World Footy News

Standing in the eastern goal square at the Holloway’s Beach Sporting Complex, located on the northern beaches of Cairns, former Melbourne Demons’ champion Aaron Davey simply points to the other end of the field and says, “look at that!” He is referring to a football field chock full of kids of all ages – girls and boys – kicking footballs, laughing, listening to coaches, showing off to their team mates and generally having a blast.

It showed all the health and vitality of a strong club going places – part of the vision that new senior coach Davey has for his new team. “That’s the future” he adds. He is right. Davey knows only too well that for the Cairns City Lions to rise from the depths of a forgettable 2017 and sustain strength and success into the future, the club has to now foster the young kids who will take over when Davey and others have moved on.

The sixth annual Leprechaun Cup will be held this weekend in Belfast. The event is one of the most important on the Northern Ireland footy calendar. Featuring men’s and women’s teams from across Europe, this year will see the event as a four-nation competition.

This year’s event will be co-hosted by Northern Ireland’s own ARFLI team, the Belfast Redbacks, as well as the ARFLI Women’s competition. Teams coming to Belfast for the 2018 Leprechaun Cup are the Paris Cocks from France, AFL London teams the West London Wildcats, London Swans Wandsworth Demons and Wimbledon Hawkettes and the South Dublin Swans from Ireland.

The third instalment of the AFL's 2018 campaign featuring stories of overcoming adversity features the Richmond Football Club and their journey to the 2017 AFL Premiership against the odds. Whilst the two previously published clips featured topics of multiculturalism and diversity (see Don’t Believe In Never – Dema And The Bankstown Bull Sharks and Don’t Believe In Never – Aliir Aliir), this latest about the Tigers' success will resonate with all followers of footy.

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Journalist Tom Zillich from the Surrey Now – Leader newspaper in Vancouver, British Columbia has written a wonderful little story about the work of Mike McFarlane and his great team at the North Delta juniors in Canada. His achievements to grow junior footy in a part of the world where the game is a long way from the most popular is nothing short of amazing. 

Mike McFarlane would love to play the game known as “footy,” but he says he’s “way too old. 

“Head tells me I can, body says no,” says the man who helps run the North Delta Junior Australian Football League, or NDJAFL.

Instead, McFarlane is keen to get kids sign up to play the game, which has been played in Canada since 1989 and in B.C. since 2001. The NDJAFL was formed in 2003 and has since grown from 28 young players to approximately 140.

The skillset required to play Gaelic football translates well to Australian ovals. Bouncing a similarly-shaped ball, hand passing and kicking are but a few of the talents required to be successful in either game. So in the early 1980s clubs from the old VFL started scouting players in Ireland.

Sean Wight was the first Irish recruit, playing 150 games along the back line for Melbourne from 1984-95. Jim Stynes followed soon after, winning a Brownlow Medal in 1991 as part of his 264-game career with the Demons. Stynes was All-Australian in ‘91 and ‘93.

The Irish Experiment was a little more hit or miss through the 90s before Tadhg Kennedy broke through with Sydney from 2001-11, winning a Premiership in 2005 as part of a 197-game career with the Swans.

Kennelly’s success on grounds brought the same level of interest in Irish players in the AFL in the mid-2000s but interest soon ebbed once again as the hit-or-miss nature of foreign recruitment seems to have soured some clubs. Sometimes it was just a case of homesickness as players realized they were three continents and 17,000 km (10,600 miles) away from home.

AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) wishes to advise it has come up with two plans to try and see through the remaining eight grand finals for the 2017/18 TIO NTFL season.

Based on the most recent advice received from Power and Water Corporation we are hopeful of having power restored to TIO Stadium and surrounds, plus safe drinking water and debris cleared by early this week.

After meeting with Darwin Buffaloes Football Club, Southern Districts Football Club and other stakeholders on Sunday morning, it was apparent all parties want a result, so the plan has been formulated with that in mind.

However, added complexities of new weather events do not make anything certain and a second plan has also been created.

With finals looming in France, the Paris Cockerels and Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes have secured their places with wins on the weekend. The Cockerels travelled south to meet the Perpignan Tigers whilst the Coyotes hosted the Bordeaux Bombers. Despite both teams getting the wins, the round also saw two very committed performances by the defeated teams.

In Perpignan, the Tigers played what might be their best game for the season. It has been a tough draw for the Tigers and a clash with the top team could have been a tough day out. However, the Tigers took the game right up to the Paris Cockerels, in the end going down by just 42 points. The Cockerels have finals to look forward, but the Tigers will have seen signs that they have a decent base to build on for next season. The club would be very heartened by their effort to push the premiership favourites to just seven goals.

Collingwood put an end to the Adelaide Crows season, as they broke away in the second half of the match to run out 21-point victors at the Olympic Park. It was a great second half by the Pies who ended the Crows 2018 AFLW season and broke the Crows hearts. The Pies finished their season on a high and the big dance is decided the Dogs will meet the Lions in the 2018 AFLW Grand Final.

Image Source: @aflwomens

With the ANZAC Cup 2018 to be played on ANZAC Day, 25th April, AFL Europe has released an excellent article that gives that background to this solemn yet celebratory event, played each year in honour of those who fought to save Villers-Bretonneaux. To read the full article, follow the link at the end of this story. 

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, the men’s and women’s Australian Spirit sides will go head-to-head with the French national teams to contest the 10th annual ANZAC Cup, honouring those who fought to reclaim the town on the night of April 24th, 1918. 

Villers-Bretonneux had been a key post for the Allies prior to the Germans successfully breaking through defensive lines and taking the town on the 24th as part of their Spring Offensive. This was a considerable victory given the towns vantage point over the city of Amiens which was of significant tactical importance to both sides.

As the new 2018 season gets closer for most Australian Rules football playing nations in Europe, the game’s controlling body, AFL Europe, continues to provide snapshots of different counties. Focusing in part on the past, present and the future, the series provides updates for those already familiar with the leagues featured as well as an excellent education for those new to the game.

In the last World Footy News story which featured the AFL Europe articles, the focus was squarely on the game in Switzerland, Scotland and Denmark (see AFL Europe’s Country Reviews). In this instalment we give you the links snapshots on both Wales and Croatia. To read the full stories, just click on the links provided.

With the passage of Tropical Cyclone Marcus striking Darwin today, the AFLNT has postponed the grand finals further. Having already made the decision to postpone from tonight to Sunday, the damage from the Category 2 cyclone has forced further postponement.

The NTFL has released a statement regarding the decision.

AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) wishes to advise that it has postponed the 2017/18 TIO NTFL Men’s Grand Final Day after receiving strong advice from Power and Water Corporation and NT Police that was not conducive to going ahead.

 

 

No decision on rescheduling the eight finals has been made yet and AFLNT Executive, football and operation staff, will meet with stakeholders tomorrow morning to plan the completion of the season.

The Western Bulldogs won by two points, after goal sneak Brooke Lochland booted through the sealer to put an end to the Melbourne Demons season in an absolute classic game of AFLW at the Whitten Oval.

Image Source: @aflwomens