Round 11 of the 2017 AFL Season kicks off tomorrow night at Adelaide Oval with Port Adelaide hosting Hawthorn.  There are just six matches this round as some teams have their mid season by this weekend.

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).  You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the  Watch AFL banner below and paying the subscription fee.

Watch AFL have 25% off a 12 month subscription (so up to this time next year) - details here - ends June 4th (Sunday).

After five rounds of footy the Lamana Dockers lead the Port Moresby competition.  Accounting for Concept Koboni in Round 4 and Oilmin Kokofas in Round 5 their unbeaten run continues.  But the Cats trail them only by percentage as they defeated the Gereka Bombers and Concept Koboni in the two rounds.

The West Eagles did their percentage no harm with a big win over the last placed Defence Hawks in Round 5.

Below you can see all the scores from Round 4 and 5,  and the ladder after round 5..

Round 4 I Saturday May 20th I COLTS Oval I Port Moresby
Cats 6.9.45 def Gereka Bombers 3.6.24
Lamana Dockers 7.5.47 def Concept Koboni 4.8.32

Round 4 I Sunday May 21st I COLTS Oval I Port Moresby
Gerehu Magpies 6.12.48 def Defence Hawks 2.1.13
West Eagles 5.4.34 def Oilmin Kokofas 4.7.31

Round 5 I Saturday May 27th I COLTS Oval I Port Moresby
West Eagles 13.10.88 def Defence Hawks 1.1.7
Lamana Dockers 5.5.35 def Oilmin Kokofas 4.7.31

Round 5 I Sunday May 28th I COLTS Oval I Port Moresby
Central Bombers 7.7.49 def Gerehu Magpies 5.3.33
Cats 7.5.47 def Concept Koboni 6.7.43 
 

...

Round 12 of the 2017 AFL Season kicks off tomorrow night at the SCG with the Grand Final replay of the Sydney Swans vs the Western Bulldogs.  There are just seven matches this round as four teams have their mid season bye this weekend.

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).  You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the  Watch AFL banner below and paying the subscription fee.

Thanks to Rex Leka for supplying details. ...

Round 13 of the 2017 AFL Season kicks off tomorrow night at Domain Stadium in Perth with the West Coast Eagles hosting Geelong.  There are just six matches this round as six teams have their mid season bye this weekend.

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).  You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the  Watch AFL banner below and paying the subscription fee.

The New Zealand Hawks (the squad formerly known as the Falcons) – have named a dynamic squad for the upcoming AFL International Cup. The Hawks previously won the tournament in 2005 with a strong win over Papua New Guinea, however, running 2nd in 2008 was the last time the New Zealand side tasted Grand Final action although they have never placed lower than third.

With 2 completed seasons now of the AFLNZ Premiership – the domestic preparation has never been better. The squad includes a majority of players who took part in season 2 of the AFLNZ Premiership including a fair sprinkling of team of the tournament reps. There are a number of current Australian based players including Joe Baker-Thomas.

AFLNZ reports the head coach as Rob Malone with assistant's in Justin Davies and Chris Mundell. There are 14 players backing up after competing in the 2014 International Cup. The tournament is launched on Saturday August 5th with round 1 matches beginning the following day.

The metro season for the Southern California Australian Football League (SCAFL) comes to a close on Saturday, June 17th, at South Lake Middle School in Irvine, California. The day starts with a 9 AM inter-club match for the Los Angeles Dragons women’s side, followed by the LA Sharks vs. the San Diego Lions (10:30 AM), and the LA Outlaws vs. the Orange County Bombers (12 PM).

  ...

The annual Kelowna Cup  gets a little better each year.

We start with a report from Dan of the Calgary Kangaroos on this year’s event.

“On the men's side of the draw, the combined Edmonton/Vernon team took out the club competition, overcoming Calgary in the decider (5.6.36 v 3.8.26). The British Columbians won the Canadians only game over Alberta (9.4.58 v 3.6.24).

On the women's side of the draw, the combined Calgary/Edmonton team won the team competition against the combined Vancouver Vixens/Wildcats team (12.5.76 V 1.0.6). Alberta won the provincial game over BC (no score recorded).

Our numbers were slightly down due to the bridge wash-out on Highway 1 at Revelstoke (of all weekends!). However, we had plenty of dedicated players who made the 11+ hour extended drive to Kelowna! We had around 60 men and 40 women.

