Delegates from 15 Australian football leagues around Europe converged on Frankfurt last weekend to officially found the European Australian Football Association, the long-awaited first pan-European governing body for the sport of Australian rules football.

Following on from the summit held in conjunction with the 2009 EU Cup in Zagreb, the conference has seen a governance structure put in place, with the financial and logistical backing of the AFL.

A six-member commission has been elected, featuring both sports management professionals and leaders of national leagues in Europe, along with the appointment of Gerard Murphy as EAFA chairman and the creation of a full-time Regional Development Officer position being funded by the AFL.

On March 21st of this year, the revamped Harmony Cup will see the first-ever Team Albania take the field at the Whitten Oval, promising to bring a big supporter base from the Victorian Albanian community and featuring a few high-profile names on the field.

So far, only one player of an Albanian background has so far played in the AFL, with Adem Yze's celebrated career with the Demons spanning more than a decade, however at a suburban and country footy level there have been plenty of Albanian champions come through the ranks. Adem has confirmed for the Harmony Cup side, as have his brothers Damien and Ramadan who are local footy stars in the Goulburn Valley, and the Albanians are confident of their chances.

Adam Lika from Team Albania spoke to WFN about the side's preparation.

A conference held in Zagreb in conjunction with the 2009 EU Cup last October set in motion long-awaited plans for the creation of an official governing body for Australian rules football in Europe. Chaired by Gerard Murphy of professional sports management consultancy firm Leading Teams, the meeting brought together representatives from a number of bodies across Europe and saw a proposal put to the AFL. Murphy's facilitation role was first established early in 2009, see AFL appoints Europe consultant.

AFL Sweden president Jörg Pareigis tells WFN, "We had a very productive meeting in Zagreb and with the help of Gerard covered a lot of ground and came to agreement on a lot of terms."

"One of them is to have a follow up meeting to formally establish a European Australian Football Association. The meeting will be held in Frankfurt on the 23rd and 24th of January. The board will most likely comprise of 6 board members plus one chairman."

"Among the six board members will be three external members who are highly involved in professional sports. The three internal members will be representatives from different leagues in Europe and Gerard Murphy will be the chairman of the board. The aim is to work more structured, united and respectfully in Europe. The AFL wants to do their share and finance a full-time employee hired by the European body."

It is intended that the meeting in Frankfurt will see the formal establishment of the new body, along with more detailed information on the membership structure and its funding.

Australian rules football may be expanding internationally at an ever increasing rate, yet in most countries where amateur clubs and leagues exist, footy is still struggling to get a foothold at university level.

At universities in the United Kingdom if a student wants there to be a new sports team, it is up to the student to create it. With this in mind, Tim Smith has penned the following article, based on his experiences founding the Birmingham University Sharks with some tips and pointers for others in the same position.

One Australian Football enthusiast behind a stall at the University of Birmingham Sports Fair last September has led to the establishment of the United Kingdom's fourth active university-based club. The University of Birmingham Sharks now boast a squad of 22 players, ready to take on the other university sides and local senior UK teams in fixtures throughout the spring.

Aussie Rules players the world over have a reputation for being a rugged breed, taking no prisoners on the pitch and accepting the hits that life and the opposition dish out. So early in December, a group of players from across England decided to test themselves against the elements in the final date of the 2009 GRIM calender - the original GRIM Challenge - combining off-season training with charity and squad fundraising.

An 8-mile cross country on Ministry of Defence tank and vehicle test land in Aldershot, the course features gravel tracks, mud slopes, thigh-deep puddles, shin deep mud and several thousand enthusiastic competitors. With torrential rain the night before, the course was even more daunting and 'running' largely turned into 'wading' for significant stretches, sapping the muscles and weighing down the feet right from the start.

Five Irishmen have been picked up by AFL clubs in the pre-season rookie draft but Brian Moran was left disappointed after St Kilda decided against offering him a deal after a three week trial. All the signings were expected and have previously been reported by worldfootynews.com with Tommy Walsh joining the Saints, Chris McKaigue singing with the Sydney Swans, Carlton and the Brisbane Lions supplementing their Irish talent by signing Zac Tuohy and Niall McKeever respectively; and James O’Reilly becoming the first Irish recruit to join Richmond.

One of the fantastic benefits of an enduring sports club is an active social scene - the chance to make new friends, catch up with past players and celebrate another year of enjoying sport. Few are the clubs in any sport which do not take the chance to get together annually and enjoy an evening of banter and reminiscence.

The Wandsworth Demons are no exception and, at the 20th anniversary of the club's beginnings, it was decided that this should be something special - a celebration of two decades of footy in the English capital - held in the Crown Casino, on the other side of the world in Melbourne at the end of October.

Despite being unable to secure a rookie contract with the Western Bulldogs for Season 2010, Gaelic footballer Aidan O’Shea still believes he can forge a career for himself in the AFL. O’Shea who plays for County Mayo, will return to Ireland over the weekend and Senior Coach Rodney Eade says the Bulldogs will keep an eye on the key position prospect.

“Aidan will follow a fitness and skills program set out by the Football Department over the next twelve months and we will be monitoring his progress,” Eade said. The 19 year old says he is looking forward to working hard throughout 2010 to give himself every chance of being offered a contract with the Western Bulldogs.

“I have been given a fitness program by the Club and some skill drills that I will be doing at home, so if I stick to it hopefully I will be able to make the transition next year,” O’Shea said. O’Shea says that his two week trial at the Whitten Oval provided him with a valuable insight into the demands of AFL football. “It was enjoyable but tough at the same time. There was a lot of sleeping after training so I did not see too much of Melbourne after the first week but it was fantastic,” O’Shea said.

Stephen Alomes, an Australian academic and occasional contributor to World Footy News, recently concluded one of many trips to Europe. Below he discusses some thoughts on how Australian football is developing and what is needed to push it forward.

Village and Uni to Continent and World – the View from the Far North and how Aussies can help

A glimpse from local footy stories – Turku, Finland and south western France to the continental and intercontinental map.

Stories of local recruiting, Euro competition, Aussie expertise, the need for links