World Footy News

The USAFL National Championships tournament is back this weekend in Austin, Texas (October 15-17) at the Onion Creek Soccer Fields.after the 2020 nationals in California had to be cancelled due to Covid.

Almost all footy in 2020 and a good deal of 2021 could not take place across the US. But in recent months footy has resumed in most cities. But the shadow of Covid still hangs over the Nationals. Not all the usual teams have been an able to field a side this year in Austin. Medical facilities in Texas are still being overwhelmed by Covid cases and this has lead to the concern that the possibility of not being able to get medical treatment should players be seriously injured. All attendees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or a negative PCR test.

Add to this the stance of the Texas state  bringing in deploarable new laws surrounding abortions and those involved with the abortions has seen a number of womens teams and others individuals in solidarity boycotting this year's event.

In total there will be 28 mens (4 divisions) and five women's teams competing, but this includes a number of teams combined from cities without the numbers to make a full squad on their own.

Due to a lot of targeted work over a number of years AFL Canada Australian Football is now an official Canadian sport.

After a lengthy application and verification process, AFL Canada has been approved as a Registered Canadian Amateur Athletics Association (RCAAA). This is a milestone in Australian Football in Canada and brings with it many benefits not just prestige.

In the second series of interviews with people and personalities involved in Australian Football across the United States, Rick Shaibani from the Los Angeles Dragons shares his unique journey. Rick is already widely known to World Footy News readers as one of our writing team, but his journey to discover and then tell of our game adds another dimension, different again to those we have already interviewed.

The first question was to find his earliest connections to our game.

“I first discovered the wonderful world of Aussie rules when I lived in Phoenix, Arizona shortly after graduating from university in 2015. I didn't really enjoy my time in Phoenix, but I did meet some cool people, mostly through a local rugby union club that I joined. I had briefly played some union in college thanks to the influence of my dad, who played quite a bit himself growing up. Unfortunately, I never had a ton of time to dedicate to it, plus the side that I joined in Phoenix was already pretty experienced and didn't have a ton of room for newcomers to crack the starting line-up.”

It is one of the AFL/VFL’s most stirring theme songs – Melbourne’s song being belted out by the faithful at Optus Stadium in Perth after claiming the club’s thirteenth premiership after a 57-year drought.

Last night people across the world were able to join in song with the Demons as emotions ran a faction higher than normal as droughts were broken, curses lifted, debts paid, potential realised and dreams came true.

I knew the words, having been to every Port Melbourne flag from 1974 to 1982 – six flags in nine years, all at the grand old Junction Oval. Port had the same theme song and I belted it out with gusto, and my family, as we took out Oakleigh, Dandenong, Sandringham, Coburg and Preston – all comers. None could down The Boroughs, and the song resonated across Melbourne for years – and in our car on the way home. But it wasn’t often applied to the Melbourne Demons over that era.

A furore has broken out in Queensland with the state U18 Netball Championships won by an all-boys team in an otherwise girl’s competition. There are rabid arguments flying through media, families and the sport itself and at the same time raising questions about the fairness of such competitions.

For the record, the Queensland Suns U17 Boys team won the final against the Bond University Bull Sharks 46-12. These boys went through the entire competition undefeated, and winning all matches by an average of 30 points. They were far superior on the scoreboard, raising the ire of parents, spectators and in turn media (social and otherwise).

For the record, it must be said that the boys have done absolutely nothing wrong. Their team was entered into the championships by express permission of the state netball governing body, Netball QLD. The argument cannot be directed at those who played, but instead at the decision makers who allowed this.

Life has a habit of presenting second chances to people. Not all are taken, but there are many cases of people believing their chance to do something has passed only to be given a second chance and gleefully take it. I know it has happened to me – more than once – and my life has been changed and bettered by the experience.

The appearance of Ben Cousins at Sunday night’s Brownlow Medal count in Perth rated as one of the subtle highlights of the night. He didn’t say much to the salivating press, but what he said was, it seems, genuine, grateful and optimistic. Admitting that it had been a while since he had been to such an event (since his retirement from the AFL level in 2010), he was happy to state that it was “great to be here” and that he was “looking forward” to the night.

He even offered a concession, stating that “we all find ourselves in different situations along the way and it’s just great to be here tonight”. It amounted to a candid acknowledgement of his journey in life to date.

Yesterday in the AFL Cairns competition, the Cairns City Lions defeated the Cairns Saints by 11 points. It was their first flag for a little less that 13,000 days (for those who like to count such things), but there was something far more significant about this win. This time we only need to go back a bit over four years to complete a remarkable footy story.

(Image: AFL Cairns)

I was lucky enough (in a sense) to be on the field back in late 2017 wearing a Cairns City Lions jumper as they went down horribly by 290 points to the South Cairns Cutters. That day I played mainly forward or bench. Either way I was in a great position to watch a massacre that many would see as the nadir for the Lions. It was the day that a crossroad became real. The club had people like myself and some other Pyramid Power lads fill in to ensure they fielded a team. They had no reserve grade. With less than 20 players on their list, a terrible season on the scoreboard and potentially some sponsorship fallout, the future, that day, was grim.

