World Footy News

Results in the French (CNFA) Australian Rules football competition this weekend have seen the Toulouse based Aviators (formerly Blagnac Aviators) and Paris Cockerels record victories. They are important results for each team, setting the clubs up with a jump on other teams early in the season. The Aviators defeated the Tigers whilst the Cockerels downed the Coyotes.

The Perpignan Tigers hosted the Aviators and both teams fought hard throughout the match. The Aviators, in just their second season, played the brand of football that won them two matches in their maiden season. The Tigers were unlucky in some games last year and one could argue the same on the weekend. They fought the Aviators to the final siren but unluckily went down by three goals.

The Melbourne Demons will certainly be a familiar face in the Northern Territory throughout the 2018 season as both their AFL and AFLW teams increase their combined presence. In the following press release from the AFLNT, the increased Demon visitations are highlighted along with reference to an article from Matt Burgon at the www.afl.com.au website which looks at the Demons working closely with a Northern Territory club at grass roots level.    

AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) is thrilled with today’s announcements that it will host five AFL games in 2018.

 

The AFL Women’s (AFLW) will be the first to kick off with a pre-season match on Saturday 13th January 2018 at TIO Stadium as part of the Adelaide Crows Women’s team pre-season camp. 

With the release today of the AFL’s JLT Community Series – the pre-season competition – Townsville in North Queensland has landed some big fish to further build the game in the city. By degrees, Townsville is becoming a viable AFL venue, both for matches and increasingly as a destination for local playing talent.

World Footy News reported back in early 2013 that the northern cities of Cairns and Townsville would be locked in a battle to be a destination for an AFL club team or franchise by 2030. See Cairns v Townsville – Which will be the home of an AFL team by 2030?. That argument was on the back of Cairns having hosted AFL premiership matches in 2011 and 2012 (and a number of pre-season matches featuring Geelong, Brisbane, Port Adelaide, Melbourne, St Kilda and North Melbourne in preceding years). At the time, Townsville had just been awarded its first pre-season match between the Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne.

Simon Conway reports on the Essendon website of a brilliant initiative from the club, which will see students from the Tiwi Islands designing the clubs next Dreamtime Guernsey. The Tiwi Islands, made up of both Bathurst and Melville Islands to the north of Darwin, are already connected to the Essendon Bombers, with local NTFL club, the Tiwi Bombers, sharing colours and logo with the AFL giant.

The venture involving the Guernsey design will strengthen the existing link between the Tiwi Islands and the Essendon Football club. According to the article:

Students from the Tiwi Islands will design Essendon’s 2018 Dreamtime guernsey.

Club Champion Gavin Wanganeen and award winning artist Chern’ee Sutton have designed the jumper in previous years.

 

Dinny Navaratnam from the www.afl.com.au website has reported that delisted St Kilda ruckman and American recruit Jason Holmes is seeking another chance at the highest level. Holmes has been regarded as a success story in the transition of international footballers to the highest level of AFL football. Whilst clubs cannot continually take chances on unproven talent, Holmes makes an interesting case for himself.

DELISTED ruckman Jason Holmes is determined to extend his four-year career as the first born and raised American to play at AFL level.

Holmes, who turns 28 on Saturday, has lined up in five matches since being picked up at No.36 by St Kilda in the 2013 rookie draft.

 

None of those games came this year as Billy Longer established himself as the Saints' primary big man, with Tom Hickey and Lewis Pierce also competing for a spot in the senior side. 

The Philippines capital city of Manila played host to the 2017 AFL Asian Championship last weekend. Clubs representing nations from across the length and breadth of the Asian continent took part again in the AFL Asia showcase event, with the Warriors claiming the Division 1 title and the Bali Geckos making it back-to-back Division 2 titles.

After taking the 2016 title, and being the host nation for this year’s event, the Philippine Eagles entered the vent as mild favourites. However, the Malaysia Warriors would have none of it, winning their way through the round matches before downing the Eagles in the final and celebrating 25 years as a club in grand style.

The USAFL Divisoin 1 Men's and Women's trophies headed to San Francisco after the Golden Gate Roos defeated the Los Angeles Dragons comfortably and the San Francisco Iron Maidens defeated the Denver Lady Bulldogs by 8 points.

The Quebec Saints took out the Division 2 title with a big win over Orange County.

In Division 3 it was Seattle who defeated the home team in San Diego by 7 points.

And in the Women's Division 2 the Portland Sockeyes defeated the BWE combination squad. 

Full results and report of the weekend to come.  In the meantime lookout for pictures and videos on our World Footy Facebook Group

 

 

In a complete departure from previous seasons, the Far North Queensland city of Cairns will host their 2018 match in Round One when the Gold Coast Suns become the host team and will play the North Melbourne Kangaroos. This is a huge shift from the previous seven AFL Premiership seasons, which has traditionally seen Cairns host matches involving the Suns, Richmond and Western Bulldogs in July.

 

 

It is a huge win for the northern city, which was uncertain as to its ability to host future matches when the Western Bulldogs announced they would pursue their Ballarat home game options from 2018 onwards. With an opening round start, it would be hoped that the Cairns fixture could capitalise on the traditional excitement of opening rounds as well as connecting directly with the early stages of local junior and senior competition.

After a season to forget in 2016/17, and a tough, winless start to the new season, the Tiwi Bombers have bounced back hard in Round Three of the NTFL season in Darwin. After going into the match as rank outsiders against the previously undefeated Darwin Buffaloes, the Bombers turned their season in the right direction to win by 12 points.

Things didn’t start well after the Buffaloes kicked seven goals to three in the first quarter. But an eight goal to one second term from the Bombers gave them back the lead by half time and they were not about to give it up. The win lifts the Bombers to sixth place and back in the early mix to consolidate a battle later for finals.

In other results from Round Three, the Nightcliff Tigers made it three from three downing Wanderers by a comfortable 33 points. In a low scoring affair, the Tiger defence kept Wanderers to just two goals until three-quarter time, which was enough to keep them at bay.

Day 1 of the 2017 Nationals was played in warm breezy conditions at Sun Sports Park in San Diego.  The six fields were in great condition for football and the setting was picturesque. 

In the Men's Division 1 Pool A the Los Angeles Dragons were the only team undefeated and if they beat the winless Baltimore Washington tomorrow morning they will head into the final to take the title. They defeated New York Magpies by just one point and then clearly defeated the highly fancied Austin Crows. Their most likely opponent is Golden Gate.  

Golden Gate showed the best skill, pace and strength in Pool B to also remain undefeated with solid wins over Calgary and Dallas.  Denver stand in their way tomorrow morning but even a loss in this match could see them go through on percentage if the margin is low. 

Division 2 Pool A will be a battle between Orange County and Minnesota for a final spot while Houston look most likely to take out Pool B.

All the results from today's matches can be seen below.

Round One of the French CNFA season is done. The round was a huge win for both the Bordeaux Bombers last weekend and the Toulouse Hawks yesterday. Both came away with important and resounding wins – but the Toulouse victory against the reigning premiers ALFA Lions signals the return of the Hawks.

Toulouse hosted the ALFA Lions and made no secret of their desire to capitalise on home ground advantage to outplay the Lions. By quarter time the Hawks had jumped to a 19-point lead and had extended that to a five goal break by half time.

Any chance of a second half revival by the Lions was snuffed out by another big third quarter by the Hawks, going into the final quarter with a 49-point lead. The final quarter saw the Lions fight for redemtion – the Hawks for total dominance, which is how the result panned out as they ran out convincing 66-point winners. Final score saw Toulouse Hawks 116 d ALFA Lions 50.