World Footy News

In June we reported that the AFL would be staging a Multicultural Academy during grand final week, to encourage greater involvement and talent identification across Victoria's large multicultural community - see AFL to hold Multicultural Academy Camp.

Last weekend another step was taken towards that intake, with trials for 120 players. The following is a media release from the AFL leading into those trials, which involves AFL Multicultural Development officers including several men who have previously been involved in developing the game overseas - Mickey Roberts in Samoa, Sasha Herceg in Croatia and Yuta Kobayash (Japan and India).

This weekend will see the year's first 18-a-side clash for the England Dragonslayers, when the reigning EU Cup champions run onto the pitch at Albert Road, home of the North London Lions. Their opposition? Fronting up in the emerald green will be the Irish Exiles, a side of the best Irishmen playing the game in England.

Sussex Swans captain Ronan Moran is fronting the team, with players drawn from Sussex, Birmingham and Southampton in the ARUK National League, the West London Wildcats in the AFL London, and the Edinburgh Bloods up in Scotland.

WorldFootyNews.com spoke with Moran and ARFLI president Ciaran O'Hara about the Exiles, their plans and their significance for Irishmen playing Aussie Rules around the globe.

As in previous seasons, World Footy News will this year undertake a team-by-team preview of the sides for the EU Cup in Zagreb.

In our first installment, we spoke with host nation Croatia, their former Central European AFL rivals the Czech Lions and Finland, and newcomers from the North Atlantic Iceland.

The Croatian Knights, last year's runners-up, have seen significant domestic growth this year with their Zagreb metro league and will be very keen to go one better and take the Cup in front of their home crowd. The Czechs and Finns have also progressed significantly on a local level this season and will be eager to show they can match it with the best Europe has to offer.

Iceland remain an unknown quantity, but captained by Pall Finnsson, the Icelandic-born captain of the Paris Cockerels and former test captain of the Denmark Vikings, they may surprise a few rivals come the first weekend in October.

The Turku Dockers capped off a fairy-tale debut year by beating the Helsinki Heatseekers by 4 goals in the first ever grand final in the Finland AFL.

The Dockers, coached by Australian ex-pat and two-time EU Cup all star Grant Siermans, joined the Helsinki Heatseekers and the Salo Juggernauts as the third team in the Finnish league this year.

Unlike earlier years in Finland, all teams were able to field teams with primarily their own squad members throughout the home and away season, meaning that 2009 was the first year when a true premier could be crowned.

Thanks for Craig Primmer from the Finland AFL for this report, photos courtesy of Saara Hämäläinen.

Once again this year World Footy News is collating a list of all the Grand Final parties around the world. To have yours added to the list please leave details using the "Post a Comment" feature below or email me by clicking on my name above (you'll need to register with the site).

Last year we had approximately 10,000 views to this list - so make sure that those looking to get to your party can find your event.

Please note: The information is entered here in good faith. worldfootynews.com is not responsible for any incorrect information posted to this story. Wherever possible attempt to check ahead to make sure the party you are planning on attending is still going ahead and has room for you. There have been cases of sell outs and late changes e.g. when a venue could not secure a telecast.

Following somewhat in the footsteps of Mike Pyke, American basketballer Shae McNamara who played basketball with Marist College is trialling at the Collingwood Football Club. McNamara at the age of 24 is a 202cm potential ruckman and has this week been flown out by Collingwood to trial ahead of list nominations in November. McNamara sent video of himself kicking and handballing a gridiron ball to most clubs in the league (see videos below).

Of his progress Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh said yesterday on SEN radio “We’re conducting a few physical tests, getting him to handle our footy, seeing how all that goes. He’s not setting the world on fire, but he’s going OK,”

McNamara is seen in the video working out with Orange County Bombers stalwart Chis Olson. According to Olson. "Shae's a phenomenal athlete, with a good head on his shoulders. In 12 years involvement in the game here I've never seen someone pick up the skills as quickly as he has. I wish him the best of luck."

The AFL has again canned the Cape Town match that was originally to have been played between Collingwood and West Coast earlier this year. Back in December 2008 we reported that the match would be deferred for 12 months, but it seems that the AFL believes that the global financial crisis is still biting hard on many and they have again decided to defer the match.

After having footy’s inclusion bandied around as part of the Pacific Games for the best part of a decade, a competition for the Oceania region is now truly a reality. However, it won’t be an inclusion as an extra sport at this stage in the Pacific Games but will be as a stand-alone Under 16 tournament in the new footy region of Fiji.

The tournament is set for the 12th and 13th December with invites extended to PNG, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, NZ, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. At this stage, PNG, Fiji, NZ, Tonga and Nauru have confirmed their participation, which is an excellent result.

Though the tournament is nominally at Under 16 level, there is an ability for the countries to play up to 6 older players if signed off by Championship Manager Andrew Cadzow. This appears a sensible modification when the tournament has dual aims - to have both ‘Participation’ and ‘Talent’ outcomes.

It is hoped that from this inaugural tournament an annual opportunity to showcase junior talent in the Pacific will result. It is anticipated that this will grow the game from the grassroots level as well as give talented players the opportunity to be seen and selected via higher representative squads, Academy positions (future) and International Scholarships, not discounting the AFL Drafts.

At the conclusion of the tournament an Oceania Squad will be selected to embark on a training program, and with a game schedule, which is yet to be confirmed.

A scandal has erupted in European Rugby Union over a faked injury, leading to a club in turmoil, a coach sacked and a player suspended for four months. And the cause of it all? The desire to substitute onto the field a superb kicker who just happens to be a former Aussie Rules player from New Zealand.

The all-important draw for the 10th Asian Australian Football Championships in Kuala Lumpur on 5th September took place at the Australian Ambassador's residence on 27th August.

Group A consists of title holders Dubai Heat, hosts Malaysian Warriors, three-time winners Hong Kong Dragons, two-time winners Jakarta Bintangs and Thailand Tigers.

Group B consists of three-time winners Singapore Wombats, three-times runners-up Bali Geckoes, Lao Elephants, China Reds and Vietnam Swans.

Each team plays the others in their Group with the top two in each group progressing to the semi-finals, the winners of which play off in the Grand Final.

Whilst weather, injuries and depth of fitness within the squads are always a factor in an event of this nature, the teams in Group A promise intense competition, with all five harbouring realistic expectations of a strong showing.

On known form, Singapore and Bali look the likely semi-finalists in Group B.

A big day is promised on September 5th at the Royal Selangor Polo Club with the action kicking off from 8.30am and the final being contested at 4.20pm.

In addition to the main games there will be a Junior Under 18 competition as well as Auskick.

There has been quite a bit of fuss over the suspension of Hawthorn star Buddy Franklin for his head high bump that concussed Richmond’s Ben Cousins. The fact that Franklin had his elbow tucked in to his side and hit Cousins with his shoulder has been held up as the bump having been legitimate and a “part of the game”.

After a tight race to the line the final eight is set and the 2009 AFL Finals Series is set to be one of the most competitive yet. Since the revamp in 2000 no eventual premier has come from outside the top four, so the winner is almost certain to come from St Kilda, Geelong, the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood. But as Adelaide coach Neil Craig recently said, one day a club will break that record, so the other four clubs from 5th to 8th are still in it to win the premiership, with his own club likely to be considered a reasonable dark horse after demolishing fellow contenders Carlton. And although St Kilda was a runaway leader and Geelong the dominant team of the last 3 years, recent wobbles have the Bulldogs and Magpies seemingly not far behind the top two. An intriguing month of football lies ahead.