World Footy News

WorldFootyNews.com and USFootyNews.com are teaming up to present the 2008 USFooty Top 10 Poll. To kick things off we are having a Top 10 Countdown for the Preseason Top 10. Who are the best teams in USFooty?

Golden Gate Roos are Number 5 in the WFN/USFN Top 10 Poll. The Golden Gate Roos finished 2007 5th in the World Footy News Top 10 Poll with a 2-3 record.

After a very successful tournament last year, the Dubai Dingoes along with Specialist Mortgage and Australasian Taxation Services (SMATS Group) will today host the 2008 SMATS Dubai 9s competition. Ten teams will take part, with the Dingoes and the Heat (reigning champion) each splitting into two sides for the event. Last year's surprise-packet the Doha Kangaroos will be back, along with the Airmile Hawks and GAA sides Clann na hOman (as the Muscat Magpies) and the Dubai Celts. The Falcons, who are a new club from Abu Dhabi will make their debut (WFN will reveal more details about the club later in the week). The tournament will be held at the Sharjah Wanderer's Sports Club.

Read on for the match schedule.

Part of the experience of the International Cups and international footy in general is the culture and colour other nations bring to the game. We see different playing styles, different body types, new jumper designs and an assortment of languages and culture. A huge success at the last Cup was the dinner function in Wangaratta. Some of the colour, dancing and good cheer can be seen on our recent Youtube upload on our World Footy Channel.

WA Country Football has been at the forefront of developing relationships between the US and Australian football communities. In 2007, WA Country had two representatives at the USFooty Nationals including General Manager Cameron Knapton. WA Country has also worked closely with USFooty’s Tony Fairhead to place St John University “Johnnies” in country footy teams after they finish their footy bootcamp while on exchange to Notre Dame University in Perth WA. Now they're taking things one step further, with an off-field role for an American student.

As some of the players from the historic 2007 AIS-AFL junior tour of South Africa have now broken through into senior AFL ranks, it might be time to reflect on their future prospects and those of their opponents, the South Africans.

WorldFootyNews.com and USFootyNews.com are teaming up to present the 2008 USFooty Top 10 Poll. To kick things off we are having a Top 10 Countdown for the Preseason Top 10. Who are the best teams in USFooty?

Minnesota Freeze are Number 6 in the WFN/USFN Poll. 2007 was a break out season for the Freeze.

They finished the year with the Division II National Championship. The Freeze were 7-1 and finished 7th in the World Footy News Poll. With their B-team finishing runner’s up in the Reserves at Nationals 2007 was a pretty good year.

As the GAA and the AFL debate beginning the International Rules series again, may I suggest a Third Way – a tri-nation series between Ireland, Australian and the USA played in the United States. By bringing USFooty, the North American GAA and the New York GAA into the series it would help to promote the game and the two codes – Australian football and Gaelic football in one of the largest economies in the world. It would also be likely to decrease the “tensions” associated with the previous series by putting the games in neutral territory, by being “a showcase” event for a new audience and by bringing in a third team that has not been involved in the earlier tiffs.

After the initial disappointment to hear that the book launched for the 150 years of Australian Football apparently hasn't given attention to the game's international spread in the past few decades (a fairly serious oversight), it is pleasing that the 150 celebrations are seeking to embrace international footy in other ways.

Staff involved with the 150 website have several areas that football leagues can get involved, including Kick around the World, photos for the 150 website, the Community Football Weekend and promotion of the International Cup in August. Details follow.

The Orange County Bombers are Number 7 in the WFN/USFN Poll. OC started the season off in style with an indoor match at the Staples Center in LA in association with the Arena Football League’s LA Avengers.

The Broadview Hawks, along with their brother club North Old Boys St. Patricks College (NOBSPC) of the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in Australia, are pleased to announce the introduction of a joint effort player development initiative.

The development program is aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of young Canadian players about the Australian code of football and, likewise, giving a young Australian a chance to travel abroad and experience the great north of Canada. Starting in 2008, one player from each club will be able to nominate themselves to be selected and have the opportunity of a lifetime to play the 2009 football season on the other side of the earth. In addition to this great experience, the selected individuals will receive a return flight plus assistance with accommodation and employment once they arrive in their new surroundings.

worldfootynews.com can now reveal further details of the AFL's new Regional Development Manager position for Oceania. For many years there has been a growing push from international Leagues to get more support from the AFL, not just based on wishful thinking or big plans, but backed by promising results on the ground. There has been steady progress in convincing key AFL stakeholders, and this has no doubt been as much an issue within the AFL hierarchy itself as it has between the Leagues and the AFL. Although there have been setbacks along the way, and will no doubt continue to be, the direction is clearly positive. As we've reported previously, progress has accelerated since 2005 and the appointment of a full time staffer as Oceania representative could be a step towards having more regional managers across the world - we certainly hope so. More details follow.

A vote of the Gaelic Athletic Association‘s Central Council saw the Irish counties vote 24 to 8 for a resumption of the International Rules Series. A key factor appears to have been the Dubai document that showed a pretty thorough attempt by both sides to clarify the rules and eliminate foul play whilst still preserving the physical nature of the hybrid code. The AFL have yet to publicly respond at time of writing, but previous reports by AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou would suggest that the AFL will agree.

In the past month former Irish captain and current GAA media commentator, Colm O‘Rourke penned an eloquent piece in favour of the concept and Tadhg Kennelly spoke out passionately for the return of the series and also emphasised the point that AFL clubs would engage in open slather recruiting if there were no formal agreement between the 2 codes. This latter point probably carried significant weight within the GAA.

The Tests could resume as early as this October though that may not be logistically possible. Gerard Healy, Australian selector and passionate supporter of the hybrid games has suggested calling the games “Friendlies” rather than “Tests”. There may be some merit in that, not just to emphasise yet again that blood need not be spilt, but in being truer to the place the series has as a hybrid and exhibition style contest that is entertaining and gives fans and players of both Gaelic Football and Australian Football the chance to experience an international dimension otherwise lacking at the elite level in each code.

There are also suggestions of playing 2 out of every 3 years - ie home and away and rest year.

"Kevin O‘Sheedy" is not sure whether he will coach again, whereas Ireland’s Sean Boylan seems certain to again be manager for Ireland.