2016 AFL Fixture released

October 28, 2015, 8:12 pm

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The 2016 AFL Fixture was released today. Full details can be seen below. Round 23 is left open in terms of what part of the weekend each match will be played on. Note there will be no match played in NZ for Premiership points in 2016 with St Kilda ending their deal with Wellington.

Round One
Thursday, Mar 24	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Richmond vs. Carlton	MCG (SEVEN)	7:20pm	7:20pm
Saturday, Mar 26	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Melbourne vs. GWS GIANTS	MCG (FOX)	1:40pm	1:40pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Essendon	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	3:35pm
North Melbourne vs. Adelaide Crows	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sydney Swans vs. Collingwood	ANZ Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, Mar 27	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Western Bulldogs vs. Fremantle	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Port Adelaide vs. St. Kilda	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	3:20pm	2:50pm
West Coast Eagles vs. Brisbane Lions	Domain Stadium (FOX)	7:40pm	4:40pm
Monday, Mar 28	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Geelong Cats vs. Hawthorn	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm

Round Two
Friday, Apr 1	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Collingwood vs. Richmond	MCG (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Apr 2	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Adelaide Crows vs. Port Adelaide	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:15pm
Essendon vs. Melbourne	MCG (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Brisbane Lions vs. North Melbourne	The Gabba (FOX)	4:35pm	3:35pm
St. Kilda vs. Western Bulldogs	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Fremantle vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Domain Stadium (FOX)	7:40pm	4:40pm
Sunday, Apr 3	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
GWS GIANTS vs. Geelong Cats	StarTrack Oval (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Hawthorn vs. West Coast Eagles	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Carlton vs. Sydney Swans	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm

Round Three
Friday, Apr 8	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Port Adelaide vs. Essendon	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:20pm
Saturday, Apr 9	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
St. Kilda vs. Collingwood	MCG (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Richmond vs. Adelaide Crows	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Sydney Swans vs. GWS GIANTS	SCG (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Carlton	Metricon Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
West Coast Eagles vs. Fremantle	Domain Stadium (FOX)	7:40pm	5:40pm
Sunday, Apr 10	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
North Melbourne vs. Melbourne	Blundstone Arena (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Western Bulldogs vs. Hawthorn	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Geelong Cats vs. Brisbane Lions	Simonds Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm

Round Four
Friday, Apr 15	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
West Coast Eagles vs. Richmond	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	8:10pm	6:10pm
Saturday, Apr 16	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Essendon vs. Geelong Cats	MCG (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Hawthorn vs. St. Kilda	Aurora Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Brisbane Lions vs. Gold Coast SUNS	The Gabba (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Carlton vs. Western Bulldogs	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Adelaide Crows vs. Sydney Swans	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, Apr 17	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
GWS GIANTS vs. Port Adelaide	StarTrack Oval (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Collingwood vs. Melbourne	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
North Melbourne vs. Fremantle	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm

Round Five
Friday, Apr 22	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Hawthorn vs. Adelaide Crows	MCG (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Apr 23	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Sydney Swans vs. West Coast Eagles	SCG (FOX)	1:40pm	1:40pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. North Melbourne	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Western Bulldogs vs. Brisbane Lions	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Port Adelaide vs. Geelong Cats	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, Apr 24	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
St. Kilda vs. GWS GIANTS	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Fremantle vs. Carlton	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:10pm	2:10pm
Melbourne vs. Richmond	MCG (SEVEN)	7:10pm	7:10pm
Monday, Apr 25	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Collingwood vs. Essendon	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm

Round Six
Friday, Apr 29	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
North Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Apr 30	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Melbourne vs. St. Kilda	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Adelaide Crows vs. Fremantle	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	2:10pm	1:40pm
GWS GIANTS vs. Hawthorn	Spotless Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Richmond vs. Port Adelaide	MCG (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Geelong Cats vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Simonds Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, May 1	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Brisbane Lions vs. Sydney Swans	The Gabba (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Carlton vs. Essendon	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
West Coast Eagles vs. Collingwood	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	2:40pm

Round Seven
Friday, May 6	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Richmond vs. Hawthorn	MCG (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, May 7	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Collingwood vs. Carlton	MCG (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Geelong Cats vs. West Coast Eagles	Simonds Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Sydney Swans vs. Essendon	ANZ Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Melbourne	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	5:10pm	5:10pm
Western Bulldogs vs. Adelaide Crows	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:40pm	7:40pm
Fremantle vs. GWS GIANTS	Domain Stadium (FOX)	8.10pm	6.10pm
Sunday, May 8	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
St. Kilda vs. North Melbourne	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Port Adelaide vs. Brisbane Lions	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	4:40pm	4:10pm

Round Eight
Friday, May 13	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Adelaide Crows vs. Geelong Cats	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:20pm
Saturday, May 14	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Essendon vs. North Melbourne	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Hawthorn vs. Fremantle	Aurora Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
GWS GIANTS vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Spotless Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Brisbane Lions vs. Collingwood	The Gabba (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Richmond vs. Sydney Swans	MCG (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, May 15	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Carlton vs. Port Adelaide	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
West Coast Eagles vs. St. Kilda	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	2:40pm

Round Nine
Friday, May 20	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Hawthorn vs. Sydney Swans	MCG (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, May 21	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Collingwood vs. Geelong Cats	MCG (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Adelaide Crows	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Port Adelaide vs. West Coast Eagles	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	4:35pm	4:05pm
North Melbourne vs. Carlton	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Fremantle vs. Richmond	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	7:40pm	5:40pm
Sunday, May 22	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions	MCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
GWS GIANTS vs. Western Bulldogs	Spotless Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
St. Kilda vs. Essendon	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm

Round Ten
Friday, May 27	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Sydney Swans vs. North Melbourne	SCG (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, May 28	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Brisbane Lions vs. Hawthorn	The Gabba (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Melbourne vs. Port Adelaide	TIO Traeger Park (FOX)	2:10pm	1:40pm
St. Kilda vs. Fremantle	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Essendon vs. Richmond	MCG (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Adelaide Crows vs. GWS GIANTS	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, May 29	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Carlton vs. Geelong Cats	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Collingwood vs. Western Bulldogs	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
West Coast Eagles vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	2:40pm

Round Eleven
Friday, Jun 3	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
North Melbourne vs. Richmond	Blundstone Arena (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Jun 4	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Hawthorn vs. Melbourne	MCG (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Carlton vs. Brisbane Lions	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Geelong Cats vs. GWS GIANTS	Simonds Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Sydney Swans	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Fremantle vs. Essendon	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	7:40pm	5:40pm
Sunday, Jun 5	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Collingwood vs. Port Adelaide	MCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Western Bulldogs vs. West Coast Eagles	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Adelaide Crows vs. St. Kilda	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	4:40pm	4:10pm

Round Twelve
Friday, Jun 10	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Essendon vs. Hawthorn	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Jun 11	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Port Adelaide vs. Western Bulldogs	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	1:40pm	1:10pm
Brisbane Lions vs. Fremantle	The Gabba (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Geelong Cats vs. North Melbourne	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
West Coast Eagles vs. Adelaide Crows	Domain Stadium (FOX)	7:40pm	5:40pm
Sunday, Jun 12	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
St. Kilda vs. Carlton	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Richmond vs. Gold Coast SUNS	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
GWS GIANTS vs. Sydney Swans	Spotless Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm
Monday, Jun 13	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Melbourne vs. Collingwood	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm

