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 admin@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.
This week we are profiling the silver-fox from the Irish Warriors, Eoin O’Murchu. If you’re in Lisbon for this weekend’s Euro Cup then keep an eye out on this veteran winger.
Name:
Eoin O Murchu
Club:
Wandsworth Demons
Nationality:
Ireland
What position do you play?
Wing and Midfield
AFL team you support:
Sydney Swans
Favourite AFL player:
Pearce Hanley from the Brisbane Lions. Honourable mention for “Buddy” Franklin from the Swans too.
How did you find out about AFL?
I played Gaelic Football up until I move to London 7 years ago so I always had an interest growing up. Jim Stynes was from my neighbouring club in Dublin and I followed Tadhg Kennelly’s career when he played too. When I found out there was a league in London I really wanted to get involved.
How long have you been playing for?
6 years
What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?
Chest marks, getting smashed in my first tackle and beating the West London Wildcats in the lashing rain in Putney.
Best AFL moment?
Being named the Rest of the World Club Captain for the Wandsworth Demons last year but winning EU Best and Fairest in my first season at the Demons is a close second.
Notable mention goes to the hard earned froths at the Alex with the Demons after every game. Nothing better than dropping a few Fozzies with the Dees and Shedees 😉 post game.
Any other interesting information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself?
While I love footy, nothing beats Hurling which was my main sport until I moved to London. Also, my surname is Irish for Murphy which people find very confusing in the UK!
People don’t often associate me with being a big drinker as I usually shy away from the traditional AFL London post-game boat race but a close few know of my ability to down a pint in under 2 seconds.
afleuropehttp://afleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-3.pngafleurope2016-10-06 12:10:552016-10-06 12:10:55Player of the Week
Farum Cats hold of Copenhagen Barracudas in DAFL Grand Final
Valby Park played host to the DAFL Grand Final at the weekend between the Farum Cats and Copenhagen Barracudas.
On what was a stunning Saturday afternoon it was the ‘Cudas who had the better of the early exchanges. Unfortunately, their inaccuracy in front of goal hurt them as the Cats kicked three majors to their five behinds. The 1st quarter ended with both sides locked at 31-points apiece.
The Farum side turned it up a gear in the 2nd with a five goal to one term giving them a 22-point lead going into the main break. League Best and Fairest, William Andersen, was starting to get into the game and was really causing headaches for the home side.
The premiership quarter proved just that with the Cats piling on a further six goals. It was all but sewn up going into the last but the Barracudas had other ideas. They kept their opponents scoreless in the final term whilst they clawed back two goals. It should have been more for the boys from Copenhagen but their inaccuracy again hurt them.
The Farum Cats had done enough and claimed the coveted prize of DAFL Premiers. The final scorecard reading 16.10. 106 to 10.18. 78. Congratulations Cats, we’re looking forward to seeing you at the Champions League next year.
Goals
Farum Cats: W. Andersen 4, M. Norlander 4, M. Kjoge 4, M. Biron 2, C. Andersen, T. Ottesen
Copenhagen Barracudas: M. John 4, D. De Nardi 4, R. Sorensen, C. Kere
Best
Farum Cats: W. Andersen, J. Overgaard, M. Norlander, M. Kjoge, M. Biron, J. Secher, T. Lauritzen
Copenhagen Barracudas: M. John, D. De Nardi, J. Petersen, A. Hill
Norrtalje Dockers knock off reigning champs the Sodermalm Blues in SAFF Grand Final
The Norrtalje Dockers have stormed home to claim the title of SAFF Premiers. They were up against it early with the Blues kicking a goal within the first 30 seconds of play.
They continued to have the better of it in the opening exchanges and it didn’t take long for them to extend their lead to 13-points.
The Dockers couldn’t buy a goal early on kicking four straight points. Eventually Norrtalje broke through with the Swedish national ruckman, Buster Sund, putting through the Dockers first major.
Sodermalm went into their shells for a while and the Dockers capitalised piling on a number of goals. Dockers, Ryan Tucker and Steven Howard were proving a real handful for the Blues and their superior skills were on display.
The Dockers had given themselves a handy buffer and ultimately they couldn’t be caught. The final siren sounded and the Norrtalje Dockers were the new champions of SAFF – A great achievement by the club.
Final score card reading 12.12. 84 to 7.4. 46. Steven Howard of the Dockers was awarded the Ryan Kingsley Medal for best on ground in the final. Well done Steven.
Goals:
Norrtalje Dockers: M. Schulte 6, N. Innacone 3, B. Sund 2, S. Howard
Sodermalm Blues: M. Rappoccio 2, J. Briscoe, C. Tancredi, A. Cherry, L. Hagberg, J. Dahlberg
Best:
Norrtalje Dockers: S. Howard, B. Sund, R. Tucker, N. Innacone, M. Schulte, N. Jonsson, J. Sund, J. Darke
Sodermalm Blues: A. Cherry, M. Barton, J. Holm, M. Larsson
Check out the full-match replay from BarTV Sports below:
The Flying Dutchmen make their 18-a-side International debut
On a makeshift football field in the middle of Battersea Park, London, The Dutch national side made the journey to compete against the reigning European Champions, the GB Bulldogs, in what their first full format International match.
