Posts

Champions League Team Previews

/in , , , , /by

In the lead-up to the 3rd annual AFL Europe Champions League, hosted by AFL Netherlands in Amsterdam on Saturday 1st April, we’ll be taking a quick look at the teams who’ve qualified for the premier club tournament held in Europe.

Next up we have the Port Malmo Lynx, CEAFL Champions, the Zaprudje Dockers, AFL Scotland’s, Glasgow Sharks, the Norrtalje Dockers and Welsh powerhouse, the Cardiff Panthers.

Port Malmo Lynx

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

The Port Malmö Lynx had a reasonably quiet 2016 match wise but trained hard and qualified for Champions League by winning the AFL Sweden 9 a side cup.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

Training has been going well leading up to CL 2017. There’s always a lack of matches for us at this time of year but there will be a pre-season hit out this weekend against the Lund Giants. In general, I’m happy with our preparations so far.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League? 

Questions about expectations are always hard to answer but as a coach I expect to see big improvements in areas that we have been lacking in. The players are always keen to go one step better at each tournament so I expect them to lay everything on the line for this one.

Player to watch?

Hmm player to watch, always keep an eye on My Almkvist, she got player of the tournament at Euro cup 2016 but we have a few more that will be keen to impress so keep your eyes open.

Zaprudje Giants

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

KAN Zaprudje Giants qualified for Champion League by winning the Central European Australian Football League (CEAFL). The league had three tournaments in Zagreb, Graz and Prague, and we won all three.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

The preparation for Champion League are going pretty well so far.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

Team expectation is to end in Top 6.

Player to watch?

Players to watch are surely Zvonimir Murkovic, one of the best players in Croatia through last five years and three-time European Legion player, and Igor Galez, strong full-back who was selected for tournament squad in Euro Cup in Lisbon.

Glasgow Sharks

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

We qualified for the tournament by becoming the SARFL 2016 Premiers. We had a great season, winning the national league for the first time in the clubs history. We beat our close rivals and then current premiers the Edinburgh Bloods in a tough semi final which bolstered the club with the belief to go on and win in the Grand Final.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

The playing group have been hitting training hard and even getting together out with normal training sessions for extra running and fitness work. The club as a whole have been very excited for this chance and no one is going to let this chance skip by them

What are your teams expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

Our aim is always to walk away from any competition as champions. We are relishing the chance to play against quality side from all over Europe and measure where we sit in the footy landscape.

Player to watch?

Club captain Adam Jack missed playing in the clubs first Grand Final win and is looking hit 2017 with few bags of goals.

Norrtalje Dockers

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

The Norrtälje Dockers won the Stockholm Australian Football Federation Premiership on the back of a club record year. Winning 7 of 8 games during the regular season and then qualifying to the finals series for the first time in the clubs short 5 year history. A solid 5 goal Semi Final win led the Dockers to the big dance where 2015 premiers Södermalm Blues were beaten by 6 goals. The Dockers capped a stellar year by taking out all 3 major awards at the league presentation night. Matthew Schulte winning best Australian whilst also taking out the goalkickers trophy with 31 goals and Buster Sund claiming the prize for best Swede.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

Pre-season training kicked off indoors two weeks before christmas and has continued once a week through the start of 2017. The Dockers hailing from Sweden have to contend with blistering cold and snow in pre season outdoor training but we feel it is what makes us stronger!

What are your teams expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

We will be looking to notch up a few wins over the day and test our skills and structure against teams from around Europe. The biggest and most exciting part for us is getting away as a team and meeting other footy teams from the continent!

Player to watch?

Fredrik Lenard will be making his Australian football debut at Champions league so the team will be right behind him on game day. Keep also a close eye on Goldilocks running from the back!

Cardiff Panthers

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

We tussled through the WARFL league with some close results against Bristol Dockers, Chippenham Redbacks and Swansea Magpies however we came through the league champions giving us the advantage of home turf for the Grannie.  The Grannie was played in Cardiff and the conditions were great for a running game which suits our style.  We had the legs on the Redbacks in the last quarter and managed to come through victors.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

Our coach, Joshua Davey, rounded up the boys in January to do some indoor late night training sessions.  So far the prep has gone just as planned with some skill work and the all dreaded fitness!  However we are all prepped for the the tournament.

