World Footy News

Tuesday night at 6pm saw the first hit out in 2016 for the fledgling football team in Banff. Looking for motor vehicles I thought something was amiss but soon realised that players were arriving by bicycle. The field was in good condition if a little spongy and there was no question this recreation ground has one of best back-drops you'll ever see.

Nick Mamerow led the session with five others with an icy wind encouraging much activity. What's the synopsis for the future of this team?

It was a small turn-out on a cold windy Tuesday night. A fine week-end day should bring out a lot more of those numerous Banff Facebook members. The team is youthful, athletic and skilled because it is mostly Australian. This means they will be competitive in the Calgary league but it does present a problem for the long-term. Since most players are Australians a lot are associated with the service industry on two year visas. The Banff team are aware of this and are trying hard to attract locals but even locals tend to be newcomers here.

Banff is town of under 10,000 people of which nearly 1,000 are transient which is actually a plus. It is the right size to work with. Nick reports that Banff council is receptive to the idea of Australian Football and has helped in small ways and promises more. Local government co-operation is extremely important to Australian Football as they controll the public sporting facilities and ground hire costs can cripple a club.

The Calgary Kangaroos  attempt to play across two soccer fields, like a lot of other clubs. However the sporting posts are fixtures and not removable. A council needs confidence that the demand for Australian Football will justify the cost of modifying a permanent setup.

In Banff, Australian Football potentially has a better chance of not being swamped by the higher profile of other sporting codes. One thing Nick is looking for is nickname suggestions. I'm saying "Huskies". Why not post a suggestion on theBanff Australian Rules Football Team Facebook page.