A tough and thrilling day of competition is on offer this Saturday for Phnom Penh’s Australian Rules Football fans when the Cambodian Eagles play host to sides from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos in the annual AFL Indochina Cup at the Navy Sports Ground situated on Chhroy Changvar peninsula.

The gates go open at 9:30am with the first game starting half an hour later and the champion among the four contestants will be crowned around 3pm at the end of a series of nonstop high intensity action.

In this round robin format, each team has as good a chance as the other and encounters between these four teams have been so close and even throughout the season that it’s hard to brand any of them as clear favourites.

“The Eagles performed well in this tournament last year, and we are looking to go one better in front of a home crowd. Our fitness has improved and we know we can play some very good football, so it’s just a matter of putting everything together on the day,” Cambodian Eagles coach Grant Fitzgerald told the Post.

The home team will be looking to impose their uncompromising brand of footie on the opposition with a focus on attack and putting both forward and defensive pressure on their foes.

They will go into the event with a solid side as a number of players come back from injury in some cases, and the wilderness in others, to provide some much needed experience and depth.

The Eagles will have plenty to play for as it will be the final game for a selection of squad stalwarts – captain Simon “Ride on Time” Whitney, spiritual leader Allan “Baby” Soutaris and defensive rock David “Gorgeous” Gordge all bid farewell to Cambodia and the club.

Following on from last year, the AFL tournament has combined with the Indochina netball tournament which should help to make this a fantastic sporting weekend in Phnom Penh.