JAPAN and Thailand have emerged with the spoils in the men's and women's competitions at the inaugural AFL Asia Cup, held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam over the weekend.
After a huge three days of competition, Japan faced off against Cambodia in the Grand Final of the men's tournament and ran away comfortable winners by 91 points, 17.9 (111) to 3.2 (20).
AFL ASIA CUP Check out all the news and pics
The Japanese were the standout team over three days of completion, with a balanced mix of athletic talls, a tough and disciplined defence and mercurial small and medium forwards.
They finished the tournament undefeated, but were tested several times, by Cambodia in a first-round match and India in a semi-final. Each time though, the Japanese were able to stick to their structure and regain their composure.
Meanwhile, the Thais scored something of an upset win in the women's Grand Final, overcoming the previously undefeated Cambodia in the tournament decider.
The Thais had lost to Cambodia 44-18 in the first round but overran the Grand Final favourites in the second half of the decider.
The MVPs for the Grand Finals were Japan's Kouki Ariga (men's) and Thailand's Irravadee Makris (women's).
The inaugural AFL Asia Cup pitted national teams against each other, with squad made up entirely of footballers who are Asian citizens, rather than expat Australians.
For all the reports and pics, head to the AFL Asia website or check out AFL Asia on Facebook.
Final AFL Asia Cup Standings – Men’s
- Japan
- Cambodia
- India
- Indonesia
- Hong Kong, China
- Pakistan
- Thailand
- China
- Laos
- Vietnam
Final AFL Asia Cup Standings – Women’s
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- China