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Player of the Week – Lisa Wilson

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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.

Name:

Lisa Wilson

Club:

Wimbledon Hawks

Nationality:

British

What position do you play?

Half forward/half back

AFL Team you support:

Crows/Bulldogs (can’t decide!)

Favourite AFL Player:

Taylor Walker

How did you find out about AFL?

My basketball coach at university used to play AFL for England and moved to Australia to play. When visiting in Australia I went to watch him at a game and he took me for a kick afterwards. On moving back to London I looked up Aussie rules in London and wandered down to the Wimbledon Hawks and the lads were so welcoming…fell in love with the sport instantly.

How long have you been playing for?

Just over 2 years

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

It was Wimbledon Hawks Ladies Day 2014 and we managed to rumble up 20 girls to play a ten aside exhibition game and within 5 minutes one girl broke her leg and by the end another had broken her hand and there were plenty of bumps and bruises to go around – loved it!

Best moment in your career?

Playing for the England Vixens and thrashing Denmark in the Euro Cup final in Croatia to become champions.

Any other information or quirky stories?

I am genuinely addicted to footy; since starting I have helped set up and run the Wimbledon hawks ladies, played for England twice, set up the GB Swans team, started the Clapham Cubs Auskick club and started umpiring.

 

Around the Grounds

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It was a big weekend of grand finals around Europe with Germany, Norway and the CEAFL crowning their 2016 Premiers.

Munich reign supreme in the AFLG 16s Premiership with a convincing win over Berlin, while Hamburg prove too strong in the AFLG 9s Championship

The Munich Kangaroos dominated in the AFLG 16s Premiership at the weekend to claim the 2016 title.

The Kangaroos jumped out to a 20-point lead at quarter time and didn’t look back. They put the foot down in the second term and went into the main break with a 62-25 advantage.

It was always going to be tough to bridge that gap for the Berlin side but to their credit they didn’t throw in the towel. They couldn’t impact the scorers but their effort never dropped off.

Full credit to a smooth moving Munich who kept their opponent to a solitary point in the second half and ran out comfortable winners. Final scores reading 139-26. Well done Kangas.

The 16s Premiership wasn’t all that was on the line on Saturday with the AFLG 9s Championship decider being played between the Frankfurt Redbacks and Hamburg Dockers. It was the latter who took home the chocolates as they wrestled the advantage in their favour with a strong premiership quarter giving them a 23-point buffer. It was junk time in the fourth quarter for the Dockers as they strolled in for a 19.12. 126 to 10.11. 71 victory.

Congratulations to all teams who competed at the weekend and the AFLG committee for taking the game in Germany from strength to strength.

munich

hamburg

Giants taste even more success as Zaprude make it a clean sweep in Prague

Giants fans from all over the globe will be grinning from ear-to-ear after the weekend they just had. First he GWS seniors won through to the preliminary final in the AFL, then their reserves took out the North East AFL title, but it was the Giants from Zaprude who claimed their third tournament victory for the year and wrapped up the CEAFL title for season 2016.

In what was an amazing day of Central European football hosted by the Prague Dragons, the Zaprude Giants defeated all challengers claiming the Prague instalment of the championship by defeating a valiant Sesvete Double Blues.

In the third place final its was the home side, the Prague Dragons, taking on the Zagreb Dockers. In a tight tussle it was the Dockers who held on for a narrow victory.

The fifth place final pitted a much improved Styrian DownunderDogs against the VG Bombers. The Bombers were too good in this clash finishing off a strong first season in the competition.

The Zagreb Hawks battled hard all day but with a weakened touring squad they were unable to impact the competition.

The Prague instalment of the CEAFL was the third and final tournament of the competition. After victories in Zagreb and Gratz it was always going to be tough to catch eventual winners, Zaprude who put it beyond doubt after a dominant display on Saturday.

