The Vietnam Swans’ ambition to be considered amongst the AFL Asia elite took a big step forward last Saturday 30th May in Manila, winning their first ever Manila International Cup in a clean sweep and moving to the top of the AFL Asia ladder.

Read the full article on afl-asia.com here

  ...

Behind the scenes in the world of Australian Rules football there are people who volunteer their services in all manner of ways, whether that be on or off the field. In this article, written for the AFL Diversity team on the www.afl.com website, I look at what a year as a multicultural ambassador looks like. 

It is hoped that the story might inspire others to consider taking on this ambassadorial role in the future to help develop our great game further and reach out to people and communities across the nation.

The New Year arrives with the tingling sensations of a new footy season. But somehow, this year was even more…tingly. With the first ball being bounced in anger in April, something more exciting preceded it. Would I be successful in my bid to be a Multicultural Community Ambassador for the AFL in 2015ω

A flurry of emails and letters in the mail heralds the news. I have been successful. For at least a year I have a chance to play a role for the AFL in spreading the message of a multicultural future for the game. So, was that the biggest challenge overω Selectionω Far from it. Now the hard work would begin.

 Every ambassador has their own unique set of circumstances, whether that be based on geography, cultural links, employment or any other personal factors. As it happened, my own successful application coincided with the 2015 National Diversity Cup in Cairns. Being a local, and frequent occupant of the hallowed Cazalys Stadium with junior footy up here, it was a great chance to play a role. My first duty as an ambassador was as part of the AFL Diversity media team, writing accounts of the Kickstart and All Nations Under 15 competitions for the AFL website and AFL Queensland.

It was such a privilege to get to work with the AFL Diversity crew as well as past great AFL/VFL players. I felt a part of a wonderful “footy” team, but also felt that I was doing something significant and useful.

The next step was last weekend, the Indigenous Round.  Through consultation with the Diversity team at AFL Queensland, and the crew at AFL Cairns, I was able to attend most junior and some senior fixtures and give a pre-game address to all players on all teams about the meaning of the Indigenous Round and the values associated with the concept. To have all players riveted and prepared to run out onto the field with a greater feeling of unity and brotherhood was special.

To have the two senior women’s teams lined up on the playing field, under lights at Trinity Beach, listening to our addresses was an experience I will cherish for a good while.

But now comes the follow up. To date I have simply scratched the surface. I have more to do in a relatively short period of time – season’s end effectively – and must get cracking.

One early task for me was a plan. This role is not a ramshackle affair where whims and fancies dictate the next task. A set of goals was necessary to guide what to do, when to do it, what resources would be needed, which people should be liaised with, where events would be held and many other considerations.

In short, the next few months here in Cairns will be crowded for this little ambassador.

First cab off the rank is the opening of the local footy club’s new changing room facilities in Gordonvale. On a day where the Pyramid Power club will celebrate a new milestone in their own history, the opportunity has also been presented to invite the local Indian communities down for a “come and see” day of a home fixture, community events and other activities. It is a chance to further expand the uptake of the game to Indian families and kids and add a new multicultural dimension to a club that is already highly diversified culturally – especially with a 90% indigenous makeup of players.

A series of presentations to local boarding schools and establishments will follow. With a speech and slideshow in hand I have the chance to address AFL Cape York Academy, Mount St Bernard’s College and Djarragun Indigenous College. The theme is the multicultural future of the game and what they themselves can bring to that future. All have high or exclusive indigenous student numbers, meaning they already contribute enormously to the multicultural framework in the north. This presentation simply adds further clarity to the roles they already play and the gifts they already bring to the game.

Opportunities exist to work closely with the local African communities across Cairns over the upcoming Round 14 fixture between the Gold Coast Suns and the Western Bulldogs, and again in Round 19 when the AFL celebrates its Multicultural Round. It is another opportunity to address local teams – especially juniors – of the importance of the round through a nationwide multicultural lens.

More ideas and opportunities will present themselves – and I haven’t even left Cairns yet! It goes to show how many opportunities can be generated with enough planning and commitment.

It is beginning to look like I may need to apply for a second year as an ambassador just to ensure I can finish everything I start.

