World Footy News

The name "Oslo Trolls" was first heard in the international footy scene a few years back, but the team remained an enigma until August this year, when they hosted Sweden's Karlstad Dragons in the first match of footy in Norway in the modern era.

The team is now preparing to play their second match and first-ever road trip on October 4, making the drive east to Karlstad. The Trolls will kick off a three-team tournament against the Dragons and Falun Diggers, teams who will become regular adversaries if plans to join the AFL Sweden West next year come through.

Dave Foletta from the Trolls is looking forward to 2009 being Norwegian footy's "Break-Out Year". WFN spoke to him recently about their plans.

When Dave Foletta arrived in Norway in 2006, he heard about the existence of a footy club in Olso. "I was told that this was the name (Trolls) even though the team literally did not exist other than on paper. An effort was made in 2007 but was not enough to get a team together."

"In 2008 I pushed people a lot harder, got more organised, set up a game against Karlstad in Oslo and it came together from there, with a lot of help from Jay Earles who has now departed Norway."

"The main stumbling block was a bit of motivation and organisation. There have always been blokes keen on something happening in Oslo but no one willing to really take it on and make it happen. We have made fantastic progress this year and definitely built the grounds for further progress in 2009."

"The closer it is to a scheduled game, the more players come out of the woodwork. With our aim being regular 9-a-side games, we are looking for 10 per training session but usually max out at around eight, with two or three unable to attend due to work commitments and whatnot."

"At the moment we are taking in whoever is interested. It's mainly expats as the first chance some Norwegians get to see Aussie Rules is on Youtube, and the first thing they see on there is something like a video of Dermott Brereton knocking someone out. That can put new people off the game a bit. So it's word of mouth at the moment and that has built us a decent sized network of people that we are building on".

Oslo is going to join with Karlstad and Falun in a 3-way tournament on October 4 in Karlstad. This will be the first chance to meet the Falun team and the club's first road trip. Foletta tells us, "The boys who are coming are very motivated as its these early games that everyone will take notice of us and see that we are an organised team."

Hopefully 2009 will be see Oslo joining AFL Sweden West league, with Karlstad, Falun and the Gothenburg Beserkers. Foletta is confident their inclusion would motivate more Norwegians to join up to take on the Swedes.

While the Trolls don't have anyone going to the EU cup this year, they aim to have set up the national representative team, the Norway Raiders, within two years.

Foletta is also looking into creating at least one or two more clubs around the Norwegian capital for local matches. "I have contacts down each side of the Oslofjord of people willing to help start a team in their areas, both within an hour's drive of Oslo. Over winter and into early next year we will start a new team, either from one of those regions or a second Oslo team for unofficial games to take place locally to generate interest."

They haven't looked into any contacts down under yet, preferring to wait until the club is a bit more established and has a solid core committed to promoting the sport in Norway. Foletta adds though, "We have got an offer of sponsorship in Oslo which also is something that will be worked on over the winter, so 2009 really is the break out year of Aussie Rules in Norway."