Posts

Around the Grounds

Fast-finishing Roos hold off first-timers, the West Lothian Eagles

Match report by Mikey Allan of the West Lothian Eagles:

Saturday 3rd December saw the West Lothian Eagles play their first match versus the Kingdom Kangaroos at South Queensferry Sports and Community Hub. The weather was good but a wet pitch made the ball very slippery. Coach Allan called for a hard at the ball game and both team certainly delivered.

The Eagles started the game well scoring three goals in a row with Vice-Captain, Nathan Stewart, scoring his first superb goal which was an overhead kick! By half time the score was 61 to 51 in favour of the Eagles but the Roos came back and scored a whopping six goals in the third quarter and the Eagles trailed by 15-points going into last term. The Roos scored another whopping six goals in the last quarter with Roos dinosaur, Sandy Bell, scoring two with the left peg proving to any doubters why he was recently the AFL Europe ‘Player of the Week’. A great day was had by all with the final score being 107 Eagles to 144 Roos.

wle

Mark Flanagan was presented with the man of the match award (bottle of whiskey). Nathan Stewart was voted as best Eagle and was awarded the Eagles plate.

wle2

After the match, free catering was provided to all involved by Queensferry Sports and Community Hub where we raised £125 for Ashley Palmer who is currently recovering from a serious car accident. Special thanks to the Greater Glasgow Giants and Edinburgh Bloods for their support.

I personally would like to thank the West Coast Eagles – for their kind donation of the strips.
Allan Carson – the manager at Queensferry Sports and Community Hub for accommodating us and for providing free catering. The Kingdom Kangaroos – for giving us a contest. Julie Cruickshank photography – for the match and team photos. Jamie Gorman – who unfortunately couldn’t play due to injury for keeping the scores.

Many thanks to everyone at AFL Europe for the coverage of our first game.

wle1

AFL London women’s club join forces for winter session

London All-Stars coach, Mitch Skelly, put players from the South-East London Giants, Wimbledon Hawks and Wandsworth Demons through their paces at Clapham Common on Sunday afternoon in a pre-Christmas training session and scratch match.

It was great to see AFL London rivals work together in their off-season to keep their skills and fitness in check during the cold winter months. Hopefully we’ll see more sessions like this going into 2017 and beyond.

allstars

Bombers prove too strong for Hawks in CNFA

The Bordeaux Bombers were clinical in their weekend fixture against the Toulouse Hawks at their home ground. The Bombers lead from start to finish and didn’t give the Hawks a chance to work into the game. The outcome of this match was pivotal for both sides with the winner staying in touch with the finals contenders.

cnfa1

The Bombers refused to take their foot off the pedal and ran out 130 to 49 point winners in front of a vocal home crowd. Luckily for the Hawks they’ll have the chance to redeem themselves before going into the new year with a Toulouse derby match against the Blagnac Aviators.

cnfa

Scottish Clansmen announce new team manager

Mikey Allan features twice in this weeks Around the Grounds. The West Lothian founder has been busy on the national team scene as well in 2016 and will be doing even more in years to come as AFL Scotland announce Mikey as the Clansmen’s Team Manager.

Mikey was part of the Scottish team which travelled to Lisbon earlier this year and he’ll no doubt be pivotal in rise of Scottish football in the years to come. Congratulations on the appointment Mikey.

Aussie Rules lights up Zagreb Christmas fair

Great work by the Croatian Knights and Queens who presented Aussie Rules as a part of the Christmas Fair in Zagreb, Croatia. The recent Euro Cup Champions and 3rd Place winners presented our great game as part of a presentation on the different traditions from around the world.

croatia

Amazing work getting the Sherrin up on the main stage and showing everyone the greatest game on earth.

croatia-1

Player of the Week

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.

This week’s player profile comes from the South of England. Kieran Jewell plays for the mighty Southampton Titans and idolises Collingwood Magpies Skipper, Scott Pendlebury. He found out about the great game of Aussie Rules in a college lecture and has been playing for 3 years now. In Kieran’s first year playing he was unable to go out with the team due to his age and reliant on his parents to drive him to and from games.

