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Irish Warriors Bring Down USA Revolution

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In a big international match held in Dublin on the weekend, the Irish Warriors hosted the visiting USA Revolution team. The national team from the USA is in Ireland for some match practice against one of the world’s best teams outside of Australia and play in friendlies against both the Irish Warriors and on Tuesday the Belfast Redbacks. The tour sees a strong USA contingent of 40 players and support staff.

The tour is historic on many fronts, but it is the first time that Ireland has played the USA on home soil. It is also the first time the two nation have played each other in the northern hemisphere.

In the opening match, the Warriors were far too experienced for the Revolution. The Warriors jumped early and could not be caught, running away to win by 76 points. The final score in the match saw the Irish Warriors 14 13 97 defeat the USA Revolution 2 9 21.



The “Revos” get another chance to meet the Warriors when they clash in the second international on 4th August.

In between, the Revolution will travel to Belfast to take on the Redbacks. It promises to be another tough test for the visitors with the Redbacks in red-hot form, having just gone through the AFL Europe home and away season undefeated and itching for a chance to flex their muscle prior to finals.

The tour offers the USA Revolution national team the chance to gain some experience against international teams – something that is difficult to replicate back home in the USA. By travelling, they are able to play games at a higher level and prepare the squad for any other international fixtures – most particularly to raise the bar for the 2020 International Cup in Melbourne.

It is also an important hit out for the Warriors ahead of this year’s Euro Cup in Cork. Their coach, Brian Currane, gets to have a good look at his players ahead of the event to ensure the bet Irish Warriors team takes the field.


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Irish Warriors Bring Down USA Revolution

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In a big international match held in Dublin on the weekend, the Irish Warriors hosted the visiting USA Revolution team. The national team from the USA is in Ireland for some match practice against one of the world’s best teams outside of Australia and play in friendlies against both the Irish Warriors and on Tuesday the Belfast Redbacks. The tour sees a strong USA contingent of 40 players and support staff.

The tour is historic on many fronts, but it is the first time that Ireland has played the USA on home soil. It is also the first time the two nation have played each other in the northern hemisphere.

In the opening match, the Warriors were far too experienced for the Revolution. The Warriors jumped early and could not be caught, running away to win by 76 points. The final score in the match saw the Irish Warriors 14 13 97 defeat the USA Revolution 2 9 21.



The “Revos” get another chance to meet the Warriors when they clash in the second international on 4th August.

In between, the Revolution will travel to Belfast to take on the Redbacks. It promises to be another tough test for the visitors with the Redbacks in red-hot form, having just gone through the AFL Europe home and away season undefeated and itching for a chance to flex their muscle prior to finals.

The tour offers the USA Revolution national team the chance to gain some experience against international teams – something that is difficult to replicate back home in the USA. By travelling, they are able to play games at a higher level and prepare the squad for any other international fixtures – most particularly to raise the bar for the 2020 International Cup in Melbourne.

It is also an important hit out for the Warriors ahead of this year’s Euro Cup in Cork. Their coach, Brian Currane, gets to have a good look at his players ahead of the event to ensure the bet Irish Warriors team takes the field.


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Bristol Dockers Take Welsh Title

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After another hard fought season by all concerned, the Bristol Dockers have taken out the WARFL (AFL Wales) premiership downing the Cardiff Panthers by 51 points. It was a fitting end to a season where the Dockers were always a step ahead of their rivals. It sees the Dockers defending their title from 2017, going back to back.

The result was comprehensive, and a far bigger margin that their last meeting, which saw the Dockers down the Panthers by just a couple of kicks. This time around, the Dockers broke the shackles early and killed of any chance of a Panthers’ fightback with a five goals to nil third quarter. The Panthers certainly had their share of the ball with 22 scoring shots to 29, but inaccurate kicking meant the Dockers were able to keep them at arm’s length.

The following is a small press release from the Dockers giving a brief overview of the match.


“Bristol Dockers retained the Welsh Australian Rules Football League (WARFL) title against long-time rivals, the Cardiff Panthers, with a 98-47 point victory at Dings Crusaders RFC .”

“The Dockers led from the start, but it was a 34 points to 2 point third quarter which put them out of sight. Cardiff Panthers won the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to recover.”

Result: Bristol Dockers 14 14 98 d Cardiff Panthers 5 17 47

“Daniel Hooper, player/coach, made a cameo appearance back from injury to score a goal in the final for the Dockers while Liam Payne (a Welsh International) was the victorious captain.”

“Victory means we have now qualified for the AFL Europe Champions League tournament in Amsterdam next year.”

The season has one final instalment for the Bristol Dockers on 11th August in Southampton. They will travel south to compete in the grand-final of the combined SEWARFL tournament. Finishing as Welsh champions, they will play the top ranked SEAFL (Southern England) team, the Southampton Titans. The second placed final will see the Cardiff Panthers drawn to play the Portsmouth Pirates and the third placed Chippenham Redbacks will play the Sussex Swans.

The Dockers would love to win two titles in two weeks to complete a huge 2018 season, but their Welsh title will sit most proudly in their trophy cabine ...

Pirates Fall Short Of Top Spot

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The Portsmouth Pirates came agonisingly close to finishing the SEAFL season on top of the ladder. Their match against the Sussex Swans saw them claim enough points to draw level with the Southampton Titans on wins but with a lesser percentage. When combined with the SEWARFL results in Bristol earlier in the season, the Titans had a draw to keep them ahead of the Pirates.

