WFN caught up with one of the Columbus Jackaroos founders, Chet Ridenour. While his club is in the midst of their second season he is travelling South and Central America. Ridenour presided over the rapid foundation of an Aussie Rules football club that managed to win their first ever match, and bring a breath of fresh air to the US footy scene. In the interview we discuss Chet's football journey, what went into forming the club, recruiting, football stories and much more.

The podcast of the interview can be found here.

Today NFL players Terence Newman and Courtney Brown from the Dallas Cowboys will visit the Lexus Centre to meet Collingwood players Nick Maxwell, Anthony Rocca and Josh Fraser. The team-mates of Aussie punter Matt McBriar will no doubt feature in the Melbourne media in the next 24 hours. In other Aussie rules-NFL crossover news, Jy Bond has been dropped by the Miami Dolphins but hopes he will get a chance with another franchise to join McBriar, Sav Rocca and Ben Graham as an Aussie NFL punter in the upcoming season.

Toronto, Wednesday July 1st 2009: On a perfect Toronto day for football, AFL Canada in conjunction with one of the largest leagues outside of Australia, the Ontario Australian Football League (“OAFL”), held their 3rd Canada Day Football Carnival. Canada Day is national holiday celebrating the anniversary of the 1 July 1867 enactment of the British North America Act, which united Canada as a single country. It's also a great chance for the OAFL to showcase Aussie Rules and give their national side a match against quality opposition.

Last weekend, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, hosted the first annual Canadian National Championships for Women and Youth.

Forty-seven women from Calgary and Edmonton travelled from Alberta to contest the Nationals, which were played in a round-robin format against the Vancouver-based West Coast Wildcats. It is believed to be the first matches of 18-a-side women's club football played in North America.

With Australian Rules football starting to flourish on the west coast of Canada with its junior leagues, it's little surprise that women’s football is starting to take shape. This weekend sees the inaugural Canadian National Championships for Women and Youth taking place in Vancouver, at the University of British Columbia.

The round robin tournament is seen as a major step for women’s football in Canada as 68 women aged between 18 and 26 will be participating in the competition, representing three clubs across the provinces of British Columbia (BC) and Alberta.

The Washington DC area's junior footy program, Saturday Morning Footy, enters its 4th year when it begins on June 20 at Bluemont Park in Arlington VA. The program is based on the AFL's Auskick program and is designed to introduce girls and boys aged 5 to 15 to the great game of Australian football. Members of the Baltimore Washington Eagles, the US Revolution and the US Freedom will be on hand to help out with the program.

The program has steadily grown and this year plans to add an introductory house league for the older and more experienced players.

As we move toward the start of the 2009 season, USFootyNews.com will be previewing the Top 10 teams in USFooty as voted in the preseason USFootyNews.com and WorldFootyNews.com poll.

At No. 1 is the Baltimore Washington Eagles. Baltimore finished the 2008 season ranked 1 with a 8-0 record in the regular season and a record at the Nationals Tourney of 2-2. The BW Eagles only losses came at Nationals to the No. 8 Boston Demons and eventual champs the Vancouver Cougars. USFootyNews.com caught up with Head Coach Aaron Tyndall at the Eagles Open Day in Arlington VA.

[youtube:11-ueG5MTcU]

As we move toward the start of the 2009 season, USFootyNews.com will be previewing the Top 10 teams in USFooty as voted in the preseason USFootyNews.com and WorldFootyNews.com poll.

At No. 2 is the Denver Bulldogs. Denver finished the 2008 season ranked 2 with a 3-3 record in the regular season and a record at the Nationals Tourney of 2-1. The Bulldogs regular season losses were all at the Florida FastStream Invitational Tournament early in the season and their only loss at Nationals was to the eventual champs, Vancouver, by 7 points.

According to Head Coach, Tom Ellis, "2008 was a big year for us. We had over forty-five men compete at Nationals and over twenty women. For us that makes the year a big success. Every year the Bulldogs have the goal of winning Nationals. 2008 was no different so it was dissappointing to not win but we still think the year was a big success. 2008 was our tenth Anniversary as a club and it was great to look back at six National Titles, over one hundred players on our list over the years and to also have six players that have now played over 100 games for the club. We now have a womens team and two players going to Australia this August to compete with the Freedom. The other teams around the league are getting better and better every year so that is something I really think is good to see."

As we move toward the start of the 2009 season, USFootyNews.com is previewing the Top 10 teams in USFooty as voted in the preseason USFootyNews.com and WorldFootyNews.com poll.

At No. 3 is the New York Magpies. New York finished the 2008 season ranked 3 with a 6-3 record against tough opposition in the regular season and a record at the Nationals Tourney of 1-2. New York's regular season losses were to the Baltimore Washington Eagles (twice) and the Boston Demons at home. At Nationals they lost to Denver and eventual champs, the Vancouver Cougars. In 2009, the Magpies will be looking to compete with the Baltimore Washington Eagles for the EAFL Premiership and with Denver for the National Title.

On Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th May the inaugural Australia.com Canadian National Championships of Australian Rules Football were played over the Victoria Day weekend at Humber college Toronto with great success. Eight teams from southern Ontario participated over the two days of competition and withstood strong wind, heavy rain and low temperatures to provide sponsors and spectators with a great event which is sure to be repeated next year.