World Footy News

Since I have arrived in Strasbourg the Kangourous have been comprehensively beaten by Montpelier at Haute Pierre, forfeited to Toulouse and again been solidly beaten by Lyon.
So how are the Kangourous travelling?



Having attented the 2010 Coupe de France I was interested to compare the situation with that of today. The Strasbourg Kangaroos were the second team in France after Paris but had to play in the AFLG for competition. With the addition of more French teams they changed to playing in the CNFA and were a strong team.

The Roos have 20 players on their books but currently are suffering injuries to some key players. They recruit new players but only at a rate to replace those leaving.The main problem is travelling and lack of competition. Paris is 500km and Lyon is even further. There is no easy way around it.Either by train or car it takes both time and money; whilst you have to arrive fresh enough to play football on the day.

Understandably, the Roos struggle with away games in the South of France. At the same time, the growth in the CNFA is mainly from the South. The power in the South has moved from Bordeaux to Toulouse. Toulouse being a large city and the centre for aircraft manufacture. Of course, Paris always remains strong and Paris is the club that all clubs love to beat, not only beause it is traditionally strong or it is represents Paris but maybe because it is the team with the most Australians playing.

There are some possibilities in Strasbourg for the kangaroos - women, youth and access to a university but at the moment they lack the critical mass of players to have a local league which would make the retention of players so much easier. It surprised me the number of players that have gain their enthusiasm for football from visits to Australia but then the only other way is via Eurosport2 or word of mouth.

Staying in Strasbourg I have found myself training with the kangourous. It has reminded me of just how dedicated a player must be. Because of the peculiarities of the French calendar, sport neccesitates playing in the very cold. Thankfully it's warm now - but that makes recovery that much harder. Playing Australian Football is different here. Playing 9-a-side, there are no opportunities to rest like in traditional football.

The French players marvel at the skills of AFL players whilst watching AFL streaming. I remark that it is diffrent to watching the Kangourous. They think that I am joking, (maybe I am) but the grounds here are hard clay with varying grass cover.Techniques are different as AFL players slide in whilst here it is very difficult to grab the bouncing ball at any speed. The players and coaches are knowledgeable about the game and there is little for an outsider to add. What makes Australian Football different from other sports is the number of scenarios and options a player faces. Only experience helps in that regard and it's experience that allows a players to demand the ball.

Lyon is a great city much like Strasbourg with the old city surrounded by water. Game day and the weather was warm, the ground well grassed and the spectators were jovial. The Kangaroos were confident they could improve on their last meeting with Lyon. They had trained well and had good numbers. Thankfully I wasn't required to play.

So it was a surprise when Lyon caught the Roos flat-footed, running in some very easy goals from the start. The Roos adjusted the ruck but they were shell-shocked and could not match the system of the Lions. It was the umpire's first game and his lack of decision lead to some heated moments. This actually fired up the Roos and they were competitve around the ground in the second and third quarters. In fact, the Roos make-shift ruck won most of the hit outs, but playing catch-up football they wasted scoring opportunities. When the Roos failed to man-up the excellent mid-field of the Lions were quick to penalise with a systematic rebound.

The last quarter saw the Roos tiring and the Lions again added freely to the scoreboard. For the Roos it was a disappointing result. It was an all round improvement on their last game but the slow start cost them any real chance. For Lyon, they seem to travelling well and are confident about the future as well as the finals. Strasbourg may be the carrefour of Europe but Lyon is closer to the centre of France.