World Footy News

2010 saw traditional heavyweights Munich and Paris continue to build their reputation in the German and French leagues, whilst over in Ireland, the South Dublin Swans broke through for their first flag in four years.

The Netherlands hosted its first-ever national competition, with the Amsterdam Devils prevailing.

For more details of the season's play in those leagues, read on.

France

The Paris Cockerels went undefeated through the 2009-10 French season, becoming national premiers for the second time. The national league consisted of five French sides and the Andorra Crows, although the season was marred by a number of forfeits caused by the financial pressure of traveling long distances for a game.

In the annual Coupe de France club tournament, the Toulouse Crocodiles emerged victorious, completing an undefeated day's play with a triumph over Paris in the final.

Uniquely in Europe, the French league is played during the northern winter, with the 2010-11 season currently underway. Andorra have pulled out of the league, and Montpellier are combining with Perpignan for this season, but the return of Strasbourg and the creation of the Marseille Dockers keeps the number of sides at six.

Germany

The Munich Roos continued to build on their reputation as Germany's premier Australian football club, defeating the Rheinland Lions by 54 points, 12.13 (85) to 4.7 (31), in the Grand Final held in Berlin last September.

The Hamburg Dockers pulled out of the AFLG regular season for 2010, although they did play friendly fixtures against other German teams. The planned AFLG fixture for 2011 will see the Dockers back in the regular draw, bringing the number of clubs back up to six.

Down south, the Munich Roos kicked off their local Bavaria League, Germany's first metro competition, with the Sendling Blues defeating the Schwabing Saints for the first-ever Bavarian premiership. Also in Bavaria, the Nürnberg Eagles held some training sessions in the hope of becoming the seventh German city with a footy club, but as yet the Eagles haven't made it onto the pitch.

On the international stage, the German Black Eagles almost pulled out of the inaugural European Championships at the last minute, but some hard work by AFLG stalwarts and the recruitment of some Germans playing elsewhere around Europe got them onto the field. The Germans battled in the pool matches, but avoided the wooden spoon by defeating Finland in the 7th place playoff.

Ireland

The South Dublin Swans dominated Irish Aussie Rules in 2010, taking out both the Super 9s pre season competition and the ARFLI Premiership Cup.

The Grand Final win over the Belfast Redbacks, the Swans' first flag since 2006, was a tightly-fought affair with the Redbacks coming within 5 points at one stage of the final quarter, before the Swans kicked away late in the match to win 13.7 (85) to 7.13 (55).

The Swans' win maintains the stranglehold on the premiership held by the clubs out of Dublin and Cork, although there has been some growth outside those centres in recent times, with the creation of the Midwest Magpies in the western city of Galway and the reemergence of the Clare Crows.

On the international front, Ireland remain Europe's strongest side in full-field football, going into the European Championships hot favourites and taking home the gold medal with a win over Denmark in the final. 2010 saw Ireland's first appearance at the 9-a-side Euro Cup (although the Irish Exiles, formed by Irishmen playing elsewhere in Europe, had competed in 2009), with the Green Machine finishing third.

Ireland's national women's side also debuted at the Euro Cup, defeating Italy for the title of inaugural European champions in women's footy.

Netherlands

The first-ever Dutch Australian Football Association domestic season kicked off in 2010, with four teams representing Amsterdam, Den Haag, Eindhoven and Utrecht.

Beginning with a game on March 21st between the Utrecht Saints and an all-stars team of players from the rest of the Netherlands, the season saw the domestic clubs clash over five rounds, with the Amsterdam Devils emerging victorious from the three-way Grand Final tournament on September 18th.

The Flying Dutchmen national team also had a busy schedule, hosting the Putney Magpies and Paris Cockerels in Amsterdam and travelling to the German capital for a match against the Berlin Crocodiles.

The Dutchmen won all three of their international friendlies, then backed it up by taking out silver at the Euro Cup in Milan - showing that their strong showing at the 2009 EU Cup was no fluke.

The Dutch team for Milan was composed almost entirely of locals, which combined with a successful first season for their fledgling domestic league bodes very well for footy in the Netherlands.