I'm unsure about any new players, but we certainly had a number of spectators that had heard about the tournament through the media.”

The media Dan is referring to is from the Kelowna Capital News and KelownaNow.

Aussie rules showcased at Kelowna Cup -  Kelowna Capital News

Calgary Kangaroos Australian Football Club director of operations, Dan McLeod, said the 14th instalment of the tournament was important for regional clubs as it gave them the opportunity to play against people that aren’t on their own teams.

“It’s great to play against teams from Alberta and BC as we get to come up against guys we may not have met before.”

Although Kelowna had no team of its own, with Vernon currently hosting the closest club, Mr McLeod was optimistic of the sport’s future in the city.

http://www.kelownacapnews.com/sports/aussie-rules-showcased-at-kelowna-cup/

Western Canada’s largest Australian Rules Football Tournament is coming to Kelowna. - KelownaNow and they added to Mr. McLeod’s remarks.
 “I can definitely envisage a satellite club of the Vernon Roosters starting up in Kelowna, and the two teams battling it out in competition… All it takes is someone to take the initiative and kickstart the club.”

https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/sports/news/Sports/17/06/04/Western_Canada_s_largest_Australian_Rules_football_tournament_is_coming_to_Kelowna
 

Also the event was  listed on eventbu  and http://allevents.in
https://ca.eventbu.com/kelowna/afl-canada-kelowna-cup-tournament/3256226
https://allevents.in/kelowna/afl-canada-kelowna-cup-tournament/1402055353150934

The Vernon Roosters are the latest addition to the Canadian football landscape.

Vernon Roosters recruiting Aussie Rules enthusiasts - The Daily Courier, 2nd may 2017
“There is a new Aussie Rules football club based in the Okanagan, known as the Vernon Roosters.

Founded by Max Peterson, the club hosted a meet-and-kick at City Park in Kelowna on the weekend and is still searching for experienced players as well as newcomers who are interested in learning the sport. The goal is to enter a team into the upcoming Kelowna Cup — an Australian Football League Canada tournament in Kelowna on June 10, which will feature teams from Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. The Roosters plan on practising at the Polson Park field in Vernon. For more information, check out @VernonAFC on Facebook.”

The Kelowna Cup has certainly matured from it’s beginning.

Here is an edited excerpt from the story of the  concept of the games in 2006.

“President of the Calgary Kangaroos is Canadian Gareth Williams. He told WFN that "the Calgary Bears are an expansion team in the development. What we are trying to do is get the idea started in 2006 and then split the Calgary Kangaroos into two teams in 2007. We've had one game of Bears vs Roos this season so far,....
Kelowna is a bit over halfway from Calgary to Vancouver, and the matches for the Kelowna Footy Cup will be staged at the City Park Oval on June 3rd and 4th. "That's been my goal and something I've pushed for all this year. I was made club president this year and as a Canadian I am keen to get more Canadians involved. To that end we're having a 10-a-side tournament in Kelowna with two or three all-Aussie teams competing and 4 all-Canadian teams playing separately. “

It seemed to have benefited Calgary according to  Matt Riggs.

“The Kangaroos have taken a page out of the Vancouver Cougars' book and are splitting into two sides for 2007, with a few trial matches for the new Bears team this year. The Kangaroos managed an impressive trophy haul this season, winning the Kelowna Cup, West Coast Challenge, Stampede Cup and proving their versatility by winning the Calgary Cup Gaelic Football tournament. They couldn't transfer that success into their first trip to the US Nationals (division 2) however, as their opening match lost to eventual champion Baltimore/Washington Eagles was enough to put them out of the Grand Final.”

And later.

“The biggest footy clash of the season in Western Canada took place this weekend at Thunderbird Stadium, home of the University of British Columbia's Canadian Football team, as the Vancouver Cougars hosted the Burnaby Eagles, Seattle Grizzlies and Calgary Kangaroos for the West Coast Challenge. The Challenge was a revamped version of the BC Footy Cup, with the cup still on the line. This came on the heels of a successful tournament in Kelowna, British Columbia that put Vancouver/Burnaby and the two Calgarys (Canadians and Australians) against each other. This would be the first time however, that the clubs would meet as a whole.”

In 2007 Troy Thompson reports that there was some media coverage.

