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Champions League 2017

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The 3rd annual Champions League is set down for Saturday 1st April in Amsterdam, Netherlands. AFL Europe in conjunction with the DAFA and the Amsterdam Devils present the premier club tournament in Europe which sees the champion team from each domestic league descend on the picturesque fields of De Eendracht to do battle and claim ultimate bragging rights as Champions of Europe.

2017 will see the largest contingent of men’s teams making the journey with two-time Champions League winners, the West London Wildcats, looking to make it three in a row.

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They’ll be up against a tough group of teams who’ve been training hard to take the crown off the champions of Europe.

For the first time in the tournaments brief history the women’s draw will include club sides. Headlined by the Wimbledon Hawks, it’ll be up to the Paris Cockerelles, Odense Lionesses, Glasgow Sharks and Port Malmo Lynx to show them the strength of women’s footy right across Europe.

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Jump onto the event page https://www.facebook.com/events/376328466058868/ and follow AFL Europe for more updates as the tournament gets closer.

 

Around the Grounds

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Lions cruising in CNFA

They’ve knocked off the reigning premiers and now the ALFA Lions are sitting pretty at the top of the CNFA ladder after an impressive 3 from 3 start to season 2016/17. The Lions knocked off the champs in style on their home turf in the capital which further provides weight to their claim as potential finalists in the championship. They cruised to victory with a comfortable 86 to 40 score line.

Their remaining 4 matches are all very winnable as they take on the Blagnac Aviators, ASP Tigers, Bordeaux Bombers and a home match against the Cergy-Pointoise Coyotes. Could it be the year of the Lion?

In the other match at the weekend, it was the Tigers going head-to-head with the Paris Cockerels. The Tigers nearly came away with a huge victory away from home, but it was the Cockerels who held on for a much needed 7-point victory. The final scores reading 94 to 87.

Two matches remain before Christmas break and it’s the Toulouse Hawks in match-ups versus the Bordeaux Bombers and Blagnac Aviators.

Haggis Cup early bird entry fees open

Get on board the Haggis Cup early bird prices for AFL Scotland’s annual tournament in 2017. The Haggis Cup is locked in for the 8th of April and is being played at the West of Scotland Rugby Club, Glasgow. To enter your team, contact kirsty@aflscotland.org.

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Vixens recruiting Team Manager

The England Vixens are on the lookout for a new team manager. Have a look at the full list of responsibilities for the role below. If you’re interested in getting involved or you’d like to know a little more about the role, then get in contact with englandvixens@gmail.com

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Wildcats throwback

Have a look at this old print piece on the West London Wildcats. A few days back the Wildcats reminisced on 20 years since becoming the third Aussie Rules club to launch a website. They narrowly missed out on being pioneers on the world-wide-web by the Essendon Bombers and Collingwood Magpies.

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Odense hit 1000 fans!

The Odense Australian Football Club celebrated hitting 1000 likes Facebook last week. Great achievement by the Lions and Lionesses. See you at the 2000 mark soon.

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Irish Warriors name their Ireland-based IC17 extended squad

The Irish Warriors management team have announced their extended Ireland-based training squad for the 2017 AFL International Cup. More players will be added in the coming weeks depending on performances in the winter championships as well as arrangements being made for UK and Australian-based players to train and have trials in the coming weeks. The final squad of 30 will be announced in the spring.

The management team has been confirmed with Mick Finn joining Brian Currane and Ciaran O’Hara on the senior coaching staff. The team will be managed by Michael Currane and Paul Ryan will once again serve as tour manager.

Congratulations to those selected, check out the full squad from the ARFLI press release.

IC17 Training Squad Announced

Around the Grounds

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#EuroCup16 wraps up for another year

The 2016 Euro Cup in Lisbon was held over the weekend under clear blue skies and a scorching sun. With 374 players from 16 countries across 22 teams participating the day was an incredible success.

The main pitch was live streamed throughout the day with a record number of people tuning in from all over the globe. Blow-by-blow commentary for the majority of the day brought the games to life and make for great viewing on replay.

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Under a setting sun on the main pitch the crowd grew to watch the finals matches. Congratulations to the Netherlands (Plate), France (Bowl), Ireland (Women’s Champions) and Croatia (Men’s Champions) for claiming victory in their respective divisions.

A special thank you to our three pitch manager’s Fanny Maillett, Laura Pinckney and Hayley Canton for ensuring the day ran smoothly along with our umpiring squad led by Shane Hill.

Stay tuned for a full event report in the coming days.