Name:

Kieran Jewell

Club:

Southampton Titans

Nationality:

English

What position do you play?

Wherever needed

AFL team you support:

Collingwood

Favourite AFL player:

Scott Pendlebury

How did you find out about AFL?

In a college lecture

How long have you been playing for?

3 years

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

Getting put on the opposition team and missing every kick I got!

Best AFL moment?

Scoring my first 4 goals which was in the same game!

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

I wasn’t old enough to go out with the team for the first year I was a Titan, and had to have lifts from parents everywhere!

 

Around the Grounds

 

6 of the best for Anderson sees Farum through to DAFL grand final

A 6-goal haul from DAFL League Best and Fairest, William Andersen, has helped the Farum Cats advance to the DAFL grand final. The Cats put the Port Malmo Maulers to the sword at the weekend with a convincing 146-point victory.

The win places Farum against Copenhagen and based on their previous hit-out in late August they’ll go into the final as favourites. The Cats will be weary of the boys from Copenhagen as they are seasoned veterans when it comes to big games.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this game!

farum

 

CNFA Facebook ladder sees Perpignan Tigers top the table

The CNFA has released their first table for their 2016/17 season with the Perpignan Tigers sitting on top of the ladder when it comes to Facebook fans. They are early 600 fans ahead of their closest rivals in the Toulouse Hawks.

Check out the full table below:

cnfaDAFL Awards Night Honour Roll

Following the last round of the DAFL regular season two weekends ago the clubs and committees met for the annual Awards Night to celebrate the achievements of those who went above and beyond in season 2016. The Farum Cats picked up 2 awards in what was an even spread of trophies amongst the teams.

The full honour roll is below:

  • Best and Fairest
    • William Hedenskog Anderson (Farum Cats)
  • Leading Goal Kicker
    • Ben Polmear (Port Malmo)
  • Most Improved
    • Christopher Als Lindberg (Copenhagen FC)
  • Best First Year Player
    • Harrison Johnson (Farum Cats)
  • Best Umpire
    • Sebastian Walker Staalkjaer
  • President’s Award
    • Maria Falkesgaard Jorgensen (Odense Lionesses)

Vixens and Sharks walk away with the Tyne Tee Cup

It was a huge day of football in the North of England with the battle for the Tyne Tee Cup being hotly contested between 3 men’s and 3 women’s teams.

The Glasgow Sharks, Kingdom Kangaroos, Wandsworth Demons, England Vixens and home-side, the Tyne Tee Tigers locked horns over the two divisions in what was a great day for Aussie Rules at the new home of the Tigers, Gosforth Sports Park.

The battle for the silverware came down to the Glasgow Sharks and Tyne Tee Tigers in the men’s competition. In what was a tight affair, it was the Sharks who took the chocolates with a 24-point victory. The final score reading 75-51.

The England Vixens continued their impressive 2016 season when they easily accounted for the Wandsworth Demons. It was a far improved performance by the Demons in the final but unfortunately they were unable to register a goal going down 52-1.

The Sharks finished their 2016 campaign with a SARFL flag and tournament victory in what has been an incredibly successful year. For the Vixens it was another great tournament but for them the real test comes in just over 2 weeks’ time when they look to take out the 2016 Euro Cup in Lisbon.

Congratulations to all teams who participated at the weekend. Hopefully we see the Tyne Tees Cup grow as a regular fixture on the footy calendar. Well done to the Tigers committee for all their hard work in making sure the tournament was a huge success.

14292283_858298004272316_6992848065707848246_n

sharks

Dockers through to SAFF grand final

In their fifth season in the SAFF competition the Norrtalje Dockers have won through to their first ever grand final. The Dockers had a hard-fought preliminary final win against the Arsta Swans with the winner advancing to take on reigning premiers, the Sodermalm Blues, in the ‘big dance’.

The match was an absolute thriller with the Dockers up by a single kick at three quarter time. The Dockers held onto the ascendancy and won through to the grand final where they face a monumental task of knocking off the powerhouse of Swedish football, the Sodermalm Blues.