But that I would embrace with open arms. It has already been a very special journey as an AFL Multicultural Community Ambassador, and I suspect that journey will just keep getting better and better. 

To find out more about the AFL's Australia PostMulticultural Program, visit the website at: www.aflcommunityclub.com.au/index  ...

Thursday night footy in Adelaide kicks off Round 12 with the Crows hosting the reigning Premiers, Hawthorn. 

Once again viewers around the world can access matches live or delayed on a number of TV networks or stream the telecast via subscription to Watchafl.com.au. 

The broadcast schedule for this round can be seen below.

The broadcast schedule is published here in good faith from schedules provided by the AFL.  All schedules may be subject to change. ...

The following extract from an article by John Tuxworth in The Canberra Times looks briefly at the journey and rise of Aliir Aliir, the second Sudanese footballer to reach the list of an AFL club.

To read to full John Tuxworth story, go to: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/afl/sydney-swans/from-refugee-camp-to-sharing-locker-room-with-adam-goodes-for-aliir-aliir-20150613-ghn6ci.html

When Aliir Aliir was growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp, he wouldn't have dreamed he'd eventually have a lockerroom beside the great Adam Goodes.

The Sudanese 20-year-old took another step toward his AFL dream with a strong display for the Sydney Swans reserves in a 14.17 (101) to 5.6 (36) NEAFL win over Eastlake at Manuka Oval on Saturday. 

Athletic and with good skills at ground level that bely his 196-centimetre frame, Aliir grew up playing soccer but moved to Australia with his family as refugees in 2003.

Aliir caught the Australian Rules bug attending school in Brisbane and was taken at pick 44 by the Swans in the 2013 National Draft.

He is the second player of Sudanese descent to be drafted into the AFL, after North Melbourne's Majak Daw, who has played 14 games for the Roos.

"I have a chat to Majak every now and then and he's been really good to me, leading up to my under-18s he was able to help me out a lot," Aliir said.

"We went to Kenya when I was pretty young and I only played soccer, I didn't pick up footy until I was in high school and it's turned out pretty good.

"I was just a kid so I don't remember too much [about the refugee camp], all I remember is running around and playing sport, being a normal kid."

Aliir said it was surreal to go from that upbringing to being picked up by the Swans, whom he grew up supporting.

It was definitely unreal. I was a Swans supporter and [former Swan] Mick O'Loughlin coaching me [at the AIS].

"Goodesy's locker is next to mine and he's definitely a guy to look up to, he has a lot of knowledge and I try and pick his brain every now and then.

"He's a great role model." ...

There are only five rounds remaining before the AFLCNE finals series begins, so the serious josting for positions and respect from opponents is certainly hotting up. Sometimes that takes the form of a team exerting their dominance over another along the way. On other occasions it is the self-belief that grows from pushing a better team and knowing that come finals time the gap might just be narrower again.

Such might be the case is last weekend’s clash between the Sheffield Thunder and Huddersfield Rams. The scoreboard says that the Thunder won comfortably enough in the end, a 21 point margin: Sheffield 17 20 122 d Huddersfield 14 17 101. But last time they met in round four it was a 23 point margin. The message is that less than four goals have separated the teams twice this season. Thunder can read that they have the Ram’s measure. The Rams can look at the margins and build their counter-attack. Such is the fun of footy.

AFLCNE - Round 9 Ladder

Last year an historic football match took place in Kenya, with a team representing the host nation to play a visiting team from neighbouring Tanzania. The story from that initial match was published on World Footy News as Buffalo soldiers: Kenyans beat Tanzanians in historic match and followed the incredible work of Tom Purcell  who after a huge effort brought together two East African nations to play an international Australian Rules football match in suburban Nairobi.

Now it is the turn of the Tanzanian team to host their own piece of history with an Australian Rules football match on the home soil. In a first for the game, Tanzania will become an Australian Rules football nation as our game spreads its tentacles farther and wider.

The following story by Conor Walsh for the AFL’s  own website (www.afl.com ) looks at the upcoming match and further details the work of Tom Purcell and the work of the Zimele program.