What are your teams expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

We spoke with the Dutch team during the Euro’s in Lisbon and they persuaded us that the event had a great vibe and expressed what was great about AFL in Europe so no pressure!  It sounds like a fun and enjoyable tournament and we will go to compete but have a good time while doing it.  Other than that we’ll take each game as it comes.

Player to watch?

Mike Palmer: as he may kick the ball in your face…by accident…honest!

Champions League Team Previews

/in , , , , /by

In the lead-up to the 3rd annual AFL Europe Champions League, hosted by AFL Netherlands in Amsterdam on Saturday 1st April, we’ll be taking a quick look at the teams who’ve qualified for the premier club tournament held in Europe.

Next up we have the undefeated 2016 AFL London women’s premiers, the Wimbledon Hawkettes, the Paris Cockatoos, the Zagreb Dockers, the Sussex Swans & the ARFLI Champions, the Leeside Lions.

Wimbledon Hawkettes

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season!

The Wimbledon Hawkettes were undefeated in the London league in 2016, winning the Grand Final against the North London Lions​. We were consistent on the field throughout the season, using our midfield pressure to push the ball forward, and shutting down the opposition when they came into our end. We also had the honour of being the only London team to have two of our forward line players drafted into the AFLW this season (Don’t worry, they won’t be kicking goals for us in this tournament!).

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

We recently started our pre-season training and many of the girls are looking fast after a productive off-season! We train with our men’s team so have been getting plenty of experience going up against rough opponents, and fighting for every contested footy. The weather in England has been all over the place as well, so we will be ready to play in whatever the Amsterdam skies want to throw at us.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

 Ideally to take home the flag, as with any competition the Hawkettes always step onto the field wanting to win! Off the field though, I think the ladies will be looking to have fun and make footy contacts across Europe. We are bringing a big team to Amsterdam as this tournament is also our pre-season tour, and I think we’d like to share how we are growing the sport in London. Tournaments are a great place to recruit new players who come down to watch, and the surest way to keep that going is by putting on an exciting competition and ​following it up with a memorable afterparty.

Player to watch?

Midfielder Chloe Ong​ – Recruited from the sidelines, Chloe spends the Aussie Rules off-season playing football (soccer) in London. She has a great mix of speed and stamina which means she puts a formidable amount of pressure onto her opponents and keeps the footy moving into the forward line.

Paris Cockatoos

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season!

The Cockatoos are the newest team in the Paris Cocks franchise. The team was created for the 2016 season as we had too much players for just one men’s team. The team did amazingly well last season only losing two games in the regular season. They beat the Cockerels in the semi-finals (very tough and emotional game cause both team are from the club). In the Grand Final they beat the Coyotes in the last quarter. This was by far the toughest game of the season with all the Cockerelles and Cockerels cheering like crazy when they brought the trophy back to Paris!

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

The French Championship is running from September to end of April so the Cockatoos are training twice a week and playing a game pretty much every two weeks. We are definitely ready for the Champions League!

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

 We basically approach every game with the expectation of winning so we definitely have our eyes on making the final four. As a team we’re hitting some really good formats we’re bringing a lot of depth so there’s no reason why we can’t challenge the really good teams.

Player to watch?

A couple of our local products are worth looking out for. Julian Dagois and Clement Dony have had really consistent seasons are playing great footy. Jacob Raiwalui is a really exciting talent so it will be fun to cut the big boy loose against quality opposition. Also a couple of our old blokes have wound the clock back this season which has been fun to watch.

Zagreb Dockers

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season!

We qualified for the 2017 Champions League by becoming champions of Croatia in 2016. The Croatian league of Australian football includes 6 clubs and it lasts from April till October. We were favorites to win the title being the reigning champions from 2015. Also, our squad is very strong and experienced. In the regular part of the competition we finished second but in playoffs we won all games and managed to defend the title, becoming champions for two years in a row.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

The preparation for the Champions League started two months ago. It was very cold in Zagreb so we were training indoors. We will play in the Croatian Cup, so we will have a few matches before coming to Amsterdam.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

Our expectations for the Champions League are to be better than last year when we finished in 9th place. This year we are coming with a full squad and we hope to be at least second in a group. There are no Australians in our team so this is a great opportunity for our players to grow and learn.

Player to watch?

Player to watch is definitely the Captain of Croatian national team, Tomislav Cvetko. He was elected as Best and Fairest of Croatian League in 2016. Tomislav is soon to leave for Australia to play footy there. No doubt he is a star but our team is a compact unit with a lot of talented players and some of them will hopefully be a pleasant surprise at 2017 Champions League.

