During the buildup to the 2025 IFAF Asia-Oceania Flag Football Championships, IFAF looks back to the 2023 tournament with a feature on each of the four finalists in the men’s and women’s competitions.
Australia’s women were beaten finalists in 2023 and will have their sights set on not one but two gold medals at this year’s IFAF Asia-Oceania continental championships.
Australia will play New Zealand and American Samoa twice to contest the Oceania championship and try to earn a place at the 2026 IFAF world championships and will then hope to challenge Asia’s best finisher for the overall Asia-Oceania top prize.
Back in 2023, Australia fell 27 points behind to Japan in the title game in Malaysia at the two-minute warning and mounted a late comeback with two touchdowns and a safety, but it wasn’t quite enough to claim the crown.
Australia was unable to recapture such form at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, finishing third in a tough Group A that featured defending champions the United States and European power France. A round of 16 exit came at the hands of Japan, and the Aussies finished 16th overall having lost to host Finland at Lahti Stadium.
This month’s competition provides Australia with the opportunity to again hunt for medals.
