The following is a press release from the AFL detailing the new joint initiative between the AFL and Rio Tinto to promote opportunities for indigenous players, culminating in a match which will be the prelude to the “Dreamtime at the G” clash later this year.

The AFL and Rio Tinto Footy Means Business program is holding its first training camp in Perth this week, February 10 - 15, led by coaches Aaron Davey and David Rodan.

Each year the Footy Means Business program provides 50 Indigenous men, aged 18 to 24-year-old, with exposure to elite AFL programs and training, along with networking opportunities in corporate environments over two training camps.

The one-week camp in Perth will see participants take part in a range of cultural, educational and community activities, as well as intensive training ahead of the Team Davey v Team Rodan match to be played at Swans District Oval on Saturday February 15.

Coinciding with Indigenous Round, the second training camp will be held in Melbourne in May, culminating in the Rio Tinto Cup which is the curtain-raiser match to the Dreamtime At The G clash at the MCG.

AFL Head of Diversity Jason Mifsud said the program is dedicated to helping participants achieve their goals and reach their football potential.

“The AFL and Rio Tinto Footy Means Business program is committed to providing talent and development opportunities for young Indigenous men from all over Australia, with the aim of seeing an increase in Indigenous players selected to play at state and elite AFL level.”

“We are excited to appoint former AFL stars Aaron Davey and David Rodan as the head coaches of the squad and anticipate great talent outcomes from this year’s group of participants, both on and off the field.”

The participants have been selected by AFL Talent Managers based on football ability, engagement with their communities and their potential to serve as a role model.

2014 Footy Means Business Squad

Team Davey:

Adam Tipungwuti (Brisbane, QLD), Donald Lockyer (Port Headland, WA), Dylan Cooper (Jabiru, WA), Albert Dean (Perth, WA), James Marraday (Jabaroo, WA), Shannon Jaragba (Groote Eylandt, NT), Ashley Cooper (Karatha, WA), Tim Yarran (Bunbury, WA)Matthew McKenzie (Kalgoorie, WA), Steven Edwards (Joondanna, WA), Robbie Young (Ottoway, SA), Luke Wilson (Salisbury Downs, SA), Kevin Pickett (Bunbury, WA), Kayan Bundle (Traralgon, VIC), Micky Ball (Wickham, WA), Farron James, Alice Springs, NT), Traye Bennell (Bunbury, WA), Tosh Kurnoth (Harts Range, NT), Corey Nankervis (Georgetown, TAS), Kayle Kossack (Katherine, NT), Aaron Birch (Beagle Bay, WA), Nelson Ansey (Wickham, WA)

Team Rodan:

Alan Dickson (Alice Springs, NT), Jason Williams (Narijin, VIC), Stephen Hodder (Port Headland, WA), Dino Ross (Midland, WA)Brandon Jetta (Bunbury, WA), Dylan Nelson (Perth, WA), Kaiden Matera (Perth, WA), Alex Saunders (Highett, VIC), Lawrence Evans (Kununurra, WA), Anthony Wilson (Salisbury Downs, SA), Dwayne Wilson (Murray Bridge, SA), Ben Rioli (Jingili, NT), Andrew Murray (Casey, VIC), Ben Rioli (Jingili, NT), Andrew Murray  (Casey, VIC), Kelman Tullock (Port Headland, WA), Daryn Thomas (Launceston, TAS), Brodie Deverell (Devonport, TAS), Henry Kerinaiua (Darwin, NT), Richard Lindner (Jabiru, WA), Richard Bourne (Perth, WA), Jordan Armstrong (Alice Springs, NT), Matthew Lorne (Karatha, WA), Peter Drover (Alice Springs, NT)

  ...

Three kicks, four handballs and five tackles. Not a big return on debut for Kurt Heatherley with the Hawks in tonights NAB Challenge match against an inexperienced Brisbane side that did not trouble the Hawthorn defenders too much. But commentators and the Hawthorn coach agreed that Heatherley impressed on his first outing with good solid defending and showing some footy smarts.  Hawks fans will have also been pleased by the way he hit the contest hard.

Regular defenders such as Lake, Gibson, Hodge, Stratton, Schoenmakers and Birchall were all missing from the Hawks backline tonight and that list is a good reminder of how far away Heatherley probably is from getting a senior game during the 2014 season. But it is another important step for the kid who first learnt the Aussie game in NZ towards being ready for a senior debut when the time comes.

He showed both good discipline to hold position with his opponents tonight and also the confidence to run off his man and make a contest up the field when it was required.  Hawks fans will have also been pleased by the way he hit the contest hard. On the negative side he gave away two free kicks, but the Lions failed to capitalise on both occaisions kicking minor scores.

Hopefully he will get a chance in the remaining two matches before Round 1 to show what he can do against other senior AFL footballers before an inevitable apprenticeship with the Box Hill Hawks and hopefully and AFL debut at some stage during 2014.

Final Scores

Hawthorn 1.22.13 (154) to Brisbane 0.3.5 (23) ...

This year a carnival of football will headline the return of Australia’s game as the 2014 NAB Challenge rolls into every Australian state and territory with 18 games in 18 days.

The full international broadcast schedule for Feb 17th to 23rd can be seen below.

The Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs are again Wellington’s premier team after a convincing win over the North City Demons. On a sunny day in Wellington the Demons, played in a determined fashion, but were eventually outrun by the Bulldogs as the match progressed.