Round Thirteen
Friday, Jun 17	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
North Melbourne vs. Hawthorn	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Jun 18	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Brisbane Lions vs. West Coast Eagles	The Gabba (FOX)	1:40pm	1:40pm
Fremantle vs. Port Adelaide	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	2:35pm
Western Bulldogs vs. Geelong Cats	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, Jun 19	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Sydney Swans vs. Melbourne	SCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Essendon vs. GWS GIANTS	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm
Byes: Adelaide Crows, Carlton, Collingwood, Gold Coast SUNS, Richmond, St. Kilda

Round Fourteen
Thursday, Jun 23	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Adelaide Crows vs. North Melbourne	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:20pm
Friday, Jun 24	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Collingwood vs. Fremantle	MCG (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Jun 25	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Richmond vs. Brisbane Lions	MCG (FOX)	1:40pm	1:40pm
GWS GIANTS vs. Carlton	Spotless Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
St. Kilda vs. Geelong Cats	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, Jun 26	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Hawthorn vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Aurora Stadium (FOX)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Byes: Essendon, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles, Western Bulldogs

Round Fifteen
Thursday, Jun 30	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
West Coast Eagles vs. Essendon	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	8:10pm	6:10pm
Friday, Jul 1	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Port Adelaide vs. Richmond	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:20pm
Saturday, Jul 2	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Gold Coast SUNS vs. St. Kilda	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	1:40pm	1:40pm
Sydney Swans vs. Western Bulldogs	SCG (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Carlton vs. Collingwood	MCG (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, Jul 3	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Melbourne vs. Adelaide Crows	MCG (FOX)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Byes: Brisbane Lions, Fremantle, Geelong Cats, GWS GIANTS, Hawthorn, North Melbourne

Round Sixteen
Thursday, Jul 7	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Port Adelaide vs. Hawthorn	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:20pm
Friday, Jul 8	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Geelong Cats vs. Sydney Swans	Simonds Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Jul 9	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
GWS GIANTS vs. Collingwood	Spotless Stadium (FOX)	1:40pm	1:40pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Brisbane Lions	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Western Bulldogs vs. Richmond	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Melbourne vs. Fremantle	TIO Stadium (FOX)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, Jul 10	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Carlton vs. Adelaide Crows	MCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
West Coast Eagles vs. North Melbourne	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	1:20pm
Essendon vs. St. Kilda	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm

Round Seventeen
Thursday, Jul 14	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Sydney Swans vs. Hawthorn	SCG (SEVEN)	7:20pm	7:20pm
Friday, Jul 15	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Fremantle vs. Geelong Cats	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	8:10pm	6:10pm
Saturday, Jul 16	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Richmond vs. Essendon	MCG (FOX)	1:40pm	1:40pm
North Melbourne vs. Port Adelaide	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Western Bulldogs vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Cazalys Stadium (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Adelaide Crows vs. Collingwood	Adelaide Oval (SEVEN)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, Jul 17	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Carlton vs. West Coast Eagles	MCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
St. Kilda vs. Melbourne	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Brisbane Lions vs. GWS GIANTS	The Gabba (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm

Round Eighteen
Friday, Jul 22	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Collingwood vs. North Melbourne	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Jul 23	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Sydney Swans vs. Carlton	ANZ Stadium (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Fremantle	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
West Coast Eagles vs. Melbourne	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	2:35pm
Western Bulldogs vs. St. Kilda	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Geelong Cats vs. Adelaide Crows	Simonds Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, Jul 24	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Essendon vs. Brisbane Lions	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Hawthorn vs. Richmond	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Port Adelaide vs. GWS GIANTS	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	4:40pm	4:10pm

Round Nineteen
Friday, Jul 29	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Geelong Cats vs. Western Bulldogs	Simonds Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Jul 30	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
GWS GIANTS vs. Richmond	StarTrack Oval (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Hawthorn vs. Carlton	Aurora Stadium (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Collingwood vs. West Coast Eagles	MCG (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Brisbane Lions vs. Port Adelaide	The Gabba (FOX)	7:25pm	7:25pm
North Melbourne vs. St. Kilda	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Sunday, Jul 31	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Melbourne vs. Gold Coast SUNS	MCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Fremantle vs. Sydney Swans	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	1:20pm
Adelaide Crows vs. Essendon	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	4:40pm	4:10pm

Round Twenty
Friday, Aug 5	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Richmond vs. Collingwood	MCG (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Aug 6	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Sydney Swans vs. Port Adelaide	SCG (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Melbourne vs. Hawthorn	MCG (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
Gold Coast SUNS vs. GWS GIANTS	Metricon Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Western Bulldogs vs. North Melbourne	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Adelaide Crows vs. Brisbane Lions	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, Aug 7	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Carlton vs. St. Kilda	MCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Geelong Cats vs. Essendon	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Fremantle vs. West Coast Eagles	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	2:40pm

Round Twenty-One
Friday, Aug 12	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Western Bulldogs vs. Collingwood	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, Aug 13	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Brisbane Lions vs. Carlton	The Gabba (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Hawthorn vs. North Melbourne	MCG (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
GWS GIANTS vs. West Coast Eagles	Spotless Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
St. Kilda vs. Sydney Swans	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Port Adelaide vs. Melbourne	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, Aug 14	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Essendon vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Richmond vs. Geelong Cats	MCG (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Fremantle vs. Adelaide Crows	Domain Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	2:40pm

Round Twenty-Two
Friday, Aug 19	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
West Coast Eagles vs. Hawthorn	Domain Stadium (SEVEN)	8:10pm	6:10pm
Saturday, Aug 20	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
North Melbourne vs. Sydney Swans	Blundstone Arena (SEVEN)	1:45pm	1:45pm
Richmond vs. St. Kilda	MCG (FOX)	2:10pm	2:10pm
GWS GIANTS vs. Fremantle	Spotless Stadium (FOX)	4:35pm	4:35pm
Collingwood vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Etihad Stadium (SEVEN)	7:25pm	7:25pm
Port Adelaide vs. Adelaide Crows	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	7:40pm	7:10pm
Sunday, Aug 21	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Carlton vs. Melbourne	MCG (FOX)	1:10pm	1:10pm
Brisbane Lions vs. Geelong Cats	The Gabba (SEVEN)	3:20pm	3:20pm
Essendon vs. Western Bulldogs	Etihad Stadium (FOX)	4:40pm	4:40pm

Round Twenty-Three
Friday, Aug 26	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Hawthorn vs. Collingwood	MCG (TBC)	TBC	TBC
Saturday, Aug 27	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Adelaide Crows vs. West Coast Eagles	Adelaide Oval (TBC)	TBC	TBC
St. Kilda vs. Brisbane Lions	Etihad Stadium (TBC)	TBC	TBC
Essendon vs. Carlton	MCG (TBC)	TBC	TBC
Gold Coast SUNS vs. Port Adelaide	Metricon Stadium (TBC)	TBC	TBC
Sydney Swans vs. Richmond	SCG (TBC)	TBC	TBC
Sunday, Aug 28	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Fremantle vs. Western Bulldogs	Domain Stadium (TBC)	TBC	TBC
North Melbourne vs. GWS GIANTS	Etihad Stadium (TBC)	TBC	TBC
Geelong Cats vs. Melbourne	Simonds Stadium (TBC)	TBC	TBC

...

↧

Tropical Mackay To Join AFL Ranks

October 29, 2015, 6:22 am

≫ Next: Wanderers Grab Share of NTFL Lead

≪ Previous: 2016 AFL Fixture released

With the release today of the 2016 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Fixture, the Northern Territory and Tropical North Queensland are again the winners. Once again, matches will be played for premiership points in Alice Springs, Darwin and Cairns. But by far the biggest winner was the North Queensland city of Mackay which will host its first ever official AFL match in the pre-season NAB Cup match.