That leaves the Titans on top with 22 points, followed closely by the Pirates on 21 points. The following report from the SEAFL details the weekend matches.

“Due to a forfeit from Southampton Titans on Saturday (who must have done the math on the ladder!), that left the Sussex Swans to face the Portsmouth Pirates in an extended game of footy in the Brighton sunshine - final result was 8 10 58 to 5 7 37 to the Pirates.”


“In true SEAFL fashion, all players got stuck into a last game, old versus young. With a youthful Pirates side coming up the ranks this year, the age cut off was at 27 - much lower than it’s been in previous years, even with a few Swans knocking on fifty! We were delighted to have a handful of Swans women get involved in the friendly game too. A wonderful end to another wonderful season.”

“Finally, the winners and losers of SEAFL and WARFL will face off for one last game on the 11th August in Southampton.”

Those matches will see the first places teams from the two competitions play off against each other, the second placed teams doing the same and the third ranked teams.

SEWARFL Grand Final Draw – Southampton 2018

1st Place – Southampton Titans v Bristol Dockers
2nd Place – Portsmouth Pirates v Cardiff Panthers
3rd Place – Sussex Swans v Chippenham Redbac ...

Wildcats Outlast Demons In Extra Time

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A remarkable semi-final between the West London Wildcats and the Wandsworth Demons required extra time as the two teams were locked at the final siren. The ensuing extra time saw the Wildcats find enough ways to score to hold the Demons at bay in an absolute thriller. The win sees the Wildcats book a grand-final berth, leaving the Demons to face the North London Lions in a Preliminary Final after the Lions convincingly downed the London Swans on Sunday.

The Women’s Premiership division saw the first big upset of the finals with the North London Lions convincingly defeating the Wandsworth Demons. The Demons went into the match as firm favourites after an undefeated home and away season and finishing three games clear of the Lions. Bu finals pressure is different and the Lions were relentless, ignoring recent history and chasing their own.


The full weekend results across all divisions saw:

Men’s Premiership
West London Wildcats 6 10 46 d Wandsworth Demons 6 7 43
North London Lions 20 20 140 d London Swans 5 2 32

Women's Premiership
North London Lions 6 5 41 d Wandsworth Demons 1 2 8
West London Wildcats 3 3 21 d South East London Giants 2 6 18

Men's Conference
Clapham Demons 6 8 44 d Shepherds Bush Raiders 6 2 38
Regents Park Lions 50 d Putney Magpies 0

Women's Conference
London Swans 7 10 52 d Putney Magpies 0 0 0

Men’s Social
Bounds Green Lions 8 6 54 d Ealing Emus 5 2 32
South London Demons 6 5 41 d Reading Roos 3 6 24

It makes for a fascinating Preliminary Final round next weekend at Hackney Marshes as teams fight to reach the grand-finals in four matches as well as the Women’s Conference grand-final.

Preliminary Finals:
Men’s Premiership – Wandsworth Demons v North London Lions
Women’s Premiership – Wandsworth Demons v West London Wildcats
Men’s Conference – Shepherds Bush Raiders v Regents Park Lions
Men’s Social – Reading Roos v Bounds Green Lions

Grand Final:
Women’s Conference – Clapham Demons v London Swans
...

AFLW: Dogs Go Global In Search For Talent

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Sarah Black reports on the www.afl.com.au website that the Western Bulldogs are casting a recruiting net globally in a bid to develop their own list, and by extension women’s football. There are also positive ramifications for women across the world who may find their way onto an AFLW list. Whilst the Bulldogs’ initiative is looking for just one rookie spot, the concept will be looked at by all clubs, and especially those yet to be granted places in the AFLW as they look to grow future lists.

AFL Women's premiers the Western Bulldogs are casting their net around the world in the hunt for a rookie to add to their list for the 2019 season. 

The Bulldogs have partnered with international AFL bodies such as AFL England, AFL Ireland Women's, AFL Europe and AFL Canada to promote its international rookie program 'CrossCoders'. 

The definition of an AFLW rookie has changed from season to season, but for 2019, an AFLW rookie would not have played Australian football in the past three years or been involved in an AFLW high-performance program.

Bulldogs coach Paul Groves told AFL.com.au Bulldogs key defender Lauren Spark, who played for the Wimbledon Hawks in London for several years before being drafted and moving back home to Australia, was an influential part of the program. 

"Lauren's a teacher as well as a player, and is looking to expand her future in life after footy," Groves said. 

"CrossCoders developed in discussions with her, the networks she's got overseas, and looking at how we facilitate ways for talented females in other countries to come to Australia and play AFLW. 

"We're always looking for the best talent. The way the competition's set up at the moment, the AFL has given option to put cross-coders on our rookie list. We're proud with how our rookie process has gone over the past few years, with Libby Birch (netball and hockey), Kim Rennie (basketball) and Aisling Utri (hockey). We're just casting the net a bit wider."

Interested potential players can apply through the CrossCoders website, with a week-long crash-course camp in Melbourne in late September for invited applicants.

There, players will have sessions on game rules, take part in physical and skill testing and match simulation. At the end of the camp, one or more may be offered a rookie contract. 

"We've had phenomenal interest. It's just been a soft launch so far (and we're) looking to ramp it up next few weeks," Groves said.