History Made In Hungary-First Aussie Rules Match Played In Hungary

History was made on 28th August 2021 when the Budapest Bats AFL club hosted the Sesvete Double Blues from Croatia in the city of Esztergom, Hungary. 

Read the following AFL Europe Article.

Reporter for AFL Hungary, Zoltan Marosy.

Two weeks on from their debut at the AFL Europe Festival of Football, the Budapest Bats and AFL Hungary have made history yet again.

On the 28th of August, AFL Hungary and the Bats hosted their first-ever game of Australian Football.

Held in the beautiful city of Esztergom, the match between the Hungarian and Croatian sides was watched on by curious locals, who had never seen a sport quite like this before.

The picturesque venue was situated under the imposing Esztergom Cathedral and next to the River Danube, which is also the Slovakian border.

The Bats showed as much grit and determination as you could ask for from a team playing only its second game.

Midfield bulls, Károly and Gergő Petrányi, often took the opposition by surprise with their fierce tackling and courageous marking, while experienced on-baller, Tom Wayman, collected plenty of possessions and kicked the only goal on the day for the Bats.

A tough day for the Hungarian defence, led by skipper Zoltan Marosy, with star backman, Mark Ryan, out missing through injury.

It was a weekend to remember for the Sesvete Double Blues, as they took home the perpetual trophy for the first time.

Star ruckman, Josip Karadža, dominated most of the stoppages, while half-forward, Tomislav Cvetko, left the Hungarian defenders helpless with his low and hard passes. Forward duo, Robert Jeličić and Ronan Moran (playing as a guest from Ireland) both had days out, kicking 15 goals between them.

Overall, it was a successful day for the sport in Hungary and we look forward to many more matches to come for the Bats.

Final Score: Budapest Bats 1.4. (10) defeated by Sesvete Double Blues 23. 20. (158).

I wonder what Les Murray (SBS commentator & Soccer promoter) would have thought about this match being played in the country of his birth? The term 'rolled over in his grave' comes to mind.

 

Whilst the term "drought breaker" has a far more serious meaning across the world in these times of global warming, the 21st has been a drought-breaker so far for a large number of AFL clubs. A brief look unearths:

• In 2001 Lions win first flag for 57 years

• in 2004 Power wins first ever (in AFL)

• in 2005 Swans win first flag for 72 years

• in 2007 Cats win first flag for 44 years

• in 2016 Dogs win first flag for 62 years

• in 2017 Tigers win first flag for 37 years

• in 2021 Demons win first flag for 57 years ??

 

Round 6 of the AFL PNG competiton was completed last weekend with Concept Koboni defeating the Alavana Swans by 12 goals on Saturday and the Lamana Dockers held onto second place on the ladder when they defeated the Gereka Bombers on Sunday by 65 points.

In the reserves Concept Koboni were also winners, while it was the Gereka Bombers who took the four points aginst the Lamana Dockers..

In the Women's Divsion, on the Saturday West Eagles were eight point winners over the 13 PLUS Marlins, and the Alavana Swans forfeited to Concept Koboni.  On Sunday Lamana Dockers were 62 point winners over the scoreless Gereka Bombers.  The three winners from the weekend are tied on 12-points in the first three places on the ladder.

 

In another Covid-19 dominated year that has played havoc with footy competitions around the world, it was pleasing that the AFL Nauru season was completed with the finals of all three grades completed last weekend. 

Image Left: AFL Nauru Facebook

The Lions won the A-Grade Division of the Digicel Cup defeating the Tigers by 53 points at Linkbelt Oval.   Tiiana Waidabu, veteran of Nauru footy and national representative with the Nauru Chiefs at the 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017 International Cups, was best on ground in the Grand Final. 

Panzer were B-Grade Premiers and Tigers took out the C Grade.

AFL Nauru is now calling for players to register for this year's AFL Nauru Women's Digicel Cup competiton which will begin on September 25th.  

Toby Greene just has to go down for six weeks (at the very least) after his deliberate bump on umpire Matt Stevic in last weekend’s Elimination Final between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Sydney Swans in Launceston. There is no doubt that Greene is a terrific footballer in terms of physical skills and a game play footballing brain. But in terms of his thought processes outside of that, such as his irrational reactions, he is in danger of derailing his career.

However, in that respect he is no different really to a legion of players across the years such as Carl Ditterich, Phil Carmen, Robert Muir, “Mopsy” Fraser, Bob Chitty, David Rhys-Jones and others. Across the past century, these names are described as amongst the “toughest” yet often the most undisciplined players the game has seen. It’s fine to walk the edge of “tough” and “rough”, but constantly crossing the line harms the game.

Funny thing is, regardless of what has happened to those players over the years, there is another audience present, watching on with great interest as their role models or club heroes slug it out, so to speak.

For the greater good, kids and the game’s future, Toby Greene just has to go down with the severest penalty possible.