Emus Captains Announced, Milestone Caps Recognised

Touch Football Australia (TFA) is delighted to announce the captains of the Athelite Australian Emus who will lead the Australian contingent at the upcoming 2024 Federation of International Touch (FIT) World Cup, held in Nottingham, England this July.

Recognised at a gala ceremony held in Brisbane on Saturday, the captains will lead Australia’s thirteen teams on the World Cup stage – in what will be the largest World Cup to date.

Being named captain means upholding the culture and values of the Emus jersey and leading a team on and off the field with respect and leadership at the pinnacle of our sport.

Congratulations to the following individuals: 

ATHELITE AUSTRALIAN EMUS CAPTAINS

Men’s 55s – Edward Fong (C), John Samin (VC)

Men’s 50s – Tony Eltakchi and Gavin Shuker

Men’s 45s – Michael Irvine (C), Darren Reynoldson (VC)

Men’s 40s – Nathan Jones

Women’s 40s – Davina Galetto and Karina Haddin

Women’s 35s – Kelly Kennedy (C), Kellie Piltz (VC)

Men’s 35s – Dave Maher

Senior Mixed – Justin Otto and Kelly Goodwin

Men’s 30s – Dave Zanette and Luke Simmons

Women’s 27s – Jenna Rowsell and Stephanie Halpin

Mixed Open – Tim Baartz

Women’s Open – Kim Sue See

Men’s Open – Dylan Hennessey

The night also provided an opportunity for TFA to recognise seventeen individuals who have achieved a milestone of 50 international Emus caps – an outstanding achievement for Touch Football’s elite and a demonstration of their commitment, hard work, and excellent performance in the jersey.

The Cap Recognition program was first introduced in 2023’s Open Trans-Tasman Test Series and commemorated icons Tony Trad and Kerry Norman for achieving 100 international Emus caps.

ATHELITE AUSTRALIAN EMUS MILESTONE CAPS – 50 OR MORE GAMES

• John Samin – 94
• Tim Kitchingham – 92
• Tony Eltakchi – 91
• Gavin Shuker – 89
• Phil Gyemore – 88
• Kristy Judd – 69
• Garry Sonda – 65
• Sharyn Williams – 63
• Amanda Judd – 62
• Michael McCall – 58
• David Cheung – 56
• Dylan Hennessey – 54
• Peter Vincent – 54
• Troy Morgan – 53
• David Nolan – 51
• Bo de la Cruz – 50
• Drumayne Dayberg-Muir – 50