"We've had girls apply who play AFL in Europe, America or Canada, significant interest from Gaelic footballers, which is completely the effect (Greater Western Sydney's Cora Staunton) has had.

"There has also been a lot of interest from college athletes from volleyball and lacrosse in America, athletes who are finishing their studies and looking at what else is out there," he said.

"There's been some interest from rugby union and sevens players, now the Olympic tournaments have been held, as well as some from European soccer players." 

The original story can be found at: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-07-31/aflw-dogs-go-global-in-search-for-talent ...

New AFL Colombia Season Gets Under Way

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The second instalment of the AFL Colombia competition got under way last weekend. Just weeks after the DC Aguilas held aloft the inaugural premiership, teams returned to the playing field in Bogota for the second “season” for the year. Paddy Smallwood from AFL Colombia sent the following report after the Agulias took on the Bullants.

“The rematch of the teams from the last Grand Final proved to be a real livewire for both the Gourmet Burger Bar Bogota D.C. Aguilas and the Bogota Craft Beer Tours.”

“With the Aguilas facing off against what was once their star player Sam Miller but also incorporating the mercenary ex-vice captain of the Bullants Tristan Quigley, there was certainly some tension between the two outfits.”


“The first quarter got off to a cracking start, with Tristan playing up front, benefiting from some Bullant mistakes to knock off a couple of goals. The Bullants dominated in the midfield and there was some great marks up front by Andrew Heath Sloan, but while there was the same number of shots on goal between the two, The Aguilas proved to be the more accurate. Aguilas finished the quarter 37 to 28.”

“It was during the second quarter that the Bullants really locked in, running away with the match 9 goals to 1 thanks to excellent work up front from Oscar Marin and Amir Nissen and a clash taking Aguilas Captain Paddy Smallwood off the field. This ended the half with a crushing 85-44 lead to the Bullants.”

“While other teams might have been undone by such a lead, the Aguilas tucked in and managed to even up the ledger. They knocked in four goals to the Bullants six, thanks to gutsy efforts from James Moore and never to be underestimated Dean Wiltshire. It would have been more if it wasn't for some inspirational defence by the Bullants, anchored by Felipe Mojica Aranda who held off an intense sustained effort in the Bullants half. Paddy tried to return to the field but eventually was forced to retire due to his knee injury.”

“The last Quarter wasn't able to be turned around, but the Aguilas continued to play well as both teams started to run out of steam. The Bullants again suffering to inaccuracy as they hit 6 behinds to their 5 goals and the Aguilas running up 2 goals to finish the game at 161 to 83.”

Best on field:
Bogota Bullants - Yesid González, Felipe Mojica Aranda, Sam Miller
D.C. Aguilas - Alex Raf, Torres Sergio, James Moore

The Bogota Bombers get their chance to extract some revenge against the DC Aguilas when the teams meet this weekend at Manzover in Bogota. Likewise, the DC crew will be keen to atone for their defeat at the hands of the Bullants and get their new season back on track. A fascinating match of football is assure ...

AFL 2018 International Broadcast Schedule - Round 20

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FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Ltd

Round 20 of the 2018 AFL Season kicks off Friday night Melbourne time at the MCG with Richmond hosting Geelong.   

The full broadcast schedule for the round can be seen below.

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).

You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the Watch AFL promo shot on the left to register and by then paying the subscription fee.

Right now Watch AFL is offering a Mid-Season Pass a big discount on the regular season pass. This pass includes all AFL Premiership season matches, the Finals Series plus access to FOX FOOTY content.

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 All times subject to change - please check with your local guides ...


Belfast Redbacks Quell The Revolution

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The second match of the Irish itinerary for the USA Revolution was played this week in Belfast when the touring squad took on the Redbacks. In a closer game than last wekend’s clash against the Irish Warriors, the visitors still found it tough against the current FL Ireland flag favourites. Conor Mallon, Belfast Redbacks Club President, provided the following match report.

The American national team, USA Revolution, travelled to Belfast on the 31st July to take on the AFL Ireland League leaders the Belfast Redbacks as part of their visit to Ireland to play the Irish Warriors.

The Redbacks jumped at the opportunity to take on a national side for the first time in the club’s history when they were asked by the Irish Warriors’ head coach, Brian Currane.

After struggling in recent seasons, the Redbacks have had a great year with some new recruits joining the ranks and helping the club to an undefeated season - finishing top of the league.

The match in Belfast was a great benefit to both the Redbacks wanting to keep their winning ways going and the Revolution as they prepare for their second clash against the Irish Warriors this Saturday 04/08/18 in Dublin.

Tuesday evening was perfect footy weather with fairly dry conditions and only a slight breeze for the players to contend with. The teams opted to play a 14 a side game.

The Redbacks got off to the better start on the familiar pitch with some great goals from Kyle Devine and Kev McSorley to get the first points on the scoreboard.

The ruck was a strong contest at each bounce with Declan Alder winning some important contests to send the mids David McElhone, Dean Skinner and David Miller off on some great individual runs towards the sticks.

Some bruising tackles by Tom McKenna and Sean-Paul Henry kept the possession in the hands of the Redbacks allowing them to move the ball up the wings with some great solo efforts by Gerard Walls, Steafan Hannaway and Sean Hannaway.

