Less than two weeks ago I wrote an opinion piece suggesting that the relatively new AFL interpretation of the rules, intended to protect players' heads and necks, is actually creating an increase in injury that will inevitably lead to a very serious injury at some level of the game. It seems former Hawthorn champion and four time premiership coach Leigh Matthews has come to a similar conclusion.

The basic premise is that by rewarding a player putting their head over the ball at the last moment of a collision, creating high contact from an upright player, the League has actually encouraged players to endanger themselves. Yes the other player in general tries to avoid contact, but often it is either unavoidable or the player also goes low, risking their own head and neck.

This is now occurring many times per game, and almost every match sees players nursing sore heads or necks. In Friday night's West Coast versus Essendon clash, which opened Round 4 of the 2010 season, it again happened. This wasn't the classic case I have argued, this time neither player went really low, but both still confronted the ball front on attempting to take possession, and their heads clashed, resulting in a stoppage in play and at least one (Brad Dalzeil) leaving the playing arena. As well as the more prominent injuries others are also happening, such as Josh Kennedy who also came up sore from ducking their head into a collision (goalsquare, second quarter).

We reported that numerous international recruits were playing across Australian state leagues last weekend. Here is a brief follow up of how some of them performed.

American Shae McNamara made his VFL debut for effectively Collingwood's reserves side, named in the ruck and kicking one goal but not featuring in his team's best players for their loss.

Papuan Peter Labi, on an international scholarship with Carlton, debuted for the reserves side of their feeder club, the Northern Bullants. They too suffered a loss, but Labi kicked a goal and was amongst his side's best players.

This weekend sees the first round of the Victorian Football League, Victoria's state league and home to both independent sides and teams affiliated with Victoria's AFL clubs. Players that don't get selected for their AFL clubs play in this league, just as West Coast and Fremantle players drop down to the Western Australian Football League and Adelaide and Port Adelaide players appear in the South Australian National Football League (the "National" is an historic artefact).

This weekend sees the VFL debut of two of international footy's trailblazers.

American Shae McNamara has been named as first ruck for Collingwood's second tier side against Williamstown in the VFL on Saturday, and Papua New Guinean Peter Labi is listed at half forward in the reserves of Carlton's feeder team, the Northern Bullants (i.e. VFL reserves). The Bullants' reserves play Williamstown's reserve grade, also on Saturday.

At one stage Labi and compatriot David Meli (Essendon) were having visa difficulties, so it's great to see one of them getting their chance in round 1.

In a move of particular relevance to international football, the AFL has appointed David Matthews to the position of General Manager, Market Development, based in Sydney, New South Wales. Matthews has been General Manager of Game Development through the last six years which has seen a blossoming of international Aussie Rules - most of that due to numerous other factors but in part due to the positive role Matthews has played.

Significantly David Matthews will "continue to have responsibility for all of the AFL’s national and international development programs but will have additional responsibilities to manage and co-ordinate other areas of AFL operations in Sydney".

It seems a large portfolio just got larger. It remains to be seen whether this will further spotlight international development, or perhaps reduce its attention, or maybe make no substantive change. No word as yet on how the move will affect current Game Development staff based in Melbourne. The press release from the AFL follows:

One topic that is always guaranteed to stir passionate debate is whether the AFL's rules regarding high contact are an improvement to the game. In the past decade there has been a crackdown on contact to the head, which is variously seen as vital to player welfare and encouraging parents to allow their kids to play the sport, through to an attack on the toughness and spectacular collisions that are part of the sport's great appeal.

Both sides have worthwhile points, but there is little doubt that to maintain a wide supporter and player base, Australian football has needed to change. The cowardly hit to the head was for too long tolerated, with seriously injured players having to accept the assault as "part of the game". In the 1970s it was common for a player, when delivering a hip and shoulder, to jump into the air, such that it was their hip and shoulder, but the other player's head. These days the majority of fans and commentators accept that a tighter interpretation of the rules, protecting against high contact, is worthwhile.