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Sparky joins the big time after AFL Women’s Draft

Wimbledon Hawks stalwart, Lauren Spark, became the second Hawk to join the newly formed AFL Women’s League for 2017. She was taken at pick 76 by the Western Bulldogs.

Sparky’s selection sets up a mouthwatering clash with Hawks teammate, Kate Shierlaw, at some stage next year.

We wish both girls all the best in the inaugural AFL Women’s league.

Australian Masters kick off tour with a win

The Australian Masters side which is touring England and Ireland have kicked off their campaign with an 11-point victory over Oxford University at Merton Sports Ground.

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The boys will have to rest up as they visit the Australian High Commission today before taking on an AFL England All-Stars side in Reading on Saturday. Further details on that match at the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1058075340928430/

CNFA season kicks off this weekend

The CNFA season is upon us with round 1 of the 2016/17 season kicking off this weekend. The Paris Cockatoos will be hoping to avoid second year blues after they claimed the premiership in their first season against the Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes in the season decider earlier this year in June.

Its set to be a fantastic year of Aussie rules action in the CNFA. Check out the fixtures below:

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Hawks and Demons covering all bases

The Wimbledon Hawks and Wandsworth Demons supplied record numbers of participants to this year’s Euro Cup.

The Hawks had players in 5 of the 16 countries:

England: Jason Hill, Myles Hudson, David Hastie, Jennifer Bennett, Louise Darby, Lisa Wilson, Charlotte-Ellen Eales and Jess Milford

France: Chloe Romeo

Scotland: Rachel Kilmartin, Lauren Spark (Coach), Kate Shierlaw (Assistant)

Ireland: Stiofan Mac Finn

Wales: Jordan Wynne

The Demons had a total of 22 club members playing or coaching for 4 countries, umpiring or volunteering in an amazing show of community involvement.

Well done to both clubs for great achievements and for all their efforts ensuring the 2016 installment of the Euro Cup was a great success.

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Player of the Week

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AFL Europe Player of the Week

Each week AFL Europe is profiling a European player and finding out how they got into the great game of Aussie Rules and a bit about themselves. If you’d like a profile or know of someone who would, then email admin@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.

This week we are profiling the silver-fox from the Irish Warriors, Eoin O’Murchu. If you’re in Lisbon for this weekend’s Euro Cup then keep an eye out on this veteran winger.

Name:

Eoin O Murchu

Club:

Wandsworth Demons

Nationality:

Ireland

What position do you play?

Wing and Midfield

AFL team you support:

Sydney Swans

Favourite AFL player:

Pearce Hanley from the Brisbane Lions. Honourable mention for “Buddy” Franklin from the Swans too.

How did you find out about AFL?

I played Gaelic Football up until I move to London 7 years ago so I always had an interest growing up. Jim Stynes was from my neighbouring club in Dublin and I followed Tadhg Kennelly’s career when he played too. When I found out there was a league in London I really wanted to get involved.

How long have you been playing for?

6 years

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

Chest marks, getting smashed in my first tackle and beating the West London Wildcats in the lashing rain in Putney.

Best AFL moment?

Being named the Rest of the World Club Captain for the Wandsworth Demons last year but winning EU Best and Fairest in my first season at the Demons is a close second.

Notable mention goes to the hard earned froths at the Alex with the Demons after every game. Nothing better than dropping a few Fozzies with the Dees and Shedees 😉 post game.

Any other interesting information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself?

While I love footy, nothing beats Hurling which was my main sport until I moved to London. Also, my surname is Irish for Murphy which people find very confusing in the UK!

People don’t often associate me with being a big drinker as I usually shy away from the traditional AFL London post-game boat race but a close few know of my ability to down a pint in under 2 seconds.

Tuesday Around the Grounds

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Hawks make history and raise funds for St Barnabas House

The Wimbledon Hawks made history at the weekend at their annual Ladies Day. The Hawks took on the North London Lions across all three grades which saw their Premiership and Women’s sides getting the victory and their Social men’s drawing. These results confirmed all three sides making the finals for the first time ever at the same time.

Massive congratulations to the Hawks who also raised an astonishing £800 for St Barnabas House as part of the Ladies Day. A great achievement both on and off the field for the Wimbledon club.

Wimbledon Hawks

Berlin Crocs prove too strong for the traveling Lions

The first round of the AFLG Premiership saw the Berlin Crocs dominate the Rheinland Lions finishing 109 point victors in the Capital. A seven goal to zero opening term all but put the game on ice for the Crocs with forward Luke Edwards finishing up with 8 goals to his name. The final scorecard reading 18.12. 120 to 1.5. 11.

