Evolution of the Revolution

The American expansion continues.

Selected cities established Australian social organisations, and it was these clubs that provided the catalyst for the birth of Australian Football in the United States.

In 1996, a match took place in Indianapolis, with players from Cincinnati, Nashville, Louisville and Indianapolis participating.

The sport slowly grew during 1997. A team of all-comers met in Toronto for a game against the Lawrence Park Rebels. While this was not a fully-fledged international game, it did mark the beginning of organised competition.

The first national championship was held in Cincinnati later that year. A dozen guys stood outside a rural mid-west barn, beer in hand, discussing the future of footy, with the United States Australian Football Association formed that weekend.

By 1998 the league had 18 clubs, with the internet playing a major role in this rapid expansion.

In 1999, the USAFA was renamed the United States Australian Football League.

The board took office and junior and umpire development programs were started, with guidance from the AFL. USfooty Kids, a sister program of AFL Auskick, was introduced, providing a clear pathway for players.

One of the challenges is finding venues for full games. American football and soccer fields are plentiful, so a nine-a-side version of the game, MetroFooty, was developed. There were 30 MetroFooty teams in 2002, with 66 this year.

In 2001, the USAFL and Essendon established a scholarship program allowing a USAFL player to train with the Bombers during pre-season. Scholarship participants Dustin Jones (2001), Jeremy Kraus (2002), Josh Loring (2003), Jared Brunmeier (2004) and Chris Carroll (2005) will be representing the USA at this year’s International Cup in Melbourne and Wangaratta.

Another scholarship allowing a player to spend a year studying at university and playing football in Australia was also established.

Last year, about 700 players representing 28 teams attended the ninth USAFL national titles in Atlanta. Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy and the AFL’s David Matthews were guests, with the Fox Footy Channel’s Tiffany Cherry also attending to record a documentary on the code’s progress.

More than 1300 senior games have been played in 37 American cities since 1996. There are now more than 2000 registered senior players, with 70 per cent of them locals. A women’s competition was introduced in 2003.

The national team, known as the Revolution, played its first game in 1999, against Canada in Chicago. Under the tutelage of Paul Roos, the current Sydney Swans coach, the Revolution triumphed, setting up an intense rivalry with their northern neighbours.

The Revolution travelled to London in 2001 for the Atlantic Cup, coming away with a 2-2 record. They then finished fifth at the 2002 International Cup in Melbourne.

Without the support of our sponsors and the AFL, the USAFL wouldn’t be where it is today – we thank them for their continued support for our programs.

Essendon is the USAFL’s host club at this year’s event, continuing the ongoing relationship that hopefully in the future will see an American playing in the AFL.

More information on the USAFL can be found at www.usfooty.com.