World Footy News

 

Angus Boyle from AFL Europe has put together the following comprehensive preview of upcoming pre-season tournaments across Europe. For further information on any of the tournaments below, go to the www.afleurope.org website.

With spring just around the corner, it’s an exciting time of the year for AFL clubs across Europe as teams step up their preparation for their upcoming seasons.  

One form of preparation is taking part in a pre-season tournament, where teams travel for a big day of football, battling it out to win a pre-season cup. Teams also get the chance to test out tactics, put their skills into a real match situation and get to know teammates better.

AFL Japan GO League Round 3 - Osaka Dingoes versus Senshu Powers

Saturday 16 February 2019 7:20 pm - Izumi Sports Village, Kaiduka, Osaka Prefecture

By Yoshi Imagawa Osaka Dingoes player & Public Relations Officer

The Osaka Dingoes hosted a GO League match for the second time in 2019. The match was played in quite windy conditions at five degrees under lights at a soccer field on a hill. Eight players on each side were fielded because of Dingoes’ players availability. The home side had no interchange player available.

Last year both Meghan Markle and Natalie Portman surprised the Australian Rules football world with surprise visits to clubs or related events whilst in Australia. Now, American comedian Conan O'Brien is the latest celebrity to spend time learning our game - with the Sydney Swans.

The following YouTube clip shows O'Brien learning the game as part of a new show in production.

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The round three NAB AFL Women's Rising Stars nominees are North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos Courteney Munn and Melbourne's Eden Zanker.

With Round 18 being the final home and away round of the NTFL season, some clubs made sure they imposed their will to either secure finals berths or avoid wooden spoons. With the victors winning by a combined total of almost 300 points, it was probably the most one-sided round of the season.

The Tiwi Bombers hammered St Mary’s by 87 points, Waratah took down the Darwin Buffaloes by 76 points, Nightcliff thrashed Southern Districts by 90 points and Wanderers also enjoyed a 44 point win over Palmerston.

The carnage started at Tracy Village where the Tiwi Bombers jumped out of the blocks with a seven goal to one opening term. From there they were never seriously challenged, extending their lead at every break. It was a huge result for the Bombers as they secured third place on the ladder and a double chance in the first round of the finals. The loss was painful on many fronts for the Saints, earning the wooden spoon to complete a fall from grace which has seen them drop from a premiership in 2017 to fourth in 2018 and now last. It promises to be a big off-season for the Saints.

 

Oxford University have claimed the minor premiership in both men’s and women’s divisions after the final round of the National University League. The following article comes from the www.aflengland.org website and details the weekend’s matches as well as the ramifications leading to grand final day next month.

After a blistering performance in the final round of the National University League, The University of Oxford have been crowned minor premiers in both the Men’s and Women’s Division. The sides will now face the University of Birmingham in the NUL Grand Finals on March 9th. 

 

In its inaugural season, the National University League welcomed teams from Oxford, Birmingham and Cambridge as well as a combined Universities of South Wales side as they battled it out over four rounds of fixtures.

In a great day out for Netherlands footy, their Amsterdam Devils club have travelled south to France and taken out the 2019 Coupe Du Nord (North Cup). The tournament, hosted by the Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes in the north-western suburbs of Paris, featured both Paris teams – the Cockerels and Cockatoos – host team, the Coyotes, the ALFA Lions and the Devils.

Sadly, the Strasbourg Kangourous did not field a team on the day.

After a day which featured plenty of fun and some tough footy, the Amsterdam Devils took home the cup, outlasting the Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes in the final after each team played four round matches.

The win for the Devils continues the run of success enjoyed by the Dutch national team in recent tournaments at home (Champions League – consecutive grand finals Amsterdam Devils) and abroad (Euro Cup – Bowl Final Netherlands Flying Dutchmen).

Melbourne hammered the Brisbane Lions by 39 points at Hickey Park on a good day in Brisbane.

It was the first AFLW match ever played at the ground.

The Dees put on a master class all day and the Lions could not match it with them.

Image Source: Michael Wilson/AFL Media

Adelaide Crows showed their supremacy at the Norwood Oval as they smashed the Cats by 29 points in hot conditions in Adelaide.

Erin Phillips, Ebony Marinoff and Anne Hatchard stood up all day for the Crows and the Cats could not stamp out their dominance. 

Image Source: AFL Media

The journey isn’t over yet. The Multiplex Bulls’ victory over the Dubai Dragons yesterday does not win them the AFL Middle East premiership. But it goes a long way towards gaining the belief and commitment needed to claim their first flag.

Make no mistake, the Dubai Dragons would know that this match was a massive statement. If they won again, the Bulls would sink further into an inferiority complex, doubting their ability to ever beat the Dragons when it mattered. A Bulls’ win was going to set the Bulls into a momentum that might not be stopped.

By quarter time, the Dragons were a goal in front. Way too early to pick a winner, but they had played their hand again, inviting the Bulls to play theirs. They did, grabbing the half time lead by three points but knowing a battle still needed to be won.

Fremantle Dockers notched up a solid 33 point win over Collingwood at the Fremantle Oval on a pleasant day in Perth.

The win was set up by the Dockers in the first half as they put Collingwood to the sword with five goals.

Image Source: @freodockers