A furore has broken out in Queensland with the state U18 Netball Championships won by an all-boys team in an otherwise girl’s competition. There are rabid arguments flying through media, families and the sport itself and at the same time raising questions about the fairness of such competitions.

For the record, the Queensland Suns U17 Boys team won the final against the Bond University Bull Sharks 46-12. These boys went through the entire competition undefeated, and winning all matches by an average of 30 points. They were far superior on the scoreboard, raising the ire of parents, spectators and in turn media (social and otherwise).

For the record, it must be said that the boys have done absolutely nothing wrong. Their team was entered into the championships by express permission of the state netball governing body, Netball QLD. The argument cannot be directed at those who played, but instead at the decision makers who allowed this.

Toby Greene just has to go down for six weeks (at the very least) after his deliberate bump on umpire Matt Stevic in last weekend’s Elimination Final between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Sydney Swans in Launceston. There is no doubt that Greene is a terrific footballer in terms of physical skills and a game play footballing brain. But in terms of his thought processes outside of that, such as his irrational reactions, he is in danger of derailing his career.

However, in that respect he is no different really to a legion of players across the years such as Carl Ditterich, Phil Carmen, Robert Muir, “Mopsy” Fraser, Bob Chitty, David Rhys-Jones and others. Across the past century, these names are described as amongst the “toughest” yet often the most undisciplined players the game has seen. It’s fine to walk the edge of “tough” and “rough”, but constantly crossing the line harms the game.

Funny thing is, regardless of what has happened to those players over the years, there is another audience present, watching on with great interest as their role models or club heroes slug it out, so to speak.

For the greater good, kids and the game’s future, Toby Greene just has to go down with the severest penalty possible.

Tom Rockliff's retirement from AFL footy, announced today, might otherwise be just another name in the end-of-year lists of players from all clubs hanging up their boots. However, Rockliff will say goodbye to the game with an achievement not done by any other player, and possibly never to be repeated - though we hope not.

Rockliff's journey of 208 games with both the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide has been decorated with All-Australian selection, captaincy at Brisbane and a Rising Star nomination in 2010. But he retires as the player who has played for premiership points in three countries - Australia, New Zealand and China - as well as an International Rules match in Ireland.

No other player has had a career with so many overseas games across multiple countries.

Source: 3rd January 2021, Sunday Mail* 

           'Rooch' honoured  

American and former South Adelaide footballer Alex Aurrichio has been honoured by his Northern Territory Football League club Waratah.

Aurrichio was killed in a cycling accident in Darwin in June last year.(2020) See: WFN June 9th 2020

Waratah has launched its Alex Aurrichio Academy in recognition of its US-born ruckman.

The Academy will cater for exceptional junior athletes at the club and aims to recruit, develop, foster and retain junior footballers who strive to live by the values exemplified by 'Rooch' during his life - passion, commitment and resilience.

Alex Aurrichio, originally from New York Magpies, also played for the Northern Blues in Victoria, South Adelaide in the SANFL and NEAFL club Southport Sharks in Queensland amongst others.

Read More; World Footy News January 17th 2015.

*Sunday Mail is Adelaide and South Australia's leading weekend newspaper.

 

For those unaware, I have made the decision for a variety of family and personal reasons to step aside from my role writing for World Footy News. After eight years in the role, I needed to move on to a more family-based lifestyle. However, footy goes on - just look at how the AFL is still finding ways to keep running despite the ongoing threats associated with COVID-19. Footy worldwide is in a period of low activity, but that will change.

Likewise, World Footy News will continue to adapt to the changing world around it. Whilst personnel and content may change, the roles of the website - to help promote Australian Football as it grows across the world through positive reporting - will remain. The website has always attempted to do what no others have done - try and cover the game at a global level, opening up as many connections as possible to ensure the footy world remain aware of how the game is growing and where.

Many websites report on their own parts of the world, but only World Footy News has continued to write original stories, or share those of others.

Round 4 of the 2020 AFL season is underway.  See the graphic below to see when and where you can watch the footy on TV networks in your part of the world. 

An early start for US viewers on Fox Sports 1 on Friday morning will give them their first look for some tiem at Mason Cox back into the Collingwood team this week.

 

 

Since the arrival of the most recent coronavirus, Australian Football (also known as Aussie Rules) has captured the imagination of sport fans worldwide, particularly in the United States of America. With their own sporting codes on indefinite hiatus until the threats of COVID-19 disappear, cable and television networks have been showing our unique Australian game. 

The audiences have been growing exponentially and a look through Twitter reveals a large amount of people raving about the game – its hardness, its skills and its speed. New fans are even seeking advice on what is the best AFL club to support. One pattern, however, in all of this feedback has been the amount of times people have been asking for an explanation of the rules and how the game works – the logic behind everything that lights up the screen once the ball is bounced. 

Having been involved in most facets of the game myself for over 50 years, I felt it might be of value for me to have a stab at “Explaining Aussie Rules”.

Round 2 of the 2020 AFL season is underway.  See the graphic below to see when and where you can watch the footy on TV networks in your part of the world. 

 

Back in 1978, the crowd at Kardinia Park in Geelong held its collective breath as North Melbourne’s Keith Greig fearlessly ran at a high ball on the wing. Coming the other way was Geelong’s Ray Card. Greig never wavered or looked at anything but the ball. Card saw trouble coming and changed to a side on shirtfront – hammering Greig and knocking him senseless.

Back then it was considered a brave act by all parties. Today, the same move would result in suspension (consider Shane Mumford’s hit a few years back against Geelong’s Mitch Duncan…some eerie similarities).

In different eras, each represents the brutality of our game. Whilst the rules that define what constitutes legal and illegal tackles have changed, the ferociousness of players and courage have not.

What made the Greig/Card hit more memorable was that it headlined football media just three years after the tragic hit at the Western Oval in 1975 when Footscray’s Neil Sachse was left a quadlaplegic after a horror collision with Fitzroy’s Kevin O’Keefe.

As the 2020 AFL Premiership season prepares to explode to life again after the coronavirus postponements on field, the mechanisms of the game that go unseen off field for most of the time are also gearing up for action.

Such is the case for the team of AFL Multicultural Community Ambassadors across Australia.

In 2013, the AFL initiated a program to have everyday people from all walks of life, and all manner of cultural backgrounds, head out into communities all over the country to espouse the virtues of Australian Football. Whether at junior or senior level, male or female, schools or clubs or anywhere else in the spectrum of community, volunteers will find innovative ways to involve and immerse children and adults in our great game.