World Footy News

The new look AFLG footy format wound up last month with the Hamburg Dockers defeating the Munich Kangaroos in the Grand Final by 39 points in the 16 players per side competition held from July to September. This followed a reversed result in the earlier nine per side competition held between April and June where the Kangaroos defeated the Hamburg Pirates (one of two Hamburg teams in this competition) by 32 points.

The new format which was put together over the past off season was designed to allow teams which had struggled with numbers to compete across a season more effectively and fairly. The draw was also constructed to rationalise the locations of rounds to allow multiple games to be help at a single venue to increase games but make planning for travelling a little easier.

In the “9’s” competition, the Frankfurt Redbacks were able to return to competition after a season out of regular combat. At the same time the format allowed for newly formed teams, the Dresden Wolves and Freiberg Taipans, to be able to enter the competition on a permanent playing basis for the first time. All three of these teams recorded multiple wins under the format, giving heart to the clubs and their supporters that they belong at this level and can grow.

To round out the 10 team competition, the Stuttgart Emus, Berlin Crocodiles and Munich Kangaroos had their regular teams. Both the Hamburg and Rheinland clubs split themselves into two teams each – Hamburg becoming both the Pirates and the Swans with Rheinland providing both the Früh Kölsch and Früh Sport teams. For the most part the draw successfully reduced the forfeited games tally across the competition, though the Rheinland Früh Kölsch team still struggled across the season.

The draw saw each team able to play 12 games across 10 rounds with locations spread to include Esslingen, Köln, Freiberg, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Dresden, Berlin and Munich.

By the end of the home and away rounds the Munich Kangaroos held top spot and favouritism going in to the finals, going through undefeated. In the finals matches Munich (1st) took on and defeated Hamburg Swans (4th) to march into the Grand Final. The Hamburg Pirates (2nd) defeated the Berlin Crocodiles (3rd) to claim the other spot in the big dance.

In the end it was the Munich Kangaroos 8 7 55 defeating the Hamburg Pirates 3 5 23 to claim the year’s first premiership.

The following week saw the commencement of the 16 per side competition. Just three clubs contested this – Munich and Hamburg being joined by the Rheinland Lions. The scheduled six games didn’t pan out the way it was hoped with three games forfeited. Munich again topped the ladder undefeated with four wins ahead of Hamburg with two and Rheinland winless. Munich entered the Grand Final as warm favourites to win both flags for the year to be absolute German champions, but the Hamburg Dockers had other ideas.

Final Score: Hamburg Dockers 12 12 84 defeated Munich Kangaroos 5 13 43

Over the coming months the AFLG committee and clubs will sit down and assess the success or otherwise of the format changes for 2016. Not everything went to plan, but the successes saw two new teams in the league, another former club return and most rounds (certainly of the 9’s format) attended by the majority of teams. It is certainly a positive list of achievements on which to build their 2016 draw.

It is certainly another positive for German footy to go with the fifth placed effort of the German Black Eagles team at the recent Euro Cup in Croatia as the nation continues to churn out genuine talent and toughness – the hallmarks of footy.