World Footy News

The 2010 Ontario Australian Football League (OAFL) season begins this weekend in Ontario, Canada and with what is to be expected to be its best season yet, the OAFL is working hard both on and off the field.

Off the field, the OAFL has been working towards implementing new strategies to improve the league. The Introduction of internet based “Footyweb”, which is a computerised sports club administration tool used in Australia, will allow all clubs and the OAFL to track, account and better present player team sheets and weekly football results. Footyweb will allow the OAFL to update its websites and get information to local media faster and more efficiently.

Over the winter period the OAFL for the first time introduced its free Junior Football Clinics which ran inside sporting bubbles at two locations in Toronto. The idea is - football all year round and to have a place that is available for junior development as well as where potential new players can go over the winter period to learn about the sport.

During the 2010 OAFL summer season the OAFL has booked the Humber South Football field in Toronto from 8.30 to 11.30 am for every Saturday. The league intends to use this time to develop its first junior football games.

AFL accredited Level One Coaching courses have been offered at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus, where the league is now playing a number of games during the season on the University’s top grade sporting fields. Such coaching courses are aimed at improving the standard of coaching here in Ontario which will ultimately improve the standard of football. Which the OAFL believes will lead to a better and more competitive National Team.

The OAFL has also been working to improve their umpires with the introduction of a complete Umpire Development Pathway. i.e. Level zero courses have just been completed and will be followed through with the opportunity to obtain a level One AFL accredited umpires certificate later on during the year. It will be delivered by Mr. Brian Greene who is the highest ranked umpire in North America and lives in New York area.

To further cement their commitment to improve umpiring, the OAFL has spent nearly $5000 dollars on umpire apparel and gear. This is necessary, and in-line with the previously mentioned Umpire Development Pathway, it will improve moral and give a more professional appearance to the Umpire group. The OAFL believes it will also attract more people towards umpiring.

On the field, the OAFL will be introducing “Double Headers” for the first time this year. These will be gala days where the OAFL will showcase its most successful Toronto clubs in surrounding towns which included Hamilton, Guelph and Scarborough.

Additional “Night Games” will also be implemented for the 2010 season. Introduced by the OAFL and the Etobicoke Kangaroos Australian Football Club three years ago, night football has proved to be a successful venture and in 2010 the OAFL has planned additional night matches on both Friday and Thursday nights in the middle of the Canadian Summer.

With the inception of the OAFL’s “Division 2” in 2009, the OAFL will continue to build upon their seconds division. The addition of one more division two team (“The Rebel-Dogs”) and the strengthening of the original four (Hawks, Roos, Central Blues and the Quebec Saints) has lead to the OAFL introducing a number of new initiatives, guidelines and game structure for its Division 2 league. These improvements are aimed at upgrading the quality of football played and the way it is supervised. For example, in 2010 for first time the OAFL will provide an official OAFL umpire to all Division 2 games. Division 2 games will operate similar to the Division 1 structure with official team sheets, recorded goal kicking, a league ran “Best and Fairest” along with an OAFL approve finals structure.

With the OAFL’s commitment to improving the standard of their league, 2010 is looking to be a fantastic year of football in not only Ontario but Canada as well.

Thanks to OAFL President, Martin Walter for his assistance.