World Footy News

While the AFL grand final fast approaching, many leagues around the world have already completed their premiership seasons.

Last month saw the Northern and Southern regional premierships going to Newcastle and Southampton respectively, the Cardiff Double Blues too strong in Wales, and the rampaging West London football club taking out the flag in all three London divisions.

While it was first time the West London club had taken out the Social division, it was their fifth consecutive crown in the Premiership and eight straight in the Conference.

Reports courtesy of AFL Britain and the West London Wildcats FC.

London Premiership

In the main game, the Putney Magpies were making their clubs first appearance in a Premiership Division Grand Final. They would again face the West London Wildcats, having beaten them two weeks earlier in the first semi-final. Bookmakers, if they were there, would have made this an even money contest and that was justified with the match turning into a real arm wrestle over the first three quarters. Putney started the better of the two teams, showing that the Grand Final held no fears for them taking a 14 point quarter time lead. The Wildcats however, were drawing on the experience of winning the past 4 Grand Finals and came back strongly in the second, holding the Magpies score less in the second, whilst kicking 3 goals of their own to have a handy 9 point lead at half time.

The Magpies would have been hoping to use the breeze in the third quarter to setup a winning lead in the third quarter. The staunch Wildcats defence, led by Great Britain captain Jonathan Boyle, saw things differently and kept the Putney scoring to a minimum. One goal each in the 'premiership' quarter saw the stage set for a fitting end to the 2008 season, with the Wildcats maintaining their 9 point advantage as the two teams turned for home.

Perhaps it was the presence of the Chanel 9 News cameras at the three quarter time huddle, but whatever Wildcats coach Xavier McKinnon said to his troops at the break certainly worked, with the Wildcats effectively ending the contest in the first 10 minutes of the last quarter. Led by the brilliant Justin McCallion, who would also claimed the best-on-ground award, the Wildcats broke the back of the Magpie resistance and kicked 8 goals to nothing in a rampaging final quarter effort. The Wildcats saw off retiring champions Ciaran Merrigan, Doni Mullen, Jonathan Boyle and Rob Chamberlain in style and none were more excited than Wildcats President Matt Glynn who oversaw Premiership wins in the Conference and Premiership Divisions in every year of his 4 year presidency.

West London Wildcats
1.0, 4.5, 5.6, 13 8 86
Def
Putney Magpies
3.2, 3.2, 4.3 4 3 27

London Conference

The second match of the day had the Clapham Demons take on the Shepherds Bush Raiders who were gunning for their 8th straight Grand Final victory. The Demons came out firing and took a early 4 goal lead. The Raiders, kicking with the aid of a strong breeze in the second quarter, managed to reduce the deficit to two goals at the main break. There were a lot of tense moments in a fascinating third quarter. Clapham could have, and maybe should have, taken a real strangle hold on the contest, but their inaccuracy in front of goal still gave the Raiders a sniff.

Clapham had a 24 point advantage going into the last and would have fancied their chances of claiming their maiden Conference title. The Raiders had other ideas however and slowly but surely managed to squeeze themselves back into the game. With 5 minutes remaining, Raiders forward Marcus Wilson was awarded a free kick at the top of the Raiders goal square and slotted home the goal to put the Raiders in front for the first time in the day by 1 point. The roar from supporters was spine tingling and made for a grand stand finish. Kade Nichols, a cult hero with his long, flowing dreadlocks, kicked a running goal for the Raiders with 2 minutes to spare and seal a memorable 7 point win for the Raiders.

Shepherds Bush Raiders
0.2, 2.4, 3.5, 7 12 54
Def
Clapham Demons
4.6, 4.6, 6.11, 6 11 47

London Social

The Social Division saw the Ealing Emus play the Nottingham Scorpions in the days first final. The Emus justified their favourites tag and dominated from start to finish, overwhelming a Nottingham side making their debut Grand Final appearance, winning by 114 points. The Emus simply out-classed their opposition in every facet of the game. Veteran Emu Lucas Cullen received best-on-ground honours, Al Carlson the leading goal kicking with 4 goals. Emus Coach Peter Romanis said "We dominated the whole year and this victory is the icing on the cake!".

