World Footy News

Sometimes pure statistics can be a very useful tool in assessing performance and predicting results. On other occasions, statistics are an idiot – telling nothing more than what the reader wants them to say. But a brief look at the stats surrounding the fourth round of AFL Middle East matches are enough to confirm that the Dubai Dragons will once again contest the grand final, and only a disaster or upset of Hollywood proportions will stop the Multiplex Bulls from joining them in a fourth consecutive decider.

The Dragons have four wins from four outings after their demolition of the undermanned Entertainer Dubai Dingoes. They are not guaranteed the minor premiership just yet, but cannot be overtaken now by the third or fourth placed teams – the Falcons or Dingoes. The Bulls downed the Falcons, which puts a two game buffer – and a whopping 100% percentage differential – between second and third place. The Bulls WILL reach the grand final, they just need another win to wrap it and tie a bow around it.

The Lions took home the chocolates in their Grand Final rematch against the Crows at Norwood Oval in front of 11,120 fans at the home of the Crows on Saturday evening. This match was a tight tussle like the previous two matches to open the 2018 AFLW season.

The Lions did not want a repeat of last year’s Grand Final and to ensure that history did not repeat itself they kept the Crows scoreless in the last stanza to win by 12 points.

Chelsea Randall ended the match with 18 disposals and led the possession count for the Crows and Jamie Stanton from the Lions accumulated an impressive 21 touches. Jess Wuetschner from the Lions was the only multiple goal scorer on the ground with 2 goals and Chelsea Randall, Eloise Jones and Ruth Wallace each kicked a goal apiece.

Tash Gunawardana interviewed marquee AFLW Brisbane Lions player Sabrina Frederick-Traub. Frederick-Traub played for the Lions last night in the Grand Final rematch against the Adelaide Crows at Norwood Oval and took home the four points against the reigning premiers..

You were born in England, what is your awareness of footy in the UK?
I am aware of both the male and female teams that compete in the International Cup.

Do you consider yourself English, or Aussie?  Is there any identity clash when the Ashes are on?
I consider myself English, although I left when I was 7 my family still kept me immersed in the British culture and I go back a fair bit – Hahaha I support Australia when they are playing any other country apart from England , I am loyal when it comes to my home country.

 Image Source: womens.afl

AFLW Round 1 Melbourne vs GWS

Venue:Casey Fields Date: 3/2/18 Time: 5:05pm

The Melbourne Demons won in a cracker of a match against the 2017 bottom placed GWS Giants this afternoon at the Casey Fields, the home of the Melbourne Women's Football Club. Both sides put on an entertaining see soaring contest from the first ball up till the end of the match.

For the whole match you could not pick a winner in this match due to both teams playing with a high amount of intensity and pressure. It was a great spectacle of women's football for the 5,100 fans who were there to see it. In particular many of the Melbourne fans who came to support their beloved Dees ladies play in their opening round match.

Before the match the young Melbourne Demons fans formed a guard of honour for the Melbourne players to run through. The Giants team ran through the banner first before the Demons who had two African drummers play the drums before there team song blasted through the grounds speakers. When the Melbourne theme song started playing the home crowd became loud to cheer their ladies onto the ground. The two captains Daisy Pearce and Amanda Farrugia tossed the coin in the centre and the Giants won the toss. Farrugia chose to kick to the left of the ground with the breeze and the Dees to the right of the ground.

Cora Staunton and Laura Corrigan-Duryea will go head to head today and Irish eyes will be smiling.  But Staunton will also renew acquaintances with Daisy Pearce.

Sure we are excited to see two Irish players line up in today's AFLW match.  But still have a time to wait before we see women that have learned the Australian game in Ireland make it to this competition however.  Today's meeting though could be some petrol added to the fire of local development in Ireland that is already on the up after winning this year's women's International Cup title.

Laura Corrigan-Duryea found the game in Australia, learnt it in suburban Melbourne and mastered the game at Diamond Creek before finally donning the number 11 for Melbourne in the AFLW's inaugural season.  She backed up the AFLW season with a VFL season that saw her with a Grand Final runners-up medal around her neck and a championship medal for the International Cup (as co-captain of her nations footy team).

On Saturday 20th January, the Cambodia Apsaras hosted the Malaysian Warrior Women for the Warrior's first International match at International School of Phnom Penh.

