The Australian Football League Germany grew to 5 clubs in 2004 with the commencement of the Düsseldorf Lions, and in that year over 120 players pulled on the boots in the course of the season. This year they're on track for as many as 150 having played at least one match and have at least two potential new clubs for the coming seasons. However, despite having more players actually playing than Spain (who attended the International Cup) and Sweden (who've started playing internationals against Denmark), the Germans have generally kept to themselves, with only 'scratch' national teams having played any outside opposition.

World Footy News spoke with German footy pioneer Malte Schudlich about how the scene is developing in this relatively reclusive footy nation.

In the BARFL London Premiership Grand Final held last Saturday, September 3rd, the West London Wildcats overcame a three-goal defecit at the last break to the defeat the Wimbledon Hawks by seven points, 9.14.68 to 9.7.61.

In the Conference Grand Final, the Shepherds Bush Raiders hung on for a three-point win against the Clapham Demons, 11.12.78 to 11.9.75.

Full match reports are available here.

In the Regional Premiership held on the 23rd of July, the Nottingham Scorpions 10.9.69 defeated the Bristol Dockers 8.6.54 for their first ever flag.

10am this Sunday, 11th of September will see the Paris Cockerels and Strasbourg Kangaroos clash in the first club match between two French sides beyond scratch games played in the late 90s. The match will be a friendly held as a closer to a training session at the Hall Omnisport Rugby Grounds in Cergy-Pontoise for the French side heading to London for the 9-a-side EU Cup.

The Paris Cockerels have played occasional games in recent times against opposition as the Brussels Saints and in the Central Europe AFL championships, but have not played a match thus far in 2005. The Strasbourg Kangaroos are reportedly hoping to join the AFL Germany to give them the possibility of regular league play, situated as they are on the German-French border and closer to three of the five German clubs than to the French capital.

In a major upset - significant in result, but gargantuan considering the margin, the South Sweden Saints defeated favourites the North Copenhagen Barracudas by 102 points last Saturday to give themselves a home final against the Copenhagen Hawks in Port Malmö next weekend and eliminate the Barracudas from the DAFL Premier League finals entirely.

Saturday evening also saw the DAFL individual player honours awarded, with the Sitch Medal for best and fairest awarded to Jutland's Frederik Schulin.

Saturday August 20th saw the first of the Semi-Finals in the British Aussie Rules Football League (BARFL) on Clapham Common in London, UK, the Regents Park Lions defeating the Hammersmith Magpies in the Conference match and Wimbledon edging out North London in the Premiership division.

Scot Palmer, prominent football writer for Melbourne's Sunday Herald-Sun, published a short article this week on the performance of Carlton's O'hAilpin brothers, whom he believes may be on course for senior list promotions next season.

Reports in the Australian and Irish press concerning the signing of Gaelic footballer Sean Cavanagh to the Brisbane Lions are premature, with discussions ongoing.

The Brisbane Lions have joined Carlton and Sydney in signing a Gaelic footballer, with County Tyrone player Sean Cavanagh agreeing to terms that will see him become an Australian footballer in 2006. Report from Jake Anson and Matt Guthrie.

The Leeside Lions are the 2005 ARFLI Premiers after a toughly contested Grand Final with the Dublin Demons in Kilkenny last Saturday. The Lions completed a clean sweep of all major honours offered by the ARFLI in 2005, also winning the pre-season Super 10s and the leading goalkicker award.