“The Kelowna Cup was a very successful day for footy in Canada held last weekend Sat June 2. The Alberta Canadians won for the second year in a row defeating the BC Canadians. The BC Footy Aussie guys defeated the Calgary Aussies convincingly. Mark Block Canada's national team head coach was there and he was impressed, we may see some fresh talent heading to the Northwind squad for their upcoming clash with the US Revolution team later this year.
The Kelowna's Power 104 were there to promote the event and MYKwebTV filmed the event on Saturday. This report provided to us by 'Myk Aussie'.”

2008 saw the introduction of women states Salvatore Cappoferri.

The following are key tournament dates for Women's footy in Canada:
Kelowna: Saturday, June 7th, Calgary: Saturday, July 5th (Stampede Cup), Vancouver: Saturday, July 26th.
Among the new clubs are the Calgary Kookaburras. The Kookaburras are one of the stronger clubs and are from Calgary, Alberta. They recently sent a squad to the US Nationals in Kentucky and put up a good showing. With plenty of members, the club has plans to begin a small metro league in the Calgary region. The Edmonton North Stars (Facebook page) are a smaller club also from Alberta and currently recruiting players. The Westcoast Wildcats (Facebook page) are also in the Calgary area and will also be competing in the Runge League. Meanwhile the Ontario Ravens have been in formation in Toronto for some years now, and are starting to show signs of getting off the ground.

2013 was a year to be excited about in Edmonton according to Harley Vague.

“After much hard work in the off season 2012 was a breakthrough year with the Wombats enjoying successes at the Kelowna Cup and being super competitive in the Stampede Cup against Calgary later in the season.  Off  of the back of great performances by their National reps, the Emus had their first win over the Calgary Kookaburras at the inaugural Capital Cup.

The 2012 season saw an unprecedented eight players, five women and three men, play for the Canadian Nationals at the 49th Parallel Cup, and the club is aiming to have more representation on the National teams in 2013.”

In 2015 The name “Kangaroos” is now reserved for the  representative side to compete in inter-provincial and tournaments. Locally, the Bears, Cowboys and Wolves compete for the Calgary Men’s Championship  and the Wolves won their maiden title.

  ...

The Australian Football League (AFL) last night announced that decorated premiership player, goalkicker and premiership coach Malcolm Blight had been named an official Legend of the Game.

Blight, 67, was a star of both the SANFL and VFL across an 18-season career between 1968-85 representing Woodville and North Melbourne, before going on to coach in the SANFL, VFL and AFL with five clubs, and leading the Adelaide Crows to their first two premierships.

Blight, now the 27th Legend of the Game, won both the Magarey Medal (SANFL) and Brownlow Medal (VFL) as the best player in the two respective leagues, while also winning the Ken Farmer Medal (SANFL) and John Coleman Medal (VFL/AFL) for also topping the goalkicking in both competitions – a record unmatched by any player in the game’s history. 

A further six people were inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame at tonight's function in Adelaide – Brett Allen, Simon Goodwin, John Halbert, Barry Hall, Anthony Stevens and Ron Todd.

The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996 and serves to recognise players, coaches, umpires, administrators, and media representatives who have made an outstanding contribution to Australian football.

Background on the new inductees follows and all previous inductees and legends are listed in the 2017 AFL Record Season Guide.  

Legend – Malcolm Blight–

162 games for Woodville, 1968-73 and 1983-85, kicking 363 goals.

178 games for North Melbourne, 1974-82, kicking 444 goals.

Seven games for South Australia, kicking 19 goals.

Seven games for Victoria, kicking 11 goals.

North Melbourne premierships 1975, 1977.

Woodville Best and Fairest 1972, 1985.

North Melbourne Best and Fairest 1978.

Woodville Leading Goalkicker 1983, 1985.

North Melbourne Leading Goalkicker 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982.

Magarey Medallist 1972.

Brownlow Medallist 1978.

John Coleman Medallist 1982.

Ken Farmer Medallist 1985.

All Australian 1972 (carnival), 1982, 1985 (carnival).

Woodville captain 1983-85.

North Melbourne Team of the Century, Half Forward.

North Melbourne coach 1981, 16 games.

Woodville coach 1983-87, 114 games.

Geelong Cats’ coach 1989-94, 145 games.

Adelaide Crows’ coach 1997-99, 74 games.

St Kilda coach 2001, 15 games.

Adelaide Crows premierships 1997, 1998.

Brett Allen  

Umpired 347 AFL matches from 1992-2007.

Umpired Seven AFL Grand Finals, in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.