For the past three seasons the city of Townsville has held the event, hosting matches featuring North Melbourne (2013) Brisbane Lions (2014) and Geelong (2015) each playing the Gold Coast Suns. But Mackay’s successful bid will see the Brisbane Lions return north, this time at the Harrup Park Country Club complex.

Current St Kilda player, David Armitage, is a Mackay boy, having played for the Eastern Swans in his junior days prior to drafting into the AFL, adding a level of local interest to the game.

Mackay Regional Council’s Tourism and Economic Development spokesperson, Councillor Greg Martin, stated to the Mackay Daily Mercury newspaper, “"Securing this pre-season NAB Cup game was a further outcome of the great collaboration between MRC and Harrup Park and their board and we will continue to work with them to explore all partnership funding opportunities to raise the standard of lighting and facilities to progress to securing a AFL match for premiership points."

The match will take place in Mackay on March 6th next year.

Further north in Cairns, the Western Bulldogs will return for their third and final visit of their current agreement when they host the Gold Coast Suns at Cazalys Stadium. The Round 17 premiership match has become a fixture in the north since Richmond and the Gold Coast played for premiership points in the city from 2011 to 2013 before the Bulldogs took over for the 2014 and 2015 matches.

Prior to that, the city hosted pre-season AFL matches, as well as a VFL match in 2010 between the then Essendon affiliate, the Bendigo Bombers, and the newly formed Suns. The match will be played wholly under lights on Saturday 17th July as a night match for the first time instead of the usual twilight game.

The Northern Territory will again see two premiership matches, both featuring the Melbourne Demons. The Round 10 match will again feature Melbourne up against Port Adelaide at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs on May 28th. Later in the year, TIO Stadium in Darwin will host the Round 16 clash between Melbourne and Fremantle on July 9th.

It remains a great coup that both the Northern Territory and the tropics of Queensland can offer two matches each to their own footy loving populations, both satisfying local footy tragics as well as the more important role of helping to develop grass roots level footy.

...

↧

Wanderers Grab Share of NTFL Lead

November 2, 2015, 5:13 am

≫ Next: Holmes, Cox inspired new Blue's AFL dream

≪ Previous: Tropical Mackay To Join AFL Ranks

The race for top spot is already gathering steam after just four rounds of the NTFL season in Darwin. Southern Districts, Wanderers and St Mary’s each have three wins and are narrowly ahead of Nightcliff, Palmerston and Darwin Buffaloes on two apiece. It sets the scene for a torrid few weeks headed towards the Christmas/New Year Break in December.

The weekend matches were highlighted by a slashing game between previously undefeated Southern Districts and Wanderers. The Crocs led after a five goal first quarter and held the lead at half time by nine points. But in a spirited second half, wanderers found the extra gear to get ahead and hold of the determined crocs, running out three point winners in yet another result decided this season by less than a goal. Two of those were losses for Wanderers (by three points to St Mary’s and two points to Buffaloes), so the result was a huge relief for last year’s premiers.

Final score: Wanderers 13 10 88 d Southern Districts 13 7 85

Buffaloes kept their recent rich vein of form going with a 23 point win against the Tiwi Bombers. Trailing at quarter time, the Buffaloes put together an excellent second quarter to gain control of the match and from there held the Bombers at bay. The loss for the Tiwi Bombers sees them on the bottom of the ladder winless and will need to find something very quickly if they hope to reach the finals.

Final score: Buffaloes 17 23 125 d Tiwi Bombers 15 12 102

St Mary’s lost the first and final quarters in their match against the improved Palmerston Magpies. But what they did in between was impressive as they kicked nine goals to four and effectively put the game away. Both teams went in to the game on two wins, so the 21 point victory for Saints buys them some breathing space.

Final score: St Mary’s 13 10 88 d Palmerston 10 7 67

The Sunday match between Nightcliff and Waratah was effectively over by half time after the Nightcliff Tigers hammered home 18 scoring shots (9 goals, 9 behinds) to one during a rampaging second quarter. The Tigers won every quarter en route to a 115 point victory, placing them in fourth place but more importantly boosting their percentage which will help later in the season.

Final score: Nightcliff 20 19 139 d Waratah 3 6 24

Next week’s matches will see a huge clash between Saints and Crocs while the Tiwi Bombers will host Wanderers in a game they must win. Palmerston take on Waratah and the Buffaloes will tackle Nightcliff ...

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Holmes, Cox inspired new Blue's AFL dream

November 6, 2015, 1:04 am

≫ Next: Southern District Crocs Firming For NTFL Flag

≪ Previous: Wanderers Grab Share of NTFL Lead

The following article from Adam Curley at the afl.com.au website looks at the burgeoning career of Carlton's latest International Rookie signing, Matt Korchek from the USA.

CARLTON'S American rookie Matt Korcheck says countrymen Jason Holmes and Mason Cox inspired him to come to Australia and try to forge an AFL career.

Holmes debuted for St Kilda in round 21 last season in the club's draw against Geelong and was impressive in the ruck, having 34 hit-outs, before playing the final two games of 2015.

Cox is yet to play a senior game for Collingwood but did feature in last season's NAB Cup campaign and played some impressive footy in the VFL towards the end of 2015.

"Jason Holmes, another American that came over was a big motivation and Mason Cox … those guys motivated me to get out here and try something new and really push myself," Korcheck told SEN on Friday.

Korcheck said his family was shocked when he told them he wanted to move to the other side of the world to play Australian rules football.

"I think when I brought it up with them at first they were like ‘what do you mean you want to move to Australiaω’, and I said ‘I really want to do this’," he said.

"They’re really excited about it and know it’s a good opportunity for them to visit Australia now – they’re really happy about it."

With a college basketball background, the 208cm Korcheck says the physical nature of the game is what attracted him to it the most.

"It’s exciting to me, I love it, my favourite part of the game is the tackling," he said.

"As a basketball player you always get called for the little tic-tac fouls when you barely touch someone and then they blow the whistle and you get angry.

"I’ve been in the club every day lifting weights and doing some running – trying to get past the soreness stages before we start pre-season."

While he may have the physique to make it, Korcheck knows his biggest hurdle will be conquering the Sherrin, and he'll been working hard every day to make sure his skills have improved by the time pre-season training starts on November 9.

"I’m doing all right – it probably looks like I’m chasing a chicken around," he laughed.

"I think that it (kicking) is something I need to keep working on, it’s a big part of the game, but I think it comes pretty naturally to me.

"That being said I still need to do a lot of work in that area, it’s nowhere near where it needs to be, but it feels pretty good as a beginner."

Picture: Carlton Football Club

...

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Southern District Crocs Firming For NTFL Flag

November 7, 2015, 5:28 am

≫ Next: Power To Be Turned On In Cairns

≪ Previous: Holmes, Cox inspired new Blue's AFL dream

The new season might just be five rounds old but the Southern Districts Crocs have already thrown down the gauntlet to all clubs. Their 69 point demolition of perennial powerhouse, St Mary’s at TIO Stadium today was the biggest sign yet that the Crocs mean business in 2015/16. The victory sees them level on points with last year’s premiers Wanderers but well clear on percentage.

The loss for St Mary’s places them in an unusual position – for them. They now sit in fifth place, albeit just a game behind Crocs. But with the developing log jam at the upper end of the ladder, Saints will need to find more wins than others to get back in reach of top spot.

