The Solna Axemen have made amends for last season’s grand final defeat by taking out the 2018 SAFF (Stockholm Australian Football federation) premiership last weekend. In a great day for the club, the Axemen defeated the Norrtälje Dockers by 33 points in a comprehensive victory.

In a landmark day for the club, the pain of last year’s grand final defeat to the Södermalm Blues was erased. Whatever pledges were made in the darker hours of 2017, were kept by a team with a mission. The final score on the day saw the Solna Axemen 10 7 67 defeat the Norrtälje Dockers 5 4 34.

It was the seventh SAFF Premiership flag for the Solna Axemen since their inception in 2006, enhancing their status as the most successful SAFF club since competition started in 2004. It was also the first flag for the Solna team since 2014.

After last weekend’s DAFL Grand Final, the Copenhagen Giants are the toast of Denmark. They are truly the giants of Denmark after downing perennial Danish powerhouse, the Farum Cats to take their second DAFL Premiership.

On a wet and windy afternoon, the day actually favoured the Cats early. Using whatever climatic advantage available, the Cats kicked three first quarter goals to open up a handy 21-point lead. They kept the Giants goalless for the quarter, and would have felt very pleased with their efforts to set up a premiership.

However, that was as far as the Cat charge went. By half time, the Giants had trampled all over that lead, lifting their own intensity and capitalising on whatever conditions that would help to slam home five goals for the quarter and lead by five points. Not a premiership-winning lead, but a quarter that defined the determination of the Giants.

In a weekend of major finals and tournaments across Europe, the following article give a brief look at results from the Coupe De France (French Cup), the Grand Final of the Kenguru Cup in Norway and premierships decided in Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

FRANCE – The ALFA Lions have already started to atone for a disappointing 2017/18 season by taking this season’s Coupe De France. Hosted by the Bordeaux Bombers, the event kicks off the CNFA season. This year, the Lions and Paris Cockerels made their way through the preliminary round robin matches in their respective pools. In the end, the ALFA Lions defeated the Paris Cockerels 48 to 26. In the women’s match, it was the Paris Cockerelles defeating hosts the Bordeaux Bombers 54 to 39. The result sees the Lions qualify for the Champions League in Amsterdam next year.

The Finland AFL (FAFL) 2018 season will come to a close this weekend when the Helsinki Heatseekers meet the Waasa Wombats in the Grand Final. After the final round of the FAFL season in Waasa late last month, the Heatseekers finished in first place, two games clear of the Wombats in second. The results qualified both for the Grand Final.

The match will be played at the Talin Jalkapallohalli Sporting Fields in Purotie, Helsinki, this Saturday 22nd September.

The home and away season ended in Waasa with the Helsinki Heatseekers winning both of their matches against both the Wombats and Turku Dockers to finish in top spot with five wins for the season. The Wombats secured another win against the Dockers to have three wins for the season and the Dockers were third overall with just the one win.

This weekend will see the 2018 DAFL Grand Final decided with the Copenhagen Giants up against the Farum Cats. Both teams will be driven to take the title. Last year, the Cats went down to the Barracudas in the Grand Final and will be keen to atone this year. The Giants last won the title in 2015 (their maiden title) and will be desperate for another.

The Farum Cats met last year’s fellow grand finalists, the Copenhagen Barracudas, in their semi-final. The two teams have contested the past two DAFL deciders, but it wasn’t to be this year. Instead, the Cats got away to a strong start, leading by 16 points at the first break and keeping the Barracudas scoreless. From there, the Cats just kept pulling away, leading by 35 points at half time and 55 points at the final change.

The Newcastle-based Tyne Tees Tigers gained some solace after missing out on the SARFL (AFL Scotland) finals by taking out the 2018 Tyne Cup. On a predominantly fine day, but for one errant shower, the Tigers downed their Scottish stablemates, the West Lothian Eagles. In the women’s game, the Nottingham Scorpions defeated the Scottish Sirens.

Phil Martin from the Tyne Tees Tigers noted that, “in the ladies game the Nottingham Scorpions beat the Scottish Sirens 19.13.137 to 1.1.7. In the men’s game the home team, Tyne Tees Tigers, beat the West Lothian Eagles 27.19.181 to 8.14.62. Best on ground for the Tigers was Anthony Roy Brannigan with eight goals from the centre. Debutant, Cameron Armstrong, gave a strong showing at full forward with two goals and long term half back Matty O'Brien [chimed in] with his first goal for the club.”

The AFLG Grand Final on the weekend has seen the Hamburg Dockers claim their third premiership, downing last year’s winners, the Berlin Crocodiles. In a willing contest, the Dockers pulled away after a tight first half to take the premiership by 55 points in Dresden.

The opening quarter saw both teams take the game on, full of desire and intensity. At the first break, the Berlin Crocodiles held a narrow five-point lead, 3 1 19 to 2 2 14. By half time, the Dockers had regained the lead, but only just. Just three points separated the teams with the Dockers a nose ahead, 5 5 35 to 5 2 32.

The “premiership quarter” lived up to its name as the Dockers made their move. A five goal to one third quarter saw the Dockers take a stranglehold on the game as they flexed their muscle and shut down the gallant Crocs. Three-Quarter Time saw the Dockers lead 10 7 67 to 6 2 38.

AFLW MEDIA RELEASE

Irish Gaelic footballer Sarah Rowe will add another string to her bow as a rookie for Collingwood’s AFLW team in 2019.

Rowe is a star forward for Mayo in the Ladies Gaelic Football Association in Ireland and will take part in the AFL Women’s competition during the break between seasons.

The 23-year-old from Ballina Mayo said she was excited to move across the globe and get prepared to take on the foreign sport.

“I know I’m up for a big challenge taking on a new sport on the other side of the world, but that’s what makes it so exciting,” Rowe said.

“Having visited Australia earlier this year I was able to meet the coach and players at Collingwood, which made the decision a lot easier. I was welcomed in to the club from the beginning and everyone was so generous to share their time and knowledge.”

In what many would see as a big upset, the Berlin Crocodiles will have a chance to defend their AFL Germany title after downing the Munich Kangaroos in last weekend’s semi-final in Cologne. Form leading up to the match favoured the Kangaroos, as did their record across the season, which saw them narrowly defeat the Crocs on both occasions.

However, the boys from Berlin knew they could match the Kangaroos and did so with a barnstorming first half. Keeping the Munich team to a single goal for the first half, the Crocs went to the main break with a huge 39-point lead. It would take something super-human from the Kangaroos to get back in the second half.