Due to the extended cricket season in the UK this year, there will not be a post-season match between two AFL sides at The Oval in London for 2013. The AFL Europe are hoping for the fixture to return in 2014.

The official match reports from the final day's play in the 2013 AFL European Championship are on the dublin2013.org website, and can be found directly via the following links:

Ireland Win Thrilling GF
Vikings Slay Elks for Third
Knights Secure Fifth Place

The final day's play of the AFL European Championships is underway. Croatia confirmed their status as an up-and-coming Euro footy nation, holding off Germany in game one after the Eagles outscored them in the first term. In the 3rd place playoff, Sweden came out of the blocks strongly against Denmark, before the Vikings overran them and regained some of the pride lost through heartbreaking losses against GB and Ireland in the group round.

In the big one, the Irish pulled off a last second miracle, winning by the narrowest of margins to add yet another major title to their trophy cabinet. Commiserations to the GB Bulldogs on the heartbreaking defeat!

5th place playoff
Croatia	2.1	4.3	5.5	9.5 (59)
Germany	3.1	3.2	3.4	4.5 (29)
3rd place playoff
Denmark	1.0	3.2	5.2	7.6 (48)
Sweden	3.1	3.2	4.2	5.2 (32)
1st place playoff
Ireland	1.0	2.2	5.2	7.3 (45)
Great Britain	1.3	2.5	3.6	6.8 (44)

Here is the latest article from Norway, courtesy of the Oslo Crows, which details the latest round of the Kenguru Cup. Certainly sounds as if it was a great event, and another great leap forward for Norwegian footy. Our thanks to David Stone and the team at the Oslo Crows for this story.  

Round 3 of the 2013 Kenguru Cup was without question the highest quality Australian football ever played on Norwegian soil.   Three constantly improving teams – Oslo East, Oslo West and Ås, squared off in front of a modest crowd at Storebrand Stadion, and showed just how far Australian football has progressed in a short time.  

Ladder leaders Ås were desperate to retain their stranglehold on the competition, and two wins from their two games would put breathing space between them and Oslo East.

Helsingborg Saints are well on their way to starting Sweden’s first women’s team.

With six enthusiastic female members and more joining up each week, Saints player Jacob Lantz feels it won’t be long before Sweden has a female Euro Cup team, and there might even be a Swedish or Scandinavian appearance at the Women’s IC14.

It all started when Lantz was discussing ways to introduce the sport to more people in Helsingborg and draw larger crowds for home games with club founder Ingmar Lundquist and coach Leighton Rowsell. The decided to try starting an 8-a-side touch footy competition and encouraged their friends to come and have a go.

The third day's play at the DCU Sportground in Dublin has been completed, with each match going to plan according to the seedings.

Denmark	2.3	4.5	7.8	8.12 (60)
Germany	0.1	0.1	0.1	2.1 (13)
Great Britain	2.0	4.2	6.3	6.4 (40)
Sweden	0.0	1.0	2.1	3.2 (20)
Ireland	2.3	3.7	7.9	12.11 (83)
Croatia	1.0	1.0	1.1	1.1 (7)

Saturday will see Ireland vs Great Britain play off for the European Championship, with Sweden vs Denmark for 3rd place, and Croatia vs Germany for 5th.

Match reports and stats to come.

Sweden's win over Croatia on day two of the European Championships has lifted them to 11th Ranking above Denmark. Ironically the win against Croatia has left the two nations with identical rating points (39.55) although Croatia has two more matches to qualify to be fully Ranked.

The second day's play at the DCU Sportground in Dublin has been completed, with the higher seeds triumphing in each match, though not without some strong challenges.

Sweden defeated Croatia in the first match of the day, despite the Croatians making a good contest of it. The next match then saw Great Britain comfortably account for Germany in the first-ever encounter between the two nations.

The evening's play ended with Denmark threatening a major upset, leading the Irish at every change before the Warriors were able to overtake them in the last quarter. The Vikings will surely be disappointed, after similarly being overrun in the last quarter of the round 1 match against Great Britain.

Sweden	1.3	3.7	4.10	5.11 (41)
Croatia	1.1	2.1	4.1	5.2 (32)
Great Britain	3.1	7.7	7.7	9.12 (66)
Germany	0.1	0.2	2.3	2.3 (15)
Ireland	0.1	2.3	3.5	7.7 (49)
Denmark	4.0	5.1	6.2	6.3 (39)

Full match reports with best players and goal kickers are now available on the tournament website:
Warriors deny Vikings again
Bulldogs reach their First Final
Elks win over Knights

The GB Bulldogs have now booked a spot in Saturday's final. Their opponent will likely be Ireland, although there is still another round of group matches to play and a win for Croatia over the Irish could change the standings.

The 2012-2013 French season has ran its course, officially closing on the 22nd of June with the annual French Cup.

In the development league, consisting of France's newest and struggling teams, the Montpellier Fire Sharks won their second title in a row. Unfortunately the Marseille Dockers, could not play any of their games this season, effectively making this year's edition of the development league a two team contest.

Montpellier won their first confrontation against Cergy in a one way game at home during the winter. The decider was played in Cergy a few month later with the travelling team narrowly winning the game to secure their second title: Cergy Coyotes 10.8 (68) – 9.17 (71) Montpellier Fire Sharks.

In the Super league, things turned out for the worst for reigning champions Bordeaux. At the end of the winter the Bombers were on top of the ladder hoping to hold on their crown. Unfortunately for them at string of defeats at home against the Toulouse Hawks and the Paris Cockerels put an end to their hopes of title.

After trialling with the Carlton Football Club last year, Ciaran Byrne was back at Princes Park again in the past couple of weeks and has been confirmed as the latest Irish import to the AFL. Byrne will be officially taken in the AFL's national draft later this year as an International Rookie.

Following the last two notable failures in John Heslin and Ciaran Kilkenny at Richmond and Hawthorn respectively to make it past preseason, clubs may have become understandably shy of bringing out young homesick Gaelic footballers.