World Footy News

A huge number of ANZAC matches are scheduled for tomorrow, in locations across the globe.

One town with a very strong connection to the Australian and New Zealand military in the First World War is Villers-Bretonneux in northern France, where this weekend a commemorative match will be played between "les Coquelicots", a team drawn from French nationals and Australians resident in France, and the "Aussie Spirit", a team drawn from across Europe, as reported in Never forget Australia.

The AFL website this week featured a preview article entitled The French Connection with some background to the cup, including an interview with Simon McGregor of the Finland Icebreakers, who hatched the concept along with Cyril Talon of the Paris Cockerels at last year's EU Cup.

The day's festivities will kick off at 10am, let's hope the event can become a tradition.

The Jakarta Bintangs and their junior team the Bulldogs are trekking to Balikpapan to take on the Borneo Bears in what promises to be a memorable Anzac Day of football and remembrance.

Starting with the solemnity of the Dawn Service and the laying of wreaths, the day will proceed to a 3-team carnival featuring the Bintangs, Bulldogs and Bears.

Borneo, a vast jungle covered island, was the scene of some of Australia’s most successful military operations (Operations Oboe – The battles of Tarakan, Balikpapan, Brunei and North Borneo) in World War Two, and the site of one of our greatest tragedies, The Sandakan Death March of which only 6 Australians survived from an initial group of 2000 Prisoners of War.

Melbourne's The Age is reporting that the Western Bulldogs' Fijian recruit Inoke Ratu has still not received a visa to enter Australia for training, and that the outlook is far from positive. Ratu was already struggling to be cleared, given Australia has restrictions in place for family members of people associated with the Fijian military. That policy relates to a coup d’état that overthrew the government, so the recent dismantling of Fijian government institutions is likely to lead to a hardening of the Australian Government's attitude.

Fellow international scholarship holder Solomon Loki, 17, has been to Australia for training. Happily the Bulldogs have reiterated their commitment to both players for the duration of the two year agreement. The article reports that the Bulldogs' Simon Dalrymple will fly to Fiji next week with scholarship program benefactor Shaun Bassett, and that the players are currently on programs of skills and weights training three times a week, under local supervision. We've previously reported that AFL Oceania intends to start a local Fijian competition, and Dalrymple said it was on track for next month (although he was also due to get an update from AFL Oceania).

More details in Dogs recruit refused visa to enter country, by Jesse Hogan.

Last month the AFL website posted an article titled simply Footy in Siberia, telling the story of Dave Henry, an Australian who recently held Auskick clinics and organised an inter-school footy tournament in a number of schools somewhere in Siberia.

The clinics were part of a cultural exchange with over 1000 children taking part in the English component of the program and over 200 taking part in footy clinics. Henry showed the kids videos of Australian football action, then students participated in a number of clinics before forming school teams, playing on basketball courts due to the climactic conditions of the Siberian winter.

Henry performed the clinics solely on a volunteer basis, although he was given some material assistance by the AFL Queensland. Children each received stickers, hats and other give-aways, while schools received footballs and training equipment.

Reportedly the schools are keen to repeat the tournament, but somewhat oddly the article does not mention exactly in which towns the program took place, nor how to contact anyone involved. WFN will endeavour to find out more and get back to our readers on this!

The former Karlstad Dragons are proud to announce a new partnership with the West Coast Eagles, described by the club as "an exciting new association with one of the AFL’s leading clubs".

Under the new sister club association, Värmland’s only Aussie Rules footy club, The Karlstad Dragons, have changed their name to The Karlstad Eagles, and will play in the blue and gold jumpers of the West Coast Eagles. The Karlstad Eagles club song, ‘Down by the Lakeside’, will also be tweaked to accommodate the new name.

The Karlstad Eagles and AFL Sweden President, Jimmy Ljunggren, believes the new partnership will be a real boost for the development of Aussie Rules footy in Värmland: “The kids that have come to this club are really excited by this new relationship with the Eagles, and are already following their games in the AFL.”

News of the Eagles’ new association has already been picked up by Karlstad’s premier newspaper, Värmlands Folkblad, which scooped the news before the official announcement. But Ljunggren thinks it’s a sign of growing interest in footy in the region. “We got a lot of great press last year, and we’re pretty happy VF are following our development,” Ljunggren said.

The Karlstad Eagles hope to unveil their new strip in the season opener on 16 May, a home game at the ‘Eagles Nest’ against traditional AFL Sweden West rivals, the Gothenburg Berserkers.

Stay tuned for more news from Sweden, with the Stockholm league welcoming new side Årsta in an ANZAC Day double header opening round this weekend.

Thanks to Stuart Roberts from the Karlstad Eagles for this report.

The Vodafone Brisbane Lions today elevated Irish rookie Pearce Hanley to the Club's senior list in place of West Australian draftee Kieran King (ankle: 10-12 weeks) who has been placed on the long term injury list. 20 year-old Hanley - who hails from Ballaghadereen in Ireland's County Mayo - made his AFL senior debut for the Lions in Round 21 last year against Carlton at the Gabba playing a total of two matches.

The former Gaelic player and 2006 Ron Barassi Medallist has been a member of the Club's rookie list since arriving from Ireland at the end of 2007.Hanley's elevation means that he will again be available for senior selection. Reports suggest that Hanley's form has been very good for the Lion's reserve team the last two weeks and he would be a good chance to play this week given injuries to key Lions players last week. Hanley missed early games in the preseason due to injury.