Sussex Swans

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season!

Under the leadership of Will Mclean, Sussex Swans grew their numbers significantly in 2016, with most non-Australian first time players. Going into their first game of the Southern England Australian Football League, the Swans suffered a loss against Southampton Titans – fortunately, this would be their last loss of the season. The final game of the season was played against Surrey Stags at the Swans’ home ground in Brighton. The passion and energy of the 2016 new recruits provided Will with enough confidence to put out a rookie team against the much more experienced Stags. The Swans took their eleventh win and the title of 2016 SEAFL Premiers.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

Having committed to the 2017 Champions League in December of last year, the Sussex Swans returned back to skills-training on the first Saturday of January and every subsequent week since, training through rain, sleet and snow. The weather isn’t the only brutal elements the Swans have faced, with a new mid-week HIIT training session leaving the 2017 players fitter, stronger and faster than ever before. Word has spread about the Swans’ hard training and dedication with a strong increase in membership – the Swan’s even welcomed their first ladies players to training in March.

What are your teams expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

 The Sussex Swans haven’t trained all through winter with the expectation that winning is not a possibility. This may be the Sussex Swans’ first challenge at the Champions League title, but that doesn’t mean that they are a team to be taken lightly. Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is!

Player to watch?

Boo. One to both watch and hear.

 

 Leeside Lions

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

Having not won the flag since 2007 and not appearing in a grand final since 2011, the Leeside Lions were perennial underachievers in recent times. 2016 saw a great mix of youth and experience in the Lions ranks as there was great numbers crossed over for the summer period from our sister Uni club, the UCC Bombers. There was a great buzz at trainings and games and we knew 2016 had the potential to be our year. The ARFLI season is played on a carnival basis with each team playing two league games on the same day. The Leeside Lions won the 2016 ARFLI flag on the back of an unprecedented unbeaten season winning 9 from 9 culminating with the defeat of the highly-experienced Belfast Redbacks by double scores, 104-52 on home soil.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

Preparations have been going well, the Lions are training with the UCC Bombers at the moment, recent Fitzpatrick Cup winners. This allows us to challenge ourselves against quality opposition on a weekly basis with great playing numbers. We were also delighted to host the North London Lions for a pre-season game on Saturday 11th March, this was a tough and fair contest but it certainly was very beneficial to both teams with our North London counterparts preparing for their AFL London season and us for the AFL Europe Champions league with the final score as follows:

Leeside Lions 10.8 (68) North London Lions 6.9 (45).

What are your teams expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

 The Champions League is unknown territory to us but its something we’re very excited about. There is no point entering a tournament unless you want to win it and I think that’s our mantra for Amsterdam. We’re going to go, enjoy the experience, play as good footy as we can and hopefully that will take us to the latter stages of the comp.

Player to watch?

This is a difficult one as we have guys with plenty of international 9s experience as well as some older club stalwarts and the influx of youth from the UCC Bombers. Players like Paul Murphy and Padraic O’Connell will certainly be players to watch as they are part of the Irish Warriors squad for the upcoming IC17. You have experience with the likes of Eoin O’Sullivan and Cian Quigley who have literary won everything there is to win in the game. For 9s you are looking for the team to perform as a cohesive unit and that’s our aim, no individual players, just one team.

 

Champions League Team Previews

/in , , , , /by

In the lead-up to the 3rd annual AFL Europe Champions League, hosted by AFL Netherlands in Amsterdam on Saturday 1st April, we’ll be taking a quick look at the teams who’ve qualified for the premier club tournament held in Europe.

First up we have reigning men’s champions and AFL London premiers, West London Wildcats, the Paris Cockerelles, last year’s beaten finalists, the Manchester Mozzies, the DAFL’s, Farum Cats, and Austria’s standalone side, the Styrian DownunderDogs.

 West London Wildcats

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season!

We qualified for the 2017 Champions League by winning the 2016 version and by winning the AFL London 2016 Premiership Division.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

It’s been a tough preparation with so much turnover once again but it’s been great to see those from last year stepping up a gear knowing there is no resting on our laurels and to see some fresh faces come into the group with endeavour to propel the club forward in 2017.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League? 

As with anything we participate in we look to come away with the chocolates at the end of the day but we expect to face strong competition from all teams like it has been in the past 2 tournaments

Player to watch?

Mike Gregson – One of our Kiwi contingency who has showed plenty of opposition Aussies how it’s done in 2016.

