World Footy News

The off-season certainly hasn’t been a quiet time for the AFLCNE (AFL Central & Northern England) committee as they continue to redevelop 2016 representative opportunities for league players. Additionally, the league has redeveloped their own home and away draw to accommodate their eighth team in 2016, the Merseyside Saints from Liverpool.

The following information from the AFLCNE website outlines the changes.

“In 2016 the Central and Northern England League will be forming a League representative side with a view to playing 18 a-side games as opposed to the leagues 9s format. The aim behind this is to give our top British talent more experience of the 18s game and help them to prepare for national team selection and hopefully playing for the British Bulldogs.”

“All clubs have been asked to put forward the names of their players who they feel would be suited to playing in this representative team. The final selections will be made by Ian Mitchell (Wolverhampton Wolverines) and Will Sykes (Merseyside Saints). The name of the representative side has yet to be decided.”

“It is envisaged that the AFLCNE rep side will join a training session/friendly fixture with the English Dragonslayers in Huddersfield on April 2nd before taking part in the AFL London Pre-season tournament on April 23rd.”

“At the London tournament there will also be a ‘Supers’ competition for the over 35s. If there are enough interested ‘old-timers’ from around the League we would also like to enter a team in this. Any AFLCNE players wishing to register an interest in the Supers comp please contact Ian Baxter at president@aflcne.com”

The preparations to welcome the Merseyside Saints into the competition for 2016 is also well under way.

“With the addition of the Merseyside Saints to the AFLCNE, 8 teams will contest the AFLCNE 2016 Premiership. But they won’t be the only new thing in the league next season. The AFLCNE will also be introducing a plate competition for the teams that finish 5th – 8th after the home and away season. The top 4 teams will, as in previous seasons, compete for the honour of becoming AFLCNE premiers. The Plate Final will be the warm up game for the league Grand Final.”

League President Ian Baxter had this to say about the Plate competition:

“As a league we are mixture of well-established sides and newer clubs, the Plate competition means all clubs will have something to aim for towards the end of season and hopefully gives developing clubs some success and recognition for their hard work developing the game that they otherwise may not have got”

Either way it promises to be an exciting season in 2016.