Final Score: Southern Districts 19 9 123 d St Mary’s 7 12 54

Wanderers played the Tiwi Bombers up on Bathurst Island at Wurrumiyanga and recorded their fourth win, and their fourth game of the year decided by less than a goal. The Bombers shot out of the blocks in front of their home crowd and held sway to three quarter time. But a powerful final quarter from Wanderers saw them sneak home by just five points in a high scoring match. For the Tiwi Bombers, the loss paints a bleak picture for finals with the club winless after five starts and playing the red-hot Crocs next weekend.

Final Score: Wanderers 17 12 114 d Tiwi Bombers 16 13 109

Darwin Buffaloes continued their tremendous start to the season, holding on against a committed Nightcliff Tigers to record their third win of the season and a claim on fourth place. The match was tight from the outset with both teams able to gain leads. But the born-again Buffaloes were too good in the final quarter and ran out solid 20 point winners in a tight defensive match.

Final Score: Buffaloes 10 15 75 d Nightcliff Tigers 8 7 55

The Palmerston Magpies enjoyed a day out against the hapless Waratah crew. The final result was 86 points the Magpies’ way as they jumped Waratah early and continued to build their lead. Down by 31 points at half time, Waratah held a theoretical chance to come back, but a withering 16 goal second half from the Magpies buried Waratah and sent the Magpies to third place on the ladder.

Final Score: Palmerston Magpies 23 14 152 d Waratah 10 6 66

Next week’s round will see the Magpies take on Wanderers, Waratah meet the Darwin Buffaloes, Southern District Crocs against the Tiwi Bombers and Nightcliff hosting St Mary’ ...

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Power To Be Turned On In Cairns

November 7, 2015, 6:09 am

≫ Next: AFL Bounces Into India

≪ Previous: Southern District Crocs Firming For NTFL Flag

In one of the biggest expansion moves in Cairns for many years, fledgling junior club Pyramid Power may be about the get the green light to field a reserve grade team in the 2016 senior AFL Cairns competition.

A public meeting will be held in the sugar town of Gordonvale, 25 kilometres south of Cairns, to float the idea to the local community and hopefully convince the powers that be at AFL Cairns that the idea will have the necessary support. Pyramid Power President, Brett Kennerley, has stated that the plan has been in place for four years to field a team at senior level but many road blocks have prevented the move to date.

Should the move succeed and the new team take the field in 2016, the next step will be a full senior body for AFL Cairns by 2018, giving the league eight teams. The league in now in total support of the idea, provided local support is evident.

The past twelve months has been difficult for the Far North Queensland league. The Manunda Hawks were suspended in both senior and reserve grades for the 2015 season after inappropriate actions were taken within sections of the club with regard to social media issues and subsequent incidents. Not only did this lead to the club being decimated by departing players, the league also took a significant PR hit.

The North Cairns Tigers had also been weakened by a player drain at senior level, and another exodus of juniors to the Cape York Eagles juniors. This impacted heavily in 2015, leading to a decline in competitive teams and opening the door for a revitalised league for 2016 – and for Pyramid Power to join the big league.

The Pyramid Power club began in 2005 and has won four junior flags and contested nine grand finals. But the fact that they were a junior only club saw players leave the club, or the game altogether, once they left Colts age (effectively Under 18’s). With reserve grade team now a strong possibility the local youth will have a more defined pathway for football careers, not having to leave the club to graduate to a senior level. The club has also tapped into communities south of Cairns, and local boarding schools, to bring a whole new market to the AFL Cairns scene.

Back in the 1950’s the region was served by the highly successful Babinda Magpies and the Centrals Aloomba Bulldogs. Both clubs dominated the senior and reserve grade premierships across the 1960’s and 1970’s. But by the 1980’s both clubs had gone, leaving a void in the southern areas of the Cairns/Gordonvale/Innisfail region. Legends of the early Australian Football days in Cairns such as Howard Kennedy Senior, Jack Holt and Des Trannore got the game going in the region but things changed. The modern day Pyramid Power have worked gradually towards a rebirth of those great days, and tomorrow’s meeting might be the historic rebirth of a senior body in the districts again.

Pyramid Power’s jumpers still include the black and white stripes of the Babinda Magpies in a more stylised jumper design.

Should the meeting deliver a positive verdict, this will be a very significant shift in the makeup of the AFL Cairns competition and a sure sign that the much sought after growth of the game is in fact happening, and Pyramid Power are right at the cutting edge of that chang ...

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AFL Bounces Into India

November 10, 2015, 11:57 am

≫ Next: The Nathan Blakey Memorial Movember Cup

≪ Previous: Power To Be Turned On In Cairns

This month in Kolkata, India, the annual AFL India National Championships – the ARFAI OGM Cup - Australian Rules football tournament was held. The tournament has continued to grow – both in numbers and standard – over recent years. This year’s event was won by the Bengal Tigers over the Jharkhand Crows. The final score war the Tigers 2 6 18 down the Crows 2 1 13.

The following article from the Koltata Konnector website, written by Abhijit Ganguly, takes a closer look at the growth of the game in India in the wake of the tournament.

The game was officially born 156 years ago when in 1859 its rules were codified four years before soccer even had a codified set of rules, but it had been played for several years before that across the southern states of Australia.

Originally a sport played by cricketers in their leisure time to stay fit, over the decades the game created a unique identity of its own. It may look something like rugby but the rules are completely different. As basketball and baseball are popular in the US, so Footy is popular in Australia. During a visit to Australia in 2015, Christiano Ronaldo even had a chance to learn the game and Indians such as Harsha Bhogle and Bengal’s own Sourav ‘Dada’ Ganguly have also been introduced to the game by their Australian counterparts. The name of the game is Australian Rules Football. In short, “Aussie Rules” or simply “Footy”.

Recently the Australian Rules Football Association of India National Championship 2015, was held at Gitanjali Stadium, Kolkata. Australian Football League legend Gavin Crosisca who was in attendance said, “I was here in 2013 with a tournament in Goa. The skills of the teams that were down there has improved considerably. The training that these guys have been putting in is starting to show the rewards. I think that the tournament is improving considerably so it’s a credit to everyone who is involved. These two days of playing Footy is a fantastic thing for not just AFL but also for the Indian community because Footy brings communities together with a lot of camaraderie.”

The game is immensely popular in Australia where it originated and can draw crowds of up to 1 lakh spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is now played in 51 countries around the world. It looks like a combination primarily of football and rugby but has elements of other sports as well. Unlike rugby, players can't throw the ball and can be tackled from all directions. For short passes, they have to hit the ball with their fist (called a ‘handpass’) similar to volleyball. For long passes, they have to kick the ball like a football goalie. They are also supposed to bounce the ball every 15 meters like basketball. With an oval shaped ball the ability to bounce the ball is a skill in itself.

Sudip Chakraborty, Founder & Secretary General at Australian Rules Football Association of India (AFL India) & Captain of the national team of India- Indian Tigers, told “Ricky Ponting in 2008 first played the sport here when he was playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders. In the same year, a coach from Australia came to Kolkata and the sport was launched in Kolkata and players from all sporting backgrounds were invited to try the sport. Similarly, a friend of mine who was a basketball player asked me to give this sport a try because there seems to be an advantage for tall people. I am from both soccer and cricket backgrounds but I still gave it a try.”

“Since this sport involves skills from various different sports, everybody has a part to play. First a team representing India was formed, which was supposed to travel to Australia. I got selected and we went to Australia and witnessed the madness of the game there. I started liking it and thought we can't just let it be a one-shot deal and that we needed to go back and develop it. Unfortunately, people who were in charge back then lost interest and nothing happened for one and half years. We wrote to the AFL and were given the charge.”

