World Footy News

Located in northern Iceland, Akureyri is the fourth largest town in the country and the biggest outside the Reykjavík metro area. It is also a mere 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the Arctic Circle, and it just happens to have a very devoted following of Australian Rules fans who are keen to further develop the game in Iceland.

With a history which dates back to initial Viking settlement in the 9th century, Akureyri has grown over the centuries since to be a significant population centre in Iceland with a thriving fishing industry and an ice-free port which makes it an important centre of commerce for the nation.

Geographically, in football terms, it might also become the most northerly centre for Australian Rules football world-wide with the apparent hiatus of the Tromsø team in Norway as well as the same fate for the Krasnoyarsk team in Siberia, Russia.

Tom hurls his considerable frame into a contest and comes out with the ball. From 30 metres out, he goals: a celebrated first kick, first goal situation. Seconds earlier, Garang had thrown himself fearlessly into a pack. He didn’t get the ball, but his effort caused a spillage and the ball eventually floated forward to Tom. Running frantically to stop all of this was Modasir from the other team.

This passage could have described almost any game, anywhere. It could also have described any three junior players in any game across the nation. But there was a difference.

Tom Daniel’s family is from Uganda and Garang Asheen’s and Modasir Bahar’s are from Sudan. And the setting was under the Friday night lights at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns.

Majak Daw, the North Melbourne sensation whose opening 18 minutes of senior AFL footy earlier this year captured the imagination of the footy public across the nation, has triggered interest in Australian Rules football nationally. Cairns, in North Queensland, has not been immune. Already there is evidence in local competition that kids with African heritage are taking to the game.

Yarrabah Aboriginal Community is located southeast of Cairns in North Queensland and it is known as a “Paradise by the Sea”. It is hard to argue. The 45 kilometre drive by road from Cairns is lovely, but reaches a climax as it climbs the Murray Prior Range. Shortly after passing beneath the summit of Mount Yarrabah, and its collection of communication towers, the descent begins. Then, at Angel Bend, one of the finest views in the region is witnessed as you look down, seemingly vertically, on the township of Yarrabah adjacent to the glistening waters of Mission Bay.

A spokesperson for the Yarrabah Shire Council stated, “Located in the dead centre of the Yarrabah Township is a sports field that was developed between 2000 and 2001 for the purpose of encouraging Yarrabah kids to take up athletics. It is said that Aboriginal children have natural skills. A new footy oval in Yarrabah would give those kids a chance to show their skills in a variety of other sports like Australian Rules football and not just Rugby League and athletics.”

Magherafelt is almost as close as you can get to the very centre of Northern Ireland. With a population of around 8,000 people, it is also the largest town in the south of County Derry. But Machaire Fiolta (using the Irish name) is also the home of Europe’s, and Ireland’s, newest Australian Rules football team, The NRC Eagles.

According to Kevin McSorley, architect of the fledgling club and Development Officer for the Australian Rules Football League Ireland (ARFLI), “[The] NRC Eagles are the newly formed Australian rules football team for North Regional College based in Magherafelt. We welcome students from all sections of the college and all sporting ability, and will be training in Meadowbank sports complex regularly.”

Our thanks to Chris Adams for the following submission (and for all his efforts in footy development) .

Saturday Morning Footy began in Washington DC in 2006 and over that time has counted among its moms and dads, NFL players, AFL players, NBL players, IMF executive board members, US cabinet secretaries, congressional staffers, journalists, and authors. The program has also provided a home-away-from-home for Australian military and foreign affairs personnel and their families while they are in the Washington DC area. Big shout out to the F-35!

The international broadcast schedule for the AFL Round 9 can be seen below. All times are correct at the time of publishing and WFN takes no responsibility for changes to the schedule.

The failure to launch AFL match coverage on free to air TV in NZ as scheduled by Sommet Sports has been a lowlight of the AFL's recent efforts to promote the code  in NZ. We are hopeful that the launch may come soon - it now appears Sommet Sports are broadcasting their test page, are showing some test programs and hopefully the launch and AFL coverage will begin soon.

Match report taken from the Glasgow Sharks website and written by "the Great White.

Saturday saw the S.A.R.F.L season opener between the Glasgow Sharks and the Aberdeen Eagles. The game was played under threatening skies and in very difficult conditions as heavy overnight rain had left standing water on many parts of the field. Although this was the first league game of the season there was still a fair bit on the line for both teams. The sharks were wanting to get the ledger going their way after going down to the eagles in the last game of the year last season and at this year’s Haggis cup. The eagles on the other hand were looking to keep their momentum going and continue the trend of recent times. Both sets of players were not going to let the conditions dampen their enthusiasm and defiantly marched through the rain to take to the field.