World Footy News

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...

The Golden Gate AFL has grown rapidly in its first three seasons, with plenty of promise for the future. World Footy News takes a closer look.

Although worldfootynews.com focuses on leagues and clubs around the world, primarily outside of Australia, it would be remiss of us not to mention that the finals are on for the world's premier Australian Rules league - the AFL.

Australian football has long neglected its own neighbours. A lot of work is now being done to change that. Could footy be bound for the South Pacific Games?

Not so long ago, when Australians moved overseas, they were forced to leave behind the game they love. Fortunately that is now changing, and Jeremy Blyth is someone who has benefitted. And since he spent several teenage years in New Zelaland, he hopes to represent them with pride in the 2005 International Cup.

As football programs grow in countries they soon wish to test their national squad, but in the case of South Africa, there are no other Aussie Rules nations nearby. This may not be the case for much longer, as plans are underway to introduce the game to Zimbabwe. The remarkable explosion in interest in Australian footy appears poised to spread through southern Africa.

The Japan Samurai and a South Island New Zealand side have battled it out in a tight contest at Optus Oval in Melbourne, Australia.

The Ontario Australian Football League finals are here, opening with the Qualifying and Elimination matches. This report from Steve Kleyer.