Good luck to the Blues and Dockers in this Saturday’s decider.

dockers

 

 

Dragonslayers getting primed for Euro Cup

The England Dragonslayers got their 9-a-side campaign off to a winning start as they demolished AFL Central North England premiers, the Manchester Mozzies at Burnage Rugby Cub.

The Dragonslayers piled on the pressure all day and never took the foot off the gas. They amassed an astonishing 54 points in the final term despite already having a convincing lead. The final scorecard reading 174 to 28.

The boys in red and white will be looking to go one better at this year’s Euro Cup in Lisbon after they were runners-up in Umag.

dragons

 

 

Match of the Round

Tyne Tees Cup

The North of England is set to light it up when they host the Tyne Tees Cup, 9-a-side tournament tomorrow. Organisers and current title holders, the Tyne Tee Tigers will be hoping to put in a big performance on their home deck of Gosforth Park. They be up against a strong Glasgow Sharks outfit fresh from their Scottish AFL Premiership as well as the always impressive Kingdom Kangaroos.

On the women’s side of the draw the England Vixens will be using this tournament as a warm up for the upcoming Euro Cup in Lisbon. They be locking horns with the Glasgow Sharks and AFL London side, the Wandsworth Demons.

Both men’s and women’s teams will compete in a round robin format of 2 x 20 minute halves which will see the top two from each team progress to play off for the much coveted Cup.

No doubt the Northerners will put on a show for the teams competing in this year’s tournament with a big night out on the Toon to be enjoyed by all competitor’s following the main event.

Best of luck to all teams involved and congratulations to the Tyne Tee Tigers for getting this tournament up and running.

If you’re in the vicinity make sure you stop in and check out the action. I know we’ll be following this one closely.

Check out the full details on the tournament Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1342103975815403/

Schedule

Pitch 1 – Men’s Pool and Finals                           Pitch 2 – Women’s Pool

11:20am Tyne Tee Tigers v Kingdom Kangaroos        England Vixens v Glasgow Sharks

12:20pm Glasgow Sharks v Tyne Tee Tigers             Wandsworth Demons v England Vixens

1:20pm Kingdom Kangaroos v Glasgow Sharks         Glasgow Sharks v Wandsworth Demons

2:20pm Women’s Final

3:20pm Men’s Final

13532919_819998928135101_5640950897096790238_n

 

Player of the Week – Lisa Wilson

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.

 

Match of the Round

CEAFL Finals – Prague, Czech Republic

The final round of the CEAFL season is upon us and taking place in Prague tomorrow. Following two successful round-robin tournaments in Croatia and Austria the culmination of the CEAFL season will take place at the Rugby Club Petrovice, Prague 10.

The CEAFL ladder after 2 of 3 rounds:

  1. Zaprude Giants 30 points
  2. Styrian DownUnderdogs 20 points
  3. Sesvete Double Blues 20 points
  4. Velika Gorica Bombers 14 points
  5. Zagreb Dockers 12 points
  6. Zagreb Hawks 10 points
  7. Prague Dragons 8 points
  8. Ploce Eagles 6 points

After winning the first two tournaments the Zaprude Giants are in the box seat to take out the CEAFL premiership on Saturday. The combination of their skill and experience has proved pivotal in securing top spot on the ladder.

The Styrian DownUnderdogs were left reeling after being undefeated going into the final of round 2 where they went down to the all-conquering Giants. They’ll be looking to make amends after having a breakout season.

In their second year of existence, the Sesvete Double Blues are sitting equal second on the table and are quickly closing the gap between the middle and top tier of the competition. Don’t write them off for a push for the title.

In their first year as a club the VG Bombers are rapidly improving and show courage that is second-to-none. The only just missed out on beating table toppers, the Giants, in the previous tournament.

The two Zagreb sides will have a full complement of players to field sides at this tournament along with the Ploce Eagles. The three teams were absent from the Graz tournament but did provide a handful of players for the Prague Dragons.

