World Footy News

The AFL was today notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) of the sanctions imposed on 34 past and present Essendon Football Club players for breaches of the AFL’s Anti-Doping Policy.

The 34 players were sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of two years, commencing on 31 March 2015, with credit given for any individual period of ineligibility already served.

Essendon players have been found guilty in the Court of Arbitration for Sport for their part in the use of banned substance Thymosin Beta-4 after nearly three years of investigations and hearings. It looks as though the 34 players who were at the time of the alleged offences with Essendon are going to be forced to miss the 2016 season. There is suspected to be civil actions and other possible legal avenues to be investigated which means that the saga may drag out longer yet.

Essendon Football Club have released the following statement

Regrettably we can confirm the Court of Arbitration for Sport has found 34 past and present players guilty of committing an anti-doping rule violation. As a result, the players - including 12 currently listed with Essendon - have been suspended for the 2016 season. The Club is currently digesting the decision and we will provide a further update later today.

Lindsay Tanner Chairman

The Tiwi Bombers’ charge to the NTFL finals gathered even more momentum as the competition returned after the Christmas/New year break. Their big win over Waratah was one highlight of a round which produced two upsets and left the competition tight for finals action just six rounds from finals time.

Waratah led their game against the Bombers at quarter time, and even by half time were down by just 29 points. But the Tiwi Bombers went on a rampage after the main break kicking 17 goals to just one to run out 130 point victors against the hapless Waratah crew. The win strengthened Tiwi’s position in the top five, giving them their sixth win, but also a huge percentage which will be very important as the log jam for finals spot continues in coming weeks.

Final Score: Tiwi Bombers 27 16 178 d Waratah Warriors 7 6 48

As the push for a national women’s AFL competition continues to go from strength to strength, an argument about the possibility of women’s matches being played as curtain-raisers to AFL matches has grown. As the women’s game continues to grow both across Australia and abroad, any type of positive publicity generated by the women’s game will only aid that growth.

 

The following arguments are from an article on the www.afl.com.au  website, written by Matt Thompson and Nat Edwards, looking at the various for and against debates on the issue.  Some of the points would also resonate with other women’s competitions in terms of strategies for the future growth of the women’s game across the world.

 

Yes - the perfect curtain-raiser

 

AS THE AFL pushes towards a fully-fledged women's competition in 2017, the only way for it to work is to become the standard curtain-raiser to men's games every weekend.

 

 

Some clubs across the world are brushing off the lethargy that goes with the festive season and cranking up their machines for the 2016 season. Many clubs, however, such as Scotland’s Kingdom Kangaroos have used their off season to shore up their futures and prepare to hit the 2016 season running. The following article from the Kingdom Kangaroos website looks at the club’s off-season recruiting drive.

 

By all accounts the Kingdom Kangaroos had a good year in 2015, a few league wins saw them finish 3rd in the SARFL.

 

Long time player and secretary for the club Charlie Snedden said that while his side were improving year on year, there was still a lot to do in 2016.

 

 

“2015 was a good year for us, we had a few players come to us from the local rugby clubs in their off season” he said.

As teams around the world are enjoying their breaks from footy, either in their off seasons or for the festive season, many are happy to put football on the backburner for a while and focus on other things. But many clubs, like the Tyne Tees Tigers in the AFLCNE competition in England are using the down time to consolidate their longer term futures.

On the back of a promising finish to the 2015 season where they won four of their last five games (one by forfeit) including huge wins against eventual finalists Sheffield Thunder and Huddersfield Rams, the club has now found a new home to strengthen its position in the league.

According to the AFLCNE website, “AFLCNE club the Tyne Tees Tigers are looking to the future with an exciting development for their club, announcing their new home ground and training venue for 2016. Based in Gosforth they will be becoming affiliate members of the Gosforth Sports Association alongside Gosforth Rugby Club and Newcastle City Cricket Club.”

The French footy landscape has been constantly changing since the game started to take root back in the late 20th century and throughout last decade. Teams have come and gone on a fairly regular basis, yet many existing clubs have continued the journey and the hardships to become strong and provide the backbone of the league.