Paris Cockerelles

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

We don’t have a women’s Championship in France yet. We organize friendly mixed games and few women’s games. So, the team that will be competing at the 2017 Champions League will be composed of girls from all over France (Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Paris) and will play under the Paris Cockerelles colours. Why the Cockerelles? Because it is the closest team to have a full team!

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

We have been playing friendly mixed games in closing of the men’s championship matches. Also, we invited the North London Lions last weekend to launch the Coupe Gallia, the first only female French competition. The Cockerelles have ended it as the winners of this first edition.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

We hope to do our best to go as far as possible, our goal would be to be in the Top 3, and why not even better!

Player to watch?

Coline Duquet, Camille Portal, Claire Pérez, Myriam Allali and Emilie Giancarli.

Manchester Mosquitoes

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

We qualified for this year’s Champions League by winning the AFL CNE Premiership. We went through the season undefeated and it was also our 3rd premiership in a row, which capped off our tenth season anniversary celebrations nicely!

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

We have been training together since late January. With a new coach at the helm, and new players joining the club it has been as much about welcoming everyone and getting to know each other’s game as it has been working on our fitness and match strategy.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

Having been runners up last year, we, (like no doubt all other teams), want to win the tournament. The Wildcats will again be the team to beat but saying that, all other teams are there because they are high quality and on their day, capable of winning it. Playing in the tournament is a great challenge and provides our players with great experience to take back for our domestic season and also for our players picked for IC17 teams.

Player to watch?

Chris Britton, he has been training the house down. He has a big year coming up and and the champions league is his first stop. A seasoned campaigner now, expect him to be leading from the front when our first game kicks off.

Farum Cats

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

Well in 2016 we won our league (DAFL) with the Farum Cats, the team in Denmark with the most premierships in history. It was a good season, with a lot of victories and a few loses, all culminating in the grand finale against our arch rivals, The Copenhagen Barracudas.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

The training for the Champions League has been hard work from the moment we got the opportunity to play in it. We have spent a lot of time in the gym, getting in shape for the games as well as indoor training sessions with focus on skills. Players have been encouraged to look at some of the teams that compete in the tournament, trying to learn what they did, and to get a better understanding of the competition.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

We are a young team with only 2-3 players who have been in the Champions League before. But nevertheless, we’ve got at strong base, a high skill level and a lot of experience playing footy, so I thing we got a good chance of winning it.

Player to watch?

We’ve got a lot of stars on our team, like our unofficial captain Mathias Biron. He is one of the best back home, works so hard on and off the ball and always gives 100%. Another one to watch is William Andersen. He played for the Odense Lions last year, a fun player to watch with great skills. He may not be as physical as other players, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, ball handling and kicking. Our newest member of our club is Oliver De Stobbeleir, a young gun, with roots in soccer, is playing in the heart of the defense. He’s a strong guy in the backline, not shy for some physical football. The last player to watch would be Mikkel Kjøge, one of the many stars from the 95’ generation. He has recently returned from a stay down under, where he played a high level of footy. A complete player in my eyes. Great speed, great marks, great kicks.

Styrian DownunderDogs

How did you qualify for the 2017 Champions League? Quick recap of your 2016 season…

We are the sole footy team in Austria so it was easy to win the Austrian title again 🙂

Actually, we’re playing in the CEAFL (Central European AFL) with teams from Croatia and a team from Prague and although we’re a quite small country in terms of footy history and background, we did quite well in this tournament. This reason together with the fact, that we’re celebrating the 10th birthday of our club this year made us ask for a wildcard in the Champions League so we can start our celebrations with this sportive highlight.

How has the preparation for the 2017 Champions League been going?

We started our training sessions about 1 month ago. Doing outside training sessions at this time of the year is not easy because all the soccer fields are closed and the parks were still covered with snow and ice in the first weeks. We also have a problem with injuries since some our most important players are injured since the last Euro Cup and some of them will not be able to attend at the CL.

What are your team’s expectations for the 2017 Champions League?

Since we will attend the first time, we don’t know if we have a chance to win a single game, but we hope that we can play against many teams, that we haven’t played so far and we can see new tactics, styles of playing and new approaches and that we can learn from them.

Player to watch?

Andreas Jauk played a fantastic tournament at the Euro Cup last year and he is again in pretty good shape. He will be our defensive rock in Amsterdam and I’m sure he will be in the center point of many game situations.