The match started very evenly with a hot footy and big tackles being laid. Running with the breeze it was the Bulldogs who jumped out to an early three goals to one 1st quarter.
As the match wore on the superior fitness and team cohesion of GB proved too much for the Dutchmen who fought valiantly all day. The Bulldogs ran out convincing winners to continue their solid run on the international stage.
Regardless of the score line it was a monumental day for footy in Europe. Massive thanks must go to Neil Cooke of the Dutchmen and team GB manager, Jason Hill for arranging the hit-out.
Let’s hope more games like this continue to fill the AFL Europe calendar in the years to come.
Manchester Mozzies celebrate 10 of the best
The Manchester Mozzies named their ‘Team of the Decade’ (2006-2016) at their recent awards night. It’s a great achievement to be recognised for your contributions to a football club both on and off the field.
Congratulations to all those who were named in the team.
AFL Grand Final time!
It’s the Sydney Swans vs the Western Bulldogs in this weekend’s AFL Grand Final. Where ever you are in the world be sure to tune in.
Tag us in your Grand Final party photos and if your struggling for places to watch the game, follow the link below to find your perfect Grand Final party.
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.
afleuropehttp://afleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-3.pngafleurope2016-09-23 14:11:092016-09-23 14:11:09Match of the Round
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 were are profiling the Paris Cockerels gun centre half-back, Huw Ryan. The Aussie-turned-Frenchman has been plying his trade in France for the past few years. Check out his profile below.
Name:
Huw Ryan
Club:
Paris Cockerels
Nationality:
French/Australian
What position do you play?
Full-Back
AFL team you support:
Essendon Bombers
Favourite AFL player:
Nic Naitanui
How did you find out about AFL?
I played football as a child and picked it back up again in Paris vis the annual ANZAC Match in Villers-Bretonneux
How long have you been playing for?
I’ve been playing for two years in France
What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?
Being put in the ruck against a man-child, and the frost being crispy under foot
Best AFL moment?
Winning the French Premiership in the 2014-2015 season
Any other interesting information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself?
I stopped playing Aussie rules for 12-13 years then picked it back up when I arrived in France, first at the ANZAC match then with the Cockerels.
afleuropehttp://afleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-3.pngafleurope2016-09-21 09:39:462016-09-21 09:39:46Player 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.
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.
afleuropehttp://afleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-3.pngafleurope2016-09-14 18:42:422016-09-14 18:42:42Player of the Week - Lisa Wilson
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.
They finished up their training in Malmo with a practice match at Limhamsfaltet. Keep an eye out on the Ravens come Euro Cup.
“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.
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.
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”.
afleuropehttp://afleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-3.pngafleurope2016-09-01 11:16:482016-09-01 11:16:48Player of the Week - Maria Falkesgaard
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.
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.”
afleuropehttp://afleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-3.pngafleurope2016-08-26 12:04:482016-08-26 12:04:48Match of the Round
Each week AFL Europe is profiling a European player and finding out how they got into the great game of Aussie Rules and a bit about themselves. If you’d like a profile or know of someone who would, then email ben.durance@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.
Stuart McKeating has participated in the inaugural AFL Europe Champions League in March 2015 where the Redbacks placed 3rd. Since then Stuart has been in integral member of the Redbacks as well as being chosen for the Irish Warriors, participating in the AFL Europe Championships. Unfortunately the Warriors went down to the GB Bulldogs in the final but McKeating made an impact and cemented his position in the Warriors with his outstanding performance.
Name:
Stuart Mc Keating
Club:
Belfast Redbacks and Irish Warriors Nationally:
Irish
What position do you play:
Midfield – On ball or Sweeper
AFL Team you support:
Belfast Redbacks
Favourite AFL player:
I’m torn with this one, for two different reasons.. I’m going to say David McElhone on the field because in possession he could find a sober Irish man on St. Patrick’s day. Then off the field I’m going for Conor O’Halloran from the Leeside because his flowery t-shirts are exceptional
How did you find out about AFL:
I work along side Gerard Walls and he had just returned from Australia after winning the World Cup with Ireland, so with the hype of the win I went along to a training session with the Belfast Redbacks and I never looked back!
How long have you been playing for:
About 4ish years now
What is your first memory of your first Aussie rules game:
My earliest memory is playing my first game, a preseason game against the London Wildcats in Belfast, I remember how slick, tough, and classy these guys were, we spent the majority of the time crashing into each other and picking each other up afterwards laughing. 3 years later we would meet the Wildcats again in the Champions League semi final in Amsterdam, a very close game ending in 2 points to the Wildcats (eventual winners) I remember thinking how much further on the Redbacks had came along with my own abilities.
Best AFL moment:
I’m not sure I could pick one moment out, I’ve scored some goals, produced big tackles, and even got to see first hand what the top level AFL players can do as I recently marked Marty Clarke in a league game, but if I had to pick I’d say it was witnessing Gerard Lenihan pull off the ‘specky’ of the season in Galway, although maybe after this coming week things could change!
Any other interesting information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself:
I can confirm that Gerard Walls has indeed got a grizzly bear carpet in his living room, however the poor bear isn’t dead it’s just afraid to move
afleuropehttp://afleurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-3.pngafleurope2016-08-24 12:24:372016-08-24 12:24:37Player of the Week - Stuart McKeating