Massive congratulations to the Prague Dragons for hosting the tournament but also to the entire CEAFL committee and community. After experiencing first-hand your tournament, it is without doubt that AFL in Central Europe is onto a winning formula. We can’t wait to see what the CEAFL brings in 2017.

ceafl3

Oslo East too strong for the boys from the West in AFL Norway decider

Oslo East are Champions of Norway! Despite a relentless Oslo West, East were just too classy and dominated from start to finish.

Danny Aukema was dominant up front and impressed with 6 majors, while Aidan Dutton was unstoppable in midfield. The Norwegian national captain, Mats Danielsen was a rock in defence and was ecstatic to hold up the Kengura Cup for 2016 after his team failed to make the grand final the previous year.

Oslo West were best served by the ever-dependable Rene Damborg Jensen, Klas Alexander Harris and Ben Marks

Final scores 12.5. 77 to 1.5 11

oslo

Sodermalm finish top and straight through to SAFF grand final

Sodermalm Blues continue to be the who’s who in the SAFF as their final round match was marked down as a forfeit as the Solna Axemen were unable to field a full side.

The 120-0 forfeit puts the Blues at the top of the SAFF ladder and will see them advance to the decider on the 24th of September. Unfortunately for Solna it also marks the first time a SAFF side has gone through a season without registering a win.

The Axemen are a proud club and will be out to prove a point in season 2017. Congratulations to the Axemen who made the journey along with the Arsta Swans who combined to play a friendly 11-a-side match against the Blues.

blues

 

Registrations Close Today! – Euro Cup 2016

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The 2016 Euro Cup in Lisbon, Portugal is only 4 weeks away! Don’t forget to register as a player, volunteer or coach/team manager before registration closes today.

Your registration fee this year INCLUDES all of the following:

  • Playing registration fee
  • Event t-shirt
  • 2-nights accommodation at either Hotel Amazonia or Praia Mar (price is for a triple room with two of your teammates)
  • Breakfast both Saturday and Sunday morning at the hotel
  • Wristband and free entry to the official after-party
  • Transfers to the after-party

Follow the link below.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2016-afl-europe-euro-cup-tickets-26639362049

Please contact Ben Durance at ben.durance@afleurope.org with any queries.

 

AFL Europe Grand Final Lunch – Your chance to win!

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The 2nd annual AFL Europe Grand Final Lunch will be taking place on Friday 30th September 2016. In conjunction with the South Australia Club and in association with the Adelaide Crows this fully ticketed corporate event provides a unique opportunity to connect the UK and Australian Business Communities.

If you’re a Crows fan here in the UK and want the chance the win 1 of 8 tickets to this event then click on the link below to find out more.

http://www.afc.com.au/news/2016-09-06/crows-form-new-uk-partnership

Good luck!

Around the Grounds

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Berlin win through to the AFLG Grand Final

The Berlin Crocodiles came away with a convincing win in the preliminary final against the Rheinland Lions. Playing away from home the Crocodiles led at every change in what was a relatively tight first half of football. The premiership quarter was best utilized by the Crocs who kicked 8 goals to the Lions 3 to put the game beyond doubt. Final score reading 20.10. 130 to 11.6. 72.

The Crocs will now go into the AFLG Grand Final this weekend against a red-hot Munich Kangaroos. Having gone down by 50-points in their last outing they’ll be looking to bring their best to Saturday’s decider.

Swedish Ravens crank up the Euro Cup preparations

The Swedish Ravens enjoyed their first day of training together in Malmo at the weekend. Their first session provides them with some crucial practice going into next month’s Euro Cup in Lisbon.

Ravens 1

They finished up their training in Malmo with a practice match at Limhamsfaltet. Keep an eye out on the Ravens come Euro Cup.

Ravens

“I don’t understand what all the fuss is about!”

“Lethal” Lars Hagberg of Sodermalm AFC kicked a handful of goals at the weekend. A good effort but nothing too unheard of right? Throw in the fact he did it all with a broken wrist and those 5 goals seem a far more significant achievement. When asked post-match about the injury and goals he was quoted saying “I don’t understand what all the fuss is about”.

Although I wouldn’t recommend it, well done on getting through the game and kicking a few along the way Lethal.

