The BBC UK Northern Ireland site reported this week that Martin Clarke will have a five week trial with an unnamed AFL club this July. We earlier reported that an Irish newspaper reported he had been offered a contract by the Brisbane Lions, but a further report in the Irish newssite Unison.ie (registration required) reveals that Collingwood are bringing him out to Australia in a few weeks.

Catalan Aussie Rules founder Pere (Pedro) Moliner recently spoke with World Footy News about where footy in Europe currently stands and where it could go in future. Moliner echoes some of the views already seen in Europe, including the example of the Farum Cats in Denmark, where years of work at junior level is now translating into a senior side of young, but highly experienced, Danish players who make life very tough for other DAFL sides.

A preview of the 2006 Catalan footy season will appear shortly - in the meantime Moliner's full reflection on European footy follows.

Carlton's Irish recruits, the O'hAilpin brothers, are continuing their development with the Northern Bullants in the Victoria Football League. The younger of the two, Aisake, has recently been in excellent form in the Bullants' reserve grade, twice named best player for his side. However he has now experienced another aspect of the game that he wouldn't be quite so keen to learn about - a visit to the tribunal charged with striking.

2006 will see Sweden and Germany in a tri-series against Denmark for the first time. This year's Swedish national side will be the first to be composed fully of Swedes - and the German national side will be the first official side drawn from teams across the nation to ever take the field. The series will kick-off with Denmark facing Germany in Bielefeld in June.

It was reported that the AFL will change the regulations after the 2006 AFL draft with respect to the age of recruits from Ireland to appease the fears of the GAA that their game will be stripped of some of their best young talent. Another young Irish talent Martin Clarke is the latest name to be linked with an AFL club.

Sadly the Australian Rules Football League Ireland has announced that two of its six clubs have withdrawn from the main season. Not surprisingly it was regional clubs Clare and Mullingar (Midlands). We previously reported that a question mark hung over them (see South Dublin Swans are born), and unfortunately lack of numbers willing to travel and organise has ended their seasons.

On Saturday 22nd April of this year, five Czech Lions played a match in the AFL Germany, helping the Rheinland Lions to their first victory for the 2006 Season. Pavel Mikula, Chad Dixon, Kevan Lyons, Patrick Truss and Ashley Ball made the journey to Cologne to play against last years' AFLG Grand Finalists the Frankfurt Redbacks, the Rheinlanders coming away with a 69-24 victory.

International junior footy pace-setters Farum in Denmark broke new ground again with a lightning premiership for some high schools in Denmark and Sweden.

The 2006 Scottish ARFL draw has been released, with two new clubs in the Middlesbrough Hawks and Glasgow Redbacks. Middlesbrough is located in far northern England, near Durham and Newscatle - the first footy side in the north east. The arrival of the Redbacks means that this weekend can see a derby played in both Glasgow (between the Redbacks and Sharks) and Edinburgh (Bloods vs Body Snatchers), reminiscent of the classic cross-town clashes in Scottish soccer.

With the snow melting and the sun slowly edging out in Eastern Europe, the Czech, Austrian and Croatian Aussie rules clubs are dusting off the footy for what hopefully may be their first structured season. The three relatively new sides are planning a three-way series this year, beginning when the Vienna Dingos host the Zagreb Giants and Czech Lions in May. While the Czech and Viennese sides have played a few games to date, the Zagreb Giants will (hopefully) make their debut this year, after a successful Australia Day party netted a number of new squad members. The Giants are to host the first Croatia Open in July (logo at left).