The Nauru Chiefs are targeting a top four finish at the AFL International Cup, which gets underway in Melbourne next weekend.
The Micronesian nation finished seventh in the men's division one competition in 2014, despite only losing one of their five matches.
Vice-Captain Kenneth Oppenheimer made his international debut at that event and believes Nauru were and are better than their final placing suggests.
"I don't think the way they did the ladder then was very fair because we only lost one game against the Irish," he said.
"I don't think we're actually the (seventh) in the world. We’re a bit higher than that, I do believe so."
Kenneth Oppenheimer started playing AFL when he was 11 years old, as part of the Auskick development programme, and said more than 200 players now compete in the local league every week.
The International Cup comes around every three years and he said it was an important event for developing AFL nations.
"For the Nauruans it means a lot. It's the one that we really take pride in and we really try to do our best in," he said.
"Because it is our national sport and the boys come back to Nauru and we expect to get a little bit out of it, in terms of our pride and where AFl really stands for us.
"I think it means a lot for the countries, especially for Nauru."
Nauru face a daunting start to the competition against the New Zealand Hawks but Kenneth Oppenheimer said it was a challenge they plan to embrace.