World Footy News

The success of the Irish at Euro Cup 2012 somewhat overshadowed one of Europe’s most successful debutants: the Norwegian team, who brought home the competition’s other prize - the Euro Plate.

In the Plate final, held as a curtain raiser to the grand final where Ireland defeated Denmark by one point, Norway eased past Iceland to win by 6.5 (41) to 1.3 (9) and bring home the second division prize.

Australian Football only started in Norway four years ago, with a mostly Aussie expat friendly between Oslo and Karlstad, which was then expanded into an 18-a-side friendly against the Swedish team. On the back of this, teams started to developed in Ås and Oslo and by late 2009, popularity started to develop amongst the locals.

“We found it was really enjoyable and rewarding to find Norwegians who had perhaps always been looking for a sport containing all the ingredients that Australian football contains,” admits David Stone, one of the Norwegian coaches. “We got better at getting them up to speed quickly, and every now and then you would see someone who just instantly loved the game.”
 

A couple of days back the story of Patty Ndongo from Cameroon via Frankston in the VFL was told. One of his team mates is Khan Haretuku, who, whilst Australian born (to New Zealand parents), was raised in Sydney (in Mascot) and as Eddie McGuire has attested in the past – Sydney to Melbourne is not just another city, it’s another country.

Today (Saturday) sees Khan make the trek to Etihad stadium for the AFL State Combine testing. Khan is one of 7 VFL players amongst the 74 invited to attend. Haretuku is the only key forward amongst the 7 VFL players and is hopeful of re-igniting his AFL journey.

The rise and success of Canadian Mike Pyke for the Sydney Swans has now been well documented.  An article that got solid coverage in Canada had a headline that he lead the Swans to victory in the AFL grand final and that attracted some criticism in one particular online news site.  However that's a fairly narrow semantic arguement.  Although he didn't dominate the match, there's no doubt that ruck is a key position and to play well when left with no backup in the final quarter of a suffocatingly tight grand final means by my personal definition he certainly was one of the players who lead the Bloods home.

So his brief career has reached a high point.  But there may now be a nasty epilogue to season 2012.  When all players in Sydney's squad are fit and firing, the 28 year old Pyke is clearly the Swans' number two ruckman.  Many clubs now only play one ruckman, but coach John Longmire chose to play his 200cm Rugby convert as a big target in the forward line and then relieving in the ruck.  He kicked 8 goals in 18 games this year and indeed provided a solid target to bring the ball to ground, occasionally also pulling in a strong mark, as well as leading the ruck on occasions.

However, the Swans have made a big play for enigmatic Adelaide forward/ruckman Kurt Tippett and are now in pole position to obtain the 25 year old.  That could put Pyke in a very tough spot.

As you read this footballers, coaches, umpires, supporters and support staff from all over the United States and Canada are headed to Mason, Ohio to take part in the 2012 US National Championships. As in past years teams will play three pool matches before the top teams in each pool play off in the final on Sunday afternoon.

This year 38 teams will be play in the four mens divisions (some clubs will field a second team in the fourth division) and one women's division. Not all clubs make the US Nationals due to a variety of reasons but needless to say it is a very large financial committment for teams to travel large distances for this tournament.

Last year's champions the Denver Bulldogs will again go in favourite for the tournament despite only five games with a 3-2 win/loss record playing during the 2012 season on which to assess their form. This is not unusual as Denver is one of the most isolated teams in the country and lack of intercity footy has not hurt them in the past as they have won 8 of the National Championships over the years.

Mike MacFarlane had the following interesting story as to how he, a Canadian, came to holding a footy clinic in Skelleftea, Sweden, which is just below the Arctic Circle.

“First, you must know that my wife, Lotta was born and raised in Skelleftea and she has played in our women’s league for the last 3 years. Secondly, in 2008, we toured Australia with the Canadian Junior team, the Wolfpack. We met the Swedish team who was participating in their first International Cup.

I met their manager and asked if they had any thoughts of starting footy in the north of Sweden and he said that maybe I could get something going. Of course, because I live in Canada, I laughed this off - but the seed had been planted.

Moving image coverage of the 1909 VFL Grand Final, the earliest known surviving film of Australian Rules football action. In 2009, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this precious sporting film, the National Film and Sound Archives produced this new digital video master from 35mm film.

Played on Saturday 2 October 1909, Carlton and South Melbourne fought out a tough, low scoring contest at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. South Melbourne, chasing their first premiership in the Victorian Football League (VFL), held off a desperate Carlton, looking to win their fourth consecutive flag. In front of more than 37,000 fans, despite being held goalless in the last quarter, The Bloods triumphed by two points. South Melbourne 4 14 38, Carlton 4 12 36.

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For most followers of footballers with an international pedigree the thoughts through most of 2012 in association with Frankston, a stand-alone club in the modern ‘VFL’ battling it out against both stand-alone AFL reserves sides (Geelong and Collingwood) and a host of AFL aligned VFL feeder clubs, the thoughts were mainly around Khan Haretuku. Out of nowhere came Chamberlin "Patrick" Ndongo with a mighty story that will lead who knows where.

The Sydney Swans this week announced the following list changes, following the post season review period.  

Primary list players Jarred Moore and Mark Seaby have been delisted, along with rookie list players Eugene Kruger, Jack Lynch and Dylan McNeil.  

South African born Eugene Kruger was on the rookie list and did not play any senior games with the Swans in his time at the club.

The video below if from Australia's ABC News - giving their take on the internationals at the Draft Combine.

Gideon Simon has become the first player who has learnt and played Australian rules football in another country to make it through the development pathway onto an AFL rookie list. Richmond yesterday announced that young PNG star who has been on an International Scholarship with the club will be officially listed with the Tigers in the Rookie draft this year as an International Rookie. The announcement came at the end of the AFL Draft combine in Melbourne where Simon tested well.

Others such as Mike Pyke, Shae McNamara and the now long list of Irish code crossers all came from other countries but did not play Aussie rules in their home country.

This is a huge vindication of the development pathway that has been developed in PNG, and hopefully will give hope to those elsewhere around the world to develop the game in their own corners of the globe. It is also a giant pat on the back to all that have been involved for many years in footy in PNG to bring the game there back from the brink.

Simon has been at the club for the latter part of this season, playing with Richmond's affilliate club Coburg (this affilliaton will not continue in 2012) in the Development League of the VFL.

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