There are seven states playing the sport right now (Jharkhand, Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and in the last three years, the participation has gone up from around 1000 to 7000. The Indian Army has shown an interest in playing the sport. The Indian team named Indian Tigers goes to Australia every three years to participate in the AFL International Cup. Eighteen countries participate and Indian Tigers got its first victory against East Timor in 2011. Both the senior and junior division finals were between West Bengal and Jharkhand. Jharkhand won the junior division (61-0) while the Bengal boys won the senior division (18-14), making it three times in-a-row.

Talking about the USP of the sport, Sudip said, “It is the fastest outdoor team sport on earth. Wherever you are on the ground, the ball could be within three seconds over your head. The ball travels so fast and high, it looks really attractive especially for someone watching from the gallery. It involves skills of various different sports for example, rugby, volleyball, basketball, soccer, sprinting etc.” Sudip is trying to have a state tournament every year and then, select the national players. For West Bengal, he is looking to start a league as players tend to lose motivation as they play one or two tournaments a year.

Shane Sayner, a spectator in Kolkata, an avid AFL lover and regular traveler to India, told “It's great to see how the game has developed over the last few years in India since I first saw it in Goa in 2013. Much credit must go to the local coaches in each state, the player’s families, the supporters and former players who have stuck with the game and Sudip’s team at ARFAI who keep things going and growing on a day-to-day basis. Most importantly credit goes to these players who have come to love the game and stuck at it, improving themselves and this new sport in India”.

Kolkata Connector: http://kolkatakonnector.blogspot.in/2015/11/afl-bounces-into-india.html

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The Nathan Blakey Memorial Movember Cup

November 10, 2015, 7:30 pm

≫ Next: Aussies warm up in NYC: Update -match cancelled

≪ Previous: AFL Bounces Into India

On the 15th of November the Manchester Mosquitoes host a charity Aussie Rules tournament at Trafford MV Rugby Club. The Nathan Blakey Movember Cup is held annually in support of the Movember Foundation raising funds for men’s illnesses, in particular prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health issues. The first tournament was held in 2011 and has been growing year on year raising around £10,000 for charity so far.

The week before the first event, Nathan Blakey, a member of the Manchester Mosquitoes ARFC, passed away during complex surgery at the age of 28. Nathan had been part of the Mozzies since the clubs first season and was part of their 2010 premiership team. He was known for his down to earth, friendly nature and his love of the footy. He played, umpired, helped coach and loved a beer. He was a paramedic so would often be sorting himself out after matches whenever he took a hit. He is greatly missed. With his passing the week before the first Movember Cup it was decided to play the tournament in honour of Nathan. It seemed a fitting gesture to remember him in this way considering his love of football and his commitment to developing the game.

The Nathan Blakey Movember Cup is about to be held for the 5th year and we are looking forward to raising funds in support of men’s health and raising a glass in honour of our mate.

Always well attended by AFLCNE Clubs, we hope as many players, spectators and supporters can come along and be involved to raise money to make it as big a success as possible. If you can’t make it but still want to contribute you can donate at the following link:

If you want to help or be involved with the tournament, contact Ben Sweetman at email: president@manchestermosquitoes.com

In the build-up to this year’s Movember cup here at the Central and Northern England Australian Football League we’ll be taking a look at some of the Men’s health issues you’ll be raising money for and how our clubs are helping to raise awareness.

Originally posted by the Manchester Mosquitoes at: http://aflcne.com/2015/10/31/the-nath...ember-cup/

Left:Manchester Mozzies in action against Nottingham Scorp ...

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Aussies warm up in NYC: Update -match cancelled

November 12, 2015, 2:15 pm

≫ Next: AFL Victoria to establish women's state league

≪ Previous: The Nathan Blakey Memorial Movember Cup

The Australian team has spent most of this week warming up and getting to know each other in New York City. The US stopover before next week's International Rules Test match in Ireland will conclude after this weekend. Before they leave for Ireland though the Australian team will play a New York GAA team. The match will take place on Saturday at the Rockland GAA Centre of Excellence in Orangeburg starting at midday.

If you are going to head down there to watch the match please be aware that there are limited facilities (so don't expect seating), entry is $10 for adults and free for under 18's.

Earlier in the week the AFL today announced a five-man leadership group for the Virgin Australia International Rules team to contest the one-off Test against Ireland, to be played at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday November 21.

The Australian team coaching group of Alastair Clarkson, Ross Lyon and Chris Scott named the Western Bulldogs' Robert Murphy, St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt, the Geelong Cats' Harry Taylor and Hawthorn pair Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell as the team's leaders as they prepare in New York this week with a training camp.

Clarkson said the captain would be named on Friday (Saturday Australian time) when the team has its formal jumper presentation, before flying out over the weekend to Dublin.

"We have an outstanding squad with leaders throughout the team, but for practical purposes we have settled on those five players and we know they will do an outstanding job leading this group." he said.

Murphy was named as this year's All Australian captain in his first year as Bulldogs' skipper while Riewoldt has captained the Saints in nearly 200 games across his career, and was himself named as All Australian captain in 2009, as one of his five All Australian honours. Taylor played in last year's winning side against Ireland and was recognised for his seniority within the Cats while Mitchell (2008) and Hodge (2013, 2014, 2015) have captained the last four premeirship teams for the Hawks between them. Hodge was also All Australian captain in 2010.
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AFL Victoria to establish women's state league

November 12, 2015, 2:30 pm

≫ Next: Heart And Soul

≪ Previous: Aussies warm up in NYC: Update -match cancelled

As women's footy continues to grow and head towards a national league, a significant announcement for women's footy was made today revealing that AFL Victoria plans to establish a women’s state league competition in 2016.

The new competition will be aligned with the Victorian Football League (VFL), featuring 10 clubs, with the six Victorian Women’s Football League (VWFL) Premier Division teams from 2015 – Darebin Falcons, Diamond Creek, Eastern Devils, Melbourne Uni, St Kilda and VU Western Spurs – to be joined by the top four Division 1 sides – Cranbourne, Geelong, Knox and Seaford.

AFL Victoria believes the time is right for a dedicated state league, with the 10 clubs all geographically spread across Melbourne and featuring a wealth of talent.

“This is the starting point for something really exciting in women’s football,” AFL Victoria CEO Steven Reaper said.
“By developing a women’s state league competition from current VWFL clubs we will be able to utilise already established playing squads, grounds and support staff, and it will also assist with player retention.

“It means the state competition will be able to help develop talent across Melbourne and into some country regions in the future.”

By aligning the naming of women’s state league with the VFL competition, including its website and social media channels, the aim is to help grow the audience in its infancy - utilising the VFL fan base to expose more people to the high quality of women’s football.

“This will be the first step in establishing a professional women’s state league competition in Victoria, but it will take time to mirror all aspects of the men’s league,” Reaper said.

“With the AFL national women’s competition on the horizon, we need to provide the best standard competition for these players, and a dedicated state league for women will help set that benchmark, providing a much needed next step in the female talent pathway.

“73 of the 109 players invited to the new AFL Victoria Women’s Football Academy that started last Sunday are from the 10 proposed state league teams, highlighting the depth of talent that will be on show.”

The official name of the women’s state league competition is set to be decided in coming months, along with the season length and finals format which will be confirmed during the fixture process.

The VWFL will remain in its current divisional structure (Premier, Division 1 etc), with the 10 state league clubs to continue to field their second and third teams in that competition.

The league has seen rapid growth in recent years, jumping from 27 clubs and 34 teams in 2013 to 36 clubs and 50 teams in 2015.

“This growth and development of the VWFL competition means a women’s state league in Victoria will now be a reality,” Reaper sai ...

