World Footy News

Following the first test of the International Rules series in front of 39,000 at Subiaco in Perth, the second game will be played at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne on 28th October.

The big win by the Australian team in the first test may have taken some of the sting out of the series, seeing the match slip back a couple of timeslots in NSW, QLD and the ACT, but this time around the game will get expanded coverage overseas.

Here are some of the TV and Radio broadcast times:

Australia (free to air)

• Melbourne (live Friday 28th October @ 8:30 EST - Channel 9)
• Perth (live Friday 28th October @ 8:30 EST - Channel 9)
• Adelaide (live Friday 28th October @ 8:30 EST - Channel 9)
• Tasmania (live Friday 28th October @ 9:30pm TDST - WIN TV)
• Canberra/ACT (delayed Saturday 29th October 12:05 EST - Channel 9)
• Darwin (delayed Saturday 29th October 12:10am EST - Channel 9)
• Sydney/Newcastle (delayed Saturday 29th October 1:20am EST - Channel 9)
• Brisbane/Gold Coast (delayed Saturday 29th October 1:30am EST - Channel 9)

Ireland
Friday 28 Oct @ 10:30 (live) (RTA One) (free-to-air)

Asia Pacific - Hong Kong
Friday 28 Oct @ 23:00 (delayed) (ABC Asia-Pacific) (free-to-air)

USA
Friday 28th Oct (live) 12:00 (Setanta USA) (pay-per-view) Sunday 30th Oct (delayed) 7:00 pm (Setanta USA) (free-to-air)

All Nations (web radio)
AFL Website www.afl.com.au (live)

If you have any local information for the benefit of international viewers, feel free to contact WFN staff.

At half-time in the AFL Challenge match between West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers at the Brit Oval in London earlier this month, it was time for the Lions and Crows to take the field. That was the Thamesbridge College Lions and the Kew College Crows. Also featured were juniors from Carshalton College and other schools.

As part of the development of the FootyWiki - WFN is giving readers a sneak preview of the World Footy Atlas. The Atlas links into the FootyWiki, the World Footy Community's version of the Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Visit the Atlas here to check out how it's working so far. Currently the maps are mainly at continent level (except North America), but as our writers and programmers have time, the level of detail will be extended hopefully to national level in countries with larger numbers of clubs.

Once in the Wiki, if your club's (or anyone else's club's) information needs expansion or updating - read the User's Guide and add anything you think is relevant!

After three successful years overseeing the continued rise of footy in the United States as USAFL President, Mark Wheeler has moved into the position of Australian Liasion, with Robert Oliver taking over the reigns of US footy.

The Czech AFL are hosting the first-ever Prague Cup on November the 5th - with an open invitation for all teams and players from across Europe to come for a great end-of-season trip to one of Europe's top tourist destinations.

The USAFL National Championships in Milwaukee earlier this month was a huge weekend for footy in the land of the “stars and stripes” for not only the tremendous organizational efforts by the host club the Milwaukee Bombers but also it gave genuine notice that women’s footy had also found a place in the USA. The inaugural National Championship for Women’s footy took place with what was hoped to be four teams but ended up with three. However the intensity and desire for success was still very evident with the prestige of being crowned the first ever USAFL National Champions on the line.

International Rules tours have been played at Under 17 AFL/GAA level back to 1981. However this month an under 23 Australian Amateur Football Council team completed its first tour of the Emerald Isle. The u23 Amateurs played 4 matches against an array of Irish teams from Club to a University rep side, Banks-Army team to the All Ireland team itself.

Ryan Bartz, an exchange student from New York, was selected in the Green & Gold Australian Women's football team at the Australian University Games late last month. Although selection is honorary as there is no international competition to play in, it is a major achievement for Bartz who had only played two games of Australian Rules football prior to the Australian University Games.

WFN has reported on International rules matches around the world. Apart from the AFL v GAA senior and under 17 matches, International Rules matches have been played by amateur clubs, increasingly on an annual basis, in at least 23 cities across Australia, Ireland, USA, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, China, Singapore and Japan. That is probably not an exhaustive list. This article reports on the first series that we know of in England, where Reading, west of London, has become the scene of what is set to be a regular 3 match annual series.

St Anthony's GAA club in Reading and the Reading Roos share adjacent grounds that has helped forge the partnership. They are also two of the more progressive clubs in developing under age football in Gaelic football and Aussie rules in England.

Melbourne newspaper the 'Herald Sun' reported on October 19th that Michael Ablett (relative of the famous AFL family) is moving to the US with his fiancée whom he will marry next year. Included in the report is a suggestion that he will coach fledgling US Footy club the Las Vegas Gamblers who are yet to play an official match.

At World Footy News we're keen to see the game of footy grow internationally. A key factor will always be the health of the game "at home". Recreational Football could well prove to be an important factor in that health.

AFL club Melbourne recently made the news after announcing it was investigating playing an exhibition match in the Chinese metropolis Tianjin. The Demons are now about six weeks away from announcing a five-year development plan, supported by the City of Melbourne and the Tianjin regional government, according to General Manager of Business Development Shane Anderson.