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Austria

This page is a quick snapshot of the status of Australian Football in Austria. For further information, browse our news items or use the search facility. If you wish to contact football officials from the country, please search our site for links to their leagues or clubs, including in our Atlas. If unsuccessful, we can normally assist with putting people in touch.

Approx population (2009):  8.4 million

National side:   The Kangaroos

Governing body:   Under Formation

Primary contact / link:   Vienna Kangaroos

WFN Census (2004):   N/A

WFN World Ranking (2008):   N/A

History:   Australian rules football has been played in Austria since 2004, when the first club was formed in Vienna. The club began life as the Vienna Dingos, changing their name to the Vienna Kangaroos in 2006. In the same year and doubling as the National Team, the Kangaroos competed in a tri-nations series against Croatia and the Czech Republic.

A second club is under formation in Graz, named The Styrian Down Under Dogs. The first game between two Austrian clubs was played on 25 October 2008 in Zwaring, Styria. The Austrian team at the 2009 EU Cup was the first to be drawn from both the Vienna and Graz teams.

Outlook (2009):   With the arrival of the Graz club, there is now the ability to start a local league in Austria. Regular league play for the Kangaroos was previously supplied by the Eastern European Tri-Nations against the Croatians and Czechs, but this series was suspended in 2009 to allow the three camps to focus on local development.

Other points of interest:   The name of the Vienna Kangaroos is connected to a popular joke with Austrians - sick of tourists confusing Austria with Australia, souvenir producers began marketing a T-Shirt with the text "Austria - No Kangaroos".

In reference to this, the Vienna Kangaroos sell T-Shirts with the slogan "There are Kangaroos in Austria..."

Last Updated: Sunday, February 28 2010 @ 11:43 am ACDT| Hits: 4,749