World Footy News

The Australian Football League today released a list of nations that have signaled their aim to compete at the Australian Football International Cup 2011, with 22 countries having submitted an official Expression of Interest as of last Friday.

The 22 nations includes all 17 (Tonga included) who were in attendance in 2008, minus the Peace Team who are yet to submit a response. The six potential newcomers who have returned their official notification are Fiji, Croatia, France, Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands.

In addition to the initial 22 nations, AFL National Participation Programs Manager Josh Vanderloo indicates that the league has also had correspondence with further nations including Vanuatu, Italy and Indonesia who may further expand the field.

Vanderloo said, "The AFL is very pleased to have had such a positive response at this early stage. We now have a large base of interested nations to work with and over the next month or two we will finalise the event details so that they can plan their involvement in the 4th International Cup."

The AFL has not confirmed dates and venues for the IC11, although there is strong speculation that it will run from the 7th until the 21st of August 2011, and again be held in Melbourne and a regional Victorian center.

Any additional nominations will be added to the list below.

An incredible performance with seven goals in the final quarter saw the Italia Azzurris score a dramatic and unexpected come-from-behind win over the London Swans in Milano last Saturday, April 10th.

Eight goals from full-forward Bruno Nugnes helped the Italians to a 19-point win over the undermanned Swans. This represented the first victory for the Italians at home, who have also hosted the Frankfurt Redbacks since their formation last year.

Thanks to the AFL Italia for this report.

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Collingwood's American recruit, Shae McNamara played his first game of VFL. While Collingwood lost, McNamara had 11 touches and a nice snap at goal. McNamara blogs about his experiences at USFootyNews.com.

McNamara says that he is trying to stay positive as he learns the game and develops his skills. He is very focused on his goal of making the senior side and his hopeful of doing that this season.

No surprises from Cape Town in South Africa as the elite AIS-AFL Under 17 team of Australians taught the open-age South African Lions some lessons in their one-off match. It should be noted that the Aussies ran close to the Sydney Swans' reserves before departing Australia. Former Sydney Swans star Michael O’Loughlin, on his second visit to South Africa in 2010, coached the South African Lions team and was impressed with their willingness to learn.

“The key difference between the two teams was the ability of the Aussies to handle the ball under pressure – a skill developed from a young age which will no doubt come to the South Africans as they gain more experience”, said O’Loughlin

More details and photos of the match soon.

AIS AFL Academy: 26.22 (178)
South Africa Lions: 4.5 (29)

Goals:
Australia: Sam Gordon 3, Michael Bussey 3, Aaron Young 3, Chad Wingard 3, Adam Treloar 2, Ben Newton 2, Daniel Gorringe, Sam Day, Sam Darley, Tom Mitchell, Billy Longer, Andrew Gaff, Piers Flanagan, Jonathon Patton, Luke Parker, Darcy Watchorn
South Africa Lions: Toy Prinsloo 2, Steven Malinga 1, Steven Matshane 1.

Best:
Australia: Tom Mitchell, Daniel Gorringe, Adam Treloar, Michael Bussey, Piers Flanagan, Sam Gordon, Chad Wingard, Jonathon Patton.
South Africa: Benjamin Motuba, Richard Prinsloo, Steven Matshane, Thabiso Phakedi, Bayanda Sobetwa.

We reported that numerous international recruits were playing across Australian state leagues last weekend. Here is a brief follow up of how some of them performed.

American Shae McNamara made his VFL debut for effectively Collingwood's reserves side, named in the ruck and kicking one goal but not featuring in his team's best players for their loss.

Papuan Peter Labi, on an international scholarship with Carlton, debuted for the reserves side of their feeder club, the Northern Bullants. They too suffered a loss, but Labi kicked a goal and was amongst his side's best players.

USFootyNews.com is counting down the 2010 Preseason Top 10. We start with Number 10 Milwaukee Bombers, division 2 finalists from the 2009 US Nationals.

Thanks to Doren James for this report.

The Milwaukee Bombers are highly motivated to build upon their success at the 2009 National Championships where they came up 3 goals short against a talented Calgary side in the Division 2 Grand Final. The Bombers will once again be led by veteran rover and newly appointed President, Ross Siegel. Encouraged by the Bombers strong showing at Nationals, Siegel is optimistic about the coming season, "We finished 2009 in great fashion and really hope to use that momentum for a strong 2010 season."

The Scottish Australian Rules Football League are proud to announce the competing teams in the 7th annual Haggis Cup competition, kicking off today, Saturday April 10th. The tournament will take place at Cartha Queens Park Rugby Club, 94-96 Dunbreck Road, Glasgow, G41 4NS. Each group will play in a ‘round robin’ format with each game consisting of 2 x 12 minute halves.

