The Prague Dragons from the Czech Republic will host this weekend’s final round of the Central European Australian Football league competition featuring teams from Croatia, Austria and of course the Dragons as the Czech representative.

The initiative sees six Croatian teams lock horns with the Dragons and also the Styrian Downunderdogs from Austria. The Zaprude Giants, Zagreb Hawks, Ploce Eagles, Velika Gorika Bombers, Zagreb Cvjetno Dockers and Sesvete Blues are the Croatian teams involved.

The 2016 AFL Norway season is close to wrapping up with the Oslo East team leading the pack as premiership favourites. East last won the title in 2014, with the Ås Battlers taking the honours in 2015. It marks a big turnaround for East after missing the final altogether in 2015, with Oslo West reaching their first ever Kenguru Cup Grand Final.

Throughout the 2016 season, East have been the dominant side, both on the field with an impressive array of victories, and off the field with strong numbers which have been responsible for turning the club’s fortunes around.

The Finland Australian Football League (FAFL) Grand Final will be played this weekend when last year's champions, the Helsinki Heatseekers, take on the Turku Dockers for the 2016 title. The match, to be played at Talin-Urheilupuisto in Helsinki, will see the two best performed Finnish teams battle it out in what could be a surprise result.

The Heatseekers go into the match as short-priced favourites, largely on the back of their last meeting back in June when they downed the Dockers by 95 points in Paimio - final scores seeing the Heatseekers 134 to the Dockers 39. The game started evenly, but the Heatseekers kicked six unanswered goals in the second term and never looked back. It was a powerful performance, but doesn't tell the whole story.

The 2016 European Championships have thrown up a number of surprise results and unexpected movement in the (unofficial) WFN World Rankings by taking exception to the rule that the higher rated/ranked nation will win more often than not.

In the men’s competition the Ireland (rank #3) versus Sweden (15th) and Germany (18th) and Great Britain (9th) versus Sweden (15th ) and Germany (18th) matches went as predicted by the Ranking scheme but Ireland v Great Britain and Germany versus Sweden matches proved to be exceptions to the rule.

Irish code crosser Colin O'Riordan was last night named in the NEAFL's team of the year.   O'Riordan in his first season at an AFL Club was signed by Sydney at the end of 2015.  He has yet to make his debut in the AFL but has clearly had a consistent season in the Swan's reserves team that plays in the NEAFL.

O'Riordan did not play with the Swans this past weekend as he suffered a punctured lung in the match the week before in Darwin.  He was unable to return with the team following that match due to that injury.  His progress this season is very positive as he bides his time and builds his knowledge of the Australian code.

 

 

Callum Twomey from the www.afl.com.au website looks at the rise and rise of Essendon’s Irish recruit, Conor McKenna. In recent weeks, McKenna has had a chance to establish himself in the team’s line-up ahead of the return to the club of banned players for their 2017 season.

THE MOST difficult thing Conor McKenna found when wrapping his head around the AFL code two years ago upon joining Essendon had nothing to do with kicking the Sherrin. The Irish product could do that well already, and on both feet.

 

It wasn't the running that was required, and the physicality didn't bother him either. McKenna was already one of Gaelic football's most gifted youngsters when he left there at the end of 2014 to pursue a career with the Bombers.    

The following article from The Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra website looks at the success of the Glasgow Sharks on the biggest day of the Australian Rules football year in Scotland last weekend.

Glasgow Sharks were crowned Scotland’s Australian Rules Football champions after defeating city rivals Greater Glasgow Giants at Linlithgow Rugby Club last Saturday.

The Scottish Australian Rules Football League (SARFL) Grand Final between the city rivals was a fierce one, with the Giants having the better first quarter.

But just like the rest of the season the Sharks were the comeback kids, meaning there were only two points in it by the end of the third quarter

The Irish Warriors and GB Bulldogs both had strong wins on Day 3 of the AFL Europe European Championships to set up a final rematch of their one point thriller from Day 1 of the tournament. In the women's competition the GB Swans are unbeaten after their first two matches.

The GB Swans and Irish Banshees kicked off the day and after a goal-less first half the Swans prevailed by a single point kicking 2.1 to the Banshees 1.6.  The Banshees notched up a win in the second match running out winners 4.8 to the European Crusaders 0.1.  The GB Swans then finished the day on top of the table with a 55 point shut out against the Crusaders.

Women's Round 1

GB Swans 2.1 (13) def Irish Banshees 1.6 (12)

Irish Banshees 4.8 (32) def European Crusaders 0.1 (1)

GB Swans 8.7 (55) def European Crusaders 0.0 (0)

 

Girls Play Footy Podcast Previews the EC16 Women's Championships with interviews with some of the key players.  You can find more about women's footy at their site - girlsplayfooty.com/