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If the surf is no good, on any Thursday afternoon out in Canggu you’Äôll find a bunch of expats honing their skills of their beloved Australian Rules Football. While the beer is being chilled, astonished locals watch, wonder and laugh as the sweating expats kick, handball and swear at each other.

The Geckos, as they affectionately known, were formed in 1997 when a challenge was thrown out by a traveling Jakarta Bintang Footballer to an expatriate Australian living in Bali. Since then, the Geckos have taken on teams from over the region and have enjoyed a huge amount of success both on and off the field. With many AFL teams using Bali as the destination for end of season trips, the Geckos have often had AFL stars at training and entertained them socially. In October 2003, The Geckos received much media attention after the very successful Bali 9s, where ex-AFL star Jason McCartney pulled on the Gecko jumper. Australian Prime Minister John Howard also tried out the Gecko colours, but, to his disappointment, did not get a run on the field during the final. The Geckos have come in as runners-up in the Asian Australian Football Championships for the last three years, but will be looking to go one better this year.

ANZ Jakarta Bintangs

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The current holders and defending champions of the Masters 9’Äôs, the Jakarta Bintangs (Indonesian for ’ÄòStars’Äô, however some may rightfully argue that the team could be more likened to Indonesia’Äôs famous amber fluid) Australian Football Club was formed in 1995 with the objective to provide a football outlet to the many Australians living in Indonesia’Äôs capital. Since then the club has been represented by a wide range of players from varying age groups and nationalities, including Indonesians. In 2000, the Bintangs hosted and won the inaugural Asian Australian Championships, defeating Hong Kong in the final of the tournament. The feat was repeated in Singapore in 2002, defeating the tournament hosts in the final. Two months later the club defeated Hong Kong to take the inaugural Bali 9s title. Over the last few years the club has been heavily involved in promoting and developing Australian football to Indonesians. In March 2002, supporters were thrilled to witness the first ever ’ÄúAll Indonesian’Äù match as a curtain raiser to the season’Äôs opener between Jakarta and Singapore. In 2003, the West Java Australian Football League (WeJAFL) commenced with junior and senior Indonesian teams playing regular round robin format tournaments. During the 2003 Bali 9s, the Grand Final of the WeJAFL was part of the day’Äôs action, with Prime Minister John Howard in attendance to witness an entertaining game. For more club details, visit www.bintangs.com.

.South Coast Buccaneers

The South Coast Buccaneers hail from the South Coast of New South Wales, from Nowra in the north to Eden in the south , covering about 300 kilometers of coastline. The team was first started in 1989 when the ACT Superules team came to Batemans Bay for a social game of footy. Since then they have played a number of games and many of the Buccaneers join the ACT team to compete in the annual National Masters Australian Football Carnival. The Buccaneers will this year host their fifth annual Masters Mini-carnival at Pambula over the Easter week end, with competing teams Vic Metro, Vic Country, Mornington Peninsula, the ACT as well as the Buccaneers.

'Singapore Wombats

The Singapore Australian Football Club was formed in 1993 and has long been a powerhouse in Asian Aussie rules. The club plays regular matches: intra-club; against the Australian Navy when in town; and against other countries throughout Asia. Over the past two years the club has toured extensively across Asia and won the 2005 Asian Australian Football Championships in Manila and successfully defended the title in Jakarta in 2006. The club now plays all visiting teams at their new home, the Commonwealth Bank ANZA Sports City. This has been a major initiative for the club as it has struggled over the years to find a base, but with assistance from the AFL, it now has its own playing field with permanent goal posts in place! The Club has also started a Junior Program with about 40 registered players. The Wombats have shown sustained effort in supporting just causes, donating money to the Future Hope Orphanage in Calcutta by supporting Kevin Morgan in his 80 mile trek across the snow to the North Pole to raise much needed money for this worthy charity. The Wombats have also in the past extensively supported the Bali appeal and the Tabitha Foundation.

Castlemaine Masters

Castlemaine Masters formed in 2002 and since then, has enjoyed ongoing success in the Victorian Country Masters League. We play a team oriented game and boast a healthy off field attitude to life. Our team includes many champions of yesteryear who have retained the skills, lost the speed but increased their passion for the great game of football. We play fair on and off the field and will represent our state of Victoria and our town of Castlemaine and the Shire of Mount Alexander with pride and noble spirit during the Bali competition.