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Finals Footy hits the AFL

Finals Footy is finally here in the AFL. After a week off following the regular season the top 8 will be fresh and ready to light it up the on footballs biggest stage.

The first week of the finals kicks off with a Thursday morning blockbuster between the West Coast Eagles and the Western Bulldogs with the loser of that game waving goodbye to season 2016.

The biggest rivalry in modern football lights up our screens on Friday morning when the Cats go head-to-head with the Hawks.

The Sydney derby gets its first dose of final action with the Swans taking on GWS in the early morning timeslot of 6:20am BST Saturday morning

Adelaide Oval hosts the Crows and Kangaroos in what sees the loser eliminated a bit later on Saturday morning.

Jump over to http://watchafl.afl.com.au/ to get your pass for the 2016 final series.

Finals week 1 schedule:

Elimination Final: West Coast Eagles v Western Bulldogs                 Thurs 8/9 11:10am BST

Qualifying Final: Geelong Cats v Hawthorne Hawks                           Fri 9/9 10:50am BST

Qualifying Final: Sydney Swans v GWS Giants                                       Sat 10/9 6:20am BST

Elimination Final: Adelaide Crows v NM Kangaroos                           Sat 10/9 10:40am BST

 

Player of the Week – Maria Falkesgaard

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AFL Europe Player of the Week

Maria joined the Odense Lionesses in 2015 and with a background in rugby, cattle wrestling and as a floorball goalie, she came to the sport with the strength of bear and the reflexes of a cat. She quickly showed great awareness around the ball and tremendous power both in contest and disposals. Her first game was played less than a month after joining the team and she scored 3 goals on her debut.

A month later she was badly injured and started watching AFL intensely and spent the summer practicing ball handling skills in Copenhagen with the Copenhagen Barracudas. By Euro Cup in October that year, her understanding of the game and leadership qualities earned her the title of captain for both the Odense Lionesses and the Denmark Valkyries. The same year she became top goal scorer in the Womens’ Nordic AFL and for the Danish Valkyries at Euro Cup. Yeah bra!

Name:

Maria Falkesgaard

Club:

Odense Lionesses (Odense Australian Football)

Nationality:

Danish

What position do you play?

Forward Pocket and Ruck Rover

AFL team you support:

West Coast Eagles

Favourite AFL player:

Josh Kennedy and Matt Priddis

How did you find out about AFL?

There was a tryout day at the club and I was persuaded to give it a go by friends who were playing

How long have you been playing for?

A little more than a year

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

Had a massive hangover and taking a hard tackle in the first quarter so I had to go out for a couple of minutes, and then kicking three goals when I came back in

Best AFL moment?

Without a doubt, the goal against England in the final of Euros 2015 – go watch the replay on the tube..!

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

I am in general a very boring person, but I’ve got mad knitting skills and I taught my dog “play dead”.

Around the Grounds

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Around the Grounds 30/8/16

Helsinki go back-to-back in FAFL Grand Final

The 2016 season ended victoriously for the Helsinki Heatseekers as they beat off a valiant Turku Dockers in the capital on Saturday.

Congratulations to the Heatseekers and Dockers along with the Finland AFL for putting on another amazing season in 2016. We can’t wait for season 2017 in Finland.

150 of the best for Port Malmo’s, Gaeten Blonde

The Maulers celebrated in style for one of their most decorated players, Gaetan Blonde, as he played game 150 at the weekend. The Maulers convincingly beat the Helsingborg Saints on their home turf by 213 to nil in a big day out for the club.

Ben Polmear kicked 13 goals while Simon Ward bagged 10. Check out video highlights at the link below.

Munich win through to AFL Germany Grand Final

Round 9 in the AFLG Premiership saw the Munich Kangaroos win through to the grand final with a comfortable win over the Berlin Crocodiles. The final score in that fixture was Munich 15.12. 102 to Berlin’s 8.4.52.

