World Footy News

 Please note that these details are correct at the time of publishing. WFN accepts no responsibility for any changes to these times by broadcasters. Please check local guides or afl.com.au. 

2012 TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – AFL Preliminary Finals INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE Friday 21 September  – Saturday 22 September.

For most of the year there has been specualtion about Ciarán Kilkenny of Dublin making the cross from GAA football to the AFL club Carlton. The gifted footballer has fielded questions many times about whether he would be staying in Ireland or heading down to Melbourne to play with the oval ball.

But the Irish Herald.ie website today revealed that Kilkenny, who has just returned from an Australian trial had visited with the Hawthorn Football Club and that they were keen to sign him (although Hawthorn have not commented). Irish players are basically open to whoever is the first to sign them so the battle seems to be on for his signature between the Hawks and Carlton.

Picture:Sporstfile.

Read this great little story in The West Australian of the 13 year old Iraqi boy Zain Uafim determined to take footy back to Iraq with him.  Article here. 

Some snippets from the article:

Zain arrived in Perth when his father, Naji, took up a scholarship at the University of WA to study animal science.

Mr Uafim's speciality is chickens and by year end he will take new-found knowledge and a master's degree back to Iraq, where he works for the Babylon Agricultural Department.

Zain is taking home football.

"I'm going to make a footy club when I go home," Zain said. "I already have eight footies and a full set of rules.

"One day we will bring an Iraqi team to Australia."

An Eagles supporter who comes in at 148cm, Zain knows how to take a hit and knows how to mix it with bigger lads (he plays at Northern Cobras Junior Football Club).

"We're a real multicultural team and he slotted into it really well," said coach Jamie Ryder, whose players include indigenous kids, an African, an Indonesian and two from the Middle East.

Making their debut at this year's Euro Cup will be Norway, and with a few years worth of domestic growth under their belt, hopes are high that the Norwegians can take the next step and join the ranks of Europe's established footy nations.

National team coach Adam Pearce is bringing an all-local squad to Scotland for the tournament, and took some time out of his schedule to speak to WFN about his squad's preparations.

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The AFL today historically announced the seventh group of players, its International prospects, who will attend the NAB AFL Draft Combine to be held at Etihad Stadium from October 2-5, as part of its talent identification process in the lead up to the 2012 NAB AFL Draft.

 AFL National and International Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan said this is an exciting time for the game with potential AFL talent from six countries outside of Australia attending our NAB AFL Draft Combine for the first time - including players from the USA, PNG, New Zealand, Ireland, Nauru and China.

“Over the last few years the AFL has been preparing for this with AFL International Combines being held in the USA, South Pacific, China and Europe, in search of potential talent.”

The AFL announced this week that the inter-conference Championship match of the 2012 North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) would be played between Queanbeyan and the Brisbane Lions at Manuka Oval in Canberra on this Saturday September 22, at 11:30am local time.

After winning only four matches in 2011, Queanbeyan topped the Eastern Conference table in 2012 and defeated the Sydney Swans Reserves by 30-points to claim the Eastern Conference premiership.

The Brisbane Lions Reserves went from last in 2011 to finish first on the NEAFL Northern Conference ladder in 2012.  They won the 2012 NEAFL Northern Conference Grand Final with a 60-point win over reining NEAFL Champions the NT Thunder.

AFL Europe filmed the draw for the upcoming Euro Cup tournament and posted the following video online.

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Stateside Footy - Episode 12-07: Quebec Saints vs Boston River Rats Stateside Footy presents a "Metro-style" modified Australian Rules Football match played in June 2012. This match is between the visiting Quebec Saints and the Boston River Rats, a representative group from the Boston Demons Australian Rules Football club.

This episode was recorded on location at Briggs Field on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Stateside Footy is a cable access TV show produced with the assistance of WCTV - Wilmington Community Television in Wilmington, MA. It features Aussie Rules Football as it is played in the U.S.A.

Original full article can be seen at http://irishwarriorsaussierules.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/warriors-ready-for-edinburgh/

This year’s Irish Warriors team is a mixture of new players and experience with management trying to blood players for next year’s European Championships being held in Dublin and retain a core of experienced players.  From last year’s winning team only six players return, they are captain Dave Lally, Kevin McSorley, Ryan McCloskey, Muiris Bartley, Bobby Byrne and John O’Regan. 

Four players won medals at the International Cup in Australia last August, Ger Walls, Eoin O’Sulleabhain,

John Enright and team of the tournament player Kevin O’Brien who is now based in London having moved from Western Australia.  There are five players making there debut in the Irish jumper this weekend, there are Redbacks pair, Sean McMahon and Sean Paul Henry, Swans duo Richie Duignam and Kevin Brennan and Demons dynamo Paul Redmond.