Australia's 2026 Festival of Football award winners named
Nine Australian tackle players and three coaches have been recognised for their performances at the 2026 Festival of Football, where Australia's under-16, under-18 and men's teams competed against New Zealand at The Trusts Stadium in Auckland on Saturday 11 July.
The under-16s opened the day with a 44-0 win over a New Zealand side playing the first match in its history at that age group, and the under-18s followed with a 34-22 victory. New Zealand took the men's match 36-33 on the final play, reversing the four-point result from the inaugural Festival on the Gold Coast in 2025.
Player awards were presented in Auckland, selected by the coaching staff and named in te reo Māori.
TE TAO WHAKAMUA, THE SPEARHEAD AWARD (BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER):
U16s: Uriel Westerlund
U18s: Tamiano Sakaria
Men's: Matt Major
TE POU WHAKAMARU, PILLAR OF PROTECTION (BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER):
U16s: Lennox Plummer
U18s: Christian Gordon
Men's: Faalata Manusina
TE TOA O TE TAU, WARRIOR OF THE MATCH (MOST VALUABLE PLAYER):
U16s: Toa Coleman
U18s: Hugh Gionfriddo
Men's: Hamish Winzar
Junior head coach Mitch Woellner has also recognised three members of his coaching staff, naming Tristan O'Neill and Brayden TiiTii as Pathway Coaches of the Tournament and Will Pipe as Assistant Coach of the Tournament. Neither O'Neill nor TiiTii knew the recognition was coming.
COACHING RECOGNITIONS:
Assistant Coach of the Tournament: Will Pipe
Pathway Coach of the Tournament: Tristan O'Neill
Pathway Coach of the Tournament: Brayden TiiTii
O'Neill travelled from Melbourne and TiiTii from Sydney, each committing nine days to the national program. Both were part of a cohort that saw eight pathway coaches join the national junior program for the five-day preparation camp at Narrabeen, followed by the New Zealand tour. The tour provided significant development opportunities for the invited coaches to work alongside senior coaching staff at a national level and take valuable experience back to local clubs, state competitions and the athletes they coach at home.
The full pathway coaching group in Auckland was Dan Holihan, Jasper Lierich, Matthew Long, Alexander Martin, Tristan O'Neill, Brayden TiiTii, Caleb TiiTii and Raymond Wheeler.
Pipe, coached the running backs within a 15-strong junior coaching staff led by Woellner, and was named Assistant Coach of the Tournament for his exemplary standards and contribution to the development of the pathway coaches.
Mitch Woellner, Head Coach of the Junior Australian Teams, said:
"Tristan and Brayden came through our pathways program as club coaches hungry to elevate their game. They stepped into a tough situation and immediately led by example, and the initiative, curiosity and drive they showed extended beyond their years of coaching. They exemplify the standard and attitude we need as we continue building the coaching ranks across Australia."
Woellner added of Pipe:
"I learned a great deal from Will. He is an outstanding coach who knows the game in great depth, including schemes, personnel and fellow coaches, and he treats people right and operates honestly and fairly. Will is in a class by himself, which is exactly why he was Assistant Coach of the Tournament. He maintained the standards when no one was watching, he stayed on time, which is a bigger deal than you think, and he developed our pathway coaches and understood urgency. He gave our young players a leader whose demeanour and approach to the details led them to be incredibly successful."
Australia named 115 players across its three squads for Auckland and travelled as a cohort of 144 including coaches and staff. Since the inaugural Festival on the Gold Coast in 2025, Australia's junior and senior players have had a set annual international fixture against New Zealand, and the third edition returns to the Gold Coast in July 2027. The Festival now gives junior and senior players an international fixture against New Zealand each July.
Woellner said of the junior campaign:
"Travelling internationally with a group of young men is a massive undertaking, and the dedication from our staff, players and the wider community has been inspirational. We set high expectations and demand a great deal in a very tight window, and the resilience that defines this team comes down entirely to the character of the players. Credit to New Zealand as well. They are growing the sport, their athletes are talented and their coaching staff is building something solid. It's a tough competition, and we fully expect them to keep pushing us."
Speaking on the Festival of Football, Wade Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of American Football Australia, said:
"We are now going into our third year of the series with a great rivals and friends New Zealand. Having that locked international fixture every July is vital. The States and Clubs have done a great job in building out that pathway. Building it takes time and we need to keep pushing ahead.
Kelly added:
“Every year we aim to make this bigger and better with our partners NZ. With a lot of effort 2027 will be another stepping stone. The results across all three teams this year, including a men's game that went to the final play, show how competitive this program is becoming." "Equally significant was New Zealand fielding its first U16 team at the 2026 Festival of Football. Having a competitive opponent across the Tasman drives both nations to improve, and the players, coaches, officials and volunteers on both sides benefit from that."
The 2026 edition was the first Festival of Football held in Auckland, and the Festival is planned to return to the Gold Coast in July 2027, with expressions of interest for players and coaches opening ahead of it.
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Media contact
Brock Bentley Chief Marketing Officer, American Football Australia
American Football Australia
American Football Australia (AFA) is the national governing body for American Football in Australia, recognised by the Australian Sports Commission and a full member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). AFA is responsible for national competitions and the development of Australian national teams across both tackle and flag football.
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