World Footy News

It is almost hard to believe that the AFL Middle East Grand Final was over three months ago, back on March 8th. Time has flown by without a full report on the season and, of course, the Grand Final result itself. In the first of a small series of articles on Australian football across the Middle East, a brief look at the season that was gives a small taste of the way footy panned out across the region.

The 2012-13 season kicked off with the pre-season AFL9’s tournament in September at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Arena (NASSA) in Dubai. The Meydan Cup was played enthusiastically with the Dubai Dingoes winning the day against their arch rivals, the Dubai Dragons, with a last minute surge to fall over the line in extra time.

As the season proper came closer it became apparent that the Bahrain Blues would not take their place in the league for this new season. It is universally hoped that they can return for the 2013/4 season.

From the early rounds of the new season, the Doha Kangaroos and Dubai Dragons stamped their authority on the competition, recording a string of impressive wins. The biggest challenge to their drive to Grand Final day was from the Dubai Dingoes, with the Abu Dhabi Falcons and the Muscat Magpies falling behind the frontrunners early on in the season.

This formula played out to the final round when the Dubai teams were locked in a battle for the final grand final spot. Doha was already safe, but if the Dingoes defeated Doha in the final round they would displace the Dragons (who had the bye). As it turned out, Doha confirmed their premiership credentials by beating the Dingoes, setting up a Grand Final against the Dragons.

In a tough encounter at Aspire Park in Qatar, it was the Dubai Dragons, however, that reigned supreme and made it back to back premierships by defeating the highly fancied Doha Kangaroos for the 2012/13 title. Final scores were Dubai Dragons 17.7 (109) d Doha Kangaroos 7.8 (50).

In the playoff for 3rd place it was the Dubai Dingoes who defeated the Abu Dhabi Falcons

Shortly we will present another new article about Australian Rules footy in the Middle East, where we will be looking at the development of the game across the region with a view to the upcoming 2013/14 season.