TANZANIA and Kenya are not normally heard of in a football context, but Melbourne educator Tom Purcell wants to change that.

Purcell, a former senior teacher at St Kevin's College in Melbourne and now head of outreach at Trinity Grammar, is no stranger to football in east Africa, having last year organised the first ever international Australian football match in the continent.

The match between Kenya and Tanzania was the highlight of Purcell's long-term vision to host a sporting exchange in Africa and expand on his work with Zimele, founded in 2008 to support communities in Africa in partnership with the Edmund Rice Foundation.

Zimele’s most prominent annual event is the "immersion" when Purcell takes a group made up predominantly of students from Melbourne to South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. Its purpose is to allow people to become enriched in African culture, strengthen international relationships and support those in need.

Participants visit the beneficiaries of Zimele’s programs in schools, medical facilities, juvenile detention centres and local slums, providing a broader perspective on the world and driving people to develop further initiatives.

During these immersions, Purcell and the supporters of Zimele were able to witness the strength, positivity, determination and overwhelming athletic ability of the children in east Africa. And from the evidence gained from simple kick-to-kick sessions and scratch matches, the Zimele Sporting Exchange was born.

Last year’s exchange was held at the Brother Beausang School in Embulbul, a tight-knit community on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Fifty-six students from Sinon College in Arusha, Tanzania, travelled to Embulbul to engage in the successful exchange with the local children.

I was lucky enough to visit both schools in 2013, and had the privilege to play our game in scratch-match form alongside the local boys, and I couldn’t have been more impressed. Their ability to pick up the game, its unusual rules and foreign skills with precision was nothing short of amazing.

Their athleticism is acknowledged worldwide, with outstanding endurance, blistering speed and ruthless tackling prominent features of the games they play.

This year’s two-day sporting and cultural exchange will take place on July 6 and 7 at Sinon College, and will include netball, volleyball, public speaking and debating competitions to support the main drawcard, the Australian football match.

The match will mark an historic first Australian football clash in Tanzania, which is set to be a highly contested affair. Last year, Brother Beausang’s Kenya Buffaloes launched a last-quarter fightback to defeat the Tanzanian Sinon Simbas by a single point, a result the Tanzanians are determined to reverse.

I will be travelling to Africa, covering the game and viewing what will undoubtedly be outstanding talent. The game and exchange will once again unify the different cultures of Kenya, Tanzania and Australia in a way that only sport can.

The advertisement of our game in Africa, and the attention it will gather in Australia for those in need in these communities through the work of Zimele, is clearly invaluable.

The future of African footy is looking bright thanks to the tireless efforts of Purcell, and its progression to the shores of Australia seems assured. Perhaps one day the AFL community will be lucky enough to see the talent of these brilliant players on Australian soil.

The sporting exchange is funded solely by donations, with Zimele forwarding all money toward the needs of the program and the African people. To learn more about Zimele or to donate to the exchange, visit http://www.zimele.org.

Conor Walsh is a Melbourne sport journalism student and supporter of Zimele

Picture: Kenya v Tanzania 2014 (Courtesy - Zimele) ...

Yes, there are the vagaries of week to week player availability. Yes there are geographic and meteorological concerns from time to time and, yes, there are a number of reasons why a top team can lose to the bottom team on a given weekend.

But nothing can take away the remarkable efforts of the Tyne Tees Tigers to record their first victory of the season, bringing down previously undefeated top team Sheffield Thunder in the process. In a tremendous show of belief and commitment, the Tigers trounced the now deposed league leaders as much through combined belief as any other factor.

They may not yet be finished either. The Tigers cannot make the finals, but their next four matches are against potential finalists. They are in a position to create havoc for the Rams, Bears, Scorpions and Wolverines in coming weeks as they jostle for finals spots. 

In other results, the Manchester Mosqitoes brought the Birmingham Bears to earth with a resounding 169 point win, in the process reclaiming top spot and leaving the Bear’s finals aspirations back under threat.

The Huddersfield Rams bypassed the Bears on the ladder by claiming the forfeit points against the Wolverhampton Wolverines.