The Revos seemed to adapt to the Redback style of footy and came back stronger in the second half kicking some impressive all-important goals to reduce the gap between the battling sides.
Both teams battled hard and the game was played in great spirits. Goals in the latter stages of the game by David McElhone and Dean Skinner secured a historic win for the Rebacks with a score of 10-7(68) to 5-8(38) for the Revolution.

After the game both clubs traded jerseys signed by all their players and posed for photos together before heading for some beers before the USA made their return trip to Dublin that night.

It was great for the two teams to spend time together and interesting to see the American players try to understand the dulcet Belfast tones of our very own Michael ‘Mitch’ McGarry!

Special thanks to Andrew Hickey for umpiring the match with some help from some volunteers at the goals.

Best on ground for the Redbacks: David McElhone

Thanks again to Bob Given for some great photos from the match:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...amp;type=3

The Redbacks will take a great boost from the win over the Revolution as they prepare for the Grand Final that is being held in Belfast on the 25th of August.

Hard work behind the scenes by the Redback committee and some great training sessions co-ordinated by Paul Brogan have helped the Redbacks to a great year culminating in an undefeated campaign which will be rewarded with the home Grand Final.

After a four year Premiership drought, and some mixed fortunes in recent seasons, the Redbacks are working hard to prepare for a huge final and to finish the year on a high.

The spot against the Redbacks in the Grand Final will be highly sought after by the Galway Magpies, Leeside Lions and the South Dublin Swans on the 11th of August in Dublin.

There is still certainly everything to play for with all teams in the league playing some great footy during the AFL Ireland season.

...

Roos, Sockeyes take USAFL Western Regionals titles

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The annual USAFL Western Regionals tournament was held this past weekend at the David Legacy Soccer Park outside Sacramento, California. It was a day of intense heat (105 F/41 C), but it was great to see some high quality footy being played in the state capital.

With eight men’s teams and four women’s teams, there was plenty of talent and experience on display. The men’s division one side was made up of the Seattle Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Dragons, the Golden Gate Roos and the San Diego Lions (who combined with several Arizona Hawks players). The day started with the Dragons taking on the Grizzlies, securing a 26-point win in the process; concurrently, Golden Gate defeated San Diego by a nine goal margin. As the temperatures climbed throughout the afternoon, the Dragons took home another scalp, beating the Lions and securing a spot in the grand final.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were looking to play spoiler against the Roos, but the boys from San Francisco were not having it, winning by 40 points to earn a grand final berth themselves.

The D1 grand final featured two familiar foes, as Golden Gate had defeated LA in last year’s Nationals. Coming into the final match of the day, both teams were ready for a dogfight. The Dragons made it a competitive contest through the first half, but a big third quarter from the Roos lifted them to a 35-point victory.

The men’s division two games consisted of the hosts, the Sacramento Suns, as well as the Orange County Bombers, Arizona Outlaws and Portland Steelheads (combined with Arizona Hawks). Portland narrowly defeated Sacramento in the first D2 match of the day, while the Bombers took home a low-scoring two-goal win over the Outlaws, a young squad that also featured several players traveling from Las Vegas. The hosting Suns would rebound after a nice victory over Arizona, while Portland defeated OC in the second game for both teams.

In the women’s competition, the four competing teams included the Sacramento Lady Suns, the San Francisco Iron Maidens, the Seattle Grizzlies and the Portland Sockeyes. The first match of the day was a Northern California clash between the Lady Suns and the Maidens, with the latter ultimately taking home the win, 5.0.30 to 2.1.13. Concurrently, the Sockeyes -- who also featured four of the LA Dragons women -- got off to a nice start, holding Seattle to only two behinds in a defense-oriented game.

At 1 pm, the Maidens posted a double-digit triumph over Seattle and gained some much-needed confidence heading into the final match of the day. However, the Sockeyes’ quiet dominance continued as they beat Sacramento by 17 points to set up a San Francisco/Portland grand final. With some of the most athletic and experienced ladies in the competition, the Maidens looked ready to make a statement against the Sockeyes, but in the end it was Portland who walked away with the upset, beating San Fran by a score of 2.1.13 to 1.4.10.

Men’s division 1 champs: Golden Gate Roos
Men’s division 2 champs: Portland Steelheads/Arizona Hawks
Women’s champs: Portland Sockeyes

Men’s D1 best and fairest: Ben Dowdell, Golden Gate Roos
Men’s D2 best and fairest: Saleh Tyebjee, Sacramento Suns
Women’s best and fairest: April Lewis, Seattle Grizzlies
Men’s D1 MVP: Julian de Vizio, Los Angeles Dragons
Men’s D2 MVP: William Mounce, Orange County Bombers
Women’s MVP: Lucy Parrington, Portland Sockeyes

D1 Results
Los Angeles 8.4.52, Seattle 4.2.26
Golden Gate 9.7.61, San Diego 0.3.3
Los Angeles 9.6.60, San Diego 1.1.7
Golden Gate 8.11.59, Seattle 3.1.19
San Diego 6.3.39, Seattle 3.2.20
Golden Gate 8.5.53, Los Angeles 3.0.18

D2 Results
Portland 4.6.30, Sacramento 3.3.21
Orange County 4.2.24, Arizona 2.2.12
Sacramento 6.6.42, Arizona 4.2.26
Portland 5.10.40, Orange County 3.1.19

Women’s Results
Portland 3.4.22, Seattle 0.2.2
San Francisco 5.0.30, Sacramento 2.1.13
San Francisco 5.3.33, Seattle 1.3.9
Portland 5.6.36, Sacramento 3.1.19
Sacramento 1.1.7, Seattle 0.3.3
Portland 2.1.13, San Francisco 1.4.10
  ...

