World Footy News

On Presidents Day weekend here in the USA (17 February), I had the distinct opportunity to interview the first American female President of an USAFL club, the Boston Demons Andrea “Andi” Williams.  In the following interview, we discuss the road to becoming an trailblazer and pioneer, what drives her and talk about the US Revolution and Freedom teams as well as the 2014 season for the Demons.

Alex Benjamin: First of all, congratulations. Accordingly to my good friend and historian, Lisa Albergo, this is not only you being the first female president of a USAFL Eastern Regional team, but the first American female in USAFL history.

Andrea Williams:  Thank you very much. I am honored to have been elected to this position and excited to lead the Demons this season.

Townsville hosted its second NAB Challenge/Cup game in two years today, with the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns locking horns in the first Queensland derby for 2014. This follows on from their successful foray into the AFL’s pre-season competition in 2013 when the Gold Coast Suns played the North Melbourne Kangaroos.
 
It was Townsville’s turn to host one of the AFL’s “18 games in 18 days” NAB Challenge matches, with Tony Ireland Stadium, the Australian Rules showpiece in the tropical North Queensland city, on display again to a national audience. In 32 degree heat, and a relatively enjoyable 67 percent humidity, it was the Lions who escaped to a 33 point lead before the Suns could even register a score. Something of a surprise given Brisbane’s horrid thrashing from Hawthorn to start this carnival in the first game, and the Gold Coast pipped Essendon by a point after a five goal comeback.

Last year World Footy News posted an article concerning the history and future of the Wadeye Magic football team in the Northern Territory (see The True Magic of Wadeye). The following press release from AFLNT looks at the Magic’s inaugural season in the Tiwi Islands Football League and their success in reaching the 2013/4 season finals.

Wadeye Magic book place in T.I.F.L finals series in inaugural season as final round shaped finals fixture

In their inaugural season, the Wadeye Magic have booked their place in the Tiwi Islands Football League Finals Series after a gripping win in the final round against the Tuyu Buffaloes.

A dramatic final round of T.I.F.L action reshaped the top five with Imalu taking top spot, overtaking Mulluwirriri and Tuyu.  The Magic leapt Ranku to take fourth as the 2014 T.I.F.L final series gets underway this weekend with Muluwurri playing Tuyu on Sat 22nd and Wadeye Magic taking on Ranku on Sun 23rd.

The following press release from the AFL Northern Territory outlines funding agreements which will strengthen player pathways for the NT Thunder NEAFL team for the next two years, and benefit players well beyond that time.

The Northern Territory Thunder Football and Federal Minister for Health and Sport, the Hon Peter Dutton, today signed a funding agreement that provides over $800K in the next two years for NT Thunder, to continue strengthening its player pathway programs.

NT Thunder CEO Jarred Ilett was delighted to meet Minister Dutton today at TIO stadium and is thrilled at the level of support provided by the Federal Government for NT Thunder’s suite of programs being delivered throughout the NT.

CEO Jarred Ilett commented that “The funding provided by the Federal Government and signed off on today by Minister Dutton will allow us to retain a number of resources primarily in Central Australia whose job it is to engage as many young Territorians as possible in the NT Thunder program.”

The CNFA has announced the squad which will arrive in Melbourne later this year to compete at the 2014 Australian Football International Cup.

The list of 28, plus 5 emergencies, was released on the CNFA blog this week, along with an official announcement video. The list is very fresh, with 23 of the 28 selected in the main squad being new to the IC stage.

Alban Schieber, Yoann Alliot-Marty, Emilien Martinez and Grégoire Patacq are the only four France-based veterans returning to the squad from their 2011 campaign, although they will be joined by Pierre-Jacques Labigang from Melbourne local club Parkside, who also appears in his second IC. Thibault Picard from South Australian club the Lock Kangaroos makes a second Australian-based squad member.

Casting their net to French expats playing elsewhere in the world, Clément Coste, Kévin Barranco and Thomas Core (emergency) have been selected from the Montreal metro league in Québec, as well as Jean Rosado from the Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids in Florida, USA. Pierre-Etienne Dandaleix joins the squad from the Bristol Dockers in England.

