World Footy News

After many years of dreaming of an AFL match being played in the United States, 2005 was firming as a big chance, as part of Australia Week celebrations in LA. The latest news is that the game looks unlikely.

The first ever US Collegiate Championships for Australian Rules football were held in Nashville over the weekend September 10th to 12th 2004. A huge effort was put in to ensure its success, for what will hopefully be the start of a new era for Aussie Rules in the United States.

Junior development programmes in northern Papua New Guinea have gained momentum with the inaugural Northern Zone Regional Championships recently showcasing PNG’s next generation of Australian football talent.

The Australian Rules amateur footy players touring South Africa, dubbed the Convicts, will now travel in early 2005, numbers permitting. Organiser Brian Clarke is still looking for a few more amateur football players interested in the tour. Players can be from anywhere in Australia, or arrangements can be made for those overseas. The details follow.

This year's Papua New Guinean NCD Grand Final saw a repeat of the 2002 final when the University Bulldogs smashed Wests 13.14 (92) to 4.4 (20) at Port Moresby's Amini Park.

What a big week in world footy! Last weekend saw the premiers decided in many leagues around the planet (see other stories). In Ireland, the Dublin Eagles, dominant all season, have won the 2004 Australian Rules premiership, defeating the Dublin Demons at St Anns Park, Raheny, on Saturday September 11th.

The North West Pacific AFL Grand Final was played on Saturday, September 11th, with the Vancouver Cougars hanging on to defeat the Seattle Grizzlies by nine points, in a match that will be remembered as a desperate battle by two injury ravaged but proud clubs.

A recent trip by AFL development officers to Kerema has resulted in the reinvigoration of Australian Football in PNG's Gulf Province.

After stumbling across footage of AFL matches on Argentine TV in the early 90s, Ricardo Acuña, now president of the Argentine Alternative Sports Association, started to think of ways to kick start the code in Buenos Aires.

In 1997 the first game of Aussie Rules was played in the Argentine capital. The league has consolidated, growing to include juniors and schools - but Acuña's next goals include spreading throughout the rest of Latin America.

The 2004 Mid-American AFL season came down to the wire with four of the seven clubs still in contention going into the last round (the premiership being decided on ladder positions with no finals series). Despite the Milwaukee Bombers having a good win over Dallas, St Louis retained their title by having a solid victory against Atlanta.

Junior football in Denmark entered a new era this week with the first Farum Inter-School Championships held on September 5th. Over 60 players aged 11-16 represented 4 schools in the Farum area, with the Lillerød Lions defeating Marie Kruse, Stavnsholt and Solvang for the cup.

World Footy News\' inaugural poll has come to a close - with the subject of the first international Australian Rules competition to provide an AFL draftee coming under the microscope.

And the readers\' vote has started some discussion...