The Australian Football League launched on Monday the 2013 Multicultural Round, a themed round to recognise our game’s cultural diversity.

AFL Head of Diversity Jason Mifsud, Geelong Vice-Captain Jimmy Bartel, Australia Post AFL Multicultural Ambassadors Bachar Houli and Majak Daw, and participants from The Bachar Houli and Majak Daw Academies attended the launch event held at AFL House in Melbourne.

Round 16 of the Toyota AFL Premiership season will celebrate ‘Many Cultures, One Game', recognising the many players from multicultural backgrounds, who make up 15 per cent of the AFL player list.

AFL Head of Diversity, Jason Mifsud said the Multicultural Round highlights the contribution multicultural communities have made to Australia's game, as well as the community engagement initiatives currently being undertaken by the AFL industry.

"It is important the AFL reflects cultural diversity, providing an environment which welcomes people from all backgrounds to enjoy our game as supporters, players or administrators in the future," said Mr. Mifsud.

We've heard some interesting stories over the years from across the world of footy of teams stacked with top quality ring-ins from Australia, but few reports would beat the following for a team so lowly to be stacked so well.

The Adelaide University Football Club, known as The Blacks, has a long history in the South Australian Amateur Football League dating back to 1906.  Self-described as the World's Greatest Football Clubs, the AUFC is surely one of the biggest (in fact we'd love to hear examples of any that are larger).

In season 2013 the club has teams in Division 1, 1 Reserves, 6, 6 Reserves, 8, 8 Reserves, C1, Over 35s (known as the Greys rather than Blacks) and a Women's side for the first time (competing in the South Australian Women's Football League) - giving a grand total of 9 open age teams.

Last week saw an interesting tale of five brothers taking to the field.  You can imagine that down at Division 8 Reserves level exceptional talent is, well, spread fairly thin.  University affectionately call their 8R team the Scum, and if the A grade lost a game then AUFC legend Fred "Chocka" Bloch often consoled the club that order had been restored to the Universe because the Scum had lost by more.  But not last week.

Melbourne Demons have defeated the Western Bulldogs 8.5(53) to 3.3(21) in the first ever AFL sanctioned women’s game at the MCG in front of a crowd of over 8,000.

Despite the importance of the occasion and playing in front of a crowd which grew to 7,500 supporters by half time, the players quickly overcame any stage fright with Ellie Blackburn quickly opening the scoring for Melbourne. As the AFL’s female goal umpire Chelsea Roffey waved the flags, the crowd voiced their support.

This weekend’s historic clash between women’s teams representing the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs, the AFL’s first ever official women’s match, kicks off on Saturday at 5:10 pm at the MCG stadium.

As well as the honour of being the winner of the first ever Women’s AFL game, the two teams will play for the Hampson-Hardeman Cup, named in honour of Barb Hampson who played for Ballarat, and Lisa Hardeman, a past VWFL President, state coach and player.

This week is Round 14 – AFL Women’s Round. And inkeeping with Saturday’s inaugural AFL Women’s Game, featuring the top 50 female footballers from across the country, the theme of Women’s Round will be “talent”.

The historic clash, between women’s teams representing the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs will take place on Saturday on the MCG at 5:10 pm, as a curtain raiser for the men’s AFL fixture. The winning team will be awarded the Hampson-Hardeman Cup, named after two female footballers who led the way for developing the women’s game during the 90’s.

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After four days of gladiatorial combat at Cazaly’s in Cairns, the cream rose to the top in today’s grand finals. The glorious weather held firm for the entire event, showcasing Cairns itself for the visiting teams, but also showcasing the tremendous talent on show for the crowds that came along.

The Division Two final between the ACT and South Australia was a tight affair throughout the first half. Neither side could break away in a low scoring game. There was a touch of sparring for much of the half with both sides playing within themselves. Going in at the main break, scores were level.

Another great day in Cairns saw the final matches of the round robin fixtures in both Division 1 and Division 2. All is now set for the finals tomorrow at Cazaly’s Stadium.

DIVISION 2:
South Australia 11 6 72 d Tasmania 5 6 36
ACT 19 18 132 d Arafura 0 2 2

DIVISION 1:
Victoria 13 14 92 d NSW 4 1 25
Western Aust 12 10 82 d Queensland 3 5 23

Brilliant weather has greeted the teams in Cairns as over 250 women battle it out for the 2013 women’s titles.

So far, after two days of intense competition, Victoria dominates the division one pool with two powerful wins. In the Division Two pool it is the ACT team who holds sway with two wins from two starts. After a rest day yesterday, the women are back in action today.

Day One Results:

ACT 7.11 (53) d Tasmania 4.2 (26)
South Australia 17.9 (111) d Arafura 1.0 (6)
Western Australia 13.17 (95) d NSW 1.2 (8)
Victoria 19.10 (124) d Queensland 2.1 (13)

Day Two Results:

Tasmania 12.7 (79) d Arafura 1.6 (12)
ACT 7.7 (49) d South Australia 6.4 (40)
Victoria 14.6 (90) d Western Australia 5.2 (32)
Queensland 6.8 (44) d New South Wales 3.6 (24)

Division grand finals and presentations will be held tomorrow (Saturday 22nd June) at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns to wrap up what has already been an exciting and thoroughly entertaining carnival.

Cairns in winter is a magical place. Low humidity, warm days in the mid 20’s, sunny skies and the ever so gentle scents of the tropics…rainforests, beaches, suntan lotion, sugar cane and a myriad of dining smells mingling to create a sensory delight.

What better destination could there be to host the 2013 Women’s AFL national Championships?

There is a symbiotic relationship between women’s footy and Cairns. The North Queensland city was the first non-capital city to form a women’s league, and it is now the first non-capital city to host these national championships since their inception in 1996.

This year’s event sees teams coming from Victoria, Team WA, Queensland and New South Wales in Division One. South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and Arafura make up Division Two. The new Arafura team is made of women from Papua New Guinea, North Queensland (including Cairns) and the Northern Territory and replaces the NT Thunder team for this tournament.

This media release from AFLNT details the plan to accept the Central Australian Redtails on an expanded, but not full, entry into the NTFL Premier League for 2014.

AFLNT BOARD RATIFIES CONDITIONAL INCLUSION OF REDTAILS INTO THE NTFL ON A ‘TRIAL GAME’ BASIS FOR SEASON 2013/14 & ENDORSES NTFL PLAYER POINTS SYSTEM

The AFLNT board has recommended that the Central Australian Redtails be admitted into the TIO NTFL Premier League for season 2013/14 on an eight (8) game trial basis.

Full time admission into the league thereafter is subject to successful completion of the 2013/14 8 game trial in addition to a further five (5) years of Federal funding being committed to existing AFLNT & NT Thunder Central Australian operations.