The Bulldogs were undefeated throughout the season but the Demons themselves are a good news story for 2013 after the team was in recess for 2012 and a total re-build was required.

In a season where the other two teams, Hutt Valley Eagles and Wellington City Saints, ran out of commitment about 2/3 of the way through it was fantastic that these two teams could carry on and have a game to finish the year worthy of their efforts throughout in building and maintaining their teams for the season.

As can often be the case in Wellington, wind was a factor in the match. With a strong breeze causing one end to be peppered with goals, the winning team was the side that made the most of their advantage.

After a furiously paced first quarter, it was the Demons who surprisingly had the lead. Their dominance over the quarter was reflected in the 4.1:25 – 2.0:12 scoreline.

However, with the change of ends came a change of fortunes for the Bulldogs. After spending most of the quarter on attack, they left the field at half time in a strong position, leading 6.4:40 – 4.1:25.

A tight third quarter left the match balanced on a knife edge. The Demons did win the quarter, though not by enough to retake the lead. With three quarters played, the score was 7.7:49 – 6.4:40, with the Bulldogs leading and taking the wind for the last quarter.

The final quarter saw the Bulldogs seize their chance to win a Grand Final, holding the Demons scoreless over the period and knocking in 5 more goals of their own.

The final score was 12.12:84 – 6.4:40, though in the words of WAFL Secretary Margaret Lavery, “The Bulldogs had to fight to win this one. The final score doesn’t reflect how tough the tussle was on the field.”

Jason Wozniak, who also coached the Wellington team at the 2013 AFL New Zealand National Provincial Championships, was player coach for the Bulldogs with Bulldogs, Wellington and NZ legend John Jackson as his assistant. They were ably assisted by Doggies Captain James Terry, who led from the front in kicking 4 goals in the match.

The North City Demons were coached by AFL New Zealand High Performance coach Shannon Wall, who along with Sam McKenzie and Peter Geale have created a strong group of players who should form the core of their 2014 squad. That the Demons made the WAFL final was a testament to their hard work organising and coaching the team.

Bulldogs mobile ruckman Pete Halstead was the Bulldogs best for the game which repeated his efforts from his last season in 2009 for the Dogs where he was again BOG.

The Wellington AFL Grand Final was held in conjunction with the AFL Flying Boomerangs match against the Under 16 New Zealand Hawks, played on the same day at Hutt Park.

Two players from the Under 16 New Zealand Hawks went on to represent their club in the final. Kade Riddell played for the Eastern Bulldogs, and Connor McGeough played for the Demons. Both are expected to be key participants in the AFL New Zealand High Performance programme in future.

WAFL Grand Final Score
Eastern Bulldogs 12.12:84 (Terry 4, Wozniak, Ticklepenny 3, Rice ,S. Fisher, Waring 1)
North City Demons 6.4:40 (Morgan 3, S Green 2, J Green)

For more: http://aflnz.co.nz/eastern-bulldogs-win-wafl-final/
  ...

St Kilda Football Club has unveiled its specially designed 2014 Anzac Day guernsey in a ceremony at Te Papa Museum in Wellington.

With new recruit, and Auckland born midfielder, Shane Savage as the model the maori heritage shone through both inside and outside the jumper!

The guernsey will be worn by the Saints players in the second annual AFL match played at Westpac Stadium when they take on the Brisbane Lions on April 25, 2014.

The contemporary Maori design, created by designers at Open Lab, Massey University, emphasises the links between New Zealand and Australia through the Anzac journey, using authentic motifs.

"The design team at Massey University has worked hard to create something powerful and inspiring that our team can wear proudly on Anzac Day." St Kilda General Manager - Commercial Projects Ben Davies said.

"April 25 is recognised as such a significant day between our two countries and this is quite a unique platform to acknowledge this relationship."

The design, using the traditional Maori art colours of red, white and black, is explored through the use of the waka taua (ceremonial war canoe) as a visual and metaphorical inspiration.

"The themes in the design focus on the ideas of 'shared waters' and the Anzac journey, which are represented with strong, simple base form and further elaborated upon through the line work," said Director of Open Lab, Anna Brown.

The design process involved exploring symbolic meaning from a number of relevant Maori myths. From there, the designers abstracted motifs such as the mangopare (hammerhead shark), the Tumatauenga (god of war) and Te Ika a Māui (the Fish Hook of Maui). Each design motif is linked to tell the narrative of the guernsey and to emphasise New Zealand and Australia's shared Anzac history.

The design is centred on a plunging white oar shape, which speaks to the Anzac heritage. The back of the guernsey shows the merging paths/journeys of the Anzacs and our countries.

The guernsey launch coincides with the release of tickets for the Anzac game, which are available through Ticketek.

Image courtesy of afl.com.au ...

Hannah Thomson, writing for SBS, has provided an excellent account of the growth of our Australian game in Scotland. From the McCracken influence at Essendon to the Scottish football scene today, Hannah examines the growth through the eyes of those currently playing or involved in Australian Rules football in Scotland.

When you think of Scottish sports, AFL won’t be the first thing that comes to mind.  However, when Aussie rules first began in the mid 1850’s, the Scots were more involved than you imagine. When John McCracken and his two sons, originally from Girvan in the West of Scotland, moved to their new home in Melbourne in 1871 they established the Essendon Football Club.

Now, more than 140 years later, the game is beginning to flourish in the McCracken’s ancestral home.