In the Championship Freiberg Taipains/Stuttgart Emus took the chocolates over the Frankfurt Redbacks with 20.11. 131 to 8.6. 54. The Hamburg Dockers defeated the Dresden Wolves via forfeit with the scores reading 80-0, giving the Dockers a healthy percentage booster.

Frankfurt and Hamburg will square off in the Championship decider on the 10th of September.

AFL SWEDEN wants you!

AFL Sweden is on the lookout for a new manager of the men’s national team along with a sponsorship manager for the entire association. For further details on both positions can be found by clicking through the link below.

http://www.aflsweden.se/2/index.php/sv/nyheter/32-two-positions-available-with-afl-sweden

Odense Lions knock of rivals Aalborg Kangaroos away from home

The Odense Lions travelled to Aalborg at the weekend to take on the Kangaroos and came away with a resounding victory, winning 118 to 44.

Christian Belling was awarded best on ground while Yossy Taihutto kicked 3 majors for the day.

Odense

Check out the video below of the Lions giving Birkir Gudmundsson a viking clap to celebrate him kicking his first goal in the Aussie Rules.

https://www.facebook.com/340565146058656/videos/1137188763062953/

 

 

 

Match of the Round

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Match of the Round 26/8/16

Finland AFL – Helsinki Heatseekers vs Turku Dockers

The day of days has finally arrived for Finland AFL (FAFL) with the two best teams for season 2016 battling it out for the ultimate prize, to be crowned FAFL Premiers.

The Helsinki Heatseekers will do battle with the Turku Dockers in Helsinki on Saturday in a bid to become back-to-back FAFL Champions.

The Turku Dockers have had mixed results in season 2016 having registered two strong wins over Vaasa Wombats and Helsinki followed by a big home loss to the Heatseekers in the return fixture.

The Dockers have been best served by Elmo Primmer and Pietari Arikka this season. Both young chargers love to run and take the game on which bodes well for Turku in the 9-a-side format. The Heatseekers will have to keep a close eye on 2014 FAFL Grand Final ‘Best on Ground’, Alix Kalliojarvi, who has a track record of performing on the biggest stage.

The defending premiers, the Helsinki Heatseekers, have also been battling inconsistency this season as they have struggled stringing together four quarters of footy. Injuries throughout the year have been key to these inconsistencies with a number of key players sitting on the sidelines for long periods of time.

The Heatseekers will be sweating on the fitness of Adam Vassey, as a player of his quality will most certainly put them in the hot seat to go back-to-back. Sito Lopez is widely regarded as the top ruckman in the FAFL and will hold the key to the midfield battle come Saturday.

With a 1:30pm bounce scheduled no doubt the Talin-Urheilupuisto ground in Helsinki will be jam-packed with footy-mad Finns on the edge of their seats waiting with baited-breath to see who will be crowned 2016 FAFL Champions.

Best of luck to both sides involved.

The coach’s thoughts – Turku Dockers

“Helsinki are always tough to beat at home, especially with their full playing list available, but the Dockers guys showed in the Helsinki tournament earlier in the year that they can be beaten. It should be a tough game, with both teams keen to end the season on a high.”

 

The coach’s thoughts – Helsinki Heatseekers

“This year has seen the competition come a lot closer with Turku beating us in the opening round and us getting the second one back. Vaasa have been a very strong and tough team to get a win over and they are a very big and physical side and like to play hard. Saturday will provide a very good game and best luck to everyone and have a fun safe game.”

Player of the Week – Stuart McKeating

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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 ben.durance@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.

Stuart McKeating has participated in the inaugural AFL Europe Champions League in March 2015 where the Redbacks placed 3rd. Since then Stuart has been in integral member of the Redbacks as well as being chosen for the Irish Warriors, participating in the AFL Europe Championships. Unfortunately the Warriors went down to the GB Bulldogs in the final but McKeating made an impact and cemented his position in the Warriors with his outstanding performance.