Anzac Day is linked most significantly with Aussie Rules football in the modern day by the Collingwood v Essendon clash as the MCG, which in recent years has seen big crowds attend. This is largely due to the families and diggers who move across to the footy after the ANZAC Day parade and commemoration at the Shrine. Those two AFL clubs usually have the day to themselves but this year with the day falling on a Saturday the AFL has scheduled Hawthorn v West Coast at Aurora Stadium, North Melbourne v Richmond at Docklands and Fremantle v Sydney Swans at Subiaco, all later in the day. Significant tributes to those that have served their country in the armed forces are always part of the day.

Locally the Anzac Day Act would prevent any footy played before 1pm but the Victorian State Government and the RSL announced this week that suburban footy matches could start at any time on Saturday, if they included a minute's silence and recognition of the day. But footy has become linked not just in Melbourne, or in Australia – but around the world with clubs getting together for matches, tournaments or just to get together to watch the MCG clash as part of their own Anzac Day commemorations.

We have put together a list below of some of these events.

As we move toward the start of the 2009 season, USFootyNews.com will be previewing the Top 10 teams in USFooty as voted in the preseason USFootyNews.com and WorldFootyNews.com poll.

At Number 8 in the Preseason Poll is the Boston Demons. Boston finished the 2008 regular season 2-3. They went 1-2 at Nationals and finished 6th in the last Top 10 poll of the year. That said, they had two big wins during the year. One against New York in New York in the last game of the year and one against 2008 EAFL Premiers, the Baltimore Washington Eagles at Nationals. According to Demons President, Michael Larsen, "We have a strong rivalry with the Eagles and beating them in Colorado Springs was a highlight of our year."

Unfortunately for international footy fans there were no real surprises in Paarl, Cape Town on Monday as the South African Lions received a football lesson from the elite Australian youth side. The final margin was a crushing 132 points, and will no doubt raise some questions about the benefit to the African program.

The case remains that there are pros and cons. Without the contest then the relevance of the tour to the AIS program would have to be in question, and that could have ramifications both in South Africa and Australia. On the downside the defeat must be disheartening to the Lions, especially since they were fielding an open age side. A positive for younger talent is that it shows them what level is required, and of course the associated assistance and exposure that comes with the tour. At the end of the day it probably depends on how the expectations of all involved are managed before the match.

Kicking goals for the Lions were Jawe, Motubu, Malinga - all three were proven performers at the 2008 International Cup. It was encouraging to see some of the younger talent from IC08 making the best players, such as Prinsloo, Sifanelo and Boki, as well as a new name in Xmasa. At time of writing we're unsure of what preparation the South Africans had coming into this game, so perhaps a lack of match practice was an issue. At the end of the day, the margin was not unexpected, with many of the elite Australian squad likely to be drafted at year's end, and the next wave of South African players only just beginning to emerge.

The following is a match report and a spectacular photo courtesy of the AFL.

The "Corbs d'Andorra", or Andorra Ravens in English, made an impressive debut in the Catalan league last weekend, hosting the reigning premiers Belfry Valls and running out 125-108 point victors.

The match in the Andorran capital Andorra la Vella was the first home game for the Ravens, having played only a few tournament matches since their creation last year. With the club from Valls having been the traditional LFAC powerhouse since the league's creation, the Ravens can be very happy with a powerful win in their first encounter.

Fellow debutants the Perpignan Tigers were less lucky in their first league match, traveling south and going down against Barcelona's Cornellà Bocs 82-13. The day started badly for the Tigers from southern France, having to start a player short as some of the side had been delayed en route. Playing with a full side and a bench in the second half, the French were able to put up a stronger contest, but were ultimately outclassed by the more experienced Bocs.

The young side from Perpignan can take encouragement from making it this far - plenty of newly-formed teams have stepped into an already-existing league in the past and found the first few matches tough going.

The four-team Lliga de Futbol Australià de Catalunya has changed its composition a few times in its history, with Valls being the one club that has held through the seasons. This year sees the league extend beyond the national borders for the first time with the inclusion of Andorra and Perpignan. With the revival of footy in the Madrid area this year, and the participation of the Madrid Bears and Móstoles Roos in the LFAC's pre-season tournament in Valls, the future looks bright for footy in the Iberian Peninsula.

A television interview in Catalan with the Andorran team can be viewed on informatius.ad.

A Bushfire Fundraiser jointly organized by the Vietnam Swan and Bali Geckoes in Saigon on Friday, 28th March saw USD 3,047.74, that's 4,336.57 Australian dollars, transferred from Saigon to the bushfire-hit areas of Victoria.

The money raised was made possible thanks to the very impressive sponsorship support in Vietnam – specifically, Jetstar, Caravelle Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Hotel Equatorial, Kim Hai Butchery, RMIT University, JASPAS, Commonwealth Bank, Jim Beam and La Vie Water. Special thanks also must go to the Sydney Swans and Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League for donating signed jumpers for auction.

The Bushfire Fundraiser was naturally followed on the Saturday by a Bushfire Match between the Vietnam Swans Vs Bali Geckos with the Geckoes triumphing 17.6.108 to 13.11.89. A full report can be found on VietnamSwans.com.

In February, as part of ongoing efforts to provide an organised football structure in Europe, with a view to the formation of AFL Europe, the Australian Football League appointed Gerard Murphy to liaise with European leagues.

Murphy has previously had an association with the AFL and has moved to the UK in a promotional role with the English Premier League (soccer). The AFL has advised leagues to deal with Murphy to "work on building an AFL Europe body over the next 6 months".

In a message addressed to affiliated leagues and prospective members of AFL Europe, the AFL stated that "The AFL’s desire is simply that the most effective structure exists to ensure the game develops within the region and we can support affiliates in an appropriate way".