World Footy News

Matt Thompson from the www.afl.com.au website reports on life after the AFL for one of the recent American recruits to the AFL. The story certainly gives a small idea of how one player gave our game a shot and when things didn’t fully pan out, another career awaited.

FORMER North Melbourne international rookie Eric Wallace has signed on with American NFL side Carolina Panthers.

The North Carolina local spent three years on the Kangaroos list, but failed to play a senior game.

Wallace – nicknamed 'The Beast' – has earned a spot on the Panthers 90-man roster in the position of tight end.

When writing history, one train of thought says that clubs go through the stages of initial development, success, domination and then legends. It might be the time to have a close look at the Manchester Mosquitoes and review their place on that particular pecking order.

The Manchester Mozzies have claimed the 2016 AFLCNE premiership with an emphatic 83 point victory against the Nottingham Scorpions in the Grand Final. For the Mozzies it is a rare “three-peat” of flags, claiming the titles in 2014, 2015 and now 2016. More impressive is the fact that they have now won five flags in seven years from their six Grand Final appearances.

As they did last year, the Mozzies raced out of the blocks with a big first quarter. Not as frightening as 2015 when their 12 goal to one first term effectively buried the Sheffield Thunder by quarter time, but their eight goal term set up a six goal quarter time lead. The Scorpions were already heavily on the back foot.

Stanis Heili and Brandon Nazione have been selected to trial with a number of AFL clubs over the next week. The two athletes performed well at the AFL's US Combine held in Los Angeles in April this year.

They have already met with Mason Cox to personally discuss what may lie ahead for them and attended the St Kilda vs Melbourne game at Etihad on the weekend.

Mynmar Nationals Star in AFL Asia Debut  - Article from Myanmar Times by RG Vogt

After stepping to his mark and smashing a kick through the uprights, Han Tun Aung kept his cool.

The rest of the team erupted into triumphant shouts.

Euphoria was to be expected, as the historic goal marks the first ever kicked by a Myanmar national in AFL Asia competition. It was a weekend of firsts for Han Tun Aung and his compatriot Min Thiha Kaung, both playing footy for the Fighting Cocks for the first time.

5pm update - Kurt is now named as Emergency for Sundays game and not in the selected 22.

Hawthorn has included midfielder Will Langford, key forward Tim O’Brien and Kiwi defender Kurt Heatherley in an extended squad to face Richmond on Sunday.

All three have been named on the bench in the Hawks’ 25-man squad.

Heatherley continued his push for a senior debut last week racking up 17 disposals, eight marks and five rebound 50s for Box Hill.
Hawthorn will finalise its side tomorrow afternoon ahead of Sunday’s clash at the MCG, which will be Sam Mitchell’s 300th AFL game.
 

The Manchester Mozzies will go head to head with the Nottingham Scorpions for the 2016 AFLCNE Grand Final after last weekend’s semi-finals were completed.

The Mozzies put down any revolt from the Huddersfield Rams with a commanding 85 point victory in an excellent tone up prior to the big game. Against good opposition, the Mozzies powered through the match challenging themselves to meet challenges and build strength.

The Nottingham Scorpions were also strong in downing the well performed Wolverhampton Wolverines in the other semi-final by 39 points. Both teams had enjoyed success throughout the year, but the Scorpions were too strong on the day.

Round 18 kicks off in Melbourne on Friday night with Collingwood hosting North Melbourne at Docklands Stadium. 

If you want to know when you can see the footy on TV in your part of the world, check out the full schedule below.

As always schedules are subject to change at the discretion of the local broadcaster so please check local guides for updates.  Note the scheduled time for the GC Suns vs Fremantle into China is yet to be confirmed.

GAME	DATE	TIMESLOT	MATCH	VENUE	STATE	LOCAL TIME	EST	GMT	NETWORK
1	22-Jul	Night	Collingwood vs. N Melbourne	Etihad Stadium	VIC	19:50	19:50	09:50	SEVEN
2	23-Jul	Day	Sydney Swans vs. Carlton	SCG	SA	13:45	13:45	03:45	SEVEN
3	23-Jul	Day	GC SUNS vs. Fremantle	Metricon Stadium	QLD	14:10	14:10	04:10	FOX
4	23-Jul	Twilight	WC Eagles vs. Melbourne	Domain Stadium	WA	14:35	16:35	06:35	FOX
5	23-Jul	Night	Geelong vs. Adelaide	Simonds Stadium	VIC	19:25	19:25	09:25	SEVEN
6	23-Jul	Night	Western Bulldogs vs. St Kilda	Etihad Stadium	VIC	19:25	19:25	09:25	FOX
7	24-Jul	Early	Essendon vs. Brisbane Lions	Etihad Stadium	VIC	13:10	13:10	03:10	FOX
8	24-Jul	Day	Hawthorn vs. Richmond	MCG	VIC	15:20	15:20	05:20	SEVEN
9	24-Jul	Twilight	Port Adelaide vs. GWS	Adelaide Oval	SA	16:10	16:40	06:40	FOX

