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Euro Cup 2016 – Review

The 2016 edition of the Euro Cup was held in sunny Lisbon on the 8th October. With 374 players in action across 22 teams from 16 countries it was always going to be a huge day of Aussie Rules.

The National Stadium Jamor in Lisbon played host to the tournament with three pitches in perfect condition being used for the 9-a-side competition. Games kicked off bright and early at 9am with the pool stages allowing teams to jostle for position and qualify for the divisional finals.

The Pool Stages

Croatia and Germany were the early standouts with some dominant displays of Aussie Rules. The usual powerhouses of Ireland and England were clinical as ever and cruised through their initial exchanges. The final standings were as follows:

Pool A:

  1. Croatia
  2. Wales
  3. Austria
  4. Italy

Pool B:

  1. Ireland
  2. France
  3. Jerusalem Peace Team Lions
  4. Russia

Pool C:

  1. Germany
  2. Scotland
  3. Norway
  4. Portugal

Pool D:

  1. England
  2. Crusaders
  3. Netherlands

First place in each pool went through to the Cup semi-finals and were in with a shot to be crowned Euro Cup Champions. Second place in each pool qualified for the Bowl finals and third and fourth place battled it out for the right to be crowned Plate winners.

On the women’s side of the draw it was a two pool competition. Fierce rivals, England and Ireland were drawn into same pool and reignited their recent battles early on with a hard fought group stage victory going in favour of the girls in green. A three team Pool B had another big clash as the Swedish and Danish locked horns in what was a thriller. The final group standings were as follows:

Pool A:

  1. Ireland
  2. England
  3. Scotland
  4. France

Pool B:

  1. Sweden
  2. Croatia
  3. Denmark

The top two teams from each Pool went through to the semi-finals while third place qualified for the 5th place playoff.

Finals Time

In the Plate Division it was the Dutch and Austrians who won through to the much coveted final. The Dutch had a fiery hit-out against the Italians to give themselves a chance to retain their 2015 title while the Austrians accounted for the Norway Trolls to show how much they’ve improved in recent years.

It was a tight contest early with neither side hitting the scoreboard until the 6-minute mark of the first half when the Flying Dutchmen opened their account. They slotted back-to-back goals and jumped out to a 16 to zip lead at half-time. When the Dutch opened the scoring in the second half it was always going to be a tough ask for the Austrians. The Avalanches could only manage the solitary goal as the Dutch proved too strong in a game highlighted by its tight and physical clashes amongst players. For the second year in a row the Dutch were crowned Plate winners at the Euro Cup. The final score 35-8.

The second-tier Bowl Division final was contested between Wales and France. Both sides were incredibly exciting to watch in the Pool stages and were hoping to add some silverware to the trophy cabinet after a long, hot day of footy.

Wales jumped out of the blocks early to score the first goal of the game into what was a growing breeze. It didn’t take long for France to counter and they got back-to-back goals to take a 5-point lead into half-time. The French were elite with their foot skills and made the Welsh pay kicking out to a handy lead early in the second half. The lead proved enough for France as they held on for a memorable victory in a fast paced game. The final score 27-16.

It was two old foes going head-to-head again in the Women’s Final. England and Ireland had proved that they were the two best teams throughout the day and were pumped up for another highly anticipated encounter on the main stage.

In typical fashion it was a hard-fought first half between the two sides, neither giving an inch or taking a backward step with their attack on the football. This was reflected in the 1-0 score line in favour of the English at half-time.

The second half opened up with England capitalising on their chances when attacking into the breeze to go 7-points up. The Irish didn’t take long to reply and again we were in for another thriller. From nowhere the Irish grabbed another goal in what proved to be the match winner with the crowd erupting. The final few minutes can only be described as complete mayhem. When the final siren sounded three players were laying on the ground injured and seeking medical attention as the remaining Irish players were embracing in jubilation. Full credit to both sides for again putting an amazing display of women’s footy. The final score 16-7.

The Men’s Final pitted a massive Croatian side against a quick and agile Irish team. Under a setting sun and a growing crowd this was going to be one to remember, and it didn’t disappoint.

