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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.

irish

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.

croatia

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.

oxford

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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Match of the Round

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HLAN Grand Final – Zagreb Hawks vs Zagreb Dockers

The culmination of the 2016 HLAN season is upon us. Two of the oldest clubs in Croatia meet with one of the most anticipated match-ups set to treat the crowd in Zagreb.

It’s the Zagreb Hawks vs the Zagreb Dockers. Hawks are the oldest club in Croatia and are celebrating their 10-year anniversary. The Dockers were second to the scene in Zagreb and have been the dominant side in recent seasons.

The 2013-2014 Grand Finals are still fresh in the minds of Croatian footy fans. In these years the Hawks went back-to-back against the Dockers until a player exodus at the end of 2014 for the Hawks saw the Dockers climb to the top of the pile.

Season 2015 saw a changing of the guard with the Zagreb Dockers dominating and saw them claim the premiership cup for the first time.

The Dockers will be confident going into this match-up and with players like Cvetko, Ivos and Cudina they have reason to be.

For the Hawks the return Josip Habljak from Sturt Football Club in the SANFL back in Australia will be a pivotal player. He’s now spent two years in the SANFL system and will lift the confidence of the players around him.

Both teams will be excited to stake their claim as the best team in Croatia after falling short in the CEAFL competition a couple of weeks ago.

Best of luck to both sides and be sure keep an eye out for the full match report to come out early next week.

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Coach’s thoughts- Ivan Molnar (Zagreb Dockers)

“We have a lot of respect for the Hawks team. Not only because they have their ruckman back from Australia, but because they are a well organised and balanced team. Underestimating them would be fatal. It is said in our league that we are the favourites to win the title, but in one game anything can happen. No game is win before it has started so we will be highly motivated to defend the title and to prove that we are the best team in Croatia”.

Coach’s thoughts – Josip Kravar (Zagreb Hawks)

“As coach of this team I can say that we are proud to play in the grand final and I am proud of my team to be here now. Some of my greatest masterpieces were created against the odds of reality, so we will give our best”.

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 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

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Match of the Round

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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

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Match of the Round

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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.

 

 

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.

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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”.

1 DAY TO GO!

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AFL Europe Championships Preview

14th -20th August

The pinnacle of full format AFL in Europe has arrived. National teams from around Europe have landed in London to compete for the title of best national team in Europe. Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden and Germany will contest the men’s division while Great Britain, Ireland and a combination of players from France, Denmark and Britain will form a European Crusaders side to compete in the women’s side of the draw.

The week long tournament will be held at the home of Aussie Rules in London, Motspur Park, and runs from Sunday 14th to Saturday 20th of August. The first round of men’s matches takes place tomorrow with the Irish Warriors taking on the German Eagles at 1pm. This will be followed by the host nation, the Great Britain Bulldogs going head-to-head with the Swedish Elks at 3pm.

The men’s draw has each team play one another once before they contest the finals on the Saturday. The host nation, the Great Britain Bulldogs, along with the Irish Warriors are tipped to be the strongest sides at the triennial competition. The Bulldogs are renowned for their hard and tough style of football while the Warriors like to take the game on and use the space utilising their run-and-carry.

The Swedes and Germans are harder to get a gauge on and they’ll be real surprise packets at this tournament. Both countries have thriving domestic competitions and on their day can cause upsets to their more fancied opponents. The Elks and Eagles won’t mind the underdog tag and will work it in their favour come game day.

The women’s tournament kicks off on the Thursday with three consecutive days of fixtures culminating in the final on the Saturday. The GB Swans have set the benchmark early in 2016 with a host of victories at shorter format tournaments. The Irish girls will do their best to get the ball on the outside where they are most dangerous with their speed and skill. The biggest unknown in the women’s tournament is the European Crusaders. They’re a side made up of the most footy-mad girls from France, Scandinavia and Britain who were desperate to get a game when their countries were unable to fill a full squad. They’ll be a real unknown force in this tournament and depending on how they gel as a side could seriously contend for the top prize.

With games taking place on every other day from Sunday London will be brimming with Aussie rules action. Keep an eye out on the AFL Europe social media and website for updates and match reviews daily.

The full tournament schedule:

Sunday 14th August

  • 1pm Irish Warriors v German Eagles
  • 3pm GB Bulldogs v Swedish Elks

Tuesday 16th August

  • 4pm German Eagles v Swedish Elks
  • 6pm GB Bulldogs v Irish Warriors

Thursday 18th August

  • 1:30pm GB Swans v Irish Banshees
  • 2:15pm Irish Banshees v European Crusaders
  • 3pm European Crusaders v GB Swans
  • 4pm Irish Warriors v Swedish Elks
  • 6pm GB Bulldogs v German Eagles

Friday 19th August

  • 11:30am Irish Banshees v European Crusaders
  • 12:15pm GB Swans v Irish Banshees
  • 1pm European Crusaders v GB Swans

Saturday 20th August

  • 12:40pm Men’s third place P/O
  • 2:30pm Women’s final
  • 4pm Men’s final

 

 

 

Ben Durance