The AFLG Championships also kicked off at the weekend with a huge win by the Hamburg Dockers over the Dresden Wolves, as well as the Frankfurt Redbacks flexing their muscles against SpVgg Freiberg Taipans/Stuttgart Emus.

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New Scottish sports star on the horizon

She may have moved from Scotland at the age of 9 but we’ll claim her here at AFL Europe. Jemma Abbott is an up-and-coming AFL Queensland Youth Academy member who has her eyes firmly placed on a spot in one of the AFL Women’s league sides when the national league kicks off next year.

Having represented the Queensland Youth Girls Academy at the National titles in Melbourne earlier this year Jemma could light up the Gabba in the years to come.

Read her full article here:

http://www.aflq.com.au/from-scotland-to-the-gabba/

Jemma Abbott

Bloods share the top with Giants in SARFL

It’s heating up in the Scottish Australian Rules Football League (SARFL) with the Edinburgh Bloods knocking off top placed Greater Glasgow Giants by 80 points at the weekend. This result puts the Bloods level on 16 points with the Giants, with only percent separating the two.

It’s going to be an interesting last couple of weeks in the SARFL with the final makeup of the top four yet to be determined.

Check out the ladder below (as of 9/7/16):

SARFL Table

AFL Europe Umpires Course comes to Sweden

On the 23rd of July AFL Sweden in conjunction with AFL Europe are putting on an Umpiring Course to aid those aspiring to become accredited umpires. Shane Hill will be making the journey from London to run the day which comprises both theoretical and practical elements.

This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in developing their knowledge of the game and is not to be missed. For further details, jump over to the official Facebook event linked below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1621615481500922/

 

 

Demons set to ‘Freeze the Common’ in Cure for MND

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It may be summer here in London but that’s not stopping the Wandsworth Demons doing their part in fundraising for the now annual, ‘Big Freeze at the G’ happening over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in Australia.

The ‘Big Freeze’ is the initiative of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) sufferer and former AFL legend, Neale Daniher. The event takes at the Queen’s Birthday clash between the Melbourne Demons and Collingwood Magpies. It sees well-known footy celebs and personalities rally together and take the plunge in a freezing cold pool of ice to raise funds and awareness for the currently incurable MND.

Notable footy celebrities to get frozen this year include, Geelong Premiership Captain Cameron Ling, Essendon and GWS legend Coach Kevin Sheedy, and Brisbane Lions superstar, Jonathon Brown just to name a few. Let’s not forget the headline act, Neale Daniher, will be taking the plunge this year. Daniher, the ex-Essendon and Melbourne player and coach, was diagnosed with MND three years ago and is slowly showing the debilitating effects the disease, such as speech impediment and movement loss, can have on the sufferer.

This Saturday AFL London’s version of the Demons, The Wandsworth Demons, will not only be hosting the West London Wildcats in a top of the table clash at Clapham Common, but they’ll also be putting in their best efforts off the field aiming to raise funds and awareness for the incredibly debilitating disease that is MND.

MND is close to the heart of event organiser, Gaby Duncan, who grew up with the Daniher family and is thrilled to be able to mirror the fundraising efforts of the ‘Big Freeze at the G’ whilst over the other side of the world, here in London. Ms Duncan said “It means a lot that I can continue to help raise some much needed funds for research into finding a cure of MND, as well as support my close friends Loz, Bec and the Daniher family. I’m very thankful of the Demons and Club President Jimmy Perrett, who was fantastic and jumped on board as soon as we suggested the idea. Hopefully we can start something this year that will get bigger and better next year to help ‘Cure for MND’ achieve its aim to increase awareness, improve care for sufferers and increase funding to find a cure”.

Wandsworth Demons Club President, Jimmy Perrett furthered Ms Duncan’s sentiments saying “this cause is one that is quite personal to many Demons, including myself. We’re getting together on Saturday to do our part for the ‘Cure for MND’ Foundation, not only to raise funds for such a great cause but also raise awareness throughout the London AFL league. This may start small, but it has the scope to grow into something big in the years to come”.

With hats, beanies, a cake sale and raffles, including a signed GWS Jumper, the day is set to be an absolute blast. With the event running in conjunction with the first game at Clapham Common for Season 2016 expect this to be a special day. If you’re in the area and want to be a part of not only a great, action-packed day of Aussie Rules, but also aid the efforts of Neale Daniher, and the ‘Big Freeze at the G’, then make your way down to Clapham Common this Saturday the 11th of June from 11am.

Any help or donations are greatly appreciated and supports in raising the profile of MND as well as assisting in finding a cure.

