World Footy News

Australian teams took the victory honours in both the men’s and women’s matches on ANZAC Day at Villers-Bretonneux in the 10th incarnation of ANZAC Cup matches. AFL Europe’s Facebook page contains many pictures from the day s well as the following brief overview.

“Things started bright and early this morning for our Australian Spirit and French National sides with players attending the Villers-Bretonneux Dawn Service along with thousands of others to pay their respects on the 100th anniversary of the 2nd Battle of Villers-Bretonneux.”

“Following the service the teams completed the traditional march through the town before arriving back at Stadium Timmerman to begin the 10th Annual Anzac Cup matches.”

“Both the men's and women's matches were hard fought from the first bounce but eventually saw the Australian Spirit sides pull away to take home both trophies. Thanks again to O'Neills Sportswear for providing the incredible matching team kits for the Australian and French sides.”

Whilst there are still some games and last minute fiddling to go, the four finalists for the 2017/18 CNFA season are locked in. Recent victories for both Paris Cocks teams (the Cockerels and Cockatoos) have not only given them sufficient breathing space to guarantee finals, the have also ensured that reigning title holders – the ALFA Lions – will not get a chance to defend their title.

The Parisian duo will be joined by the Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes and Toulouse Hawks in the battle for this season’s premiership honours.

The result is a glowing endorsement for the decisions in recent years to split the Cocks into two teams, with the Cockatoos already enjoying premiership success, as well as the Toulouse Hawks. After taking a back seat last season to help get the Toulouse-based Aviators under way, the Hawks have returned to their dominant best this season. Now there are three Paris teams (counting the Coyotes) and two in Toulouse – all but one of them will contest this season’s finals.

To date, the Bogota Bullants had been seen as the team to beat for the inaugural CAFL title in Colombia. But the DC Aguilas changed that yesterday with a powerful display against the previously undefeated Bullants, leading early and going on to record a powerful 54-point victory. It sets the scene for a huge finish to the season.

According to the Bogota Bulldogs, “with the Bogota Craft Beer Tours Bullants wanting to continue their undefeated run and the Gourmet Burger Bar Aguilas having made it out of their last match brutal victors [against the Bombers], both sides had a lot to prove coming into this showdown.”

“After the first half had kept things relatively even at 33-41 to the Aguilas, the flood gates opened in the third quarter. After a crucial injury to Bullants captain James, and Aguilas benefiting from a full bench, Sam Miller led the charge, scoring a number of unanswered goals. The midfield opened up and the Aguilas were able to control the play. The Bullants tried their best to even up the play in the fourth quarter, but by then the Aguilas were able to hold their dominant lead at 55-109.”

Bharat Football Club representing India were a class above the Sri Lankan Lions as they won by 92 points today in the inaugural Anzac Day cup clash played at Fortheringham Reserve in Dandenong in Melbourne's South East. A formal ANZAC commemoration pre-match including the last post was held before teams headed out for the match under overcast skies.

Westpac stadium in Wellington has hosted a big day of footy with the AFL NZ team taking on the highly talented AFL AIS Academy squad. The curtain raiser was the NZ girls against the touring Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League girls side in a follow up to their Sunday morning first instalment.

Following on from their 4.9.33 to 1.0.6 win on Sunday morning - the NZ Youth Girls backed up with a 3.6.24 to 1.6.12 win.

The senior AFL NZ line up included a number of familiar faces from the IC17 squad along with some new comers. Debutant Dean Staunton scored the first behind for the Hawks.

The Osaka Dingoes hosted their second IMPACT Anzac Day Cup Tournament at Izumi Sports Village in the wider Osaka Region on Saturday, 21 April 2018.

Beautiful sunshine welcomed the Tokyo Goannas and a merged team of Tokyo Bay Suns, R246 Lions and Senshu Powers, all Kanto based clubs.The maximum temperature hit 26 degrees and that was too warm for playing footy.

The Osaka Dingoes President Matt Gale, made an opening ceremony speech honouring the Anzacs who served their country with pride and dignity. The speech was interpreted into Japanese by Yoshi Imagawa.

The following is a media release from AFL Northern Territory announcing selections in the national Kickstart and World teams from the recent Diversity Championships in Sydney.


AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) is pleased to announce that seven young Territorians were named in Flying Boomerangs and World Team squads to play two exhibition matches at the 2017 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships on the Gold Coast in July.

Selected by AFL Club recruiters following the 2018 AFL National Male Diversity Championships held in Blacktown, the respective squads of 25 young men has been chosen based on school attendance, leadership skills, and football ability.

The AFL Flying Boomerangs program is a personal development and leadership program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young men aged 14-16 years old, supported by Rio Tinto. Meanwhile the World Team is made up of the best upcoming AFL multicultural players from across the nation.

After the Easter weekend break, the final two rounds of AFL New Zealand certainly did not disappoint. Despite an upset (courtesy of the Western Crows) that derailed their hopes of an undefeated season, the Central Giants finished off as the recipients of the 2018 AFLNZ premiership.

Round 8 Recap

The Southern Saints took on the Northern Suns at QBE Stadium in the first game of the day. This north-south rivalry has been hotly contested all year, and the Round 8 edition was no exception.

Round 4 of the 2018 AFL Season kicks off Friday night in Adelaide with the Crows hosting the Magpies.  

The full international broadcast schedule for the round can be seen below.

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).

You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the Watch AFL promo shot on the left to register and by then paying the subscription fee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The AFL Tribunal sat last night to hear the charge laid against Essendon’s Conor McKenna from the weekend’s Match Review. 

Irishman Conor McKenna, Essendon, was charged with serious misconduct against Tory Dickson, Western Bulldogs, during the second quarter of the Round Two match between Essendon and the Western Bulldogs, played at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday.

The incident was classified as serious misconduct and McKenna plead guilty to biting Dickson on the neck while on the ground near the boundary line after Dickson ran McKenna down and tackled him. 

 

 

 

The AFL Tribunal will sit at 5.30pm tonight, Tuesday April 10 Melbourne time, to hear the charge laid against Essendon’s Conor McKenna from the weekend’s Match Review. 

Irishman Conor McKenna, Essendon, has been charged with serious misconduct against Tory Dickson, Western Bulldogs, during the second quarter of the Round Two match between Essendon and the Western Bulldogs, played at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday.

Based on the available video evidence and an investigation from the AFL, the incident was classified as serious misconduct. It is alleged that McKenna bit Dickson while on the ground near the boundary line after Dickson ran McKenna down and tackled him. 

Under the Tribunal guidelines, serious misconduct is referred directly to the Tribunal and there is not the opportunity for an early plea to be offered.

 

 

Ireland now has a new European champion whilst the West London Wildcats have completed an amazing four-peat performance to take out the 2018 AFL Europe Champions League tournament held yesterday in Amsterdam.

The West Clare Waves downed the Wandsworth Demons comfortably to take the women’s title, whilst the Wildcats downed the host team – the Amsterdam Devils – to take the men’s title.

Men’s Grand Final: West London Wildcats 5 4 34 d Amsterdam Devils 2 2 14
Women’s Grand Final: West Clare Waves 5 2 32 d Wandsworth Demons 0 3 3

Across an enthralling day’s action, 17 men’s and 7 women’s team did battle to see which club, as opposed to nation, was the best in Europe. Since the inception of the competition in 2015, the West London Wildcats have proved to be the best men’s club in Europe, winning each championship. This year saw them raise the bar higher again for other clubs to match their dominance.