From humble beginnings eleven years ago there are now four teams in Scotland. The Edinburgh Bloods, The Aberdeen Eagles, The Kingdom Kangaroos and the Glasgow Sharks play in the Scottish Australian Rules Football League (SARFL) and compete for The Haggis Cup.

On a dark winter night, at an indoor - it is Scotland after all - sports stadium in Glasgow, Sharks players gather for a training session.

"I started playing the sport when I was four. My father was into his Aussie rules and in Wagga Wagga where I’m from, it’s just what you do on the weekends, everyone does it," says Adam Jack, 38.

A true blue Aussie, Adam moved to Paisley, near Glasgow, with his Scottish partner in 2003. Scotland is home for Adam but AFL still runs through the former Wagga Tigers player's veins.

“The sport is not so popular here but it’s definitely growing...it’s a bit of a niche sport just now. When I first started at the Sharks in 2008 we wouldn’t even have people coming to watch u," he said. "And now we have crowds coming along, not huge crowds but more than we had. The more we can get it promoted and get people exposed to it the better."

Adam says there are differences between playing back home and playing in Scotland.

"It’s probably the speed of it and the hardness of the tackles because everyone here is sort of learning and everyone is at different levels.

"There are lots of rugby players in Scotland and I reckon they would make great Aussie Rules players, we’ve had a few rugby players come down and train and play in seasons gone by. Back home, the rugby boys always say that the Aussie rules boys make the best rugby converts."

The training session is physically gruelling, but that has not stopped six women from signing onto the team.

"I got asked by one of the other girls if I wanted to try a new sport without telling me what it was," said Stacey Hughes, 29, a Scottish student from Ayrshire.

She says the team player spirit was the key appeal.

"I decided to stick with it because I love camaraderie with the boys, I used to play football and you just don’t get that there.

"Male footballers are not really keen on girls playing football and even though this is a tougher sport with more physical contact the boys are right into helping you develop your skills. Last year there were twelve girls on the team but we lost six of them when they went back to Australia.”

Aussie Rules football also has a national team here, the Scottish Clansmen. The team was established just over a year ago and 16 of the Glasgow Sharks have been called up. The Clansmen and Sharks coach Stephen Connor, 43, was born in Scotland but moved to Ballarat, Victoria when he was very young. He played for North Ballarat but then moved back to Scotland when he was 16 years old. The Sharks concentrate on attracting local talent to their team.

"The good thing about the Sharks is that we have about six Aussies this year and 49 locals, whereas other teams such as Edinburgh rely on Aussies coming over to play for them and when they disappear back home again it leaves such a big gap, says Stephen.

"Our focus for the past four years has been to get local talent coming to play for us. The hard thing about this however, is it means a lot of our guys are beginners they tend to really struggle on the park.

"Although we’re competitive, it’s difficult to beat other teams but we think it’s a positive in the long run that we’re training up local guys. We have five players just now that are under 20 and we think that training up young kids means that when they’re 25-26 years old it won’t matter that they’re playing Australians who know the game inside out because they will have been playing themselves for six or seven years."
 

Stephen has one eye on the ball and the other on the history books.

"Before I started coaching, I was away from the sport for 10 years mainly because I had started a family. I felt when I came back to it and joined the Sharks, there was no direction in the club, the guys were just kicking around the ball and arranging the odd game," he said.

"I wanted to be known as the person that came in and set up something that would go on for years and years. I’m always talking to the team, about history and that history is what we make it now. In 100 years time I want people to be talking about how the Australian rules in Scotland started." ...

For the first time in the club’s short history the Tiwi Bombers will miss out on finals action as the home and away season wrapped up in Darwin on the weekend.

In a season that did not go according to script for the boys from the Tiwi Islands, their final round defeat at the hands of Southern Districts saw the team say farewell to what has been a disappointing 2013/4 season. Premiers two seasons ago and runners up to St Mary’s last season, the Tiwi Bombers will watch on from the stands over coming weeks as the NTFL finals series plays out.

After the Round 18 round, the ladder saw St Mary’s finish the season undefeated. In an ominous show of strength from last year’s premiers, no club was able to find a way past their tight defensive structures, powerful forwards or run and carry from the middle. A betting person would have them locked in as premiership favourites – deservedly.

But footy is a funny beast, and four other clubs remain convinced that this party isn’t over yet.

Wanderers finished in second place. Three of their losses were to St Mary’s, whilst their other was an upset at the hands of Palmerston. Wanderers know that if they can find the formula to challenge St Mary’s then they have what it takes to beat the rest.

Nightcliff and Southern Districts finished in third and fourth spots respectively. Both have been consistent for most of the year, but also struggled against the heavyweights. Not without a chance of getting to the Grand Final, but both would find it a tough ask to knock over St Mary’s for a flag.

Waratah did all in it’s power to throw away a finals berth approaching the business end of the season, but two steadying wins in the final two rounds have corrected that and have the ‘Tahs back in the hunt.

The finals begin this weekend with two huge games. The double-header, to be played at TIO Stadium, sees the Qualifying final being played between Wanderers and Nightcliff. Immediately following is the Elimination Final between Southern Districts and Waratah.

St Mary’s get to sit back for a week, nurse any lingering injuries, and await their next outing when the semi finals come around the following week.

They certainly look the goods for the 2013/4 flag, but the other teams will be pulling out all stops to ensure that this is no one horse race to premiership glo ...