Group 1: Glasgow Sharks, Aberdeen Dingoes, Huddersfield Rams
Group 2: Edinburgh Bloods, Dublin Demons, Glasgow Hammerheads

This year sees a strong lineup, with SARFL champions Edinburgh Bloods (four time Haggis Cup winners), and ARFLI Champions and 2006 Haggis Cup winners Dublin Demons in Group 2. Defending champions Aberdeen Dingoes and England’s Central Division Champions Huddersfield Rams battle it out in Group 1. Host city Glasgow fields two teams, one in each group, and promises that after reaching the finals last year, this year will be the most exciting and hard fought yet.

Games will begin at 11.30am and SARFL are proud to announce that the scores will be on the website at the end of each half, so don’t worry if you can’t attend, you will be able to follow the scores as the tournament progresses. You can access the scores at www.sarfl.org.uk/sarfl2010, match reports and final results with best and fairest awards will also be on site after the tournament.

USFooty has opened nominations for its under 23 development team, the U23 US Revolution.

The U23 Revos will play the U23 Canadian Northwind as part of the 49th Parallel Cup in Toronto Canada on the weekend of July 31. Revolution Head Coach, Matt Bishop, sees this as an important part of the preparation for the 2011 and 2014 International Cups. "The USAFL Board and American Revolution Coaching staff are constantly looking for ways to develop players that generally only have 3 years, or less, football experience. In addition players don't pick the game up until they have finished college which means they are learning the game at 22."

"There are ways to fastrack the development of players however there is nothing more important than playing experience and by the time American players gain a significant level of playing experience they are in their 30s. Any young players, aged 23 or less, interested in playing to the best of their ability and possibly representing their country at the International Cup in 2011 or beyond are encouraged to participate."

To nominate for the team CLICK HERE.

This weekend sees the first round of the Victorian Football League, Victoria's state league and home to both independent sides and teams affiliated with Victoria's AFL clubs. Players that don't get selected for their AFL clubs play in this league, just as West Coast and Fremantle players drop down to the Western Australian Football League and Adelaide and Port Adelaide players appear in the South Australian National Football League (the "National" is an historic artefact).

This weekend sees the VFL debut of two of international footy's trailblazers.

American Shae McNamara has been named as first ruck for Collingwood's second tier side against Williamstown in the VFL on Saturday, and Papua New Guinean Peter Labi is listed at half forward in the reserves of Carlton's feeder team, the Northern Bullants (i.e. VFL reserves). The Bullants' reserves play Williamstown's reserve grade, also on Saturday.

At one stage Labi and compatriot David Meli (Essendon) were having visa difficulties, so it's great to see one of them getting their chance in round 1.

2010 will see Norway's oldest Australian Football club take the field as the Oslo Crows, following the announcement of a new partnership with AFL club Adelaide.

Previously known as the Trolls, the Oslo Crows will this year play a three-team regional league with western Swedish clubs the Karlstad Eagles and Göteborg Beserkers, as well as a few games against their local Norwegian rivals the Ås Battlers.

Norway now counts three clubs, with the Crows and Battlers in the Oslo metropolitan region and the world's most northerly club in Tromsø on Norway's Arctic northern coast.

David Stone from the Crows and Adam O'Toole from the Ås Battlers spoke to WFN about their plans for 2010.

Footy in Britain has seen steady growth for a number of years now, emerging from the traditional heartland of London, expanding now into leagues on the South coast, Wales, Scotland, Central and Northern England. With potentially another competition emerging in Cornwall as well, the foothold is well and truly there to establish the sport further and encourage a wider audience to give it a go.

The 2010 pre-season is a busy old time as well! Beginning this weekend with the Scottish ARFL's annual Haggis Cup and the Manchester Footy Carnival both on April 10, followed by the Welsh ARFL's Cardiff 'Clwb' Challenge on April 17th.

This year the Southampton-based Titanic Cup is replaced with the National Footy Carnival, courtesy of relative newcomers to the Southern League - the Portsmouth Pirates, to be held April 24th.

The city of Kingston upon Hull, usually known simply as 'Hull', is home to Yorkshire's newest Australian Football side, with the creation of the Haworth Park (Hull) Australian Rules Club.

Playing under the banner of the local Haworth Park Rugby Club, who are providing the fledgling club with a home base, the team will be the first Australian Football club in the Hull, which like many Yorkshire towns is a traditional Rugby League stronghold.

Haworth Park will compete in the AFL Britain's Central & North West division's social competition in 2010, alongside Liverpool, Peteborough and Wolverhampton. Club founder Dan Beardshaw spoke to WFN about the team's aims for their first season.