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Heart And Soul

November 12, 2015, 7:01 pm

≫ Next: Hodge to lead Australia

≪ Previous: AFL Victoria to establish women's state league

The 2015 season in Australia, and many other countries, is done – apart from those resilient and fanatical “Top-Enders” in Darwin where matches will be played, rain, hail, shine or monsoon, until March. Competitions in the Middle East and France keep the flame flickering also. Many now will sit back and reflect on the exploits of their favourite players, teams, matches or subjects other than footy. Discussions may turn to club recruiting, drafting, trading, coaching or a range of other “team” related topics.

But behind the scenes at all levels of the game, volunteers and diehards that keep those players on the field get a small window where other things in life – like resting and eating – can return to a more “normal” state. Clubs and players might succeed on the battle fields of football grounds, but they cannot, simply cannot, succeed without the tireless and generous efforts of their crews behind the scenes.

Take the mythical “Bandicoots” team. A fabricated name for the story, but inhabited by a cast of people that are as real as the sweat and talent on field.

You can start with Brent. The coach of more than one team and club president. Match day comes as a bit of a relief to him. It is two hours on the sidelines barking instructions to his teams, and a welcome distraction from driving around neighbouring suburbs searching for errant players, continually fiddling with whiteboards (or the more upmarket apps on iPads) placing and replacing players. It is two hours where the phone isn’t necessarily in his hand. It is also the “free time” which doesn’t involve meetings with local administrators, tribunals, meeting local businesses to raise funds or recruit interest in the club. Somewhere in and around all of this he grabs a bite to eat, gets a little sleep and might even see the family – although, in fairness, the whole family is involved at the club anyway.

Mary has a son who plays and looks forward to sitting quietly each match and watching him. No such luck. Her week is spent washing jumpers, answering club correspondence, sending out updates with regards to rules, draws, upcoming events, registrations or any one of the hundreds of emails, letters or other messages arriving. Match day and she is busy in the change rooms distributing jumpers, shorts and socks. If underwear were club issue she would have that also. Pre-match she is preparing paperwork, then the match starts and she becomes any role from extra trainer to interchange marshal, scorer, assistant medico and more. For a few fleeing minutes she may see her son, then the chaos returns.

James gallops yon and hither over the countryside in any bus he can get a hold of. Legally! He drives miles and miles every match day finding kids. Many are at home but most are scattered across communities and suburbs. His logic is flawed but simple and generous. Without the kids there is no team, so drive he must. This happens every match day for all grades across the weekend and Friday nights. The mileage on his vehicles is only matched by the mileage in his legs from hot footing it up and down driveways, streets and cul de sacs chasing that most vital team component – players. Come match time, the bus parked securely (and usually legally) behind the clubrooms, he then dons any available role. Water boy, steward, assistant coach, coach…whatever needs doing.

Lorissa and Janet are at training during the week. Not on the field, but in the canteen making sure there are enough food and drinks for this weekend’s home fixture. If not, off they go to chase whatever else they need. When it isn’t a home fixture they are on the sidelines helping in all capacities – half time oranges (or three quarter time depending on needs). Washing jumpers, transporting kids, cleaning kitchens, it is all part of the machine that is footy.

Davo runs chook raffles, or any other birds, throughout the week in local pubs, RSL clubs or anywhere else he can secure community support. When not doing that he is off chatting to locals that might be able to donate this or fund that or just let the club show their poster in their windows. However he can get the community behind the club, Davo will. It in noting unusual to see him driving around town with a trailer full of aluminium cans behind him. Every cent counts when you are trying to keep a footy team on the field.

Bill and Ben (not the Flowerpot Men) arrive each match day armed with sausages, aprons, cooking implements and a box full of numbers for the scoreboard. Coaches from a bygone day at the club, now they spend their time as permanent barbecue operators and scoreboard attendants. They just love their club, and community, and want to be there every chance they get. It’s not like the masses wouldn’t eat without them, but their contribution makes the crowds very, very happy, appreciative and less hungry.

Kristie hardly ever gets to a game, much less a training session. In fact, she rarely leaves the comfort and comparative safety of the home office. Her role is the accounts and balancing the club books. She also spends her time looking up opportunities for grants and other funding streams to bee footy jumpers on the player’s backs, equipment up to speed in the shed, lighting bills paid which makes evening training possible and a host of other financial issues. Without her the club might just shrivel and die.

Then there is Sophie the trainer. After years of being close to liniment and Dencorub she has no real sense of smell anymore. Yet she never misses the moments when she has to either attend to a wound, real or imagined, to keep a player safe. The amount of mythical player injuries uses an enormous amount on very un-mythical tape and bandages. Still, she soldiers on to keep the players in one piece, or at the very least a minimum amount of pieces.

The is a small army of people behind the scenes of every club. The success is often measured in terms of win/loss ratios and the performances of the players. But the fact is, without the heart and soul of the club – the volunteers behind the scenes – none of those games would be won. They might not even be played. A club is a club by virtue of the collective assets which define it – and the greatest asset of all is its people.

The bandicoots get an off season now to recuperate and plan for next year’s assaults. Maybe the team will win matches, maybe not. But a team full of volunteers like those at the bandicoots have already won, regardless of the scoreboard.

And that is the measure of a successful club.

Go, Bandicoots..!!
...

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Hodge to lead Australia

November 13, 2015, 5:30 pm

≫ Next: Dingo Larceny In Doha – Dragons Secure Dubai

≪ Previous: Heart And Soul

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

The AFL today announced Hawthorn's triple-premiership skipper Luke Hodge would be captain of the Virgin Australia International Rules team to contest the one-off Test against Ireland, to be played at Croke Park in Dublin next Saturday November 21.

The Australian team coaching group of Alastair Clarkson, Ross Lyon and Chris Scott nominated Hodge to be captain from the leadership group comprising Robert Murphy, Nick Riewoldt, Harry Taylor and Sam Mitchell at a team function in New York on Friday evening November 13 (Saturday November 14 Australian time).

The 22-man squad was presented with their guernseys at a function at News Corp world headquarters in New York, hosted by Global CEO Robert Thomson and attended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell who handed over their match-day jumpers.

Hodge said he was shocked to be named as skipper but honoured to be leading such a powerful squad comprised entirely of All Australian players.

"It's a great honour and I'm lost for words as I thought either Bob Murphy or Nick Riewoldt would be leading us as great players that I admire," Hodge said.

"Ireland will be a tough proposition but we are absolutely heading to Dublin with victory as our goal."

Hodge won the Jim Stynes Medal as Australia's best player in last year's win in Perth and also was a key player when he previously played IRS in 2005.

Australia regained the Cormac Macanallen Trophy with victory in last November's Test on home soil in Perth and has again named a squad comprised entirely of All Australian players.

The 2015 Virgin Australia International Rules squad is: Hayden Ballantyne (Fremantle), Eddie Betts (Adelaide Crows), Grant Birchall (Hawthorn), Luke Bruest (Hawthorn), Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong Cats), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), Andrew Gaff (West Coast), Brendon Goddard (Essendon), Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide), Dyson Heppell (Essendon), Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn), Leigh Montagna (St Kilda), David Mundy (Fremantle), Robert Murphy (Western Bulldogs), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda), Tom Rockliff (Brisbane Lions), Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn), Nick Smith (Sydney Swans), Jake Stringer (Western Bulldogs), Harry Taylor (Geelong Cats), Easton Wood (Western Bulldogs).