However the rules have been refined further, condemning any player who chooses, rather than go for the ball, to make body contact which ultimately results in high contact and injury. That includes unintentional high contact, even if it was caused by unexpected behaviour from that other player. But have the changes put the game on course to cause increasing numbers of serious injuries throughout all levels of the sport?

The fledgling new AFL club, the Gold Coast, this year graduates from playing in Victoria's TAC Cup Under 18 competition, to senior competition in the Victorian Football League. Next year the Queensland club becomes a full AFL side, competing in the world's top Australian football competition.

This weekend the Gold Coast gave a strong sign that they will be competitive in the VFL in 2010, snatching a 3 point victory over the Brisbane Lions' reserves side, in a final practice match for both teams. The Lions reserves compete in Queensland's top league, while the Gold Coast play their first VFL match on April 10th. Given Brisbane's next match is Thursday night, it may well have been that there were heavy rotations in the last quarter, but it was still an excellent showing from the young GC side.

The 2010 Australian Football League season kicked off tonight with Carlton and Richmond doing battle at the MCG in front of a big crowd.

Both clubs have been strugglers for many years, but Carlton have slowly been rising up the ladder, and as expected were too strong for the Tigers, whose team included four first-gamers. Carlton were without suspended captain Chris Judd.

One of the common media questions leading into this season has been who will replace Brendan Fevola (traded to Brisbane after one controversial incident too many) as Carlton's major goal-scorer. Against Richmond the Blues appeared to share the focus between small forward Eddie Betts (3 goals) and tall targets Jarrad Waite (2) and Irishman Setanta O'hAilpin (3), while Chris Yarran also picked up 3 goals.

Lebanon have emerged victorious from the 2010 Harmony Cup, defeating Albania by 49 points in the final at the Whitten Oval last Sunday. The tournament is a celebration of Australian football amongst Victoria's multi-cultural community.

The Lebanese were impressive all day, with a number of star players from high-level Melbourne suburban footy. Their first match saw them hold India scoreless, followed by solid wins over Greece and Israel, before their final match blitz.

The Albanians also made a big impact in their cup debut, easily accounting for Italy, Indonesia and Team Harmony in the pool rounds, cheered on by a large contingent of supporters who had made the trek out to Footscray.

Highlights for the crowd included a number of former AFL stars back on the playing field, Indonesia's impressive win as underdogs over Team Harmony in the first match of the day, India's Shri Purushtothaman playing out the tournament despite a broken jaw and football legend and long-time international footy supporter Ron Barassi being on hand to congratulate the winners.

The Melbourne print media today reported that a review into women's footy commissioned by the AFL could lead to the creation of a national Women's League.

As well as the review into women's footy at junior and grassroots level, Hawthorn are reportedly close to signing an agreement with an existing Melbourne women's footy club to become the Hawks' women's team.

Victorian Women's Football League president Debbie Lee said she would like to see AFL-affiliated women's sides playing curtain-raisers at AFL matches, saying "Initially it might be a Melbourne-based competition with four or five AFL clubs supporting women's footy, and then develop into a national competition where each state is represented. That's my dream."

The article can be read at the Age newspaper website here.

As previously reported, the AFL is allowing the inaugural World XVIII youth squad to be supplemented by "multicultural" youths born overseas who have been living in Australia for no more than 5 years and have at least one parent born overseas.

Yesterday (Sunday) saw trials in Melbourne for eligible players.

It was also announced that two players from China will play in the World Team and will train at Monash University in the lead-up to the Under 16 championships in July.

The AFL's General Manager National and International Development, David Matthews, said the AFL's overseas talent programs had increasingly identified young athletes who had the potential to play AFL football at the elite level, with most prospects coming from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, Fiji, Tonga, Nauru and Samoa (spanning both the World and South Pacific regions), and that other talented athletes could also be identified from affiliated leagues in Canada, the USA, China and continental Europe.