Match of the Round
AFL Netherlands Round 3
Amsterdam Devils, Delft Blues, Waterland Eagles
27/07/2019 Delft 12:00pm
Round three of the AFL Netherlands season kicks off this weekend, with all three AFLNL teams the Amsterdam Devils, Delft Blues and Waterland Eagles going head to head in an action packed day.
All teams will be looking for some wins and be eager to put on a show for the local crowd.
With ideal weather for footy predicted this weekend, the Delft Blues will play host to what’s sure to be a high scoring affair between the three Dutch clubs.
The Waterland Eagles are exceeding expectations in their debut season, and with great numbers at training believe they will continue to grow and improve.
The Eagles work in conjunction with the Waterland Rugby Club and although rugby is an entirely different code, the training and experience that this Eagles side are gaining from a rugby background, is seen as a real weapon of theirs.
Waterland Eagles player Neil Cooke elaborates, “Being associated with a rugby club means that tackling is a focus of our team. Tackling opportunities come around a little less in Australian Football compared to Rugby, so when there’s a chance to land a tackle, we aim to make the tackle stick and see it as a real strength of ours.”
With the 2019 Champions League trophy now under their belt, the Amsterdam Devils look to be the side to beat this season and head into this weekend sitting at the top of the AFLNL ladder.
With this experience and the ability to develop their Dutch born players, the Devils will be an exciting team to watch on the weekend.
In 2019 the Devils have been known for their great kicking efficiency and off ball running which has helped them be as successful as they are.
Although the spotlight is on them, the close games and competitive nature of all the players in the league, make for a great spectacle and show how evenly matched this competition is.
In their second season of AFL as a club, the Delft Blues are a team that are consistently competitive and have beaten both of their Netherlands opponents in the past.
With their great use of size and strength in contests, the Blues are definitely a team to look out for and could be the surprise package heading into this finals series.
AFL Netherlands are great ambassadors for the game in Europe and put in a lot of effort to play matches all over the country, allowing for more people to find out about AFL and join in on the sport.
Amsterdam Devils President Dustin Fergus shows a clear example saying, “We collectively as a group are looking to grow the game in the Netherlands and get more people involved, that includes playing games in Den Hague or at Pumerand, so it’s important that the club leaders show up and get involved as much as possible.”
With this being the last round of the regular season, all teams will be looking to finish the season on a positive note. A win to finish the season will build the confidence of these teams heading into finals and with some high quality players on display, it will make for an exciting weekend.
Stay tuned to next week’s edition of Around the Grounds to see who came out on top!
Special thanks to Fine Wine Partners for their support of the growth of the game throughout Europe.
Liam McAllion – AFL Europe
