2008 Australian Football International Cup
| 2008 AFL International Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Australia |
| Dates | 27 August – 5 September |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |
 Papua New Guinea (1st title)
|
| Runners-up |  New Zealand |
| Third place |  South Africa |
| Fourth place |  Republic of Ireland |
The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested.
It was scheduled for 2008 (as part of the 150th year celebrations of Australian Football), with 16 nations competing.
The tournament was hosted by both Melbourne and Warrnambool in Victoria, Australia between 27 August and 6 September, with a single match additionally played in Geelong.
Like previous tournaments, the competition was open to men's teams with strict nationality eligibility rules.
The Grand Final was played between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea were victorious by 8 points with a goal kicked after the siren. Like the Grand Final in previous years, the match was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a curtain raiser to the 2008 AFL Season finals match between Hawthorn Hawks and Western Bulldogs which attracted a crowd of 76,703 spectators. However unlike previous tournaments, the final was not televised.
The WAFL and Perth, Western Australia raised the possibility of bidding for the tournament soon after the 2005 cup had been completed, however the AFL has confirmed that the cup will once again be held in Melbourne for at least for one more year, as the 2008 Cup will coincide with Australian Rules football's 150th anniversary. The AFL later indicated that a regional round and semi-finals would be held in Warrnambool.
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