Last week Irish sports ‘commentator’ Tommy Conlon came to the attention of AFL fans via this article about Marty Clarke returning to Ireland and the GAA. The article raised the hackles of some, including in the Australian media with rebukes such as this effort from the Age : Irish crack at AFL just TommyRot

WFN was able to discuss the article with Conlon and posed a few questions.

The inaugural season of the Bayern League came to a thrilling end in Munich on August 5th as the top teams, the Sendling Blues and the Schwabing Saints, played off for the first ever Bavarian premiership. In a competition with no finals, the Saints needed to win the last minor round game by 38 points to overtake the Blues on the ladder and snatch the cup.

Former World No. 1 Russian women's professional tennis player Maria Sharapova recently took to the Sherrin as part of her fitness training with her Australian fitness adviser. If anything could inspire Russians to take up the Australian game, this could be it.

The Turku Dockers have made it two out of two by claiming their second premiership in the Finland AFL in their second year of existence. The Dockers, coached by Australian ex-pat and two-time EU Cup all star Grant Siermans, beat the all-Finnish Salo Juggernauts 19.17(131) to 8.5(53).

Although the Dockers went into the match as favourites, having beaten the Juggernauts on all three encounters during the home and away season, injuries to several key Dockers players (as a result of EC2010 duty) combined with recent reinforcements to the Juggernauts squad via their high-school recruitment program suggested that the grand final could be a different story. But it wasn’t to be.

Report courtesy of Craig Primmer, photos by Antti Lipsanen.

St Kilda today elevated Irishman Tommy Walsh from International rookie to the primary list. He comes onto the list in place of Jesse Smith who is on the long term injury list.

Walsh has been playing well this year (in all 18 games) with the senior side of the club's VFL affiliate Sandringham, mostly in defence but also going forward on a few occasions.

The big Kerry man has looked a natural fit for the Australian game all along, but it would be almost unthinkable that he could still make his debut at St Kilda in what remains of the season. Still stranger things have happened and in the event of injuries in the finals series he provides the club with another back up option.

While the other two new sides to the ARFLI this season are clubs that have reformed, the Midwest Magpies are an entirely new identity. This makes their performances so far all the more impressive.

The Galway-based club started the season with three narrow defeats, however their season was turned around when the Magpies defeated the previously unbeaten South Dublin Swans and backed it up by beating the Midland Tigers by 74 to 26. This fine form continued in a 5 point win against the Leeside Lions only for the Magpies to lose their most recent game by three points to fellow new boys the Clare Crows. Despite this loss the Pies are still very much in the mix for a place in the finals.

Worldfootynews spoke to founder member Tony McAfee about the origins of the club, how the season has gone and about playing basketball against Barry Hall.

Collingwood will continue to gamble on Irish talent with the news that they have signed Caolan Mooney and Paul Cribben on two year international rookie deals. Like former Collingwood player Martin Clarke, Mooney hails from County Down but he will not join up with the Pies until the end of 2011 as he in still to finish school. The 17- year old had a month’s trial with the Magpies in June and impressed enough to be offer a full time deal.

Carlton's International rookie Zac Tuohy, has been spending most of the 2010 season learning the game with the Northern Bullants in the VFL alongside PNG's Peter Labi. This video is a post match interview with the Irishman after the club's Round 15 match.

Saturday 7th August saw the first leg of the 2010 Bute Series between Wales and Scotland take place in Cardiff, with the newly renamed Scottish Clansmen defeating the Welshmen of the Cymru Red Dragons.

This Bute Series between Wales and Scotland began in 2009, with the Welsh taking out the inaugural championship. This year's two match series is a 12-a-side competition with 4 players on the bench for rotating during the game.

Played under ideal weather conditions, the first quarter was a close affair with both sides finding their feet. Scotland did have the advantage of a slight breeze blowing towards their goal but the Welsh defence repelled their attacks on several occasions. Wales too had a few forays into the attacking zone as well and only 1 goal separated both teams at quarter time.

This report courtesy of Doug Hunter.

The Putney Magpies will take on the Wandsworth Demons for the 2010 AFL London Premiership at Barn Elms this Saturday August 21st, after the Magpies defeated long-time British footy goliaths the West London Wildcats last weekend.

The 95-66 win over the Wildcats will see Putney make their first-ever Grand Final appearance, as well as marking the first year since 2001 that West London have not competed in the season's main event.

After winning the past six London Premierships on the trot, the Wildcats will have to be content with third place in the premiership conference, however their seconds (Shepherds Bush) and thirds (Ealing) will be playing for the cup in their respective divisions.

The day's footy at Barn Elms Reserve commences with Ealing vs South London for the Social Division GF at 11am, Shepherds Bush vs Clapham for the Conference GF at 1pm, and the Premiership Division at 3pm.

The following preview courtesy of Mark Pitura.