The Manchester Mosquitoes have gone back to back by taking out the 2015 AFLCNE premiership by downing Sheffield Thunder. This means that Manchester now boast four flags from five grand finals in the past 6 years, placing their run amongst the most successful of teams across Europe.

Final Scores: Manchester Mosquitoes 18 13 121 d Sheffield Thunder 10 14 74.

The final 47 point margin suggests a comfortable result that was all one way, but conditions saw a game which was buried effectively by quarter time and from there Sheffield spent the afternoon doing all they could to bridge the gap – which they did manage to do, just not enough to change the result.

Whilst English crowds pack Edgbaston in Birmingham to wildly cheer their cricketers on to a likely Ashes triumph, there are other sporting events to suit footy tastes as finals matches will be played in London and Sheffield to decide the 2015 premierships in the AFLCNE (Central & Northern England) competitions and grand finalists in the AFL London battle.

Up in Sheffield it will be the local team, Sheffield Thunder, hosting the minor premiers, the Manchester Mosquitoes. With one win apiece this season in their battles with each other, both sides have claims to this year’s flag. However, it will take an absolutely mighty effort from the Thunder to bring down the Manchester juggernaut which is aiming for a fourth flag in five grand finals over the past six seasons. But this is finals footy, with the season’s two best teams in combat. Nothing is a given.

AFL Europe is pleased to announce Megan Hession has been appointed CEO.

An experienced sports administrator, Megan will be based in London and will oversee the 21-member nation’s individual competitions while continuing to promote the game and oversee its development in Europe.

Originally from the United States, Megan arrives in London with a wealth of experience. After working for more than a decade in financial trading technology in New York and London, Megan started a sports management company in Europe that expanded to Dubai and New York. Her work focused on EPL player welfare and the organisation of high-performance training camps and sports event management in the Middle East.

Megan is no stranger to the AFL after organising Port Adelaide’s last two pre-season training camps in Dubai.

Megan said she was thrilled to be starting the role.

Already regarded as one of the most powerful Australian Rules football clubs across Europe, the West London Wildcats further enhanced that reputation on the weekend. Playing against the well credentialed Wandsworth Demons, the Wildcats showed little remorse romping home to a powerful 72 point win to book their place in the 2015 grand-final. They will enjoy a week’s break as the preliminary finalists do battle.

For the Demons it will be a week of soul-searching as they initially need to win their preliminary final to earn a rematch with the Wildcats. But that is not guaranteed. But assuming they do clear their next hurdle the Demons face a tough period of planning to find a way to bring down the Wildcats.

Their opponents will be the North London Lions which won their semi-final on Sunday against the London Swans. In a tighter, low scoring game it was the Lions with the answers at the end to hold the competitive Swans at bay by just 11 points in a game where the respective defences had a large say in the result.

The combatants for the 2015 AFLCNE Grand Final have been decided after the semi-finals were played over the weekend. Once again the Manchester Mosquitoes powerhouse has reached the final match of the year, continuing their incredible domination of the league over recent years. But this year another challenger will step up to the plate – Sheffield Thunder.

For the Mozzies the salivating prospect of five grand finals in the past 6 years is a reality – and a fourth premiership over that time lingers large on the AFLCNE landscape. Last year the Huddersfield Rams did their best to stop the Mozzie juggernaut. That didn’t work, so the Thunder now has a chance.

So far this season the ledger is squared at one win apiece. The first meeting at Tyne back in Round 6 saw the Thunder roar to the top of the ladder with a big 74 point win over the Mozzies. They fired the first salvo in the war of psychology between the sides this year. By Round 11 it was the Mozzies that hit back – just – with a narrow 3 point win on Sheffield's home turf. The Mozzies won, but the Thunder knew they had what it takes to beat the Mozzies – especially since the Grand Final will be played at Sheffield. It makes for a fascinating grand-final.

 

The AFL London season moves into overdrive from next weekend as the finals series gets under way across all divisions. With the home and away season now done and dusted, teams can now take the next step in a bid to win the 2015 premierships.

