As the snow starts to fall along St. Catherine's Street, the Montréal-based Québec Saints Australian Football Club are packing away their jumpers and footy boots after a very promising first year.

With players from Québec City, Montréal and Laval making the long journey to Toronto to play in the OAFL, some driving as much as 9 hours one way to have a kick, a group of expat Australians from Montréal formed the "Québec Saints" in early 2008 in order to have a more accessible way to play Aussie Rules.

As word grew about an Aussie Rules team in Québec numbers increased quickly to the point shortly after its conception the Saints were ready to play their first match.

Thanks to Luke Anderson for this report.

Myk Aussie, that flamboyant Australian reporter on Canadian sport, with a particular eye on Aussie Rules, has done an extensive interview with Mark "Flash" Block. Flash is coach of Canada's national side the Northwind and was a highly successful player and now coach with the Toronto Eagles. The discussion includes the US Nationals (which had a strong Canadian presence in 2008), the International Cup and the impressive juniors coming through from Canada's west coast program.

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Canada's junior team, the Wolfpack, headed down to Australia in big numbers just prior to the third International Cup. In a huge undertaking 52 people made the trip, costing around $100,000 with a big effort on fundraising over many months prior.

The young players got to play four matches against Victorian school sides, attend a few AFL matches, and cheer Canada to victory in the Northwind's opening IC08 match. After that the players and their families scattered on trips across Australia before heading back home to Canada. WFN spoke to their head coach, Mike McFarlane, about the trip and what it achieved, as well as a couple of the star young players.

The inaugural USFootyNews.com All-Star Team was voted on during the month of October. Here are the results.

We're hearing a heck of a lot about Barack Obama now that he is US President-elect. Certainly much of the world looks to him as someone that inspires hope that he will lead the world's most powerful nation in good directions.

But the big question is - has any AFL club got him on board yet? It's a regular occurrence for celebrities and politicians visiting Australia to declare their support for one club or another - Collingwood's Eddie McGuire seemingly in the wings as often as not. But no word yet on Obama support for an AFL club.

Perhaps USFooty can send him a congratulatory Revolution jumper?

An interesting article about Australian football appeared in the New York Times - in 1910. The historic piece was quoting Major Peixotto, leader of the Pacific Coast Amateur Athletic Union. It dates back to an era when the sporting landscape was vastly different. The professional sporting bodies of today did not exist, and a variety of amateur associations encouraged endeavour across a range of sports, some of which no longer exist - basketball teams even competed in weight divisions.

It seems that Australian football was being exhibited in California and met with enthusiasm. "Practically a similar summing up as that of the major's is the consensus among the Californians who have seen the game as demonstrated as it is now being taught on the coast. Its general absorption of most of the other types of contests with the leather spheroid has proved the rule whenever the issue was football", wrote the Times.

As previously reported, the Calgary Kookaburras travelled down from Canada to the US Nationals where they defeated all their opponents in the Women's division, finishing with victory over the Atlanta Lady Kookaburras in the final. Below is a complete report on their tournament, courtesy of AFL Canada.

The Calgary Kookaburras have capped off a stellar 2008 season by winning the US National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Kookaburras were unbeaten in four games to win their first National Championship, overwhelming the previously-undefeated Atlanta Lady Kookaburras in a thrilling final.

The tournament win was made more remarkable because Calgary finished last in the 2007 US Nationals when they merged with the Washington First Lady Eagles. Losses to Milwaukee, Arizona and Atlanta during that tournament sparked the Calgary women into a vigorous off-season fitness program and led to the development of the first full-season women’s footy league in North America during the 2008 summer. Regular matches and dedicated women’s footy training sessions helped to give the mostly-Canadian squad the skills needed to take out the 2008 title.

At the 2008 USFooty National Championship Tournament in Colorado Springs CO, USFootyNews.com held a little ceremony for their 2008 Goal Kicker of the Year and MVP of the Year. Chris Moerman, the Nashville Kangaroo full forward, kicked 43 goals to win the Goal Kicker of the Year award. Kelly Nelson, OC Bomber and Revo mid-fielder, received 12 votes to win the 2008 MVP. Terry Miniken of Coopers Brewery graciously provided the boys with a six pack of Coopers Ale and a Cooper's T-shirt each.

Moerman had an outstanding year with Nashville. He had an incredible averge of just over 6 goals a game in his 7 games. This included 13 goals against Baton Rouge where he was also named best on ground.

Moerman's coach, Marty Thompson, pointed out that even with this 13 goal haul he had numerous assists. Thompson said things slowed down a little as the season wore on because word got out and teams started to double team Moerman. Still, even in his last game against Minneosota, Moerman kicked 6 goals in Nashville's desperate attempt to win the MAAFL Championship.

Kelly Nelson also had an amazing year. Nelson played 6 for Orange County and 3 for the Revolution in Melbourne at the International Cup. He was named in the three best in 5 of OC's six games and had three best on grounds. In Melbourne he was named in the best for three games and was best on ground in the Revo's dismantling of China. Highlights included a best on ground in OC's defeat of San Diego and two goals for the Revos against Japan in their last game of the Melbourne tour.

To see the full count of goal kickers and vote getters for 2008 go to USFootyNews.com Stats page.

Congratulations from USFootyNews.com to both Chris Moerman and Kelly Nelson and thanks to Coopers Brewery for their support.

On October 11 and 12 2008, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs hosted the 12th annual USFooty National Championships. Unfortunately, while Colorado Springs promised beautiful surrounds it delivered a very very cold, foggy, windy and somewhat wet Nationals. A low cloud cover hang over the weekend threatening rain and actually delivering rain during the afternoon games on Saturday. The big winners on the weekend were the Vancouver Cougars who went home to Canada with the first John Harrell Memorial Trophy to cross the US’s northern border.

In second division, the Seattle Grizzlies were able to quiet the other Canadian team in the mens, the Calgary Kangaroos. The third division championship was taken by a resurgent Kansas City Power. In Division Four, the Ohio Valley combination of Louisville and Cincinnati takes home a National Championship and the big responsibility of hosting the 2009 USFooty Nationals in Mason, Ohio. In the Women’s, the Atlanta Kookaburras lost their first National Championship to yet another Canadian team, the Calgary Kookaburras.

Presentation of USFootyNews.com Goal Kicker of the Year and MVP to Chris Moerman (Nashville) and Kelly Nelson (OC) respectively. Interviews with Shane Atherton (WA Football), Jenny Sarbacker and Tina Arend (US Freedom), Ryan Richardson and Mark Lambert (KC), Andrew Donlen and Jeff Purcells (Seattle) and Rod Grljusich.

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