FIVE..!!! Manchester Mozzies Raise Premiership Bar

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After a season of dominance where they remained undefeated, the Manchester Mozzies have won an extraordinary fifth consecutive premiership when they defeated the Nottingham Scorpions by 25 points. Their fifth flag in a row already propels the Mozzies to stratospheric heights on a worldwide football stage and they have no immediate plans to end their dominance, now being the proud owners of seven AFLCNE premierships.

For the third straight year, the Nottingham Scorpions bravely stuck with the Manchester behemoth, but in the end could only be in awe of the ability of the Mozzies’ ability to keep finding ways to raise the bar – both on the field and across the history of the league.

Playing the AFLCNE Grand-Final in front of a home crowd in Nottingham, the Scorpions stuck within striking distance of the Mozzies all day but couldn’t bridge the gap enough to catch them. This was despite having their adoring home fans cheering and offering all manner of advice from the sidelines.


The first quarter saw both teams willingly attacking with seven scoring shots apiece, but superior accuracy saw the Mozzies go to the first break with a 10-point lead. The Scorpions were well in the match and did well to keep their opponents from burying them in the opening quarter.

The second quarter was just as tight. In a very physical and tough arm wrestle, the Mozzies managed to creep further ahead, but were yet to break the game open. The Scorpions simply wouldn’t let them. The Mozzies knew they had a battle on their hands to take the flag. By the main break the Mozzies held a 14-point lead – not enough to win a premiership, yet still leaving the Scorpions with a half of football to bridge the gap.

The “premiership” quarter is so often the turning point where a team breaks the shackles and sets up a game. However, the torrid fight continued. Neither side was prepared to give an inch in what was becoming a grand final for the ages. Both teams rammed home four goals for the quarter. Only a superior accuracy in front of goal kept the Mozzies ahead on the scoreboard by 16 points, having had 17 shots on goal to 16. The Scorpions were close enough to challenge in the final quarter.

The final quarter saw both teams thrown everything at each other – and then some. The Mozzies were attacking frequently, but their own scoring yips were keeping the Scorpions alive. But as time ran down it was clear the Mozzies would prevail as they went on to a well-deserved and hard fought 25 point premiership win.

The Mozzies are now nursing sore celebratory heads – the Scorpions broken hearts. Nevertheless, both teams put on a showcase of football to be proud of. Whilst there are post season and pre-season games and tournaments still to be played, the main planning will be for the Mozzie era to continue as they plan for 2019. Four other clubs (and hopefully more) go back to the drawing board and plot what will be required to hold up a cup of their own next season.

But for now, the Manchester Mozzies are celebrating five premiership flags in a row – something quite extraordinary and deserving of hearty congratulations.

Final Scores:
1st Quarter – Manchester Mozzies 5 2 32 v Nottingham Scorpions 3 4 22
2nd Quarter – Manchester Mozzies 9 2 56 v Nottingham Scorpions 6 6 42
3rd Quarter – Manchester Mozzies 13 4 82 v Nottingham Scorpions 10 6 66
Full Time – Manchester Mozzies 16 11 107 d Nottingham Scorpions 12 10 82

AFLCNE Leading Goal Kicker - Andrew Walkden (Manchester Mozzies)

AFLCNE Best & Fairest - Matthew Whiteley (Huddersfield Rams)



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Exorcising Demons – AFL London

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It has proved to be a huge day for the Wandsworth Demons after preliminary final day at Hackney Marshes. With one premiership in the bag already, the club’s other teams either were already in the Grand Final of their division, or had to win through. By the end of the day, the Demons had one flag decided and will have four teams aiming for more next weekend as they aim for a record-breaking five flags in a season.

It now remains in the hands of the other AFL London clubs to find way to exorcise these Demons and seek their own premiership glory.

The biggest result of the weekend saw the Wandsworth Demons winning the Women’s Conference division flag when they downed a gallant London Swans. In an amazing result, the Demons held a nine-point lead at the final change in a low scoring match, keeping the Swans scoreless for three quarters. The Swans came home hard in the final quarter, threatening to steal the match and falling short by just one point. The Demons held on, but only by the skin of their teeth.



The Women’s Premiership division saw the Wandsworth Demons prove far too good for the West London Wildcats, winning by 33 points and keeping their opponents scoreless. The result will see the Demons up against the North London Lions, upset winners last weekend. The Demons will be fired up for revenge on Grand Final day.

The Men’s Social division was won by the Bounds Green (North London) Lions, downing the Reading Roos by 26 points. They now go into next weekend’s Grand Final against the South London (Wandsworth) Demons.

In the Men’s Conference division, the Shepherds Bush Raiders hammered the North London Lions by a huge 124 points to book their place in the Grand Final against the raging hot favourites, the Clapham Demons.

In the other big match of the day, the Wandsworth Demons made their way into the Men’s Premiership Grand Final with a strong 46-point victory against the North London Lions. It sets up an amazing Grand Final next weekend with the Demons up against the West London Wildcats. Their previous game in the second semi-final was only decided by three points in extra time, so evenly matched are these two teams.

