While we are still remembering the great efforts of Jim Stynes, wait for a return of Tadgh Kennelly, cheer the re-signing of Brendon Murphy, there is a team full of Irish ex-pats playing in the Sydney Womens AFL competition, and they have now qualified for playoffs in their rookie year.

The Bondi Shamrocks are a newly formed club who entered the Sydney Women’s AFL (SWAFL) competition for this season.

They are made up of primarily Irish ex-pats, with a Gaelic Football, Camogie or Rugby background, with a few native Aussies and the odd Kiwi thrown in.

In their inaugural season, they have already had Sports Bar and a cocktail named in their honour, five players were selected to represent NSW at the women’s AFL State Games in Perth, and had six play for Sydney in the rookie team against the touring USA Freedom team. Now the ladies have earned a place in the SWAFL playoffs after beating more experienced opponents during the season to finish in the top four and will contest for a place in the Grand Final .

The Adelaide Crows recruiting manager, Matt Rendell, recently returned home after watching the conclusion of the 2009 NAB Under 18 Championships. Rendell had two very dramatic predictions, one of which could rock the AFL and both of which should have positive ramifications for international Australian football.

His teammates nicknamed him Bobby because they didn't know how to pronounce his name, but Alipate Carlile is keen to make sure it's his football skills and not his unusual name that makes headlines.

Carlile is a cousin of fellow Port Adelaide footballer David Rodan. Born in Fiji, he moved to Country Victoria as a youngster and took up football, eventually being selected with pick 44 by Port Adelaide in the 2005 draft. He's now a regular in the team and was recently featured in an article in Adelaide Now. "Alipate Carlile happy with earfuls, but not bagfuls," mentions his impressive season, a bit about his childhood and background, and his aspirations (along with Rodan) to start a football league in Fiji. Carlile sees great potential for Fijians playing the Australian game as, "Fijians seem taller than the Irish, are closer and have a more intimate knowledge of the game."

Other footballers in the AFL of Fijian extract include Naitanui of West Coast (born in Sydney to Fijian parents) and Setanta Ó hAilpín (half Rotuman - one of Fiji's indigenous ethnic groups).

First there was "GC17" now there's "Team GWS" as the campaign name for the AFL's proposed 18th football club. The branding has been unveiled this evening at a function held by the AFL, at Swans vs. Geelong game at ANZ Stadium.Launched by the AFL’s Chief Executive officer Andrew Demetriou, the unveiling marks the next stage of the AFL’s expansion plans, designed to engage the community and businesses of Greater Western Sydney in the campaign for a new team.

“The launch of Team GWS is one of the first steps in the journey towards the development of the identity of the football team,” Mr. Demetriou said. “As this campaign takes shape, we are encouraging the fourteen diverse communities of Greater Western Sydney to join Team GWS and be a part of history. Team GWS is a team we can all be proud of, and be part of, based on unity and inclusion.

After the significant success of the AFL Oceania match at the Pacific Islands Leaders' Forum in Cairns it is unfortunate to have to report on a setbackl for the game's growth. Two of Australian football's great recent success stories have been the return to football by Nauru and the surge of talented Papua New Guineans playing in Australian leagues. Sadly both endeavours have suffered major setbacks in 2009 as Australia's visa system has changed to restrict visitors working.

The change has completely stopped the program that saw many Nauruans play in country Victoria in 2008, which was a key to their dramatic improvement and helped them re-start the game at home. For AFLPNG the setback saw some of their most talented young players sent back to Papua New Guinea, potentially hurting their chances of being drafted.

The AFL, AFL Oceania and the Australian Government have been in discussions to find a way to reduce the undoubted damage these changes have caused, and the Cairns match shows there is plenty of goodwill towards Australia's indigenous game, but to the best of our knowledge an ideal solution has yet to be found.