Kurt Heatherley has been named in the squad for Hawthorn's match against North Melbourne in Launceston (Tasmania) on Friday night.  Heatherley impressed many last week with his defensive efforts and attack on the ball.  Another appearance with the club's senior squad would be a great bonus for the International rookie.  With Birchall and Lake to miss again for the Hawks hopefully Heatherley's services will be required.

North Melbourne have named Sudanese born Majak Daw in what his supporters would hope would be a big year of senior football for the exciting ruckman. 

Kenyan born (of Sudanese parents) Aliir Aliir is also a chance to debut for the Sydney Swans on Thursday night.

HAWTHORN v NORTH MELBOURNE
Aurora Stadium (Launceston), 7.10pm AEDT, February 21

HAWTHORN
2. Jarryd Roughead, 3. Jordan Lewis, 4. Matt Suckling, 5. Sam Mitchell, 6. Josh Gibson, 7. Ben McEvoy 9.Shaun Burgoyne, 10. Bradley Hill, 12. Brad Sewell, 13. Kyle Cheney, 15. Luke Hodge, 16. Isaac Smith 18. Jonathon Ceglar, 19. Jack Gunston, 20. David Hale, 21. Ben Ross, 22. Luke Breust, 23. Tim O'Brien, 26. Liam Shiels, 29. Will Langford, 30. Luke Lowden, 31. Angus Litherland, 32. Jonathan Simpkin, 33. Cyril Rioli, 35. Sam Grimley, 36. Derick Wanganeen, 38. Mitch Hallahan, 39. Alex Woodward, 46. Kurt Heatherley

NORTH MELBOURNE
1. Daniel Currie, 2. Brad McKenzie, 3. Ryan Bastinac, 5. Ben Jacobs, 6. Lachlan Hansen, 7. Jack Ziebell, 8. Daniel Wells, 10.Ben Cunnington, 12. Lindsay Thomas, 14. Trent Dumont, 15. Nick Dal Santo, 16. Scott Thompson, 18. Shaun Atley, 19. Sam Wright, 20. Drew Petrie, 21. Luke McDonald, 22. Todd Goldstein, 27. Taylor Garner, 28. Robin Nahas, 29. Brent Harvey, 31. Cam Delaney, 34. Jamie MacMillan, 35. Aaron Black, 36, Joel Tippett, 38. Majak Daw, 41.Aaron Mullett, 42. Scott McMahon, 43. Sam Gibson, 44. Max Warren ...

The Irish Warriors will receive a nice present to take home with them when they visit Melbourne for IC14. Courtesy of Zach Tuohy's super goal during the NAB Challenge match on the weekend (video below).

NAB are giving away $500 worth of Sherrin footballs to the junior club of the player who kicks a supergoal during the NAB challenge. However with Tuohy having no junior Aussie rules club the AFL Media Manager Patrick Keane has confirmed that the balls will be presented to the Irish team and then taken back to Ireland for use in development there.

  ...

The CNFA has announced the squad which will arrive in Melbourne later this year to compete at the 2014 Australian Football International Cup.

The list of 28, plus 5 emergencies, was released on the CNFA blog this week, along with an official announcement video. The list is very fresh, with 23 of the 28 selected in the main squad being new to the IC stage.

Alban Schieber, Yoann Alliot-Marty, Emilien Martinez and Grégoire Patacq are the only four France-based veterans returning to the squad from their 2011 campaign, although they will be joined by Pierre-Jacques Labigang from Melbourne local club Parkside, who also appears in his second IC. Thibault Picard from South Australian club the Lock Kangaroos makes a second Australian-based squad member.

Casting their net to French expats playing elsewhere in the world, Clément Coste, Kévin Barranco and Thomas Core (emergency) have been selected from the Montreal metro league in Québec, as well as Jean Rosado from the Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids in Florida, USA. Pierre-Etienne Dandaleix joins the squad from the Bristol Dockers in England.

Squad list follows.

Emergencies

To see the official video click here ...

Last year World Footy News posted an article concerning the history and future of the Wadeye Magic football team in the Northern Territory (see The True Magic of Wadeye). The following press release from AFLNT looks at the Magic’s inaugural season in the Tiwi Islands Football League and their success in reaching the 2013/4 season finals.

Wadeye Magic book place in T.I.F.L finals series in inaugural season as final round shaped finals fixture

In their inaugural season, the Wadeye Magic have booked their place in the Tiwi Islands Football League Finals Series after a gripping win in the final round against the Tuyu Buffaloes.

A dramatic final round of T.I.F.L action reshaped the top five with Imalu taking top spot, overtaking Mulluwirriri and Tuyu.  The Magic leapt Ranku to take fourth as the 2014 T.I.F.L final series gets underway this weekend with Muluwurri playing Tuyu on Sat 22nd and Wadeye Magic taking on Ranku on Sun 23rd.

Wadeye Regional Development Manager and Magic Coach Craig Kimberley is both excited and confident heading into their first finals series.

“The win against Tuyu was possibly our best for the season as I rate Tuyu very highly, the most pleasing aspect of the game was after controlling the first half we were able to withstand a spirited comeback from the opposition and go on to post a credible victory, which ultimately has sealed our place in the finals.”

Tiwi Islands Regional Development Manager, Ian Brown is also very excited about the upcoming TIFL finals and with the inclusion of the Magic it adds something extra to the series.

 “We have an even spread of finals participants with two teams each from Bathurst and Melville Islands along with the Wadeye Magic, a first for the TIFL. 

