World Footy News

Additional commentary, Brett Northey

After several informal releases, worldfootynews.com today publishes our first formal World Rankings since 18th May 2013.

There's been plenty of movement in the lower half courtesy of two new fully ranked nations, France (16th) and Croatia (11th).

France brought their game tally up to our minimum required eight matches with a big loss to Germany, while Croatia qualified during the recent 2013 European Championships in Dublin. Some may argue that a rank of 11th in the world flatters the Knights, possibly rightly, but their form in 9-a-side has been very impressive for some time. Hopefully we'll see them make their International Cup debut at IC14 and that should help settle them in to a spot they deserve, wherever that may be.

In many respects EC2013 was a series of dramatic twists and turns that left us right where we started. Ireland almost came crashing down three times, but didn't. Denmark almost got past Great Britain, but didn't. The Swedes pushed their near rivals but couldn't topple them. Croatia pushed Sweden but didn't get over the line, and Great Britain nearly claimed their first major international title, only to have Ireland snatch victory with the last kick of the tournament.

Sweden's newest team, the Lödde Chiefs, played their first game last night against the famously technicolour Landskrona Bulldozers.

Amazingly, the team was only founded on Thursday. They fielded fifteen players for the match at Brohult IP in Helsingborg, with eight of those having not even seen a game before. Two of their other players were retired ex-Helsingborg Saints, who had only played a handful of games between them.

The Landskrona Bulldozers were also represented by one of South Sweden's women players Kerstin Lövendahl, who reportedly took and dished out the hard tackles very well and wonders if their is any law in DAFL that would prevent her playing in the Premier League.

The Lödde Chiefs are from the small town of Löddeköping, and have chosen their official colours as blue, green and white. If all goes according to plan, the Chiefs will field a side in the AFL Sweden South next year.

Scores from the friendly match are available here.

The 2013 Axios Euro Cup will be held in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles close to Bordeaux, the fifth biggest city in France. The organization is managed by the local team, Bordeaux Bombers, in close cooperation with the Comité National de Football Australien (the French Federation) and AFL Europe.

On the 21st September 2013, hundreds of European players (and volunteers) will compete in a warm and friendly atmosphere. This challenge is a real opportunity for the development of the Australian football in France.

This year, the French League has seen the victory of Toulouse Hawks in the Super League and Montpellier Sharks in the Development League. Nevertheless, following a considerable number of withdrawals caused by injuries and limited games the Comité National de Football Australien has decided to unify the two leagues.

The AFL New Zealand U-18 Kahus – Maori for Hawks – will play their debut game against the touring Australian Youth Girls High Performance Academy team in October. The format of this first ever showdown between the two countries will be a three-match test series.

Kahus players will be selected by a series of combine style AFL skills tests, trials, training camps and the AFL New Zealand High Performance Programme. School programmes, testing and trials were also conducted throughout June and players who impressed the coaches during these sessions will be advanced onto the High Performance Programme.

After this, potential players will be further trained at the end of August, then after the regional Youth Girls competition in September, a final squad will be selected to represent New Zealand against Australia.

Early last year two primary schools in Cairns, Queensland, faced off in the final of the Gold Coast Suns Cup. After a classic encounter, Freshwater State School defeated Gordonvale State School by a solitary point. After the presentations, the opposing coaches, Kristen Knight and Wesley Hull, floated the idea of a follow up.

The result was later dubbed the “1st Annual Women In AFL Challenge” match.

Whilst the official “Women In AFL” round is recognised nationally at the end of June, the schools could not play a game then as they were still on mid-year holidays. The decision was made to play the round in August, mid way through the school term, as a way of recognising the role of women in all aspects of Australian Rules football, whether that be as players, umpires, administrators, mothers, sisters or daughters.

15 year old French exchange student Leopold Khalfi has received some local media attention after pulling on the navy blue jumper of Coolaroo in the AFL Darling Downs, a country Queensland league based around the city of Toowoomba.

Paris native Khalfi has played two matches for the Roos since coming to Toowoomba seven weeks ago, with Coolaroo winning both.

He has also found the French footy clubs - hopefully he will have a chance to run out with the Paris Cockerels or Cergy Coyotes sometime in the future.

The article on Khalfi can be found in Toowoomba local newspaper The Chronicle via French Exchange Student kicks New Goal.

Further to Shane Hendrickson's article on the Asian summit earlier this week - we have received the following press release.

MEDIA RELEASE FROM AFL ASIA - AFL ASIA FORMED BY ASIAN FOOTY

Due to the extended cricket season in the UK this year, there will not be a post-season match between two AFL sides at The Oval in London for 2013. The AFL Europe are hoping for the fixture to return in 2014.

Darebin have defeated rivals Diamond Creek 14.7 (91) to 6.6 (42) in the 2013 VWFL Premiers Grand Final to end a record unbeaten season with the Susan Alberti Cup and the title of VWFL Champions.

The remarkable feat marks the return to glory for the former VWFL powerhouse who recently suffered subsecutive grand final defeats. The game was played at Coburg City Oval in front of packed stands of fans and was also streamed live on the VWFL YouTube channel

The VFL's Williamstown Seagulls held their inaugural Asian Community Football Day this weekend, with VAFA side the Southern Dragons taking on the Williamstown Asian All-Stars as a curtain-raiser to the match between the Seagulls and AFL club Geelong's reserve side.

Instigator for the event was Grant Dooley from Williamstown FC, who previously had also worked as Consul General for Australia in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, where he helped establish the South China Australian Football League together with other local clubs and the assistance of Tony Woods and the AFL.

Williamstown FC last year announced a $10,000 sponsorship of the South China AFL, which will go towards development of the competition and recruitment of young Chinese athletes to join their clubs.

The day was hailed a great success - the Dragons eventually triumphing by 4 points, despite the All-Stars having Chinese import Chen Xiaoliang take the field for them - and Dooley hopes the event can become an annual fixture on the Williamstown FC calendar. Read on for a report from the AFL Victoria website.

Melbourne based women’s football club VU St Albans Spurs have announced that they will undertake an international tour in 2014. For next year’s end of season trip, the team will head to America to play against local teams, including the New York Lady Magpies, the Boston Lady Demons and the Baltimore/Washington Lady Eagles.

The club will be the first senior women’s team in Australia to play in an international setting. By doing this, they hope to further challenge the boundaries of women’s football in their own country, as well as help promote and develop the women’s game overseas.