US footballers return to Great Southern

American pair Andrew Werner and Brent Mergen returned to the Great Southern, where they played football in 2009, last week after both represented the USA for the second time in last month's AFL International Cup in Melbourne.

Werner played 12 league games for Mt Barker in the Great Southern Football League under the late Merv Neagle back in 2009, while his close friend Mergen played 13 league games at Denmark-Walpole, who were coached by Mick Mustey at the time.

The pair represented the USA in the International Cup in 2011 and Werner said they were determined to come back to where their football journey began in the Great Southern five years ago.

"I wanted to come over and see Grant and Suzz (Lubcke) who I stayed with when I was over here," Werner said.

"It was great to see the town again, walk the streets and catch up with a few of the boys."

Mergen travelled back to Denmark to catch up with friends he had made during his stint with the Magpies.

"I went over to Denmark to watch their under-17s train and it was great to see the new clubrooms and lights," he said. "The clubhouse was just under construction when I left in March 2010."

The duo, both 28, play for the Minnesota Freeze team in the US Australian Football League.

Werner said there were 45 clubs throughout the US and they played against a USAFL team every few weeks.

"We play seven or eight games throughout the season and then have a national tournament that every team plays in at the end of the season," he said.

Mergen, a sturdy fullback, said his job as a dairy farmer meant his career in football was almost at an end but, he said it was great to see American talent getting noticed by the AFL. Werner, a talented full-forward, has just graduated from law school and is keen to move to Australia to continue playing football.

Both players thanked the Mt Barker and Denmark-Walpole football clubs for getting them over in a trip that "changed their lives".

The International Cup is played every three years over two weeks.

Eighteen men's sides and seven women's sides compete for top honours in the cup.

This year, the US side finished eighth, defeating Finland, Canada and Fiji.

However, they suffered losses to New Zealand and Nauru.