“The competition has been extremely even this season, which indicates that any of the five teams could make it through to the grand final on March 16 which promises to be a big day."

Both regions agreed having Magic in the league has strengthened both the competition and the relationship between the two remote communities.

A game against Tuyu game last Thursday formed part of a three day leadership camp on Tiwi for the Magic players which saw them visit Murrupurtiyanuwu Catholic School.

Principal Daniel Graves was amazed at the player’s wiliness to get involved, the engagement of his students and the overall success of the initiative.

“Having Wadeye Magic at our school gave our students and staffs the opportunity to train, play and connect with other remote communities. Judging from the smiles and laughter it was hard to tell who was having the most fun - our students or the Magic players.  It was fantastic to see the leadership of the Tiwi and Wadeye group working together to have fun and promote positive behaviour, football and health.”

The Magic program requires all players to undergo health checks, be employed or engaged in some form training or development. The school visit formed part of a greater development for the group aimed at putting them through a level one coaching course.

...

Townsville hosted its second NAB Challenge/Cup game in two years today, with the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns locking horns in the first Queensland derby for 2014. This follows on from their successful foray into the AFL’s pre-season competition in 2013 when the Gold Coast Suns played the North Melbourne Kangaroos.
 
It was Townsville’s turn to host one of the AFL’s “18 games in 18 days” NAB Challenge matches, with Tony Ireland Stadium, the Australian Rules showpiece in the tropical North Queensland city, on display again to a national audience. In 32 degree heat, and a relatively enjoyable 67 percent humidity, it was the Lions who escaped to a 33 point lead before the Suns could even register a score. Something of a surprise given Brisbane’s horrid thrashing from Hawthorn to start this carnival in the first game, and the Gold Coast pipped Essendon by a point after a five goal comeback.

The result was never in doubt after that with the Brisbane Lions comfortable winners kicking 1 (supergoal) 14.13 106 to the Sun’s 0 (supergoal) 8.11 59.

But, again, it was the northern city of Townsville, and the game of AFL there, which was the biggest winner. Tony Ireland Stadium also hosted a number of community events which included coaching forums, NAB AFL Auskick clinics, club signing sessions and other kid’s activities.

Additionally, the Gold Coast SUNS Academy North Queensland and Central Queensland sides played in an inter-squad match on Saturday morning. The Australian defence force started the proceedings today with a march-on prior to the Australian Defence Force team taking on AFL Townsville’s representative team in a curtain raiser to the big game.

Townsville still wants to see the further development of Tony Ireland Stadium to full AFL compliance to host matches for premiership points, and is working towards that with seating capacity, lights and other facilities being reviewed and developed. This game, and the national exposure gained from it, can only be of benefit to Townsville and the AFL community who work so tirelessly to build the game in the tropics.

Attention will now turn to the Round 17 premiership match between the Western Bulldogs and the Gold Coast Suns, to be played at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns on July 12th. ...

On Presidents Day weekend here in the USA (17 February), I had the distinct opportunity to interview the first American female President of an USAFL club, the Boston Demons Andrea “Andi” Williams.  In the following interview, we discuss the road to becoming an trailblazer and pioneer, what drives her and talk about the US Revolution and Freedom teams as well as the 2014 season for the Demons.

Alex Benjamin: First of all, congratulations. Accordingly to my good friend and historian, Lisa Albergo, this is not only you being the first female president of a USAFL Eastern Regional team, but the first American female in USAFL history.

Andrea Williams:  Thank you very much. I am honored to have been elected to this position and excited to lead the Demons this season.

Alex Benjamin:  You have been Vice President in '13 and then in '12 you were the Social and Sponsorship Coordinator, how has the Demons Club changed in the 3 years you have been with the Lady Demons and Demons and what can we expect in '14?

Andrea Williams:  I was the second woman to join the Club in 2011 and stepped into a Board role in for 2012 because I felt I could help our Club continue to grow and evolve in a positive way. Over the past three years I have seen this Club evolve in so many positive ways. for example accepting and embracing the role of the newly established women's team, encouraging newer members of the Club to step into leadership positions both on the field and off, and becoming more socially-minded, engaging in community service as a Club etc. My main goals for 2014 are to build on the foundation my predecessors laid, especially where recruiting and social cohesion are concerned, to continue to grow the women's game and presence in the Club, and to work on establishing a stronger presence for the Club in the city of Boston and New England in general.

Alex Benjamin:  In '13, the Men's team finished 24th in the USAFL Weekly and the women's finished 3rd. There are multiple members of the Demons that have gone to be with the Freedom and Revolution teams. Do you see some of the members of the current teams to be members in time for the International Cup this year?

Andrea Williams:  That's correct. We have a pretty storied history of sending players to the Freedom and Revolution teams over the years, both from our men's team and our women's team. I think for the Parallel Cup over the past two years, we've had at least six women represent. I know of some of our women going out to Houston this weekend (Saturday, 22 February) to try out for the IC squads but I don't foresee any men trying out this year (4 April @ Austin, home of last year’s Nationals). I'm hopeful that we'll be able to send some men over the next few seasons though.

Alex Benjamin:  With the tradition of the Demons over the last few years and having one of the toughest schedules in the USAFL because of the EAFL, how is this year's schedule will be and how do you see this year's team on both sides will be?