Ealing Emus
3.4, 7.11, 11.14, 18 17 125
Def
Nottingham Scorpions
1.1, 1.1, 1.5, 1 5 11

ARUK Northern Division

In England's far north-east, Newcastle are the 2008 ARUK Northern Division Champions, having defeated Middlesbrough in the Grand Final.

Played at the Novocastrians Rugby Club in Newcastle, the Centurions proved too strong for the Hawks, running out winners 11.15 (81) to 4.13 (37).

Newcastle were rocked early by injury to key on-baller and captain Matt Bradford, but steadied the ship with 3 goals apiece from Rich Mitchell and Ben Merrett. A further two goals were added by best on ground Michael Shackleton, whose telling influence around the ground was crucial in deciding the outcome.

ARUK Southern Division

The Southampton Titans won the 2008 Aussie Rules UK South Grand Final in convincing fashion.

Facing the Sussex Swans, a team that the Titans had failed to challenge through their two regular season matches, and who knocked them out of the 2007 Semi-finals, the Titans entered the game as under-dogs. But a first quarter assault by the Titans, set the tone for the match, with the Titans kicking two goals in the first couple of minutes before captain Peter Stroud hobbled off the ground with a strained hamstring, not returning for the remainder of the match.

This didn’t slow the Titans down, as they amassed a 7 goal to nil first quarter lead, 3 of those to full forward Mark Lazzarotto, and mid-fielder Darryn O’Connor kicking two. The second quarter saw the game tighten with Lazzarotto and O’Connor adding another goal each, and the Sussex Swans finally managed to get their first goal of the day. At half time, the Titans had a handy 47-point lead, 10-5-65 to 2-6-18.

The Sussex Swans came out firing after the half time break, and scored a couple early goals to start the quarter. Lazzarotto managed to kick his fifth goal for the match to momentarily stem the tide, before the teams traded goals for the most part of the term. Sussex then finished with the last two goals of the quarter to bring the margin back to 25 points, and hold the momentum going into the final quarter.

The Titans struck the early blow in the last quarter, with Matt Clark kicking his second goal for the day within 30 seconds of the final quarter starting. With a second goal almost as quickly, the momentum had swung back to the Titans, who rampaged home kicking 8 goals to 4 in the final quarter. Lazzarotto and O’Connor both added to their total, finishing with 6 and 4 respectively, and the Titans ran out 52 point winners, 21-14-140 to 13-10-88.

Mark Lazzarotto, who spent time at both full-forward and in the ruck received man of the match honors. Later in the evening at the league presentation dinner he also managed to pick up the league best & fairest medal, polling 11 votes to win. The leagues leading goal scorer was English rookie Will Worthington of the Sussex Swans who finished with 35 goals in the regular season, all while sitting out the last couple rounds with a calf injury, and also placed equal second on the league B&F with 10 votes.

Wales

League leaders the Cardiff Double Blues took on the South Cardiff Panthers at St Peters Sports and Leisure in Cardiff for the WARFL Premiership cup last Saturday, destroying the Panthers 18.18.126 to 2.20.32.

The game promised to be a close encounter, with the Panthers getting their two British Bulldogs players back in Ed Doe and David James, and the in-form Double Blues close to full strength after they dished out yet another hiding to the Swansea Magpies by the tune of 140 points last weekend.

However, the experienced Double Blues team was far too strong on the day, with four experienced Australians on the pitch, compared with a Panthers lineup which was all-British but for a lone New Zealander.

Next year may tell a different tale, the Double Blues' Australians will head back down under, whereas the Panthers have some very promising young talent. Hopefully the Gwent and Swansea clubs will also consolidate and see the Welsh league develop as one to be reckoned with.