The breeze had picked up and the big kicking Croatians used it perfectly in the first half. They kicked two goals back-to-back within the couple of minutes to jump out to an early lead. The first half went all in the Croatians favour and some big hits highlighted their intent on claiming their second Euro Cup title. They went into the main break with a 20-point lead. The Irish opened scoring after the break but the Croatians were quick to reply. Neither side were giving up an inch but it was the Irish who were making their mark on the scoreboard. A frantic final few minutes’ left everyone at the ground perplexed as neither side celebrated as the final siren sounded. It was a draw, 35-points apiece, you couldn’t write a better script.

Extra-time was to be played with 5-minutes each way. The Croatians clicked into another gear and didn’t give the Irish a chance. Their bigger bodies had worn down the Irish and when Croatian Captain, Tomislav Cvetko, went back and goaled late in the second half of extra time it was all but over. The Croatian bench stormed the field in celebration as they were crowned Euro Cup Champions of 2016. The final score was 53-39.

A massive thank you needs to go out to Antonio da Cunha and his team at Move Sports for helping us make Euro Cup in Lisbon come together. Thank you to the umpire squad led by Shane Hill, our volunteers led by pitch managers Fanny Maillett, Laura Pinckney and Hayley Canton, as well as BarTV Sports for providing a first-class live stream of the tournament.

The tournament was played in the right spirit and showcased the amazing footballing community Europe has on offer. Thank you to everyone involved in making this great event so special and we’ll see you all again at the 2017 edition of the Euro Cup.

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Match of the Round

Holland vs Great Britain – Battersea Park, 10:30am

This Saturday the 24th of September will see Holland make the journey to London where they’ll be making their 18-a-side debut against newly crowned AFL Europe Championship winners, the Great Britain Bulldogs.

The match provides both teams with invaluable experience with the Bulldogs preparing for the International Cup in 2017 and the Flying Dutchmen continuing their rapid development as an AFL playing nation.

Battersea Park with be transformed into a full AFL oval allowing both teams to gain further knowledge of players and tactics in the year leading up to IC17.

The Flying Dutchmen will be bolstered by a couple of Australian’s who reside in Amsterdam, along with a handful of players from Oxford and AFL London to fill out a full squad of 22. Getting a squad together is a great achievement by all involved in Dutch football. They’ve been incredible hosts of the AFL Europe Champions League over the past two years and the DAFA 9s was a great success in season 2016. The Dutchies will be a strong opponent for the Bulldogs and despite going into this game as underdogs the punters might fancy the boys in Orange.

The Bulldogs have selected a slightly changed side from the European Championships with coach Dean Thomas looking to gain further insight into other eligible players in the build up to Australia. Craig Degville, Ryan Cawley, Dominic Mitchell, Charlie Steel, Tomos Wyn-Jones, Ian Mitchell, Spike Kilheeney and Josh Keeney join the squad. The remaining EC winners are Chris Britton, Michael Sharp, George Dibble, Lewis Gedney, Alex Overton, Jack Coughlan, Owain Ryland, Andy Walkden, Luke Booth, Myles Hudson, Jack Wood, James ‘Ryan Crowley’ Talbot, Matt Warwick, David Jordan, David Hastie and Andrew Cochran.

Bulldog’s Team Manager, Jason Hill, had this to say:

“It’s great to be able to get another fixture on the back of a successful EC and Neil Cooke has been pivotal in putting together a Dutch side to make their debut at this level. Great Britain AFL and the DAFA share a very positive relationship and we will do what we can to help grow their game and compete at this level. This gives us more valuable time on the pitch in preparation for IC and gives coach, Dean Thomas, a great chance to view more players within his system. We’re looking to be the most prepared Bulldog’s team of all time and believe that games like this will help us achieve that. I look forward to welcoming the Dutch to London now and in the future”.

The match is a great initiative and is something AFL Europe is be aiming to help facilitate more of in the near future. With a 10:30am bounce and at beautiful Battersea Park be sure to stop in and watch some full format Aussie Rules.

 

 

 

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

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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.

 

 

AFL Europe Grand Final Lunch – Your chance to win!

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

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

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

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

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.”