Andrea Williams:  I am actually pretty confident about the upcoming season. I worked closely with Michael Sheppard, our VP, to ensure that we're meeting our travel commitments to other teams but not forcing our guys and girls to travel several weekends a month throughout the season. I think those seasons tend to be tough and we see numbers drop with each consecutive travel commitment. For the women's side, I worked with Lisa Arredondo, our women's director, and Drea Casillas and the other ladies of the East, to ensure that we're getting all of our girls plenty of playing time. As you know, getting the girls time on the field can be tough because of smaller numbers. As a Club, both men's and women's teams, we'll focus on our metro competition this season and I think our fixtures allow us ample opportunity to get a ripper of a metro season going.

Alex Benjamin:  It takes some courage to be a trailblazer and stepping into the unknown to do something special, Andi...what's your inspiration in both footy wise and other ways?

Andrea Williams:  Well, that's a good question. I think in general, my niece Madeleine is a huge inspiration. She's 18 months old now and in her world view she just kind of owns the world. She's completely fearless. I want her to maintain that fearlessness for the rest of her life, so I want to set an example that you can and should reach for things that conventional wisdom holds as "unattainable". Between her and my partner-in-crime, Taso, who's a paraplegic and holds two World Rowing Championship titles despite his injury... well, I'm lucky, I have plenty of inspiration to go around.

Alex Benjamin:  Well...that's certainly worthy of praise. What's your footy inspiration that strengthens you, Andi?

Andrea Williams:  Footy gave me two things during a pretty dark time in my life: a community of supportive people who just kind of welcomed me in, no questions asked, and encouraged me to grow and do good things for myself, and the second thing it gave me is a reason to push myself to get better every day. The men and the women of the Demons have been a force for good in my life over the past three years and they inspire me daily.

Alex Benjamin:   Have you made any of the Nationals since your start with the Demons?

Andrea Williams:  Yes, I was at both Nationals tournaments in Austin, 2011 and 2013.  I missed 2012 Nationals in OH (Mason) due to a wedding.

Alex Benjamin:  We hope to see you at the Nationals in Dublin to recap your year as President.

Andrea Williams:  I sure hope so. It should be another terrific tournament and the Demons are looking to make a great showing

Alex Benjamin:  See you at the Nationals in October at Dublin and thanks...

Andrea Williams:  No problem any time. Thanks Alex!

The USAFL Nationals in Dublin will be on October 9-11.  

Please check us out Alex's work online via usaflweeklyreport.com and watch the USAFL Weekly show, Sundays @ 5 pm USA Central Time on UStream.tv.  

(Editors note: The interview above has been edited for continuity - you can also read more on Andi's appointment here) ...

Twenty three teams are set to contest the 2014 International Cup men’s competition. Timor-Leste is the notable team missing for the initial acceptances for the tournament to be held in Melbourne in August.

New comers to the International Cup are Croatia, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Finland return to the International Cup after missing in 2011.

Others such as Spain, Germany, and Iceland look like missing yet again presumably to keep funds invested in their local development. And hopes that we would see our first South American team at the International Cup have faded as no teams have been nominated. It is not known if they had intended to play in the AFL 9’s section that was initially mooted.

The proposed AFL 9’s section has been scrapped as the overwhelming desire of countries was to field teams in the 18-a-side competition.

The competition will be launched at Federation Square in Melbourne on August 9th and conclude with the Grand Final on the MCG prior to the Round 22 Hawthorn v Geelong night match.

At previous International Cups there have been late withdrawals or additions to the attendees so keep an eye out for the final official list from the AFL in coming weeks.

The countries expected to be attending are as follows:-

_{1 - Debuting at the International Cup in 2014}

_{2 - Returning to the International Cup after an absence.} ...

Eight  teams are set to contest the 2014 International Cup women’s competition. The Australian Indigenous and Multicultural team that played in 2011 will not be renewed for the competition to be held in Melbourne in August.

New comers to the International Cup are Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga and a team formed by women across Europe to be known as the European Crusaders.

The competition will be launched at Federation Square in Melbourne on August 9th with the first matches on the August 12th and conclude with the Grand Final expected to be played on Friday 22nd August.

At previous International Cups there have been late withdrawals or additions to the attendees so keep an eye out for the final official list from the AFL in coming weeks.

The countries expected to be attending are as follows:- 

_{1 - Debuting at the International Cup in 2014} ...

The Wolverhampton Wolverines have used their off-season time wisely. Rather than wait for the season proper to start, Ian Mitchell, club president and coach, has been exploring a variety of ways to not only keep his team fit and ready, but also grow the game throughout the Wolverhampton districts and beyond.

Last weekend saw the inaugural International Rules game in Wolverhampton, England. It is a game that had been in the pipeline between the Wolverines and St Mary's GAA Wolverhampton for two or three years, but various obstacles had prevented it from taking place until now.

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According to Ian, “the link between our clubs goes back to our establishment five years ago in 2009 when both clubs were training at the same venue on the same evening. Quite often we'd end up playing 15-20 minutes at the end of the evening, invariably with the young, developing Aussie Rules players chasing the ball without getting many possessions. As we began to play our first fixtures, we'd often borrow a few Gaelic players to bolster our ranks. I played a couple of games for them as well.”

“Both clubs experienced ground issues so drifted apart a little until recently when we broached the idea of bringing the clubs closer together to mutually benefit both organisations. The International Rules seemed the perfect way to kick this off.”