Squad list follows.

The Irish Warriors will receive a nice present to take home with them when they visit Melbourne for IC14. Courtesy of Zach Tuohy's super goal during the NAB Challenge match on the weekend (video below).

NAB are giving away $500 worth of Sherrin footballs to the junior club of the player who kicks a supergoal during the NAB challenge. However with Tuohy having no junior Aussie rules club the AFL Media Manager Patrick Keane has confirmed that the balls will be presented to the Irish team and then taken back to Ireland for use in development there.

Kurt Heatherley has been named in the squad for Hawthorn's match against North Melbourne in Launceston (Tasmania) on Friday night.  Heatherley impressed many last week with his defensive efforts and attack on the ball.  Another appearance with the club's senior squad would be a great bonus for the International rookie.  With Birchall and Lake to miss again for the Hawks hopefully Heatherley's services will be required.

North Melbourne have named Sudanese born Majak Daw in what his supporters would hope would be a big year of senior football for the exciting ruckman. 

Kenyan born (of Sudanese parents) Aliir Aliir is also a chance to debut for the Sydney Swans on Thursday night.

For the first time in the club’s short history the Tiwi Bombers will miss out on finals action as the home and away season wrapped up in Darwin on the weekend.

In a season that did not go according to script for the boys from the Tiwi Islands, their final round defeat at the hands of Southern Districts saw the team say farewell to what has been a disappointing 2013/4 season. Premiers two seasons ago and runners up to St Mary’s last season, the Tiwi Bombers will watch on from the stands over coming weeks as the NTFL finals series plays out.

After the Round 18 round, the ladder saw St Mary’s finish the season undefeated. In an ominous show of strength from last year’s premiers, no club was able to find a way past their tight defensive structures, powerful forwards or run and carry from the middle. A betting person would have them locked in as premiership favourites – deservedly.

But footy is a funny beast, and four other clubs remain convinced that this party isn’t over yet.

Hannah Thomson, writing for SBS, has provided an excellent account of the growth of our Australian game in Scotland. From the McCracken influence at Essendon to the Scottish football scene today, Hannah examines the growth through the eyes of those currently playing or involved in Australian Rules football in Scotland.

When you think of Scottish sports, AFL won’t be the first thing that comes to mind.  However, when Aussie rules first began in the mid 1850’s, the Scots were more involved than you imagine. When John McCracken and his two sons, originally from Girvan in the West of Scotland, moved to their new home in Melbourne in 1871 they established the Essendon Football Club.

Now, more than 140 years later, the game is beginning to flourish in the McCracken’s ancestral home.

St Kilda Football Club has unveiled its specially designed 2014 Anzac Day guernsey in a ceremony at Te Papa Museum in Wellington.

With new recruit, and Auckland born midfielder, Shane Savage as the model the maori heritage shone through both inside and outside the jumper!

The guernsey will be worn by the Saints players in the second annual AFL match played at Westpac Stadium when they take on the Brisbane Lions on April 25, 2014.

The contemporary Maori design, created by designers at Open Lab, Massey University, emphasises the links between New Zealand and Australia through the Anzac journey, using authentic motifs.

The Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs are again Wellington’s premier team after a convincing win over the North City Demons. On a sunny day in Wellington the Demons, played in a determined fashion, but were eventually outrun by the Bulldogs as the match progressed.

The Bulldogs were undefeated throughout the season but the Demons themselves are a good news story for 2013 after the team was in recess for 2012 and a total re-build was required.

In a season where the other two teams, Hutt Valley Eagles and Wellington City Saints, ran out of commitment about 2/3 of the way through it was fantastic that these two teams could carry on and have a game to finish the year worthy of their efforts throughout in building and maintaining their teams for the season.

This year a carnival of football will headline the return of Australia’s game as the 2014 NAB Challenge rolls into every Australian state and territory with 18 games in 18 days.

The full international broadcast schedule for Feb 17th to 23rd can be seen below.