World Footy News

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Whether as a commentator, player, fan, media maestro for the USAFL or any of a myriad of roles within Australian Football, Brian Barrish is a well-respected voice of the game. His views of all aspects of footy are informed, but more than that they are firmly aimed at the growth of the game across the United States of America. In this article, Brian reflects on his own introduction to the game and looks at the growth of the game, with particular interest in women’s footy, the ravages and impacts of COVID-19 and much more.

And now, I’ll hand the microphone over to Brian.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia and currently live in the suburbs with my wife, daughter, and assorted pets. I grew up in a sports-loving family (aside from mom, who likes sports but not at the same level as my dad, my brother and I). We watched a lot of baseball and hockey as kids, but growing up in Philadelphia, you got behind all four (at the time) major sports teams, so that's what I did. I was fortunate to grow up in a city with a number of legendary play-by-play announcers, such as Gene Hart, Mike Emrick, Harry Kalas, and Merrill Reese, and all of that enthusiasm and greatness led me to want to be a commentator when I grew up. I spent many a day commentating on my Nintendo and Sega games as practice. Out of high school, I went to university majoring in broadcast journalism, but ended up switching schools and majors and would eventually go into information technology.

Donnie Hess is already well known to American audiences for AFL social media outlets. His YouTube clips, podcasts, tweets and myriad other promotions of our game have helped enormously to propel the game of Australian football further and wider across the USA. 

In the second of a series of interviews with Australian football lovers across the USA, I threw some questions to Donnie about his own journey to the game, where the game sits now in his country and some ideas about the future. We haven’t spoken heavily about his beloved Sydney Swans, but rest assured, he will talk about them until he is blue in the face if you get him started.

Over the past twelve months, as the world has come to grips with the ravages of COVID-19 and its fallout, Australian Rules Football has had its own journey. Whilst on the home front, footy continued at the highest level (though not really at more grassroots levels), a different story played out elsewhere.

In the United States, local sport ground to a halt. Most people rode the situation patiently waiting for their beloved sports to return to playing fields or cable TV. But many stumbled across Aussie Rules with Foxtel matches live and through replays capturing a whole new breed of fan.

Among those is Rosanna. From a life where our game did not have a place in her life, she now has her own podcasts and social media platforms under the banner of AFL Obsessed where she discusses the game with anyone wanting a chat, and also supports her beloved Essendon Bombers to anyone who will listen - I do! But how is is that a young woman in New York City can become so fixated with our game in a relatively short period of time?

Here is my interview with Rosanna explaining just that.

Third time lucky for the Lions.

They broke the Adelaide Crows hearts, the same way the Crows did to them way back in 2017. 

Brisbane Lions have secured their maiden AFLW premiership, after they went down in their previous two grand final appearances to Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs, defeating the Crows by 18-points at Adelaide Oval.

Image Source: Mark Brake

For most of the match, the Crows were the team with greater possession of the ball, but the Lions stood tough and strong down back each time the Crows sent the ball forward in attack.

It was all the Lions after the scores were tied at quarter time, as they kicked five of the last seven goals to win 6.2 (38) to Crows 3.2 (20).

In the second week of the AFLW finals series, the week off given to the two top sides, the Adelaide Crows and Brisbane Lions proved invaluable. 

Also, the experience of the two sides in AFLW finals shone through in the preliminary finals.

The Lions and the Crows showed that their experience in preliminary finals counts. 

Image Source: Albert Perez

The Crows were determined to defeat the Dees and not have a repeat of round seven when the Dees thumped them by 28 points at Casey Fields. 

Collingwood were the best team going undefeated until round seven and were trying to make their maiden AFLW grand final, but the Lions were able to hold on by four points to progress through to their third AFLW Grand Final. 

 

The first week of the AFLW finals series was enthralling to watch and from the two elimination finals, Melbourne and Collingwood advanced to preliminary finals week. 

Melbourne showed that they mean business in 2021 defeating a Fremantle Dockers side that was left empty last year after their finals series was cancelled due to the coronavirus. 

Image Source: Getty Images

The Dockers were the best team of 2020 and of the finals series last year and were hoping to be the best finals team in 2021, but it was not meant to be. 

North Melbourne had heartache from the 2020 season like Fremantle, because they had advanced through to the second week of the finals but the coronavirus crushed their finals dreams as well.

Round nine was a great round of footy to bring an end to the 2021 home and away season. 

It was a round filled with finals intensity matches from start to finish. 

In the top of the table clash to determine which team finished top, the Adelaide Crows flexed their muscles and showed Collingwood why they have been the premier team in the AFLW competition since the AFLW started in 2017. 

The Crows are the minor premiers in 2021. 

Image Source: @aflwomens

In the 2021 AFLW finals series, the Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Collingwood, Melbourne, Fremantle and North Melbourne will all feature. 

The Crows and Lions will both have a week off, as they advance straight through to the preliminary finals week.

What a home and away season, the 2021 AFLW season was. 

What a superb performance from the Adelaide Crows, they were too strong for Collingwood, winning by 14-points to take top spot and the minor premiership in 2021. 

The Crows will have a week off next week, as they have booked a home preliminary final in the second week of the 2021 NAB AFLW finals series. 

The Crows pressure was relentless on Sunday afternoon at Norwood Oval.

They showed the Pies and the rest of the competition that they will again be the premiership favourites this season, as they recorded the 4.7 (31) to 2.5 (17) win to finish their home and away season. 

The Crows will have a week off and try to make history and become the first three time AFLW premiers.. 

With top spot up for grabs, the Adelaide Crows brought a finals type intensity and Collingwood were unable to match it with the Crows. 

Image Source: @aflwomens

Footy in South Africa, like most parts of the world shut down when Covid-19 hit early in 2020.  Despite the efforts of citizens and authorities there are still around 110 deaths a day (7 day average) occurring in the nation attributed to the virus.  This has come down from almost 600 deaths per day at the last peak.. 

 

Across the nation a number of other sports have resumed and in the North West province some former AFL South Africa employees want Aussie Rules to start again.   During 2020 the development officers who were previously employed had to be stood down as footy was unable to be played throughout the nation.

 (Image Source: westcoasteagles.com.au)

Gold Coast Suns (4.2.26) v Richmond Tigers (6.5.41) 

Friday March 12th 

No international players in this match.

West Coast Eagles proved too strong for Geelong, after some second quarter brilliance from Indigenous woman Imahra Cameron steered her side to a massive 39-point victory at Mineral Resources Park on Monday twilight. 

Cameron nailed through three goals in six minutes and this quick succession of goals helped to establish the 8.5 (53) to 2.2 (14) win at Perth. 

It was a happy monday for the Eagles, but a sad one for the Cats as they are still without a win after seven matches and the Eagles have recorded two wins this season. 

Image Source: @eaglesaflw

It was Cameron's best match of the season, as she everything she touched was quality. 

She only had six disposals for the match to go along with her three goals. 

On the Irish front for the Eagles, sisters Grace Kelly and Niamh Kelly were lively with two goals each.