 

In the Premiership Division, the scoreboards reflected that finals urgency as teams hit the “on” button in preparation for the weeks ahead. The result saw the West London Wildcats, Wandsworth Demons and North London Lions sharpen their respective claws or tridents, while the London Swans found themselves on the wrong side of a fired up opponent.  

 

The final round results saw:

- Wandsworth Demons 30.21.201 defeated Putney Magpies 1.5.11

- West London Wildcats 26.19.175 defeated London Swans 5.3.33

 

- North London Lions 21.19.145 defeated Wimbledon Hawks 4.6.30

The AFL competition across Central and Northern England has finished off the home and away season for 2015, but not in the circumstances expected. Rather than having three matches which may help teams tune up for finals action or allow for last minute upsets from lower teams seeking to create havoc, the round saw two games forfeited and another decided by such a large margin that it is likely neither side gained what they needed from the hitout.

With Huddersfield Rams already a spectator this round due to their bye, they were joined by Sheffield Thunder and Tyne Tees Tigers with both clubs receiving the four default points when Nottingham Scorpions and Birmingham Bears respectively failed in their attempts to field a side. For Thunder the result simply reinforced their second place finish. The Tigers, however, would have been delighted with the result as it gave them a fourth win for the season and dragged them off the bottom of the ladder, avoiding the wooded spoon.

(Left: 2014 Premiers - Manchester Mosquitoes - Which team will take the 2015 flag?)

It was Round 10, 2001, when Brisbane Lions coach, Leigh Matthews, use a quote from the movie “Predator” saying “if it bleeds we can kill it.” He was referring to Essendon which had won 32 of its last 34 matches including the 2000 premiership and was on top of the ladder. The Lions beat Essendon that night and did not lose another game en-route to the 2001 flag and followed with more flags in 2002/03.

The North London Lions have taken a leaf from the Matthews book and proved that the powerhouse West London Wildcats are not immortal. They can be beaten, as the Lions proved in their 14 5 89 to 11 13 79 win at home on the weekend. The win secures third place for the Lions, but more importantly they have created a blueprint for success for other finalists to follow against the Wildcats come finals time. No longer is this a one-horse race to the flag.

In other results, the Wandsworth Demons powered home to a solid 47 point win over the Wimbledon Hawks whilst the London Swans gave the Putney Magpies a nasty afternoon with a 102 point lesson. For the Demons and the Swans the games were good tune ups ready for finals action in two weeks time.

With a round left in the AFLCNE season most of the recent action has occurred at the top and bottom of the ladder. The Manchester Mozzies have held firm after being challenged by Sheffield Thunder for bragging rights and will now finish the home and away season on top of the ladder and take out the 2015 minor premiership. At the other end of the scale, the Tyne Tees Tigers relentless finish to the season will see them likely to avoid the wooden spoon with more powerful performances.

Round 12 saw the Birmingham Bears keep their finals hopes in good stead when they won their game against Sheffield Thunder by a forfeit. The Nottingham Scorpions also stayed in the hunt with a 13 point win over the Wolverhampton Wolverines. But it was the Tyne Tees Tigers that caused the upset of the round when they thumped the third placed Huddersfield Rams by 72 points, pulling of their second win against a likely finalist in three weeks.

With just two rounds left until the finals, the North London Lions are the fourth team to guarantee their place after a commanding win against the Putney Magpies. Whilst it would have taken an unexpected turn of events to see the Lions miss out, they would still be relieved that they now join the Wildcats, Demons and Swans in the top four and can start to work their drills, plays and fitness ready to go as far as they can this year. The final score saw the Lions 17 13 115 defeat the Magpies 6 3 39.

In other matches, the Wandsworth Demons were too good for the London Swans, winning 10 14 74 to 6 10 46. The West London Wildcats flexed their muscle in the run to the finals with a comprehensive victory over the Wimbledon Hawks. Final score saw the Wildcats 23 15 153 defeat the Hawks 6 4 40.

The remaining two weeks of the home and away season will see the top four vying for final positions. Wildcats and Demons are locked in first and second place, but the Lions and Swans will fight out third and fourth spot with both currently locked together on four wins each. Both have to play the ravenous Wildcats, but have winnable matches in the other round. The Lions have the superior percentage.