2006 will see footy league play return to the OC, LA and Inland Empire with a new four-team Southern California AFL under formation. California boasted the first organised regional footy league in the USA, but has since gone through hard times - the right league structure proving elusive despite the area being home to two of the USA's traditional power clubs in Orange County and San Diego and a large local Australian population. WFN talks with Chris Olson about the new league.

With the size of the workload involved becoming more obvious in recent times, no club had put up their hand to host the tournament by the time of the 2005 National Championships held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Usually an announcement would have been made at that time, but not in 2005. There is also the matter of the ‘Nationals Curse’ which seems to haunt host clubs in the years following the tournament being in their city, perhaps due to the enormous workload on volunteer administrators. The curse is generally not taken seriously, yet a serious case could be mounted that there is something to it.

Mike ‘Scuba’ Russell wasn't expecting to suit up for his country when he attended the AFL exhibition match in LA but wasn't about to say no to such an honour. Here he gives us a forthright, first hand account of his day playing for the US Revolution team, made up of all American players. They took on the Aussie All Comers side at the UCLA last week as the curtain raiser to the Swans v Kangaroos match.

The New York Magpies and other organisers of the Australia Day longest kick competition, featuring NY Jet and ex-Geelong AFL player Ben Graham, have released further information on the locations and details of their contest.

On Sunday I took my son to his first AFL game. As we played kick-to-kick behind the temporary bleachers, memories flooded back of playing footy with my dad and brother at Princes Park after the game.

The Swans versus Kangaroos AFL match at Los Angeles last weekend was a long overdue return to the US for Australia's top sporting organisation. After years of lobbying and aborted attempts, the event finally happened. With so much to organise and all involved relatively new to such a task (given the AFL's long absence from North America), it was inevitable that not all would go smoothly. But critically the game was held, the AFL clubs appear to be pleased with the outcome and no major injuries were sustained - always handy when hoping to make it an annual event.

worldfootynews.com has received feedback from someone active in the USFooty community expressing concern about some of the personal comment in the story Hollywood encounter with the Swans and the Kangaroos is no B-grade movie. The issue related to content at the end of the story primarily regarding previous administration of the game in the US. WFN welcomes such feedback and appreciates the concern. The article was submitted by an independent contributor and as such does not necessarily represent the views of WFN.

Ben Graham, punter for the New York Jets and former long-kicking defender for the AFL's Geelong Cats, has been confirmed as an attendee of the New York Magpies' Longest Kick competition, an annual Australia Day social event and fundraiser for the Aussie Rules community in the Big Apple.

The Aussie All comers team has defeated the US Revolution team by 37 points at the UCLA today on a playing surface roughly the same size as the SCG. The match was played in front of a sell out crowd, as the curtain raiser to the Sydney V Kangaroos exhibition match, which the Kangaroos won by 48 points. Australian celebrities joined the the capacity crowd including, Olivia Newtown-John, Layne Beachley and Hugh Jackman. Australian Federal Treasurer Peter Costello, and former politicians John Olsen and Tim Fischer were also present.

Match reports to follow as they come in. Photos of the Aussie All-comers side added courtesy of Mark McParland.

In the lead-up to this weekend's exhibition match between Sydney and the Kangaroos in LA, a training session was held for USAFL players with members of the AFL teams and dignitaries from the world of footy such as Ron Barassi - introduced to the American audience as being the "Vince Lombardi of Australian Football". Michael “Scuba” Russell reports for us from UCLA.