Name:

Stuart Mc Keating

 

Club:

Belfast Redbacks and Irish Warriors
Nationally:

Irish

 

What position do you play:

Midfield – On ball or Sweeper

 

AFL Team you support:

Belfast Redbacks

 

Favourite AFL player:

I’m torn with this one, for two different reasons.. I’m going to say David McElhone on the field because in possession he could find a sober Irish man on St. Patrick’s day. Then off the field I’m going for Conor O’Halloran from the Leeside because his flowery t-shirts are exceptional

 

How did you find out about AFL:

I work along side Gerard Walls and he had just returned from Australia after winning the World Cup with Ireland, so with the hype of the win I went along to a training session with the Belfast Redbacks and I never looked back!

 

How long have you been playing for:

About 4ish years now

 

What is your first memory of your first Aussie rules game:

My earliest memory is playing my first game, a preseason game against the London Wildcats in Belfast, I remember how slick, tough, and classy these guys were, we spent the majority of the time crashing into each other and picking each other up afterwards laughing. 3 years later we would meet the Wildcats again in the Champions League semi final in Amsterdam, a very close game ending in 2 points to the Wildcats (eventual winners) I remember thinking how much further on the Redbacks had came along with my own abilities.

 

Best AFL moment:

I’m not sure I could pick one moment out, I’ve scored some goals, produced big tackles, and even got to see first hand what the top level AFL players can do as I recently marked Marty Clarke in a league game, but if I had to pick I’d say it was witnessing Gerard Lenihan pull off the ‘specky’ of the season in Galway, although maybe after this coming week things could change!

 

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

I can confirm that Gerard Walls has indeed got a grizzly bear carpet in his living room, however the poor bear isn’t dead it’s just afraid to move

Around the Grounds

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Bulldogs and Swans crowned Champions of Europe

The AFL Europe Championships came to a close last Saturday with the Grand Finals taking place at the home of the Championships, Motspur Park.

The German Eagles claimed third place in their playoff with the Swedish Elks as they held firm for a thrilling 1-point victory.

The GB Swans scored the one and only goal of the women’s final against the Irish Banshees. Tough conditions met the players and provided the large crowd with a real arm wrestle to watch.

In the men’s final the GB Bulldogs got their redemption for their last minute loss to Ireland in the 2013 Championships by convincingly outplaying the Warriors.

Congratulations to all teams who took part in the full-format tournament, especially their coaches and team managers who did an amazing job getting so many players over to London to represent their countries.

Football can’t be played without the umpires who we’d also like to thank for doing such a great job throughout the week. A special mention to Adam Pearce from the AFL who took notes and provided tips to our umpiring squad throughout the week.

Finally, to all volunteers and the great AFL Europe community, thank you for all your assistance. We look forward to our next major tournament, the annual Euro Cup, to be held in Lisbon.

wrap up article

Amsterdam White Devils claim the DAFA 9s Premiership

The Amsterdam White Devils came out on top of what was a see-sawing Grand Final in the DAFA 9s in Amsterdam over the weekend.

A last quarter surge was enough for the White Devils to get over the line against Den Haag Ooievaars who eventually claimed the inaugural DAFA 9s Premiership by 10-points.

Final scores 87 to 77.

Well done to everyone involved at the DAFA for the continued growth and development of Aussie Rules in the Netherlands. We can’t wait to see how the Dutch side goes in the Euro Cup in October.

DAFA 9s 1 DAFA 9s

Berlin League culminates in Grand Final rematch

For the second year in a row it was North vs South Berlin in the Berlin League. The minor Premiers, North Berlin Crows, were looking to enact revenge after going down to their cross-town rivals in last year’s decider.

It wasn’t to be for the Crows who again went down to the in-form Giants by 29-points.

The boys from Berlin won’t have long to indulge in celebrations as their focus now turns to Munich this coming weekend.

Congratulations to the Giants and good luck with the upcoming fixtures.

Berlin

Free access to WatchAFL

Jump onto WatchAFL on the Celebration of Football weekend starting on the 2nd of September with the EJ Whitten Legends game and run through to the 10th annual Hamson-Hardeman Women’s Exhibition Cup.

Click the link below and sign up below.

http://watchafl.afl.com.au/