World Footy News

International footy is still searching for its first home-grown recruit to make it to the AFL, the undisputed premier Aussie Rules league in the world. We're also yet to see such a footballer make it to the second best league in the world. But what is that league? The top three contenders would clearly be the state competitions of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. For our international readers to understand better what sits beneath AFL level, we look at the matches which see the best non-AFL players from each league come together to play traditional interstate footy, with one match each year, giving a 2 year cycle of matches. On the line is bragging rights for the winners to claim theirs to be the best comp outside of the AFL.

World Footy News now has a front page link to Ian Hill's Footy Record, a site dedicated to collecting and collating results from clubs and leagues around the globe.

The software, designed specifically for Australian football scores and named after the traditional at-the-ground fan's magazine in Australian football, is a way of keeping track of league records, useful for anyone looking for a collection point to keep history for prosperity.

In the few short years that Aussie Rules has been played in the United States, one thing has been consistent - change. Each season sees new formulas tried to speed the spread of the game, or at least consolidate the impressive gains so far. 2005 has seen the emergence of the Eastern AFL (possibly described as a merger of the NEAFL and SEAFL, or an expansion of the NEAFL). The East coast will be hoping this new league can go on to rival the successful Mid-American AFL (MAAFL). But for many of the western US sides, a two part regional tournament will be their focus in 2005, with trips to Denver and Canada on the cards.

In the latest installment of Sweden's hottest domestic rivalry, the E4 Cup, the South Sweden Saints defeated the Stockholm Dynamite in Stockholm 14.7.91 to 4.5.29.

The Japanese have finished the Arafura Games with a stronger showing despite going down to the Northern Territory Indigenous Development Squad by 53 points in the Gold medal playoff. The Samurai return home with a Silver medal and invaluable match practice together as a team, against quality opposition, on a full sized oval.

The Clare Crows find themselves after three rounds of the ARFLI competition on top of the ladder. This is the first time in the club's short history that they find themselves in this lofty position at any stage of a season.

Round 3 of the Arafura Games Aussie Rules tournament on Wednesday night has seen Japan's winning run come to a crushing end, with a thumping loss to the Northern Territory's Indigenous Development squad before a crowd of around 600 at Marrara Stadium's main oval. World Footy News looks at the game, and gives some further insight into the competing teams.

In what is good news for countries that had thought squad sizes for the 2005 Australian Football International Cup would be 35, the AFL has announced squads up to 35 will indeed be allowed. This follows disappointment for those that had named more than the 30 player limit the AFL set in April.

Japan have won again at the Arafura Games, this time big winners over the Northern Territory Super Rules side. This brings them to two wins from two games and should guarantee them a playoff spot for the Gold medal.

The USAFL have announced that AFL club Essendon will host their national squad during the International Cup. Canada have previously reached agreement with the Sydney Swans and New Zealand with the Melbourne Demons.

The 30-man Falcons squad to play Maffra Football Club and represent New Zealand at the International Cup in August has been announced following a selection camp in Auckland.

In a press release, the AFL have announced that the two Western Australian sides, both doing very well in 2005, with the WC Eagles undefeated atop the ladder, will clash in the traditional end-of-season match at "The Oval" (now called Brit Oval) in England. Hopes are high that the AFL will be able to stage matches in Los Angeles and New Zealand in the near future too. The release follows.