In a sensational case of switching codes, the AFL today welcomed the signing of Rugby League Australian representative Karmichael Hunt to play with the Gold Coast Football Club and also to take on a game development role with the AFL and AFL Queensland. AFL Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou said the signing of Karmichael Hunt (pictured with coach Guy McKenna) was a coup for the club and showed that it was an innovative club that was prepared to look outside the square in recruiting the best talent.

Mr Demetriou said Hunt was an exciting AFL prospect who had welcomed the prospect of staying and playing elite sport in Queensland and also in helping to promote and develop the AFL code in the state through a development role with the AFL and AFL Queensland. He said while it was not unusual for junior athletes from other codes to cross to AFL, it was the first time an established rugby league player had crossed over since Ray Smith in the 1970s who crossed codes to play more than 100 games with Essendon and Melbourne.

“When it was reported that Karmichael was considering changing codes and moving overseas and that he was serious about considering a career in the AFL, we were happy to look at ways that he could play with Gold Coast Football Club and work with the AFL to promote the code in his home state of Queensland,” Mr Demetriou said. Hunt, born in Auckland, reportedly played something like 9 games of Aussie Rules in his final year of High School, in Brisbane.

There have been numerous multi-cultural Australian football programs developed in Australia over the last few years, seeking to introduce recent immigrants to the indigenous sport, both as fans and players. We've reported on many of those, most of which have been based in Victoria. That's excellent for community involvement and the health of the game in Victoria, but has the same level of attention or funding been present across the rest of the country?

worldfootynews.com suspects there will be a major increase in AFL support for such programs in western Sydney to help pave the way for community support of the likely 18th AFL licence. But it is important that all Australian states embrace this concept, so it's pleasing to be able to report some basic programs also being introduced in South Australia, such as a Multicultural themed round.

The SANFL is South Australia's state league and one of the game's more prolific breeding grounds for future AFL talent, along with the Victorian and Western Australian leagues. The upcoming round of matches (Saturday, August 1st) are being dubbed the SANFL 'be active' Multicultural Round. The following is further information from the SANFL.

Tom Cruise, according to the Herald Sun is the latest Hollywood star to find an appreciation for the Australian variety of football.

Cruise, currently in Melbourne, attended the Collingwood-Essendon clash at the MCG.

Following a bit of an American theme - visiting players from the Dallas Cowboys NFL side attended the thriller between Geelong and St Kilda, having a kick on television at Etihad Stadium in Geelong jumpers.

Both matches were played to a high standard in front of bumper crowds.

Meanwhile before a smaller crowd, the Demons did it for Irishman Jim Stynes (who WFN reported earlier is currently battling cancer), posting a spirited win against the West Coast Eagles at the MCG.

During this year's Grand Final week, the AFL will be holding a Multicultural Academy Camp for male students in Year 7 and 8. The camp is one of many initiatives the league is taking to ensure that Australians of all backgrounds are exposed to Australian Football. The camp, which is free, will be held in Melbourne and span five days and four nights. It will include AFL-run training sessions, clinics with AFL players, fitness and skill testing and guest speakers.

To be eligible, students must be male (a female camp will be held in 2010), verified by their school principal as actively attending Year 7 or 8 and be of a multicultural background. This is defined as having at least one parent born overseas. Participants will then be selected on athletic talent, potential, leadership qualities and willingness to develop as a footballer.

See the below flyer for further details.

Update: Note that the program is primarily open to Victorian boys - if there were kids from interstate (possibly overseas) that wanted to apply it's understood they would be considered but costs such as airfares and accommodation would not be covered.

Women's football has been growing strongly in Australia in recent years, and statistics have indicated especially so in Victoria and Queensland. The bi-annual national championships were staged in Perth in early June, with all of Australia's states and mainland territories spread across two divisions, with the exception of Tasmania, and with WA fielding sides in both divisions. Victoria showed once again their dominence of women's footy, going through undefeated and accounting comfortably for the host state in the Division One grand final. The following report is courtesy of Leesa Catto from the VWFL.