World Footy News

The Vienna Dingoes were formed back in 2004, becoming the Vienna Kangaroos a few years later. Some talk was heard late 2007 about the creation of a second club in the southern city of Graz, but plans went back into hibernation and the Kangaroos remained Austria's only club.

All this changed last weekend, when the Graz Down-Under Dogs hosted the Vienna Kangaroos on Saturday October 25 in the village of Zwaring.

As the traveling Vienna team were light on numbers, they were assisted by a few new Graz recruits pulled together from various parts of the world in a common goal to try this unusual game. American, Finnish, German, Australian and Austrian nationalities joined under the Kangaroos banner to take on the talented-yet-untested, 100% Austrian, Graz Doggies.

Most impressively, it was the all-local Graz team who took away the points, with a one-point victory over the Kangaroos, 13.10 (88) to 13.9 (87).

Report courtesy of Ben Chick from the Vienna Kangaroos, photos courtesy of Monika Sax.

Graz were led by the club founder and stalwart Martin Schittegg and the powerhouse runner and ball magnet Richard "Classy" Claassen - both these players have a few games experience over the years with the Austrian national team and were fresh from representing their country at the recent 2008 EU Cup in Prague.

Initially a light training session was conducted for the players who were new to the game, but after that it was down to business.

From the first ball-up, Graz combined well as a team. The Martin/Richard combination looked like a distinct set play that had been tried and tested. The Dogs had the first scores on the board, whilst the Roos were still busy introducing themselves.

It didn't take the Roos long to figure it out and click into gear (sometimes slipping back into neutral) but the few early goals Graz scored at the beginning remained the difference between the two teams well into the final quarter where the roos clawed back to just finish short at the final siren.

In the wash up, it was a solitary point that seperated the two teams in what can only be described as a fantastic effort by the totally Austrian Graz team in their first ever hit-out together and a great effort by a bunch of guys thrown together under the Vienna banner, many who had never kicked an Aussie rules ball before, let alone played a match.

The day was a great example of grass roots footy, with the new guys having a ball and really enjoying the game. Full credit to the Graz team for the win, organisation of the ground and getting a heap of players at very short notice, kudos to Boga for the impetus in arranging the match and introducing the game to a few new guys who thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

The match was a great recognition to the hard work that Martin Schittegg and the Graz guys have done and a good example that you don't need an Australian involved to play this fantastic sport. With the potential for a few other teams in the pipeline there are encouraging signs for Aussie rules in Austria.