be seen.

Indonesia Garudas

The Garudas know all about adversity. Many team members come from the Mama Sayang Orphanage in Bogor. The orphanage burnt down earlier in the year leaving many of these youngsters without a place to sleep.

But the stress of rebuilding didn’t distract the Garudas players from their ultimate goal – the AFL International Cup.

The 2017 AFL International Cup

The AFL International Cup is played every three years. No expatriate Australians are eligible to play. Teams comprise solely of amateurs who must be nationals of the country they represent.

“The popularity of Australian football overseas continues to grow with more players and fans taking up and supporting our game,” said the AFL’s head of community and international development Grant Williams.

The Clash

We met the Indonesia Garudas as they squared off against Sri Lanka in their final appearance at the 2017 AFL International Cup.

What we witnessed on this freezing wet day in Carlton was some of the rawest and most passionate footy we had ever seen. Pride, passion and emotions, this is what footy is about.

Sit back and enjoy this very special episode of The Clash starring the mighty Indonesia Garudas



Additional Information

Episode Length: 5:24 minutes

Sport: Football

League: Australian Football International Cup

Producer: Michael Lynch

Executive Producer: Edris Toussaint

Production Company: More Than A Game Productions

Published on October 5, 2017