The teams had won a match each against each other during the regular season, oddly with the away team victorious on both occasions. Both teams lost just one match during the home and away season – to each other, and both finished with massive percentages. It is sure to be a memorable Grand Final as the two best teams in the league slug it out.

Final Scores:

Grand Final:
Women’s Conference - Clapham Demons 1 3 9 d London Swans 1 2 8

Preliminary Finals:
Women’s Premiership – Wandsworth Demons 5 3 3 d West London Wildcats 0 0 00
Men’s Social – Bounds Green Lions 6 6 42 d Reading Roos 2 4 16
Men’s Conference – Shepherds Bush Raiders 20 22 142 d North London Lions 3 0 18
Men’s Premiership – Wandsworth Demons 91 d North London Lions 45 ...

AFLCNE Team Of The Season Announced

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In the wake of yesterday’s AFLCNE Grand Final, won for the fifth consecutive season by the Manchester Mozzies (see FIVE..!!! Manchester Mozzies Raise Premiership Bar), the league has announced their Tam Of The Season to recognise excellence across the five competing clubs throughout the 2018 season.

Not surprisingly, the team features six Manchester Mozzies, but all teams are represented. As expected, AFLCNE Best & Fairest winner, Matthew Whiteley from the Huddersfield Rams has been selected as has the competitions leading goal kicker, Andrew Walkden from the Mozzies.

The AFLCNE Team Of The season selections are:


Niall Dowd – Full Back (Manchester Mozzies)
Matthew Whiteley - Half Back (Huddersfield Rams)
Chris Thomas – Half Back (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
Paul Watson – Ruckman (Nottingham Scorpions)
George Dibble – Rover (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
Andrew Cochran – Rover (Manchester Mozzies)
Andrew Walkden – Half Forward (Manchester Mozzies)
L Burns – Half Forward (Manchester Mozzies)
Glenn Murphy – Full Forward (Manchester Mozzies)

M Dunlop – Interchange (Manchester Mozzies)
Craig Jones – Interchange (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
Mark Ireland – Interchange (Nottingham Scorpions)
Jordan King – Interchange (Merseyside Saints)
Ryder Court – Interchange (Merseyside Saints)
Alex Overton – Interchange (Huddersfield Rams)
Ash Swift- Interchange (Nottingham Scorpions)

The squad features six players from the Manchester Mozzies, three each from the Nottingham Scorpions and Wolverhampton Wolverines and two apiece from the Huddersfield Rams and Merseyside Saints. In a show of strength from the Mozzies, the entire forward is lifted straight from the Mozzies line-up, which makes sense given they were again the heaviest scoring team in the league for 2018.

Congratulations to those selected on their own performances and their contribution to their teams and the league for 2018.

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Frankfurt Redbacks Finish Season On A High

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They won’t be playing finals footy in 2018, but the Frankfurt Redbacks have ensured that they secured fifth spot on the premiership ladder with a resounding win against the Württemberg Giants. In the only match for Round 9, the Redbacks gave their home fans the ideal finish to their season.

After crashing out of the starting barriers at breakneck speed with a seven goal to nil opening quarter, the Redbacks simply kept the momentum and pressure going across all four quarters to run out victors by 141 points. With Jay Calder kicking six goal for the Redbacks, and Jonas Petrenz a handy five goals, the Giants were never allowed to build any momentum to get back into the game.

The Redbacks will finish with four wins for the season along with the Rheinland Lions, but with a very poor percentage. The Lions would need to lose their final match by an earth-shattering margin against the rampant Dockers in Hamburg to be overtaken by the Redbacks. Whilst not impossible – the Dockers have been merciless this season – it is unlikely.


It leaves an exciting Round 10 to be played next weekend before moving into the AFLG finals series.

A mentioned, the Hamburg Dockers will host the Rheinland Lions. The Lions won’t give up, but the Dockers are intent on showing everyone in the league who is boss and should win comfortably. In other matches, the Dresden Wolves will host the Berlin Crocodiles. Both teams need a satisfying end to the home and away season for different reasons, but it is hard to see the Crocs dropping this one on the eve of finals. The Munich Kangaroos will travel to Esslingen to meet the Württemberg Giants.

Final Scores:
Frankfurt Redbacks 23 23 161 defeated Württemberg Giants 3 2 20

The semi-finals will be played in Cologne on August 25th before the winning semi-finalists meet in Dresden on September 15th in the Grand Fina ...

Aoife O'Gorman - From County Waterford to the Port Melbourne Borough

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Irishwoman Aoife O’Gorman played Gaelic Football (GAA) and Hurling through school, university and beyond.

She played GAA against AFLW GWS Giants star Cora Staunton in the late 1990s back in Ireland in a number of high-profile matches for their counties.

“We won some big games and lost some; it’s a bit mad to see her playing at the top level out here in footy”, O’Gorman said of her time with County Waterford.

She believes GAA and women’s Aussie Rules footy share some comparisons but differences too. “Simply put footy is physically ferocious, far beyond GAA – it requires fierce physical commitment from everyone in every game in order to be competitive,” she said.

 

Image (right)Source: Sportsfile

 

Otherwise there is a large similarity in skills, scoring etc. – both games will reward athletic and skillful players,” she said. “I enjoy the award athletic and skilful players I enjoy the award and advantage of the mark in footy. I do miss scoring goals past goalkeepers though”.