Results (Round 10):

Tyne Tees Tigers 25.19 (169) def. Sheffield Thunder 9.15 (69) at Tyne

Huddersfield Rams def. Wolverhampton Wolverines by default (Wolves unable to field a team)

Manchester Mosquitoes 30.16 (196) def. Birmingham Bears 3.9 (27) at Manchester

Next Round:

Sheffield Thunder v Manchester Mosquitoes (Sheffield)

Nottingham Scorpions v Tyne Tees Tigers (Sheffield)

Birmingham Bears v Huddersfield Rams (Birmingham)

Wolverhampton Wolverines (Bye)

AFLCNE Ladder - Round 10

  ...

Alex’s USAFL Weekly report this week is a long recap of all 14 games from the last 3 weeks and a preview of this weekend's colossal 18 games this weekend with the Western Regional, Texas Cup and EAFL Women's matches.

Saturday, 6 June: @ Tibbetts Brook Park in Brooklyn, NY:  New York vs. Dallas

The first game of the weekend was in Tibbetts Brook Park in Brooklyn as the Battle of the Magpies took place between Dallas and New York.  The game came down to the final minute of regulation as the New York team pulled a goal from 46 yards out to win the game.
Final score:  New York 11.11.77 Dallas 10.13.73

Saturday, 6 June:  @ Tulsa Athletics Stadium in Tulsa, OK:  Tulsa vs. Kansas City

The Tulsa Buffaloes began their 2-game stretch against two tough opponents.  First game, the Kansas City Power came to Athletics stadium.  The game was a tough one throughout before the Buffaloes pulled a dynamic fourth quarter to win going away.
Final score:  Tulsa 16.9.105 Kansas City 13.11.89

Saturday, 6 June:  @ Waveland Field in Chicago, IL:  Women’s Games:  Minnesota vs. Columbus

The only women’s match of the last two weeks saw Minnesota take on Columbus in the first known Women’s 10s battle in USAFL history.  Both games were tight throughout and in the end, it was a split.
Final scores
Game One:  Minnesota 3.5.23 Columbus 0.1.1
Game Two:  Minnesota 0.6.6 Columbus 2.0.12

Saturday, 13 June:  @ Raleigh Capitol Park in Raleigh, NC: North Carolina vs. Atlanta

The first game of last weekend was played at Raleigh Capitol Park in Raleigh, where the temperature at kickoff was 96f (+36c) as the Atlanta Kookaburras came to town against the North Carolina Tigers.  From the outset, the Tigers came out with a passion as the game was over in the first 20 minutes.  In the end, it was an upset no one expected.
Final score:  North Carolina 14.13.97 Atlanta 5.1.31

Saturday, 13 June @ Lake Nokomis Park in Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota vs. Des Moines

A much cooler Minneapolis as the Minnesota Freeze, coming off an upset loss to the Chicago Swans, took on their I-35 archrival Des Moines Roosters, trying to put the Freeze down for a second game in a row.  Unlike Raleigh, the game time temperature was a much more comfortable 66f (+19c). This game was close in the first half before the Freeze took it up a notch and won convincingly.
Final score:  Minnesota 11.15.81 Des Moines 6.6.42

Saturday, 13 June @ Dublin Soccer Fields in Dublin, OH: Columbus vs. Cincinnati

In Dublin, Ohio the Columbus Jackaroos, coming off an upset loss to the Nashville Kangaroos, went against the Cincinnati Dockers in a rematch of the Grand Final of the Harrell Cup just a month ago.  This game was a much tighter game as it came down to the last four minutes before two quick goals by Columbus saved them from the second upset of the weekend.
Final score:  Columbus 8.6.54 Cincinnati 6.8.44

Saturday, 13 June @ Rainbow Park in Crested Butte, CO: Week 10:  Part One: Tulsa vs. Denver

The Tulsa Buffaloes took on the perennial powerhouse Denver Bulldogs in the highest known elevation game of Australian Rules Football in history, at 8,885 feet (2708 meters) above sea level, which broke the old record of 6,817 feet (2078 meters) at the Air Force Academy Grounds in Colorado Springs during the 2008 USAFL Nationals.  The game was definitely one-sided as the Bulldogs overpowered the Buffaloes and won easily.
Denver 19.12.122 Tulsa 6.5.41

Saturday, 13 June @ Elmington Field in Nashville, TN:  Game of the Week, Week 10:  Part Two:  The SCHWASS CUP and Milestone Game 150: Nashville vs. Chicago

On the hallowed fields of Elmington Field as the two of the oldest teams in the USAFL, the Chicago Swans and the Nashville Kangaroos, renewed their rivalry for the Schwass Cup for the 2015 season after Chicago won the last 2 years, including a 46-point blowout at Waveland Field last August. 