“The game itself was played at Aldersley High School, on the outskirts of Wolverhampton where St Mary's home ground is. It was a sunny but cold day, with a fairly strong wind blowing across the ground. The GAA boys started very brightly, kicking three unanswered overs and a behind giving them an early ten point lead. Two thirds through the first quarter the Wolverines began to find their feet and kicked a couple of behinds and an over.”

“The second quarter saw the Wolverines take hold of the game a little more, scoring a goal from European Legion and World XVIII representative Cameron Cope. They added a couple of overs and several behinds to take the lead as St Mary's struggled against the wind to make much progress down the ground.”

“The 'Premiership Quarter' as we like to call it, allowed the Aussie Rules team edge further in front with two quick-fire goals near the end of the quarter. The Gaelic boys were finding the contact element, which is normally not prevalent in their sport, difficult to adapt to. The three-quarter time chat was probably quite different in both camps as a result.”

“St Mary's came out flying however in the fourth, playing a noticeably higher tempo game and moving the ball a lot quicker. Tired bodies saw mistakes creep in and although the Wolverines scored a goal through Luke Powell, two goals and a few overs from St Mary's set up a really close finish. With time ticking down St Mary's broke into the area on the left hand side, forcing a fine double save from Craig Degville in goal (he's our record goal kicker, golden boot two years in a row!) which proved to be vital as the Wolverines saw out the remaining minutes to take victory by 5 points.”

Final Score: Wolverines 4.4.10: 46 defeated St Mary's 3.6.5: 41

“Talk in the bar afterwards (where St Mary's very kindly filled the trophy with scotch for us!) was around joint training sessions, joint fund raisers, possible ground shares, approaching potential sponsors together to form a united front and what is possibly the most important one for us in the near future; the sharing of players. Both clubs are keen to work together on all these fronts as we can only see benefits for all concerned.”

As well as instigating this event with a view to it being a permanent fixture on the Wolverines calendar, if not the league’s, the club will also be involved in this year’s ‘Balls To Cancer West Midlands Charity Shield’.

Ian explains that “this year marks the four annual Charity Shield hosted by ourselves. It sees us playing the other two clubs in the West Mids (Birmingham Bears and University of Birmingham Sharks) in a round-robin style tournament of shortened games. It serves as an excellent pre-season run out for the Bears and Wolverines, and as a season-end tournament for the university side.”

“We have won it in 2011 and 2013 with the Bears taking the title in 2012.”

“Balls To Cancer is a charity we have worked closely with for a number of years; fundraising with this tournament, taking part in fun runs and more. We also work to raise awareness of their charity by having their logo on our kit and also, more famously, appearing on the Embarrassing Bodies show on national television where several guys had live checks for testicular cancer. The tournament date is March 22nd at our home ground, Willenhall RUFC.”

It has certainly been a busy year for the Wolverines crew. It is hoped that their endeavors can translate into increased interest in the club and the game of Australian Rules football across the region ...

The 2014 International Cup will take place from the 9th to the 23rd of August 2014. As with IC11, there will be a women’s tournament taking place alongside the men’s event. This year, the women’s games are planned on the 12th, 14th, 16th of August, with the semi-finals and final happening on the 19th and 22nd of August. So far, teams expressing interest in entering include Canada, USA, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, PNG, Ireland and the European Crusaders.

In order to start the process of holding trials and selecting a team, AFL Europe’s Women’s Football Co-ordinator Gaelle Hazimeh is trying to get an idea of the number of players in each country who would like to attend the International Cup with the Crusaders team. If you are a player of European nationality, based in Europe, Australia or anywhere else, and you would like to take part, please email Hazimeh via gaelle.hazimeh@afleurope.org

Players are advised to consider the costs of flights and accommodation when applying. Hazimeh estimates that flight will cost around €1300, though group discounts may be available. Each day spent in Australia will total around €70 (including accommodation, food, transport etc.), therefore total trip costs for each player are expected to be in the region of €2500-2800 per player. Players are encouraged to think about corporate and community sponsorship to help cover the costs.

In addition, AFL Europe are holding a raffle to help players on a budget to raise some money. Each ticket will be sold for 10€ (£8). AFL Europe will charge the player’s national AFL organisation 20% of the ticket costs to cover administration costs with the remainder to be used how the organisation sees it. AFL Europe will not charge on the unsold tickets so there is no financial risk for either party. If you do however order a second batch of tickets the first batch will need to be paid for. Each ticket will be individually numbered and tracked by AFL Europe.

AFL Europe are also holding a raffle for the Crusaders’ team sponsor. If your company would like to sponsor the European Women’s Crusaders, please see the AFL Europe website at afleurope.org for more informat ...

Essendon District FL team Northern Saints FC are proud to announce they are fielding a Youth Girls team for the 2014 season. To get local girls involved in the club and the game has been a longstanding aim of the Saints, a club renowned for their investment in juniors footy and their inviting, family atmosphere.

The club, based at Mutton Reserve in Fawkner, Melbourne, is currently recruiting girls aged 13-17 to join up. From experienced players to total beginners, everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy a great, fun sport in a safe and friendly family orientated club.

Along with players, the Saints are also looking to recruit an experienced coach who is comfortable with the idea of coaching seasoned players and girls who are new to the game. Some players may not be as skilled and others may need to learn the rules and skills of the game, but the ideal coach would be a supportive leader with the drive and enthusiasm to make playing Aussie Rules footy a fun and inclusive time. A passion for the game and fitness is a must, and leadership and organisational skills are paramount.