The Brittany Griffins are one of the newest footy incarnations in France. Whilst other infant clubs have either folded or are on hiatus, such as the Pau Bears, Nancy Bobcats and a Toulon based team, the Brittany club is looking to realise their own dreams and last the journey to becoming a major player one day.

Arnaud is, in his own words, the key forward, coach and president of the Brittany Griffins. A recent chat with Arnaud gave an insight into France’s newest team.

The AFL's All Australian team was announced back in September.  State of Origin football is in a long hiatus - but theoretical State teams are announced each year - the ones on the AFL Player's Association site here for 2015 are worth a look.  They take in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia as well as an Allies team (NT, Tasmania, ACT, Queensland and NSW). 

But what about the rest of the world? If the Rest of the World were to play against any of the teams above, what is the best team they could muster?  Using the International Cup eligibility rules we have named the 2015 World Team (so this does not include foreign born but Australian raised players).  As with the International Cup the coach can be Australian but should have a strong link with international football.  We intend this team to be an annual announcement going forward.

In addition to those currently on AFL lists there are two players that have played in premierships in the O&MFL the past two seasons after having previously played with AFL clubs and three players named on the interchange bench that have all played in the International Cup for their country and also played senior footy in strong Victorian leagues in 2015.

Here is our 2015 World Team

It is sometimes said that in sport a single win can be the start of a new chapter in a club’s history. New eras have to start somewhere and it is often a single win which triggers a change of fortunes. The Perpignan Tigers, playing in the CNFA competition in France, may be on their way to a different future as a result of their most recent victory.

In the final match for 2015, the Perpignan Tigers surprised almost everyone when they defeated the newly formed Paris Cockatoos earlier this month. The win saw the Tigers kick 13 13 91 to the Cockatoos 9 15 69, and quite rightly their supporters had cause to celebrate.

Some see a win as just a win. But this win was special. It was the Tigers’ first victory in the Championnat De France (the nation’s premier competition) since 2011 when they defeated the Aix-Marseilles Dockers 129 to 53. Whilst they received the points in two games during the 2011/12 season in forfeited matches, the Dockers win was their first and only win from a match on field. Their win this month becomes just their second since joining the French national competition for the 2009/10 season.

2016 will see clubs gearing up for the new season and contemplating their strategies. Two years ago WFN orchestrated a survey of techniques used by leagues around the world for growing the game and to gauge their effectiveness. We repeat those suggestions with the addition of some new ones (from feedback) in a quick reference format and with a quick summation.

At a basic level it was found.

 

The following article by Russell Jackson at The Guardian explores the journey and AFL career to date of St Kilda’s American import, Jason Holmes. On the back of his best season to date, Holmes is now in pre-season for the Saints’ 2016 campaign.

Up close the modern AFL footballer is a far different physical specimen than his predecessors of the last few decades, far more sinewy and slight. On account of his finely-calibrated diet and training regime and the relentless pursuit of success, he’s closer in shape to a middle distance runner than a wide receiver, as was once the case.

This is a good thing, in many respects. The AFL footballer is now faster, stronger and more physically resourceful than ever and generally more skilled too, concepts not lost on St Kilda ruckman Jason Holmes when he emerged from almost total obscurity in 2015 to become the first born and bred American to play in the AFL. It was a truly remarkable achievement for a college basketballer who’d never properly watched a full game, let alone played in one, before the Saints secured him as an international rookie.

There are certainly some advantages to be found playing footy from October to March, or thereabouts. Whilst other leagues have wound down and turned their attention to cricket, tennis or anything else other than footy, those leagues whose seasons commence later get to have the immediate Christmas/New Year period, and more, to regroup or reassess.

A case in point is the NTFL (Northern Territory Football League). Their season begins in October and runs through until March. They are currently in the midst of a three week break where festivities can be enjoyed, but also injuries can be eased and plans can be re-developed.

According to the NT News, bottom placed Waratah has a new goal. Their coach, Tim Weatherald, has set a new goal of winning four of their remaining seven matches after a winless season to date. They will be rested and will have new plans in place, so they can finish an otherwise disappointing season on a high ready for next season. Article: http://www.ntnews.com.au/sport/local-...bedfe62b0b