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Germany

This page is a quick snapshot of the status of Australian Football in Germany. 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):   82 million

National side:   German Black Eagles

Governing body:   Australian Football League Germany

Clubs:

Berlin Crocodiles
Rheinland Lions
Munich Roos
Hamburg Dockers
Frankfurt Redbacks
Stuttgart Emus

Primary contact / link:   AFL Germany

WFN Census (2004):   5 teams and about 78 senior players, 0 juniors

WFN World Ranking (2008):   15th

History:  

The Frankfurt Redbacks and Munich Kangaroos were founded in 1995 and have been playing against each other since 1996. The AFLG was officially created in 1999, but the two clubs only played occasional matches against each other for the first few years until the formation of the Berlin Crocodiles and the Hamburg Dockers made the possibility of a national league a reality in 2003.

In 2004 the Düsseldorf Lions (formed in 2002) joined the AFLG, the league having a five-club structure for the following two seasons.

In 2006, a new French side from Strasbourg, the Kangaroos, entered the German league to experience regular league play. The Strasbourg club played under the nickname the "Black Devils" in the German league to avoid a name clash with Munich. At roughly the same time, the Düsseldorf club rebranded to become the Rheinland Lions to reflect a shared home between Düsseldorf and nearby Köln (Cologne).

In 2007 the French team, Strasbourg Kangaroos withdrew from the league, leaving five clubs and a 10-game league season plus additional tournaments.

In 2008 a sixth team was formed in Stuttgart, nicknamed the Emus. They joined regular league play in division two in 2009.

At the end of the 2008 season, the playing standard of the league had progressed to a stage where it was difficult for a new or developing club to compete against the established sides. This was particularly evident in the struggles of the Berlin Crocodiles to remain competitive. Conversely, the larger clubs were seeing an increase in players numbers and were in need of a venue for their reserve players. These factors, combined with the entrance of the Stuttgart Emus into the AFLG, saw the creation of a second division to the league in 2009.

During this season, the league's six clubs fielded eight teams in total across both divisions. Division 1 featured the Frankfurt Redbacks, Hamburg Dockers and the firsts from Munich Roos and Rheinland Lions. Division 2 featured the Berlin Crocodiles, Stuttgart Emus, and the seconds from Rheinland and Munich.

The German national team has played a number of tests against other European sides, both 18-a-side and 9-a-side. They have not to date come to Australia for the International Cup, the league maintaining that the costs involved could be better spent on local development.

Outlook (2010):  

The Black Eagles have performed well at the EU Cup over the past few years and are expected to make an appearance at the inaugural European Championships in Denmark and Sweden.

Other points of interest:  

Last Updated: Tuesday, February 16 2010 @ 09:12 pm ACDT| Hits: 5,111