She now calls Melbourne home and has only recently started playing Australian Rules Football for the Port Melbourne Borough women’s team in it’s inaugural year. The team is in Division 1 of the South Eastern Women’s Football League. She has been named in the best players in four of the eight games she has played in 2018 so far.

 

 “It’s been short and sweet – this is my first season and experience. I love watching and attending footy – it’s a great spectator sport. I wish I started playing a few years ago when I first came here in 2009”, O’Gorman said.

Before playing women’s footy in Melbourne, O’Gorman played women’s soccer with South Yarra. It was O’Gorman’s husband who encouraged her to give footy a go.

“My husband always encouraged me to get out and play footy, and with the Port Melbourne women’s team being established this year it was beyond time to go and have a crack”, she said.

O’Gorman has learnt a lot of valuable knowledge and skills about our great game since becoming part of the Port Melbourne football club.

“All the Port Melbourne footy club crew – players and coaches, it’d be unfair to single anyone out”, O’Gorman said. “However, I’m still looking forward to the person who can successfully teach me the running bounce”.

Image (left) Source: Emily Fraser - Ison Photography

O’Gorman fell in love with the footy a few years ago, as a spectator and a player.

“Playing footy is a great physical and mental test”, she said. “I’ve lived in Port for 9 years, met and become friends with a lot of locals, played with a variety of other Port clubs (Sharks women’s soccer, Mariners women’s baseball teams) and been to numerous VFL matches at North Port over the years,” O’Gorman said.

 

The three aspects she enjoys most about footy is the competitiveness, learning constantly about the skills of the game and playing with a great bunch of teammates at Port Melbourne.

  Image (right and below) Source: Emily Fraser - Ison Photography

“So I’m extremely proud to represent the ‘Boro and have some idea of the history of the club and the important place it holds in the locality”, she said.

O’Gorman would be eligible to play Australian football at the 2020 International Cup and says she would be interested in representing Ireland if it’s an option and also returning to Ireland to take part in the game there. At the moment she visits Ireland for short family holidays but to not play any footy or GAA.

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Irish Warriors Take Series Against USA Revolution

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The visiting team from the USA came up against the Irish Warriors in the final match of their tour on the weekend at Islandbridge, Dublin. The tour has been a huge boost for both national teams and an enormous success. Following is the match report from the AFL Ireland Facebook page, looking both at the game and the recognition of the many people who brought such an event together.

After a rousing 3/4 time huddle, with their backs to the wall, the Warriors came out hard in the last quarter and every player to a man stepped up to claw back the deficit and drive ahead with an outstanding 5 goal quarter. 

USA Revolution players are devastated after coming so close having played their best footy of the tour but the weeks exertions ( 3 games in 6 days) definitely seemed to take their toll in the last 10 mins as the Warriors stepped into overdrive. Still, Revolution fought to the very end and were out on their feet at the final siren.

 An outstanding game to finish a brilliant tour.

Great comeback win for the Irish Warriors to make it 2 from 2 against the touring Americans. Great week for footy in general with both squads getting hugely valuable hit outs and most importantly of all, the wheels are now firmly in motion for more regular tests between these great footy rivals on both sides of the Atlantic over the coming years.

We will catch up with Head Coach Brian Currane for his thoughts on the team’s performance across the week over the next couple of days.

Huge thanks to a number of people most particularly John Enright and Dave Walsh for umpiring. Congratulations to John and Gwen on the arrival of a baby boy just a couple of days prior to the game so everyone was extremely grateful to John (and indeed Gwen ) for making it possible for “Toasty” to be there. Special thanks to “Walshy”, Warriors and Dublin Demons Legend, for helping out at short notice and doing a stellar job in keeping a TIGHT GRIP on the game in his international umpiring debut. 

Lots of historical connections between the 2 teams going back over 20 years as have been highlighted over the last week, so it was also most fitting, and our huge pleasure and honour to have Matt “Digsy” Campbell, as the Warriors Runner on the day. “Digsy” was one of the first ever players at Dublin Demons way back in 1999 and without doubt inspired many of the original Irish boys at that time, and continued to do so for many years playing and up to and including his time as Head Coach at Dublin Demons. Matt returns to Australia this week after over 20 years here and it is fair to say that although he may be going he will never be forgotten and we sincerely hope and know that he will take some great memories with him! 

Final word of thanks to USA Revolution. We have highlighted multiple times the great rivalry and comradery between these 2 nations. This week was no different. Relentless physical battles on the oval and huge respect for each other off it. We hope the boys enjoyed their time in Ireland and tours and footy games in Dublin and Belfast. 

We look forward to the next instalment already!

Irish Warriors 12-8-80

USA Revolution 8-7-55

 

Goal Scorers:

Ryan McCloskey 3, Jack Hayes 2,David Galvin 2, Kevin McDonnell, David McElhone, Conal Kane, John McNabb, Kevin Jones

 

Best On Ground:

Declan Alder, Paul Murphy, Sean McGlinchy, Sean Paul Henry, Adam Forde, John McNabb, Kevin McDonnell, Ryan McCloskey

 

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NTFL Men's Premier League 2018/19 Season Fixture Released

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NTFL Press Release:

The 2018/19 TIO NTFL season will start with a bang when defending premiers Southern Districts play a grand final rematch against the Darwin Buffaloes on the first Saturday night of the season.