The home side will be looking to stamp their authority on the CEAFL in the final round. Despite being out of contention they be hoping to finish season 2016 on the right note and they’ll prove a very difficult opponent on the Petrovice pitch.

There will be 7 teams competing at tomorrow’s season finale with a group of four and a group of three locking horns. The two groups look as follows:

Group 1

  • Prague Dragons
  • Zagreb Cvjetno Dockers
  • Styrian DownunderDogs
  • Zagreb Hawks

Group 2

  • Zaprude Giants
  • Sesvete Blues
  • Velik Goric Bombers

Play is kicks off tomorrow at 9am with the final set for 3:30pm. The full schedule is as follows:

9am: Prague Dragons vs Zagreb Dockers

9:30am: Zaprude Giants vs Sesvete Blues

10am: Styrian DownunderDogs vs Zagreb Hawks

10:30am: VG Bombers vs Zaprude Giants

11am: Prague Dragons vs Styrian Downunderdogs

11:30am: Zagreb Dockers vs Zagreb Hawks

12pm: Sesvete Blues vs VG Bombers

12:30pm: Prague Dragons vs Zagreb Hawks

1pm: Zagreb Dockers vs Styrian DownunderDogs

2pm: First Semi-Final

2:30pm Second Semi-Final

3pm: Third Place Final

3:30pm: Grand Final

Anything could happen in tomorrow’s tournament. Best of luck to all teams and supporters.

 

 

Registrations Close Today! – Euro Cup 2016

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.

 

Around the Grounds

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.

1

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

 

Tuesday Around the Grounds

Tuesday Around the Grounds

 

Swedish Ravens Announce 2016 Euro Cup Squad

The Ravens are getting really excited about the Euro Cup 2016! This year it will be held in Lisbon on the 8th of October and after a good start to the season for women´s footy in Sweden these are the players who have been selected for this years Euro Cup squad. Congratulations to the players below and most importantly, go Ravens!

Jenny Nilsson
Josefin Sjölén
Hanna Falkenström
Ida Rasmark
Isabelle Karlsson
Linnea Lindemann
Cecilia Andersson
Linn Gardell
Stina Nylinder
Sammy Vallgren
Jill Nilsson
My Almkvist
Cecilia Gelinder
Linnea Kempe
Elin Göransson

13726825_626004517566049_8724259848367028721_n 13680625_624831351016699_6764122118203247658_n 13754155_625208730978961_1147860393909757879_n

AFL London has finished the season and move into finals

With Round 10 of AFL London now done and dusted all four divisions head into the first week of finals this Saturday 23rd July. A special mention goes to the Wimbledon Hawks who have made the finals with all three of their divisions, for the first time in their history. The first week of finals kicks off this week with:

Saturday 23rd July

Clapham Common

11am Social:                         South London Demons v Ealing Emus

12.30pm Conference:         Clapham Demons v Shepherds Bush Raiders

2.30pm Womens:                Wimbledon Hawks v North London Lions

4pm Premiers:                    Wandsworth Demons v West London Wildcats

 

Sunday 24th July

 Peckham Rye

11am Social:                         Reading Roos v Wimbledon Hawks

12.30pm Conference:         South East London Giants v North London Lions

2.30pm Women’s:               Wandsworth Demons v South East London Giants

4pm Premiers:                    North London Lions v Wimbledon Hawks

 

The Croatian Knights have announced their Euro Cup squad for Lisbon in October

The Croatian Knights have announced their 2016 AFL Europe Euro Cup team for the tournament on Saturday 8th October 2016, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Croatian Knights 2016:

  1. Igor Galez  (Zapruđe Giants)
  2. Tomislav Đuran  (Sesvete Double Blues)
  3. Miro Jurmanović  (Zagreb Cvjetno Dockers)
  4. Dejan Pavković  (Sesvete Double Blues)
  5. Filip Lenić  (Zapruđe Giants)
  6. Zvonimir Murković  (Zapruđe Giants)
  7. Josip Motik  (Sesvete Double Blues)
  8. Jan Doležal  (Zagreb Hawks)
  9. Hrvoje Kežić  (Ploče Eagles)
  10. Josip Habljak   (Sturt FC)
  11. Ivan Molnar   (Zagreb Cvjetno Dockers)
  12. Tomislav Cvetko (c) (Zagreb Cvjetno Dockers)
  13. Tomislav Nedić   (Velika Gorica Bombers)
  14. Bruno Benčić   (Zapruđe Giants)
  15. Ivan Ivoš   (Zagreb Cvjetno Dockers)
  16. Mislav Karamatić  (Sesvete Double Blues)