As the game was set to begin, it was a picture perfect day with temperature at game time at 88f (+31c) with a light crosswind breeze as Chicago scored first, a goal, just under 100 seconds into the game.  The next 8 minutes was a stalemate before the first of three injury stoppages occurred, this at 11:15 that caused the first “blood rule” full stoppage as one of the Swans players was severely injured, which lasted 15 minutes.  After the game resumed, it took just 52 seconds (@ 12:07) before Chicago strikes again twice in 2:30 with goals on both to lead at 3.2.20 to 0.1.1.  Finally, the Kangaroos responded two minutes later with a goal and two behinds to close to the cap at halftime to just 11.  The Swans were outmarked in the first by a 11-5 margin, but lead the scoreboard 3.2.20 to 1.3.9.

Quarter Two began with the more of the same defensive battle as the opening 10 minutes was a marking contest as only 2 marks (Chicago @ 2:31 in the quarter and Nashville @ 5:10) before Nashville hits it between the big posts at exactly 10 minutes to close the gap to 5 points.  Two more goals for the Kangaroos in the following four minutes gave them the first lead by 7 points with just five minutes to go before the Swans responded just 90 seconds with a behind and goal to tied it up at 4.4.28 each before the 2nd injury stoppage with 4:35 left.  Two more behinds in the waning two minutes ended the scoring with the Kangaroos getting the last score as the siren sounded.  The Swans outmarked the Kangaroos in the second by a 21-11 margin to bring the margin to the Swans ahead at 26-22, but the score was tied at 4.5.29 each.

The Premiership Quarter began with a bang with three goals in rapid succession in just 2:25 with two goals by the Swans (@ 1:02 and 2:16) and one by the Kangaroos (on a fast break just 9 seconds after Chicago’s 2nd goal @ 2:25) to give Chicago a 5-point lead before the first double yellow card was given to both the Swans and the Kangaroos for rough play followed by another stoppage for injury just 2 minutes later @ 4:30.  After another behind by the Kangaroos @ 8:47, the Swans extended the lead to 11 from 55 yards out @ 10:15 in.  Three behinds from the Kangaroos countered the goal to close the game to 8 with 4 minutes to go before a goal from 58 yards out by Chicago and a behind to extend the lead to 15 with 1:45 left.  A final goal by the Kangaroos with just 26 seconds left ended the scoring as the Kangaroos brought the deficit back to 9.  The third quarter saw the pressure of marking coming back to the Kangaroos favor as they outmarked the Swans 8-4 to tie the marks at 30 each, but the Swans lead after 3 by a score of 8.6.54 to 6.9.45.

The final quarter saw the reversal of the third with the Kangaroos on the attack as they score back-to-back goals in the opening 3:18 to take the lead for the 2nd time in the goal, but this time the Swans couldn’t counter as they ran the final quarter with just 14 players and no bench after the 2 injuries that occurred earlier as they only scored a behind during the final 20 minutes (@ 14:39), but by then the Kangaroos put the game away as they score 2 more goals in the waning minutes as they outscore the Swans 4.4.28 to 0.1.1 to win the game.  The final quarter showed the tightness of the marks as the teams tied at 12 each to tie the total at 42 each.
Final score:  Nashville 10.13.73 Chicago 8.7.55

Saturday, 20 June at San Pedro, CA:  Game of the Week, Week 11:  Los Angeles Dragons vs. Orange County Bombers

