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.

[1] Like previous tournaments, the competition was open to men's teams with strict nationality eligibility rules.

Several potential new sides were announced by the AFL, including an Israeli-Palestine combination supported by the Peres Centre for Peace, China and India.

[4][5] The USA Women's team announced an intention to send a squad to play against Australia and possibly Papua New Guinea.