Screen Shot 2016-07-19 at 16.01.07

The Norrtälje Dockers have had their best start in history

 After 5-of-10 rounds play in the 2016 season, the Norrtälje Dockers have shot out of the blocks with their best start to a season to date, sitting in second place on the ladder heading into the summer break. The SAFF’s newest club have turned many heads this season winning 4-out-of-5 matches that they have played, going down only to last year’s premiers the Södermalm Blues, back in round 2.

 

Manchester Mosquitoes to host AFL CNE Grand Final in their 6th GF appearance

The Manchester Mozzies will host Nottingham Scorpions after beating Huddersfield Rams on the weekend 144-59, while the Nottingham Scorpions had a win over the Wolverhampton Wolverines to make it into the big dance. Saturday 23rd July will kick off with the plate final at 12pm and the Grand Final at 2pm at Burnage Rugby Club, SK4 3EA, Manchester.

Screen Shot 2016-07-19 at 16.44.22

Euro Cup Registrations is now live!

 The 2016 AFL Europe Euro Cup registrations have now gone live for October 8th in Lisbon, Portugal. Registration is €110 + the Eventbrite fee, including accommodation, breakfast, registration for playing, an event T-Shirt and entry into the after party. Click here to register!

Announcement

2016 AFL Europe Euro Cup

Welcome to the 2016 Euro Cup! This year’s tournament is being held in Lisbon, Portugal at the National Stadium Jamor.

Date: Saturday 8th October 2016

Venue: Lisbon, Portugal (National Stadium Jamor)

Map:

 Pitch Map

Registration:

Your registration fee of €110 + Eventbrite Fee, this year INCLUDES all of the following:

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

Please note – if you wish to stay at the accommodation for longer (before or after the tournament), please contact us ASAP on admin@afleurope.org so we can organise this for you. Beds are limited so get in early. 

 

Eventbrite - 2016 AFL Europe Euro Cup

 

Volunteers:

Any volunteers who which to help during the event can register on Eventbrite AND contact AFL Europe at admin@afleurope.org. The price for Volunteers covers your accommodation and breakfast we will supply you with lunch, t-shirt and never ending gratitude.

Umpires:

All umpiring enquiries regarding Euro Cup can be made by contacting umpires@afleurope.org – registration is available on the Eventbrite link.

Information Pack:

2016 Pre-Tournament Booklet

Player Eligibility:

1) The Player was predominantly resident in the country of the league between 10 and 16 years of age subject to the qualification in sub clause A below.
2) The Player is a citizen of the country of the league at the time when the competition is conducted, subject to the qualification in sub clause A below.
3) The Player is not under suspension in that Player’s local competition during the period of the competition.
AFL Europe may on a case by case basis, waive the eligibility requirements if it is satisfied that a player is a bona fide resident in the country of the league and his participation would be in the best interests of the competition. Submissions in this regard must be made by lodging a Application for Eligibility Exemption – 2016. Any player who has previously obtained exemption must apply again in 2016 – please complete the form and email to admin@afleurope.org

Tournament Rules and Eligibility

Team Registration & Waiver:

The Eventbrite form makes it compulsory for all players, coaches and team officials to specify which team they are registration for/with however, all teams need to submit a Euro Cup 2016 – Team Entry Form before the cut-off date (Saturday 17th September) as well as a Euro Cup 2016 – Team List and a AFL Europe Euro Cup – Waiver and Release – all players must sign this form before registration on Friday 7th October 2016. This will ensure all information is received by us and we can then go ahead with the rankings and draw.