World Footy News

Aussie Rules footy got its first start in Canada in the Ontario province. The number of clubs there has regularly grown and it is home to one of the most stable Australian Football leagues outside of Australia. However changes are underway for the 2006 season, with new club the Central Blues a positive sign but concerns whether a new metro-style league will be a success.

In 2005 the OAFL was contested by 10 clubs: Mississauga Demons, Toronto Eagles, Lakeshore Rebels, Broadview Hawks, Hamilton Wildcats, Guelph Gargoyles, Etobicoke Kangaroos, Toronto Downtown Dingos, London Magpies and Windsor Mariners. Both the Magpies and Mariners are located southwest of Toronto and have struggled to get the numbers for regular travel. Also lacking in Aussies to help stabilise their teams, both clubs were on the wrong end of big losses last season and a decision was made to try to ensure footy continued through alternative means. Thus Adrian Parry and others set about forming the Southern Ontario Australian Football League.

The SOAFL has been set up with the blessing of the Ontario AFL but sources suggest there was no real coordinated effort between the two parties - perhaps in hindsight a mistake. The new league aims to play 9-a-side metro footy, much the same as seen in a lot of US cities. Based in the city of Windsor (just across the river from Detroit in the US), the stated aim is to cover "the region of Woodstock/London westwards". Their website says "We also welcome any interested parties from eastern Michigan".

A smaller local league would seem a good way to go to promote the sport, but sadly the signs for 2006 aren't good. Reports are that the London Magpies are all but extinct and the Mariners need all hands on deck to make a go of the new competition, but have split with players instead going to OAFL side Hamilton. We don't have details of the inner workings of the SOCAL but with no recent updates to the website and the regular footy season getting underway without matches in the area, it seems 2006 may be lost. If that's the case then maybe 2007 is a chance, or perhaps at least Windsor will re-join the OAFL in future.

Much better news for Australian Football in Canada is the founding of a new club, the Central Blues, based in Toronto. In a later story we'll talk to founder and Canadian footy stalwart Bruce Parker, who sees room for several more clubs in the city and has hopes to get youth football going soon.