The Battle of I-10 West saw the Los Angeles Dragons taking on their neighbors to the east, the current #1 USAFL Top 25, the Orange County Bombers.  From the beginning, this game was going to be a battle and it didn’t disappoint as the game wasn’t decided until the final 2 minutes with a goal by the Bombers to keep from being upset.  The Dragons will have their revenge in Sacramento this weekend at the Western Regionals.
Final score: Orange County 7.7.49 Los Angeles 7.6.48

Saturday, 20 June @ Des Moines:  Des Moines Roosters vs. Kansas City Power

The second game of the weekend took place @ Des Moines as the Roosters took on the Power in their first full match of the season for the Power.  From the outset, the Roosters were bringing the speed and determination as they overpowered the Power to get them to their second win of the season.
Final score:  Des Moines 13.13.91 Kansas City 9.8.62

Saturday, 20 June @ Tibbetts Park in the Bronx: New York Magpies vs. Boston Demons

The battle of I-95 North resumed in this latest installment of the storied footy history between Magpies and the Demons.  Once again, the defending Division 1 proved to the USAFL that they are bouncing back after the opening falter against Fort Lauderdale two months ago with a resounding victory over the Demons.
Final score:  New York 13.13.91 Boston 5.7.37

@ Indianapolis World Park in South Indianapolis, IN:  The Gaelic Festival Tournament @ Indianapolis.  Indianapolis vs. Cleveland and Cincinnati (Metro Matches)

The final two games of the weekend took place @ Indianapolis World Park in South Indianapolis, the first time a home game has been played in this new venue and the second time ever in USAFL history (last year’s Central Regional was played just 11 miles north on the other side of Indianapolis).  The field conditions were decent, despite the heavy rain that plagued Indianapolis and the Midwest.  The games were tight throughout, but in the end, Cleveland took their first ever USAFL victory and the Dockers rebounded from their loss against the Jackaroos the week before, leaving Indianapolis still seeking their first win of 2015.
Final scores:
Game 1:  Cincinnati 4.8.32 Indianapolis 3.2.20
Game 2:  Cleveland 8.3.51 Indianapolis 5.1.31

We are still waiting on score from:  Seattle vs. Vancouver in Issaquah, WA as of press time (23 June).

USAFL Weekly Report Standings

Men

This Weekend’s Games

Western Regional/Texas Cup Round 1 Weekend.  Most of the games take place in the cities of Sacramento-Davis (12), Austin (3) and Boston (2), along with the only 4-quarter game in the whole weekend in Baton Rouge.  Matches scheduled are as follows.

@ Nugget Fields in Davis (Sacramento), CA:  Men and Women:  Western Regional
Teams in the Competition:
Men:  Golden Gate Roos, Hong Kong and Los Angeles Dragons, Orange County Bombers, Portland Steelheads, Sacramento Suns, San Diego Lions and Seattle Grizzlies
Women:  San Francisco Iron Maiden, Arizona Lady Hawks and the Sacramento Lady Suns

The Western Regionals take place with the majority of the teams in the mens (outside of Las Vegas and Arizona) and all of the Western teams in the women’s competitions playing @ Nugget Fields in Davis.  There is even a team coming from Hong Kong (no that wasn’t a misprint above) as they will play the teams and yes, the scores will count.  There are 12 games in the competition, 9 in the men and 3 women, not including the Grand Finals.

At USAFL Nationals Fields- Onion Creek Soccer Fields in Austin, TX:  Texas Cup Round 1
Teams Involved:  Austin Crows, Dallas Magpies and Houston Lonestars

Finally the first round of the Texas Cup finally will take place nearly a month after the original matches were postponed due to nearly 5 feet of water on the fields.  Expect another battle with all 3 teams in the top 15. 

At MIT Fields in Boston:  Women:  EAFL Women’s Round 1
Teams Involved:  Boston Lady Demons, New York Lady Magpies and the Baltimore/Washington Lady Eagles

The EAFL Women’s 1st round as the Boston Lady Demons take on New York and Baltimore/Washington.  Expect a good battle from the perennial powerhouses in the Women’s division. 