Umpired 37 AFL Finals Series Matches (equal 3rd all time).

All Australian Umpire in 1999, 2000, 2002 & 2006.

Umpired Two State of Origin matches.

Umpired Four International Rules tests .

Simon Goodwin–

275 games for Adelaide Crows 1997-2010, kicking 162 goals.

18 games for South Adelaide 1995-98, kicking one goal.

One game for South Australia, kicking zero goals.

Three games for Australia.

Adelaide Crows premiership 1997, 1998.

Adelaide Crows best and fairest 2000, 2005, 2006.

All Australian 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009.

Michael Tuck Medallist 2006.

Adelaide Crows captain 2008-10.

Melbourne coach 2017 - current.

John Halbert–

244 games for Sturt 1955-68, kicking 253 goals.

16 games for South Australia.

Sturt premiership 1966.

Magarey Medallist 1961.

Sturt Best and Fairest 1958, 1960, 1961, 1964.

All Australian 1961 (carnival).

Sturt captain 1962-68.

Sturt Team of the Century, Centre Half Forward.

Glenelg coach 1979-82.

Sturt coach 1983-84.

Barry Hall–

88 games for St Kilda, 1996-2001, kicking 144 goals.

162 games for Sydney Swans, 2002-09, kicking 467 goals.

39 games for Western Bulldogs, 2010-11, kicking 135 goals.

Four games for Australia.

Sydney Swans premiership 2005.

Sydney Swans best and fairest 2004.

St Kilda leading goalkicker 1999, 2001.

Sydney Swans leading goalkicker 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2008.

Western Bulldogs leading goalkicker 2010, 2011.

Sydney Swans captain 2005-2007.

All Australian 2004, 2005, 2006 (vice-captain), 2010.

Anthony Stevens–

292 games for North Melbourne 1989-2004, kicking 127 goals.

Four games for Victoria, kicking zero goals.

Two games for Australia.

North Melbourne premiership 1996, 1999.

North Melbourne Best and Fairest 1997, 1999.

All Australian 1998.

North Melbourne captain 2002-03.

North Melbourne Team of the Century, Ruck Rover.

Ron Todd -

76 games for Collingwood 1935-39, kicking 327 goals.

141 games for Williamstown 1940-49, kicking 672 goals.

Collingwood premiership 1936.

Williamstown premiership 1945, 1949.

Collingwood leading goalkicker 1938, 1939.

Williamstown leading goalkicker 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949.

VFL leading goalkicker medallist 1938, 1939.

VFA leading goalkicker 1945, 1946

Williamstown captain /coach 1948-49.

Williamstown Team of the Century, Centre Half Forward. ...

Round 14 of the 2017 AFL Season kicks off tomorrow night at Adelaide Oval with the Adelaide Crows hosting Hawthorn.  The full international broadcast schedule can be seen below.

In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only).  You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the  Watch AFL banner below and paying the subscription fee.

The following story originally appeared on Frederick's Blog and the original article can be found here.  This is very timely given Germany will make their long awaited International Cup debut in less than two months.

The Aussie rules phenomenon has expanded in continental Europe in recent years, and Germany has been no exception. The sport was originally played there in 1995, with clubs formed by Aussie expats in both Munich (the Redbacks) and Frankfurt (the Kangaroos). The two clubs competed against each other on a largely informal basis until AFL Germany was founded in 1999.

In 2003, the league expanded, with the Berlin Crocodiles and Hamburg Dockers joining and forming a nice nucleus for a nationwide German competition. Soon enough, the Dusseldorf Lions (now the Rheinland Lions) and the Stuttgart Emus were added in the ensuing years.

The German national footy team, the Black Eagles, were established in 2006, when they participated in a tri-nation series of matches against Sweden and Denmark. The Eagles were able to use that experience as a springboard the following year in the same series, defeating Sweden in Berlin for their first international victory in July 2007. That September, the EU Cup – another international Aussie rules tournament – was hosted in Hamburg, where the Eagles finished in second place.

The Eagles have desired to make an impact at the International Cup, but AFL Germany has been reluctant in the past, instead voicing the desire to focus on regional development and becoming a dominant force at various European tournaments, both in traditional 18-a-side format and 9-a-side. In the summer of 2011, the Eagles dominated France’s national team, the Coqs, at a test match in Paris.

