The USAFL tonight announced that the 2017 National Championships will be held in San Diego, California.  This will be the first time since Las Vegas hosted the tournament in 2006 that the Championships will be held on the western side of the nation and the first time in California since 2000. 

As this is written there are some concerns for the venue of this year's tournament, Sarasota, Florida (October 14-16 at the Premier Sports Campus).  Hurricane Matthew is making it's way across the Caribbean Sea towards Florida and could possibly do some serious damage across the state and up the east coast if it lands there.  Fortunately the tournament is not this weekend, but there could be on-going issues into next week that may affect travel and the host facilities. 

In the meantime we hope that all our friends on the US East coast stay safe and dry.

Canadian rugby convert Mike Pyke recently appeared on the Fox Footy TV show Open Mike with Mike Sheahan.  Sheahan took Pyke back through the details of his remarkable journey to success in AFL football.

 

 

The audio of that interview is available below and is well worth a listen.

Former Sydney Swans ruckman, Mike Pyke, will be the subject of this week’s episode of the Foxtel television show “Open Mike” hosted by veteran football journalist Mike Sheahan.

The show will feature an in depth interview with the Canadian code-hopper who played 110 games for the Sydney Swans between 2009 and 2015, including being a member of the Sydney Swans 2012 premiership team. The 200cm former Swan also kicked 48 goals in his career with the club and stands as one of the best international recruits for any AFL club. His success has set the platform for others to come to Australia and try their luck.

Matt Thompson from the www.afl.com.au website reports on life after the AFL for one of the recent American recruits to the AFL. The story certainly gives a small idea of how one player gave our game a shot and when things didn’t fully pan out, another career awaited.

FORMER North Melbourne international rookie Eric Wallace has signed on with American NFL side Carolina Panthers.

The North Carolina local spent three years on the Kangaroos list, but failed to play a senior game.

Wallace – nicknamed 'The Beast' – has earned a spot on the Panthers 90-man roster in the position of tight end.

Stanis Heili and Brandon Nazione have been selected to trial with a number of AFL clubs over the next week. The two athletes performed well at the AFL's US Combine held in Los Angeles in April this year.

They have already met with Mason Cox to personally discuss what may lie ahead for them and attended the St Kilda vs Melbourne game at Etihad on the weekend.

WFN readers will likely remember the name Jaye Macumber. Jaye was formerly coach of AFL Canada club the Central Blues and in 2011 coached the Canadian national team, the Northwind at IC11.

Jaye is now coach at Minyip-Murtoa in the Wimmera League in country Victoria (Australia). Well known footy journalist Paul Daffey interviewed Jaye this week for his The County Footy Show on his site PD Footy  The original posting on the site is here The Country Footy Show Epidsode 15.

Jason Johannisen was interviewed today after the Melbourne launch of the Multicultural Round. Jason told us of his Multicultural Ambassador role, that goal to win the game on the weekend, responds to questions about Lin Jong being seen at Collingwood and about spending time in South Africa. You can hear the audio below.

I sat down for a coffee and a chat with Gil Griffin author of Jumping at the chance this week on his promotional tour of Melbourne. You can hear the audio in the two parts below.