The Ireland v Australia International Rules Test will be telecast around Australia by the Seven Network.
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Dingo Larceny In Doha – Dragons Secure Dubai

November 13, 2015, 8:16 pm

≫ Next: Flying Boomerangs Down Victorian Diversity All-Stars

≪ Previous: Hodge to lead Australia

After a game that had stayed close from the opening bounce, with multiple lead changes, the Dubai Dingoes stole the points from their opponents, the Doha Kangaroos, after the final siren. In a thriller, a Dingo shot on goal after the final siren had blown saw them pinch the game by just one point, much to the horror of the local Doha crowd.

The final scores saw the Dubai Dingoes 11 9 75 down the Doha Kangaroos 10 14 74

The win restores order for the Dingoes after they lost their first match of the season to the BM Bulls. For the kangaroos, the result has compounded a bad start to the season. They are yet to win a game from two outings this season and have to meet powerhouse, the Dubai Dragons, next round in Doha.

In the Dubai title fight between the perennial powerhouse and the precocious new kids on the block, the Dubai Dragons delivered a message that stories of their imminent demise are premature. In a game touted by many as a possible changing of the guard in Dubai dominance, the Dragons never let the BM Bulls into the match.

The Bulls reached the pre-season and regular season grand finals last season, losing both to the Dragons. But their impressive start to this year saw them win the pre-season cup and win their opening match against the Dingoes well, suggesting a shift in power was possible. The Dragons themselves conceded they had lost some personnel from last year.

But in the end, the Dragons just laughed off the challenge, romping to what was eventually a comprehensive victory to the tune of 48 points. The dominance was clear in the scoring shots with the Dragons having 25 shots to the Bulls just 12. The Dragons can now be confident of another strong season, with the Bulls one of their key challengers. For the Bulls, the game was a reality check, reminding them that there is still a gulf to be bridged between their best and the best in the competition. Though, few doubt they will close that gap, and quickly.

The final scores saw the Dubai Dragons 16 9 105 defeat the BM Bulls 9 3 ...

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Flying Boomerangs Down Victorian Diversity All-Stars

November 13, 2015, 9:45 pm

≫ Next: Aussie IRS prepartions hitch as NY warm up match cancelled

≪ Previous: Dingo Larceny In Doha – Dragons Secure Dubai

The indigenous representative side, the 2015 AFL Flying Boomerangs, has capped a successful week with a win over the Victorian Diversity All Stars on Saturday in Melbourne.

The group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, aged 14 -15 years old, spent this week at a high performance camp where they were guests of the Collingwood and St Kilda Football Clubs, as well as the Australian Navy.

Led by four goals from Shaydan Close, the Boomerangs were too good for the All Stars, winning 12.11 (83) to 3.3 (21), in an entertaining match at Punt Road Oval.

The squad of 25 boys was selected by AFL talent managers from around Australia based on their school attendance, leadership skills and football ability.

Boomerangs head coach Shannon Rusca told http://AFL.com.au that he was delighted with the result, but more importantly with how his team responded to the week-long camp.

"It was a fantastic win, the boys have had a long week where they've been tested mentally and physically, so to come up on a Saturday after a week was testament to the boys' character," Rusca said.

"They showed the resilience we've been ramming home to them all week.

"Everyone played their role, they knew their role and executed their role, and a big catch cry we had during the week was '100% team, 100% of the time', so I thought that was spot on.

"They'll now return to their communities and play local level footy and their next talent pathway will be their State 16s team, and hopefully we get a big chunk of them go through to that.

"That's our aim, to arm them with the right tools so they can move up into the national carnival."

AFL FLYING BOOMERANGS 12.11 (83)
VICTORIAN DIVERSITY ALL STARS 3.3 (21)

Goalkickers:

Flying Boomerangs: Shaydan Close 4, Ari Miles 2, Michael Mummery, Tarryn Trindall-Thomas, Mihail Lochowiak, Eli Hill, Cooper Kilpatrick, Heath Ryder

Vic Diversity All Stars: Jacob Dhieu, Riley De Martino, Riley Taylor 1

Story: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-11-14...-punt-road

Pictures: Courtesy AFL Media

...

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Aussie IRS prepartions hitch as NY warm up match cancelled

November 13, 2015, 10:36 pm

≫ Next: CNFA Statement Regarding Weekend Football Matches

≪ Previous: Flying Boomerangs Down Victorian Diversity All-Stars

The match that was scheduled to take place today (NY time) between the Australian IRS team and they NY GAA team has been cancelled. The NY GAA this morning relayed the message via Twitter "Due to circumstances beyond the control of NYGAA, the International Rules Challenge v Australia is cancelled. Apologies for any inconvenience."

It will be a set back for the Australians who would have benefitted greatly by having some round ball match practice under their belts before next weekend's one-off IRS Test Match at Croke Park in Ireland. It may also be a setback for those involved in the International Rules Series who are keen to have a match staged in the US in the future.

The match was called off after the AFL's football operations staff inspected the ground for the match. They determined that some areas of the turn were of concern and as such the ground was not fit for play.

AFL Media Relations Manager Patrick Keane who is with the team in New York told us "We were more than happy to play there, as we wanted a hit out, but would not risk injury to any player, both for the game next week and for the players' own pre seasons with their clubs."

The NY GAA team had prepared for the match with their own warm up session against USAFL club the New York Magpies, just the previous night, getting some pointers on the Australian aspects (e.g. tackling) of the hybrid game.

For the fans hoping to catch the Aussie stars in action, Keane added that "It is not ideal for us to not have the match but will still train tomorrow and do the best we can. While we understand fans here will be disappointed with the cancellation, we will seek to do a make up event of some kind before we go." ...

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CNFA Statement Regarding Weekend Football Matches

November 14, 2015, 3:33 am

≫ Next: Magpies Sound Warning To Competitors

≪ Previous: Aussie IRS prepartions hitch as NY warm up match cancelled

In light of the truly horrifying and incomprehensible terror attacks in Paris earlier today, the CNFA – Football Australien (controlling body of Australian Rules football in France) has released the following information about weekend matches on their Facebook page.

“Au vu des récents évènements, le match Lyon-Paris Cockerels est reporté à une date ultérieure. De l'autre côté, les Paris Cockatoos ont choisi de ne pas se plier à la barbarie et se déplaceront malgré tout à Bordeaux. Nous soutenons bien sûr nos clubs dans leur choix.
A notre communauté, nous espérons que vous et vos proches êtes en sécurité. Toutes nos pensées vont également aux victimes et leur entourage.‪ - #Prayforparis”

“In light of recent events, the match [between] Lyon-Paris Cockerels is postponed to a later date. On the other side, the Paris Cockatoos have chosen not to bend to the barbarity and will move despite everything in Bordeaux. We support of course our clubs in their choice.
Has our community, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe. All our thoughts also go to the victims and their entourage. - # Prayforparis”

The very real fears for sporting and social events were highlighted by attacks centred on the Stade de France where a football match was being held between France and Germany, attended by the French President, Francois Hollande, and the Bataclan Concert Hall where many people died attending a heavy metal band concert. In light of events, over 120 sporting fixtures across Paris and beyond have been cancelled or postponed as Paris goes into lockdown and a curfew situation is in place for the first time since World War Two.

News on future football events will be released by the CNFA when appropriate. The French president has announced three days of national mourning as the national counts the terrible cost of events. A commencement of normal day to day life, including sporting events, will be subject to confirmation that the immediate threats have passed.

The thoughts of the staff at World Footy News and footy readers the world over are with the people of France, and particularly Paris, toda ...