After gaining suitable support to the greenlight from AFL Germany, the Black Eagles will be making their long-awaited International Cup debut later in 2017; AFL Germany now boasts four separate leagues, and many other clubs are looking to get started in the near future.

AFL GERMANY

• Berlin Crocs
• Dresden Wolves
• Frankfurt Redbacks
• Freiburg Taipans
• Hamburg Dockers
• Munich Kangaroos
• Rheinland Lions
• Stuttgart Emus

GERMANS IN THE AFL

• Alex Ruscuklic (played 1966-1974) — This German-born footballer was a star forward for Fitzroy, kicking 189 goals in 108 career games with the club. A testy relationship with his coaches resulted in his departure from Fitzroy, and he landed at Carlton in the 1974 season before announcing his retirement.
• Peter Ruscuklic (played 1975-1981) — Alex’s younger brother was not quite as successful, but had some notable moments as a full-forward for both Fitzroy (1975-76) and Geelong (1977). After leaving the VFL, Ruscuklic caught on with the East Sydney Football Club in the Sydney Football League before retiring in 1981 and moving into coaching. He passed away suddenly at the age of 58 in 2014.
• David Schwarz (played 1991-2002) — Originally from Sunbury, Victoria, Schwarz was a German-Australian footballer who was known for his goalkicking abilities. Although his later career was marred by knee injuries, Schwarz played in 173 games with the Melbourne Demons and became an AFL commentator following his retirement.
• Dean Terlich (played 2013-2016) — Terlich is a German Australian who originally played in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He was drafted by the Sydney Swans in the 2008 rookie draft but never played a game for them, eventually falling in with the Melbourne Demons by 2013. He played in 35 career games before being delisted by the end of the 2016 season.
• Jack Riewoldt (played 2007-present) — Riewoldt is of German descent on his father’s side and grew up in Tasmania, where he played for the Clarence Football Club before getting drafted by Richmond, where he remains today. Riewoldt is perhaps best known for his 2015 campaign, when he became the first Richmond player to kick 50-plus goals in six straight seasons.
• Nick Riewoldt (played 2000-present) — A first cousin of Jack, Riewoldt has spent his lengthy AFL career entirely with the St Kilda Football Club, entering the league as the #1 overall pick in 2000. Although born in Tasmania, Riewoldt was historically significant as the first #1 pick to play his junior and senior footy in Queensland. To date, he has been St Kilda’s leading goalkicker four separate times and is a five-time All-Australian.
...

Herald Sun journalist, Chris Cavanagh, has reported on the new style of Australian Rules football to be experimented with at season’s end. Loosely referred to as a “Twenty 20” version of the game, the AFL is looking closely at this format assisting in the development of the game in overseas markets. The move is sure to create conjecture and only time can tell if the game will have the proposed and hoped for merit. The following story from Chris gives the first hints.

THE AFL is reportedly preparing to launch a Twenty20-inspired version of the game later this year which is seen as the answer to opening up international markets.

After months of secret trials, AFLX — a high-octane, seven-a-side version of football played on soccer-sized grounds with quarters shortened to 10 minutes — is being slated to be shown off to fans on the pre-finals bye weekend this year.

The AFL says it is looking to showcase the new version of the game between the best players from teams that miss this year’s finals series.

Prizemoney and incentives are being discussed while matches which could be televised nationally on Fox Footy.

The Herald Sun reported in February that Port Adelaide was putting its weight behind the AFLX concept as it looks to grow the game in China.

“We’ve had Auskick and AFL approved by the Chinese education department in Beijing to be an approved sport to play at school,” Power chairman David Koch said.

“So they’re massive steps forward for us to try the game up there. But it’s all about the field and that’s why sevens is a way better option.”

AFL football operations boss Simon Lethlean told the Herald Sun at the time that AFLX had a point of difference that could attract new fans.

 “Any time you can get the best players playing in a different, fun format, I think it’s shown it can be successful in other sports and we think our product’s as good as everyone’s so we’re trying to find different ways and options to play,” he said.

The AFL trialled the concept with North Melbourne during the pre-season and made adjustments after a series of further practice matches between players from VFL sides.

Port Melbourne coach and former Hawthorn champion Gary Ayres was part of the trials and said in March he was a fan of AFLX.

“It is very, very fast. It’s very much about high-scoring, fast play,” he said.

“If you get burnt on a turnover or a poor kick or poor decision, generally you get scored against and scored against very quickly. It’s a bit like (the ball is) up one end one second and then up the other end in another.