For further information, please click the link below, or if you’d like to help out on the day please contact Jimmy Perrett at demonspresident@outlook.com.

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For more about Freeze MND click here.

 

 

Benjamin Durance

Player of the Week – Rachel Campbell

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Each week AFL Europe is profiling a European player and finding out how they got into the great game of Aussie Rules and a bit about themselves. If you’d like a profile or know of someone who would, then email ben.durance@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.

This week’s player profile is on one of the first members of the Wimbledon Hawks in the inaugural year of the Women’s AFL London League. Rachel Campbell, more affectionately know by her teammates as ‘Bambi’ has become a big part of the side from Wimbledon in a short space of time. Bambi played every game for the Hawks last season and the team watched her grow into the game of Aussie Rules, resulting in Hawks Ladies ‘Most Improved’ award being named after her.

Coming into the 2016 season, Bambi was selected to play with the Great Britain Swans who competed in the AFL Europe ‘Champions League’ in Amsterdam. She has the bragging rights of being the first ever goal-scorer for the GB Swans and played a pivotal role in the Swans winning the women’s side of the draw.

Bambi is hoping to secure selection for team GB for the upcoming AFL Europe Championships in August and hopes to lock down a spot for the forthcoming International Cup in 2017.

Off the field, Bambi is a favourite around the Hawks with her homely Scottish accent and demeanour making her loved by all. Good luck for the rest of the 2016 Season Rachel.

Name:

Rachel Campbell

Club:

Wimbledon Hawks

Nationality:

Scottish

What position do you play?

Wing and Midfield

AFL team you support:

Richmond Tigers

Favourite AFL player:

Trent Cotchin

How did you find out about AFL?

Family in Australia

How long have you been playing for?

1 year

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

Getting hit in the face with the ball in the first minute and having to go on the bench

Best AFL moment?

Scoring the first ever goal for the Great Britain women’s team

Any other interesting information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself?

Prior to getting into Aussie Rules Rachel did Irish dancing for 20 years

Tuesday Around the Grounds

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Each Tuesday we put together a snapshot of what’s been happening all things AFL around Europe. If you or your club want something featured, please send through information to ben.durance@afleurope.org

AFL London Women’s Grand Final rematch goes down to the wire

After the men’s grand final rematch blowout, a couple of weeks ago, the women had their turn on a picturesque Sunday afternoon at Motspur Park. A few sore heads from a large day at the Epsom Derby on the Saturday didn’t deter the Hawks or Demons Ladies. The match was ferocious from the first bounce and the intensity never dropped.

The Hawks jumped out of the blocks in the 4th quarter and held onto a 2 goal lead, finishing 5.4. 34 to 3.4. 22. Full credit to both clubs and their coaching staff for showcasing the amazing growth and development of the women’s game here in London.

Clapham Cubs back on this Sunday 12th of June

After a two week lay-off due to the bank holiday and mid-term break the AFL Europe Juniors and Auskick program is back on again. All ages are welcome with the session running from 11am-12noon this Sunday the 12th of June at Clapham Common.

If you haven’t signed up your child or are seeking further information, please check the flyer below or follow the link to the Clapham Cubs website.

www.claphamcubs.co.uk

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Massive weekend of football in Germany sees Munich Kangaroos and Berlin Crocodiles go undefeated

Two lightening rounds were held in Germany over the weekend, one in Munich and the other in Hamburg. 8 teams took part across the two tournaments with each playing 3 games.

The Munich Kangaroos proved too strong on their home turf and finished the day undefeated. Over in Hamburg the Berlin Crocs took the spoils winning all three games comfortably.

Congratulations to all teams who made the carnivals a great success and are showing the continued growth of Aussie Rules in Germany.

Mozzies put on a show on the Tyne

It was the second lightning round of the season for AFL Central North East England at the weekend hosted by the Tyne Tees Tigers ARFC.

The Manchester Mozzies continued their strong start to season 2016 following a runners-up finish at the AFL Europe Champions League. They amassed a total of 341 points across two games at the weekend and proved to again be strong favourites in the ever-growing Central North East England competition.

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Demons do their part for MND research

This weekend’s Queens Birthday clash between Collingwood v Melbourne also sees the second instalment of the Cure for MND’s ‘Big Freeze at the G’.

The Wandsworth Demons will be hosting the West London Wildcats at Clapham Common on Saturday and will be putting on a fundraiser to help out with the efforts in finding a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.

With hats and beanies for sale, raffles throughout the day and a cake sale there’ll be a great atmosphere down at the Common. Keep an eye out on AFL Europe’s and the Wandsworth Demons website and social media for more information regarding the weekend.