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Magpies Sound Warning To Competitors

November 15, 2015, 5:05 am

≫ Next: Irish Series Shows AFL’s Ambition: McLachlan

≪ Previous: CNFA Statement Regarding Weekend Football Matches

Round Six of the NTFL competition in Darwin was highlighted by the Palmerston Magpies and their upset win against reigning premiers, Wanderers. The win has catapulted the Magpies into second position on the NTFL ladder and sounded a warning to all teams that the Magpies deserve respect and might just be a smokey for this year’s title.

The Magpies playing list is becoming quite formidable, boasting both Aaron and Alwyn Davey from Melbourne and Essendon respectively, ex-Bomber Leroy Jetta and former Geelong premiership player Matthew Stokes. These additions certainly make the Palmerston list much stronger and a likely thorn in every team’s side for the rest of the season.

Next week they have the chance of really nailing second place when they meet the still winless Tiwi Bombers.

Wanderers were missing key players, to be sure, but the loss does place pressure on the reigning champions as they are now secure in the top half of the ladder but seen to now be vulnerable. Next week’s match against Nightcliff is a must win to restore order before matches against the in-form Buffaloes and St Mary’s.

Final Score: Palmerston Magpies 12 7 79 defeated Wanderers 6 11 47

The closest result of the round saw the Buffaloes hold on by eight points against a determined Waratah outfit. The Buffaloes led by one to two goals all night against a team that was expected to fold but wouldn’t. The win makes it four in a row for the Buffaloes, but they face their biggest test of the season to date next weekend against top team, Southern Districts.

Final Score: Darwin Buffaloes 13 14 92 d Waratah 12 12 84

The Crocs themselves pulled away in the second half of their match against the Tiwi Bombers. They started well with a five goal to two first quarter, but six straight goals to the Bombers in the second quarter saw them unexpectedly leading the Southern Districts team at half time. However, a ten goal to four second half saw the Crocs run out comfortable 27 point winners.

Final Score: Southern District Crocs 16 14 110 d Tiwi Bombers 12 11 83

St Mary’s bounced back strongly from their last start defeat to the Crocs by taming the Nightcliff Tigers by 49 points in the Sunday game. Leading at every change, it was a far more determined Saints team which needed to ensure they stayed in the upper reaches of the ladder. The loss for the Tigers places them under increasing pressure to reach the finals with just two wins from six starts to date. This problem is compounded by the fact that they will play Wanderers, Palmerston and Southern Districts in their next three assignments – a tough draw.

Final Score: St Mary’s 18 14 122 Nightcliff Tigers 10 13 73
...

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Irish Series Shows AFL’s Ambition: McLachlan

November 18, 2015, 3:06 pm

≫ Next: International Rules - International broadcast schedule

≪ Previous: Magpies Sound Warning To Competitors

THE VIRGIN Australia International Rules Series has an exciting future, says AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan.

He spoke after arriving in Dublin to watch the Test match at Croke Park on Saturday night, and dismissed critics of the venture, saying such concepts demonstrated the game's desire to be ambitious and aspirational.

The squad trained on Wednesday at Croke Park after arriving in a damp and windy Dublin on Tuesday following five days in New York.

McLachlan, who is due to meet formally with the Gaelic Athletic Association on Friday, said it was important the AFL was never insular in its thinking.

"I like the concept of representing the game," he said.

Your IRS guide

"I like our best players being able to come and play together. I like them to be able to go and travel and see new cultures and have different experiences. I like them to forge friendships with the Irish. I like our relationship with the GAA.

"I think it [the concept] shows an ambition and aspiration that we want in our game."

McLachlan said the AFL did not shy away from the fact it put on a disappointing show in 2013 and had to revamp the series to ensure the best Australian players were taking on Ireland's best.

He said the revamp had "certainly reignited the passion in our playing group generally for this series and this contest".

While there were critics in Australia, the AFL was not perturbed.

"It is cost neutral for us in a two-year cycle but I am prepared to invest in this beyond that," McLachlan said.

"We give the opportunity for players to aspire to represent their country, for the ability to come and learn off the Irish and learn from different cultures," McLachlan said.

"I think you have got to look beyond where you are currently now and look at where you might be able to go and what might the possibilities be, and I think this is an important for our game in that sense."

McLachlan said he liked the idea of playing a game in New York but he needed to discuss the issue with the GAA on Friday.

On Wednesday, the players went to the Croke Park museum before training and had the rich history of the GAA and its links to the country's independence explained.

They were also reminded that the game is being played on the 95th anniversary of Sunday Bloody Sunday, when 14 people died at Croke Park after British soldiers entered the ground and opened fire.

A player, Michael Hogan, was killed in the incident and has the Hogan stand named after him.

Australia tuned up with a 60-minute run on Croke Park on Wednesday as the skies cleared with officials hoping for a crowd of between 50-60,000 people to attend on Saturday night.

The game will be televised live into Australia on Sunday morning.

Originally Published: Peter Ryan in Dublin afl.com.au

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-11-19...-mclachlan

Pictures: Getty Imag ...

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International Rules - International broadcast schedule

November 21, 2015, 3:26 am

≫ Next: Suns to battle Goannas for AFL Japan premiership

≪ Previous: Irish Series Shows AFL’s Ambition: McLachlan

The 2015 International Rules Series will be just one Test played at Croke Park in Ireland tonight at 19:00 hours Dublin time (Sunday morning Melbourne time). The big talking points pre-match will centre around the 95th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the horrific events at Croke Park, and the final match played by Australian goalkeeper Dustin Fletcher.

The match will be televised in Australia live and at other locations around the world on delay. Live streaming will also be available for subscribers to the WATCHAFL.AFL.COM.AU service.

The schedule is as follows.

...

Network	Region	Australia vs Ireland
Australia Plus	Asia	-
Australia Plus	Pacific	-
Australia Plus	India	-
ESPN BT Sport	UK & Ireland	22/11 @ 15:00 GMT (Delay)
ESPN	Caribbean	-
EUROSPORT2	Europe	-
EUROSPORT2	UK & Ireland	-
EUROSPORT2	Asia	-
FOX SPORTS	USA	-
FOX SOCCER PLUS	USA	21/11 @ 18:00 USET (Delay)
ORBIT SHOWTIME	Middle East	21/11 @ 23:00 GMT (Delay)
OTLSM	Worldwide (Boats & Cruises)	21/11 @ 23:00 GMT (Delay)
RDS	Quebec	-
RDS2	Quebec	-
SKY SPORTS	New Zealand	22/11 @ 17:00 NZT (Delay)
SUPER SPORT	Africa	-
TSN2	Canada	-
TVNZ	New Zealand	22/11 @ 12:00 NZT (Delay)
CLARO SPORTS	Latin America	-
WATCHAFL.AFL.COM.AU	Worldwide (excl. Australia)	21/11 @ 19:00 GMT (Live)

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Suns to battle Goannas for AFL Japan premiership

November 21, 2015, 4:33 am

≫ Next: Falcons BULLied in Abu Dhabi

≪ Previous: International Rules - International broadcast schedule

The Grand Final for AFL Japan will be played this Saturday 31st November, the match will be a battle between two powerhouses of Japanese footy.

Two-time reigning premiers Tokyo Bay Suns will battle it out against the multi-premiership winning Tokyo Goannas with the Goannas probably being the warm favourites as they made their way into the Grand Final by crushing the Senshu Powers last Sunday 22-14 (145) to 9-8 (62), whereas the Suns fended off the Komazawa Magpies in a memorable First Semi-final 14-8 (92) to 9-11 (65).

The Grand Final will begin at 4.25 pm at the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club, 11-1 Yaguchidai, Naka-Ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa. ...

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