At LSU Parade Grounds in Baton Rouge, LA:  Nashville Kangaroos vs. Baton Rouge Tigers

This will be the only full length 4 quarter game of the weekend as the Nashville Kangaroos resume their rivalry with the Baton Rouge Tigers after a 3-year hiatus.  This will be the first of the home-and-home series with Baton Rouge coming to Nashville on 8 August.  Expect a good game as Baton Rouge has improved from the last time they faced the Kangaroos, which was a 167-point blowout three years ago.

Our Next Show

Due to the family emergencies that took place on the last 2 weeks, we had to cancel last Sunday’s show, so we will be back on the air in 2 weeks on 5 July 2015 @ 4 pm CDT with a special 2.5 hour show to get everyone up-to-speed on what’s happened with the USAFL and we will have recaps from all 18 games this weekend and the new USAFLWR standings will be out then, since there’s no games on the Independence Day USA weekend.  We will be of course, on YouTube…just look under USAFL Weekly Show and send us a Question via World Footy News in the comments section, via Twitter @USAFLWR, via Facebook via USAFL Weekly Report and on chat during the show.

Ed. Congratulations to Alex on goal umpiring his 150th match in the Schwass Cup.
 

A further note from Alex This past week, I was in emergency family mode as my father was rushed to Stonecrest Medical Center here in Smyrna with major issues with his prostate.  To know my dad, he’s battled espohaegical cancer, a cancer that would back in the day, would mean living at maximum of 5 years after surgery.  The surgery happened in 1991, 24 years ago this September.  The VA hospital here in Murfreesboro has declared him the longest Veteran to ever survive that surgery in the history of tracking it.  So, to have a possibility of a second battle with cancer and at age 71 as of today (16 June), it was scary to have that prospect come up again.  He was in the hospital until Sunday (14 June), but the good news is that it wasn’t cancerous and it was extremely inflamed and swollen.  Being this month in the USA and around the World as Men’s Health Month, I can’t stress enough to have your checkups done yearly, as I do. 
...

The AFL’s Community Club site http://www.aflcommunityclub.com.au features a story looking at the upcoming Ramadan Dinners in cities across Australia. In another initiative of Richmond footballer, Bachar Houli, and the support of the AFL’s Diversity arm, the period of Ramadan is to be celebrated and recognised by the footballing community. The observance of Ramadan is one of Five Pillars Of Islam and one of the most important dates on the Muslim calendar.

The AFL Ramadan Dinner will take place in Sydney, Melbourne and for the first time in Adelaide this year.

The Dinner, initiated by Richmond defender and the AFL’s first devout Muslim player Bachar Houli, commemorates the Holy Month of Ramadan which is celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world each year.

Houli said he is proud to see the AFL continually support and take a leadership role in community engagement.

“Ramadan is a very significant time for Muslims as it is not just about fasting, it is a time for reflection,” he said.

The Greater Western Sydney Giants will host the first Ramadan Dinner on June 24 at Sydney Olympic Park and along with Houli, it will involve special guest Australia Post AFL Multicultural ambassador and Giants star Stephen Coniglio.

The AFL will host the event on July 1 at the Richmond Football Club, with Houli and federal government representatives in attendance.

“Now in its third year, I am proud to see the event grow year-on-year and it’s important we continue to build on our engagement with the Islamic community,” Houli said.

In a first for the city of Adelaide, the SANFL will host a Ramadan Dinner on July 8 with Australia Post AFL Multicultural ambassadors, Port Adelaide’s Alipate Carlile and St Kilda’s Ahmed Saad, lined up as guest speakers.

The Ramadan Dinner is an addition to the many programs Houli has already initiated with the aim to further engage Muslim participants in our game.

“We want to grow the Bachar Houli program to see more fans, players, umpires and employees from Islamic backgrounds participate in our game and most importantly we want to use AFL as a vehicle for social cohesion,” Houli said.

  ...

                                                                    Thursday night footy in Perth kicks off Round 13 with the Dockers hosting Collingwood.. 

Once again viewers around the world can access matches live or delayed on a number of TV networks or stream the telecast via subscription to Watchafl.com.au. 

The broadcast schedule for this round can be seen below.

The broadcast schedule is published here in good faith from schedules provided by the AFL.  All schedules may be subject to change. ...