Girls umpire too!

A special mention has to go out to two of AFL London’s most dedicated volunteers, Lisa Wilson and Kate Grabowski, who umpired their first Premiership game together on Friday night in a match between the Hawks and the Demons.

The game was well controlled and officiated by the girls with all involved playing in the right spirit. It was a great show of development for Aussies Rules abroad and hopefully we’ll see more women take the leap into umpiring.

Congratulations Kate and Lisa.

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Ben Durance

 

 

AFL Europe Match of the Round

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Wimbledon Hawks vs Wandsworth Demons – Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Recreation Ground 5/6/16 2pm

There were two standout teams in last year’s inaugural AFL London women’s competition, the Wimbledon Hawks and the Wandsworth Demons. In last year’s four encounters the Demons won 3 out of 4 games including the all-important Grand Final. The final score in that game was 5.3. 33 to 1.2. 8 in favour of the Ladies from Wandsworth.

This Sunday sees the two rivals lock horns for the first time this year for competition points. The Hawks have cruised through the opening rounds of season 2016 winning both games convincingly and accumulating an astonishing percentage of 1625. The Demons, on the back of a large exodus of last year’s premiership side, have had an indifferent start. They lost a close game against the North London Lions in Round 1 and held on to beat a fast-finishing South East London Giants the following week.

Both clubs are doing great work for the growth of the women’s game and have had a huge number of players on the training track each week. On form, the Hawks will go into this game as favourites but with the Demons gelling well together of late it could be anyone’s game. Let’s not forget the added factor of the Epsom Derby taking place the day before and it’s hard not to get excited by the prospect of this game.

Here are the coaches’ thoughts on the big Grand Final Rematch.

Wimbledon Hawks Coach, Tara Lowther:

“I believe the game will be won by the team who can execute the basic skills the best and the team with the best fitness. Unfortunately, we have an extensive injury list but the remaining players are hardworking and hungry for revenge. We are looking forward to a great game.”

Wandsworth Demons Coach, Mitch Skelly:

“I’m really looking forward to the match and an opportunity to take on the Hawks, who are currently the benchmark for women’s footy in London. Their results have been very impressive throughout 2016, so it’s a chance for us Demons to see where we stand in the pecking order early in the season.

Whilst our form has been a little up and down, the excitement generated by some new players such as English Rose, Kiwi Katie, Tessa and Bianca have been the high points. Those four, along with the bulk of our team, are new to Australian Rules football and I can’t wait to see how well we perform as a team once they’ve had a season to catch up with some of our more experienced players like Kate Grabowski, Sarah Townsend and Lauren Coote – stalwarts and legends of AFL London!”

 

 

Ben Durance

Player of the Week – David Seymour

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Each week AFL Europe is profiling a European player and finding out how they got into the great game of Aussie Rules and a bit about themselves. If you’d like a profile or know of anyone who would, then email ben.durance@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.

This week’s player profile is on tall forward for the North London Lions, David Seymour.

New to both the Lions and the sport this year, David – better known as Rooney, decided to jump the fence from Soccer to the more physical and elite sport known as Australian Football.

After playing Varsity First XI, Rooney wanted a more social sport to play out his semi-professional career and was drawn to the Australian culture in more ways than one. Not only has the newbie slotted himself into the Premiers team but is also a key figure in the Boat Race team, swearing their losing streak is by no means his fault.

Primary School teacher by day and street dancer by night, all 6’5 of Rooney, as President Treloar puts it; is like a diamond in the rough, showing those North of the Thames plenty to be excited about! Welcome to the wonderful sport that is Australian Football Rooney!

Name:

David Seymour

Club:

North London Lions

Nationality:

English

What position do you play?

Forward

AFL team you support:

Richmond Tigers

Favourite player:

Nik Schoenmakers

How did you discover AFL?

I used to work in the lookalike circuit as Wayne Rooney. I met a few Aussie lads at a lookalike convention. Tim Fisher was a Borat lookalike, Jay Treloar was Brad Pitt and I can’t remember who Shuey was but I know it was someone really boring with no personality. Anyway, they got me involved.

How long have been playing? 

Have started this year but can’t get enough. I have an AFL pass to watch all the games and have a Sherrin to practice at home so I can be as good as Ben “The Difference” Quick.

What happened in your first game?

Ran through an opponent’s mark and tore a ligament in my thumb

Best AFL moment?

Being AFL Europe’s Player of the Week

Any other information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself?

I came joint second in the 2013 European Street Dance Finals.

 

 

 

Sarah Ongarello