WHAT IS AFLXω

PLAYED on a soccer-size pitch. Trial games have been played between teams of seven players, with three on the interchange bench.

ONE umpire, no centre bounces and kick-ins from full-back after each goal.

QUARTERS last 10 minutes.

Original Herald Sun story can be found at: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/radical-new-concept-aflx-set-to-be-launched-on-prefinals-bye-weekend/news-story/b5e9e355fe67cb24dc0cf9e4320c07a0#itm=newscomau%7Csport%7Cncam-story-body-link%7C3%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Fsport%2Fradical-new-concept-aflx-set-to-be-launched-on-prefinals-bye-weekend%2Fnews-story%2Fb5e9e355fe67cb24dc0cf9e4320c07a0%7Cstory%7CAFLX%3A%20Footy%20revolution%20is%20here&itmt=1498101706582

Image: Herald Sun  ...

The Australian Football League Central & Northern England has reached half-way through the 2017 season. The following story is from the AFLCNE website and looks at the journey so far this season with hints towards what the season may yet bring.

With the last update being a month ago (blame it on the weather/footy/beers) we at the league thought it was an opportunity to give you all an update on the past few weeks (and a lot has happened).

The final round of May saw the Rams consolidate their position just inside the playoffs by defeating a travelling Tigers side, while the Mozzies narrowly overcame one of this season’s finals contenders the Wolverines in a show of intent to put themselves comfortably in prime position. Meanwhile, the Thunder secured their first points by default, after mechanical issues meant half the travelling Merseyside team were stuck near Manchester (credit goes to those who made it playing in an excellent scratch match with Sheffield and Nottingham players).

 Next up came this season’s first lightening round, in Newcastle. And for the first time in nearly two years, the Mozzies tasted defeat, against a Scorps side hungry for a spot in the big dance, and a strong Tigers side brimming with confidence. Meanwhile, the Saints were on the receiving end of two defeats. This saw the Mozzies knocked off top spot and the Scorps looking forward to what was shaping up to be a decisive clash the following week.

After a major wobble in the lightening round, the Mozzies ran out against the Scorpions the following week in what was looking like a season-defining clash. While the Scorps put in a valiant performance, the Mozzies took a win to put them back at the top of the table on percentage.

Meanwhile, Wolves were keen to show they were well within the title race, and came up against a Tyne Tees Tigers side with the wind in their sails. In a tasty clash, it was the Wolves who came out on top to keep themselves in the leading pack. Elsewhere, the Rams took the points from the Saints to put themselves 4 points clear of fifth with a game in hand.

And after all that drama, there’s not too much change in the ladder. The Saints are still looking for their first points and will hope the upcoming lightening round in Merseyside (1st July) will deliver. Manchester’s position seems more precarious at the top, with the Scorps and Wolves sensing that they could be the ones to take the minor premiership. The Thunder will be hoping to leapfrog the Tigers and equal last season’s position, although the Tigers will surely have belief now that they can make the finals for the first time in their history, but the Rams will be holding on tightly to that final spot.

It’s all still to play for, with the next action being the Merseyside lightening round on 1st July.

Original article can be found at: https://aflcne.com/2017/06/22/mid-season-round-up/

...

By Dylan Wolfgramm

 AFL Fiji is set to take IC17 by storm with the naming of it’s strongest team to date. The men’s team otherwise known as the Fiji Tribe, will take part in their third consecutive International Cup since 2011.

With a core group of men who have been together since 2010, The Fiji tribe will look to build on its strong performances in their local competition and push for a birth in the Division 1 final. Speaking with Head Coach Simon Highfield, he was very impressed with the level of dedication the team had shown over the last couple of months “They are very fit and their skills have really improved, we under performed in past International Cups, so we are hoping to come of age this year.”

Jiuta Vateitei and Meske Koroi has been the Tribe’s best and most consistent performers, and will return to Melbourne with the Tribe on their back to ensure Fiji play finals.

AFL Fiji will also be sending it’s womens team in the Fiji Vonu for their second consecutive International Cup. The Siteri Tadrau lead side will aim to take it’s game to the next level and show they mean business with experience from a core group of women who will return to Melbourne for their second time.

AFL Fiji has under-performed at previous outings and with the naming of their most experienced team’s, look out for both the Fiji Tribe and Vonu to climb up the world rankings and cause a few upsets.

AFL Fiji Squad