Great energy and atmosphere was created for the Australia Day match by playing music and providing a BBQ and beers for all to enjoy. There were cheer squads from their men's counterparts supporting the girls enthusiastically while they were playing hard on the field.

Approximately 120 people attended the memorable female footy match. The immaculate ground condition as well as its size and quality impressed the Malaysian club when they arrived, commenting that the footy field is one of the best in Asia.

AFLW Round 1  Carlton vs. Collingwood

Venue: Ikon Park Date: 2/2/18 Time: 7:45pm

The AFLW season opened once again with the clash of arch rivals Collingwood and Carlton. The match was held at Ikon Park, the home of the Carlton Football Club on a Friday night with an offical attendance of 19,852.

Image Source: Twitter @CarltonFC

About two hours before the match the crowds poured into the ground in their thousands and about 20 minutes before the first bounce the ground was almost full. The atmosphere at the ground was building with fans coming in their thousands. The Pies started the match by kicking to the eastern end of the ground and the Blues to western (Legends Stand) end of the ground.

Collingwood had a lot of the ball and ascendency in the first quarter but were unable to make the most of their opportunities when they had possession. In the first quarter Jasmine Garner for the Pies kicked the first goal of the match and she has now slotted through the first goal two years in a row against the Blues.

The 2018 AFLW matches will be broadcast outside Australia on some of the AFL's international broadcasting affiliates.  For the full list in Round 1 see below, but in short it will be broadcast in the US on Fox Soccer Plus and across Asia/Pacific on the Australia Network.  The Melbourne vs GWs match will be broadcast in Russia on Viasat.   

If you do want to watch AFLW matches outside Australia otherwise, you can do so by getting a WatchAFL subscription or hopefully stream the matches free from the AFL website afl.com.au or the AFLW app.

 

 Matt Thompson from the www.afl.com.au website takes a brief look at a unique problem in Australia’s “Top End”. It is very wet up here ( I live in Cairns), and Darwin and the more northerly climes of the Northern Territory are having a bumper “wet season”. Crocodiles enjoy the wet season, especially when their swollen river homes allow them to explore a little further…like the local footy ground. 

IMAGINE the prospect of a crocodile at full-forward.

Locals at the Daly River Football Club in the Northern Territory are preparing for that chance, with a croc net tied to the goalposts at their flooded oval. 

Located about 220km south-west of Darwin, the community of under 500 has taken extra precautions as the big wet strikes. 

Tash Gunawardana spoke with GWS Giants recruit Courtney Gum ahead of this Saturday's AFLW Round 1 clash against Melbourne at Casey Fields.

How did it feel at 36 years of age to be drafted by the GWS Giants in the 2017 AFLW Draft?

Mixed emotions. I was really excited to be drafted and to get the opportunity to train and play at this level. There was also part of me that thought maybe it was a bit silly taking on this commitment at my age with a young family, business and a very busy life in South Australia.

Who have been the player or players at the GWS Giants that you have learnt from in your short time so far at the club?

All of them! Everyone brings their own unique story and experiences. Some have amazing technical knowledge like Alicia Eva and Jess Dal Pos. Amanda Farrugia is the most amazing leader. Then there are the young ones that show the most incredible commitment.

With most of the European footy leagues gradually moving towards the beginning of their respective 2018 campaigns, the crew at AFL Europe have commenced an excellent series of articles that look back at the formation of national leagues across Europe, where they are now and what the future holds. So far the series has looked at footy in Denmark, Scotland and most recently Switzerland.

To view these articles, you can visit the AFL Europe website at www.afleurope.org and follow the menus, or you can go to the individual articles via the following links:

After a break since late November, the AFL Middle East competition gets under way again this week with two matches in the United Arab Emirates - one in Dubai and the other in Abu Dhabi. As with all matches in a four-team competition, both matches will have implications for the upcoming finals series.

The Round Four clashes will see the Dubai Dragons take on the Entertainer Dubai Dingoes at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai at 12.30pm. Shortly afterwards in Abu Dhabi, the home team will host the Multiplex Bulls at 2.00pm at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. Victory for any team will brighten finals hopes with three rounds to go. Even the Dingoes, three defeats from three starts to date, could still turn their fortunes around.

The Dragons sit undefeated on top of the ladder and will be favoured to defeat the Dingoes. Already a game clear of second-placed Bulls, the Dragons will be hard to dislodge from the minor premiership position should they win. For the Dingoes to have any finals hope their resurgence must start Friday with an upset against the Dragons.