This is just part of an exciting TIO NTFL Men’s Premier League season that was announced with the fixture release by AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) today.

The season will kick off on Friday 5 October and is scheduled to culminate with the grand final on Saturday 16 March 2019.

This year the AFLNT Football Operations team worked in collaboration with clubs, with each club given an opportunity to have input and share feedback on last year’s fixture and also put forward key club priorities for the upcoming season.

AFLNT CEO Stuart Totham said the football operations team had worked hard to get an understanding of each club’s requests and had factored in those that were plausible.

“It was great to work closely with the clubs on this season’s fixture. As a result, we believe we have landed with a fixture that is fair and promises to deliver another great season of exciting, competitive NTFL footy.

“For many people, the NTFL season is their favourite time of the year, so we hope that the football delivers on the promise that’s been set out with today’s release,” he said.

Clubs with a home ground have been given either five or six games to play on their own turf, with the Tiwi Bombers to play four of their home games on the island before Christmas and two more at Tracy Village post-Christmas.

"Now that the fixture is confirmed one of our main priorities is to work with the local airline providers to try and fulfil the Tiwi Islands games but as we saw last season the availability of flights, pilots, weather and so forth are beyond our control," Totham said.

Heritage Round and the 31st anniversary of the Bicentennial Carnival will be celebrated over the Australia Day long weekend in January, with traditional rivals all going into battle and the annual Foundation Cup game between Waratah and Wanderers scheduled at Gardens Oval.

Triple headers at TIO Stadium also make a return this season with the number of standalone Friday night fixtures cut down after feedback from clubs suggested non-Friday night games boded better for player management and availability. Data analysis on the last few seasons also showed the standalone Friday night fixture at TIO Stadium was uneconomical to run.

Should lights at Gardens Oval and PSC BM Oval in Nightcliff be operational before season’s end, then AFLNT will consider rejigging the fixture and work with the clubs to trial Friday night games at suburban grounds.

Meanwhile, fans who love their Territory footy will have a great opportunity to see as much NTFL action as they desire with the games scheduled across multiple days or back-to-back at TIO Stadium. The exception being Round 5 and Round 18 which are earmarked as ‘home’ games for all clubs with all four matches being played on Saturday.

“There are currently 12 triple headers set down for TIO Stadium this season, which is fantastic for fans who want to fill their wet season weekends with footy.

“However, if during the season lights at either Nightcliff or Gardens Oval are up and running then we may use the opportunity to trial a couple of night fixtures and gather some intel ahead of the 2019/20 season. If that were to happen though we’d work closely with the clubs involved,” Totham said.

Umpiring Round is once again set down for Round 2 with the community encouraged to get behind and get involved with the NTFL’s 15th club.

Fixtures for the other senior divisions, including the TIO NTFL Women’s Premier League, will be released by the end of August. While nominations for clubs to submit teams for the junior divisions won’t close until Saturday 1st September, with the fixtures to be created from this.


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AFL 2018 International Broadcast Schedule - Round 21

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FOX SPORTS Australia Pty Ltd

Round 21 of the 2018 AFL Season kicks off Friday night Melbourne time at the Docklands Stadium with Essendon hosting co-tenant St Kilda

The full broadcast schedule for the round can be seen below.

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).

You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the Watch AFL promo shot on the left to register and by then paying the subscription fee.

Right now Watch AFL is offering a Mid-Season Pass a big discount on the regular season pass. This pass includes all AFL Premiership season matches, the Finals Series plus access to FOX FOOTY content.

 

 

 

 

 

All times subject to change - please check with your local guides ...

AFLPA 2018 Multicultural Map

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The AFL Players association have released the "2018 Multicultural Map" which shows current AFL and AFLW players that were either born outside Australia or have one parent born outside Australia.

From Austria to Zimbabwe, there are 48 countries represented on the 2018 Multicultural Map — the fourth of its kind.

Players highlighted in green were born outside Australia, while those in red have a parent born in another country. Therefore, some players may be listed against more than one country.

You can check it out here. ...

Hawks bring in Irish big man for Cats clash

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Hawthorn have named Conor Nash to make his debut for Hawthorn against Geelong at the MCG on Saturday afternoon (Melbourne time). The 197cm Irish rookie from County Meath has played two seasons (25 games) with Box Hill and has had an Aussie rules education in a number of positions in defence, forward and on the wing in that time.

Coach Alistair Clarkson today told the media “We told him in front of the group, but also with his parents on Wednesday. I knew he was in the car with his family so I made the call then and that was pretty special. His mum wanted to do cartwheels”

On Nash’s background before coming to Australia he said “it’s an exciting story, he’s from County Meath in Ireland. He played a lot of sport as a young fella, particularly rugby. We’re excited for him and his family, and we’re excited for our footy club.
 
Nash’s inclusion comes in place of Brendan Whitecross who has been ill this week.  The Hawks are currently 5th on the AFL ladder but will be desperate to beat the Cats to hold their place in the top 8 in order to play in this year’s finals. 
 
Interestingly both of Hawthorn’s Irish recruits in Nash and Conor Glass came from Hawthorn’s recruiting network and not from the AFL’s annual European Combines.  Hawthorn identified Nash prior to him reaching draft age in 2015 and brought the young sporting talent to Australia during their preseason prior to drafting him at the end of 2016.
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