Out there, playing somewhere in Australia right now, is a weekend warrior the AFL recruiters have either never seen or missed, a man dreaming of an AFL career. He is ‘The Recruit’ and he will win arguably the biggest prize ever given away on a TV show – a guaranteed place on an AFL list.

THE RECRUIT is a 10-part reality series that follows a group of ‘Recruits’ who live and play together as a team, while at the same time competing against each other, in order to win this life-changing prize.

Season one of THE RECRUIT aired in Australia in 2014 and was one of the breakout hits for Foxtel’s flagship, general entertainment channel, FOX8.   The premiere of that series was one of the highest program launches in subscription television history, and finished as the channel’s most watched series that year.

Season two returns with the legendary Mick Malthouse, leading the search for Australia’s next sporting hero.  Renowned for his record-breaking coaching career, Mick takes on the role of Head Coach.

Mick will be joined by the returning Executive Team comprising of former Hawthorn champion and FOX FOOTY commentator Ben Dixon as Assistant Coach, Port Adelaide’s world class fitness guru Darren Burgess as High Performance Coach; and accomplished sports administrator Leigh Russell as Mind Coach, responsible for the mental strength and wellbeing of the Recruits.

The 2014 series saw the introduction of two international recruits (partway through the series), Irishman Padraig Lucey and American Mark Cisco.  Lucey went on to be listed as an International Rookie with Geelong where he continues to play in their VFL team.  

This is not a unique experience. Girls and women have been playing footy for many, many years. To see a team of girls running around as part of the half time entertainment at an AFL venue has been seen and done many times.

However, there is something a little symbolic, prophetic and visionary about seeing girls on a footy field in 2016, the year the AFL committed to the first ever national women’s competition for 2017. Unlike most years before, this year a future, stark and defined, sits in front of any young girl or woman who takes to the fields of footy.

With the 2017 AFL International Cup just over a year away the Irish Banshees team might want to sound out Sinead Omahony when they put together their squad. 

Omahony is a rising star in the VFL women's competition with Melbourne University.  The following story by Callum O'Connor featured on The Footy Almanac this week - the original story can be read here.

November, new country.

January, new sport.

April, debut in the state’s highest competition of said sport. During its most revolutionary stage.

It’s been an interesting nine months for Melbourne Uni’s Irish recruit Sinead Omahony.

Last year, Omahony was living in Dublin when her partner Jamie Hagan was offered a two-year contract at the Melbourne Rebels, making him just the second fully capped Irish international to play Super Rugby. Omahony made the leap to join him – the move, she says, made her “a little bit heartbroken” – and left behind not just friends and family but a very impressive Gaelic football record. She first played at the age of five and has been in representative sides since she was 12.

 

WFN readers will likely remember the name Jaye Macumber. Jaye was formerly coach of AFL Canada club the Central Blues and in 2011 coached the Canadian national team, the Northwind at IC11.

Jaye is now coach at Minyip-Murtoa in the Wimmera League in country Victoria (Australia). Well known footy journalist Paul Daffey interviewed Jaye this week for his The County Footy Show on his site PD Footy  The original posting on the site is here The Country Footy Show Epidsode 15.

The home and away season is now done and dusted in the AFL London competition and now the finals series is set to start. There are plenty of questions to be asked now as teams jostle for their spot on Grand Final day. Last weekend’s round just added to that list of questions.

The Wandsworth Demons stole the minor premiership away from the West London Wildcats after a massive 213 point victory over the Putney Magpies. The resultant percentage boost saw the Demons grab top spot in a psychological strike against the Wildcats ahead of their finals clash next weekend.

The Wildcats themselves inflicted another unwanted loss on the North London Lions. It wasn’t enough for them to hold top spot, but the result certainly has the Lions on shaky ground facing the resurgent Hawks in next weekend’s other semi-final.