The club will provide all the resources necessary to make a positive impact into the world of Youth Girls footy and is prepared to contribute towards coaching costs if the candidate can show how this will benefit the girls and the club.

If you are interested in becoming a coach or a player, please get in touch with Geoff Kosmak on 0420 672 327. Visit their website at northernsaints.org.au for further information on the club and their hopes for the 2014 seaso ...

When the AFLCNE (Australian Football League Central & Northern England) made the decision to admit the Tyne Tees Tigers for the 2014 as a fully-fledged eighth team they may not have foreseen the small football revolution that the Tigers would bring with them.

Since their admission to the league in their own right, the Tyne Tees Tigers have also managed to develop their own women’s team as well as initiating their first regional expansion team, the Wearside Wallabies.

This team, which initially will join in with localised games and events in the Newcastle on Tyne district, has tapped into the Aussie Rules interest generated by the Tyne Tees crew around the Sunderland, Durham and Washington area south of Newcastle.

It certainly appears that the admission of this team in north-east England to the AFLCNE competition, spread mainly across the north central corridor may have even greater long term benefits to the league that first envisioned.

A recent chat with Tyne Tees Tigers club president, Ian Baxter, sheds light on the expansion and the visions of a 10 year plan which are starting to come together.

“When Shaun (Bulmer), Anthony (Nolan) and myself started the Tyne Tees Tigers in 2012 we wanted to grow Australian Rules football in a sustainable fashion across the North East, with the ultimate aim of creating a local league beneath a regional Tigers side competing in a larger Central and Northern England League. The Wearside Wallabies, as our first expansion side, represent our first step towards this goal.”

“It's exciting for us because at the end of 2013 I wrote a 10 year plan (something I get a bit of a ribbing about) for the development of Aussie Rules in the North East of England… this is really just the first step on a very long journey.”

“One of the problems the sport faced in the North East with the old league was too little interest spread over too wide a geographical area. With the Wallabies being a feeder team to the Tigers it allows their players to get game with the Tigers without them having the pressures of needing to get enough players to field a full team on their own. Hopefully this leads to the development of the Wallabies in a sustainable fashion.”

“Even though I wrote a 10 year plan, one thing i hadn't considered was trying to start a women's team. After an approach by Lucy Kavanagh to see if we could shave a women's taster session, we've quickly moved to having joint training sessions with the men and are looking to field our first women’s team in this year’s Haggis Cup. This would be England’s first women's Australian Rules football team, and the credit has to go to the girls who've made it happen.”

“We haven't always achieved what we've set out to do. But we're making progress.”

“We've been fortunate to be accepted into the Central and Northern England league for 2014. And we've no illusions as to how much of a learning curve it will be for the Tigers. In my opinion it's the strongest 9 a-side league in Europe but if we are to take the next step as a group we need to be playing regular competitive football.”

“It also will help us fulfil the parts of our ethos of participation and enjoyment. What I've come to realise even over the short lifetime of the Tigers is that some players want the higher end competition and others want a more social game and environment the challenge for me is providing both. Hopefully the development of a social league (over time) underneath the Tigers will give us the best of both worlds.”

More information about the Tyne Tees Tigers and their development can be found at their website. Information on the Wearside Wallabies can be found at facebook.com/WearsideAFL ...

With the build up to this years AFL International Cup picking up across the globe - the anticipation of seeing nations making their debut is one of the many highlights of these tournaments. The first appearance of the Solomon Islands will be a fine achievement building on the work of many over the last 10 years in particular - including the Australian High Commissioner to South Africa Graeme Wilson who as Special Coordinator of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) played a key role in getting the Solomon Sharks first national representative team to Tonga in 2010 for the Oceania cup of that year.

With the formation of the official body of the Solomon Islands AFL the tireless efforts of Job Vulita as National development officer as well as more recently Rowan Fajerman helping oversee the progression we now see the graduation of the first junior side into a senior squad to take on the world - so to speak. Below is an update provided by Job.

This year marks the biggest and busiest year for the Solomon Islands Australian Football League Federation (SIAFLF). 2014 will be the first year that Solomon Islands will send a senior squad to an International Competition. In August, the team will travel to Melbourne, Australia and compete in one of two divisions. In 2011, Ireland defeated Papua New Guinea in Division A and Fiji defeated France in division B. The Solomon’s squad will be decided in the coming weeks. There are currently two training sessions available: 4:00pm on Mondays and Thursdays at KG Oval and 4:30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays at White River. Training is open to all and we encourage everyone, including new players, to come down for a kick.

The Solomon Islands third annual AFL competition will commence next month with the inclusion of a fifth team. Matches will be played on Thursday and Saturday afternoons with the first game to kick off on Thursday 27th of March. For the first time, there will be a cash prize to be split between the two finalists. The competition is yet to be named and SIAFLF is seeking sponsorship from willing businesses/parties enthusiastic about supporting the growth and development of AFL in Solomon Islands.

AFL Development has also begun running Solkick clinics at local Primary and Secondary schools around Honiara. There is an open Solkick clinic available for all kids commencing at 8:30am on Saturday mornings at Woodford oval. We invite parents and kids to come along and join in.

For more information about school clinics and the AFL competition, please contact Jobby Vulita on 7444878. For more information regarding sponsorship, please contact Cheyne Warren on 7473303. ...