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EC16 Team Preview – Irish Banshees

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AFL Europe Championships Team Preview – Irish Banshees

Every three years the AFL Europe Championships take place for teams to assert their dominance and claim bragging rights against their European counterparts, as well as gain valuable 18-a-side match practice in the lead up to the International Cup the following year.

In the lead up to this year’s AFL Europe Championships in London we’ll be focusing on each team and previewing their chances of taking out the top prize.

In the first of our women’s team previews we are getting to know the Irish Banshees a bit better.

What’s happened since International Cup 2014?

The Banshees last competed at International level in 2014 where we went down to Canada in the final of the International Cup in Melbourne but managed to bounce back from that disappointment to beat a very impressive England Vixens side in the final of the Euro Cup in London.

Since 2014 a number of our key players have moved on or are unable to travel to London due to other sporting commitments which mean the Banshees side that takes to the field in London will have only 5 players who have previously experienced international football.

On the flip side, the positives for the Banshees is that this year we have unearthed a lot of new talent and their enthusiasm and love of the game will be on display in London.

Brendan Kelly, who is the coach of the Ulster Kookaburras has joined the coaching staff for the 2016 tournaments. Shaun Saurin who previously coached the squad to Euro Cup success is unable to travel to London due to a family wedding but is doing some preparatory work with the team in advance of London.

 

Who’s in for AFL Europe Championships in 2016?

At the tournament there will be a joint coaching team of Pat Leavy and Brendan Kelly. The team are in safe hands as Pat, who managed the team at IC14 and EC14 has played with the Warriors from 2003 to 2013 which included two International Cup campaigns as well as numerous Euro Cups.

Brendan has also played in numerous Euro Cups and at IC14. He is currently a member of the Irish Warriors team competing at the Championships and he is hoping to retain the title he won in 2013.

The management team also have a number of support staff behind them, most notable Deirdre Ní Chearaill, former Banshee international and current lady president of ARFLI who has been one of the driving forces behind resurrecting the Banshees in 2016. She will be acting as team liaison.

The team is shaping up pretty well. We can see huge strides in each player’s development since the start of the summer. There is a good blend of youth and experience in the squad and some very exciting new players will be on show. On one hand you have multiple international medal winners like Emma Kelly, Fiona Roarty and Carolann Cassidy and on the other you have really exciting new prospects like Olivia McCann, Colleen Quinn, Claire Donnelly and Clara Fitzpatrick.

Add in some full format experience from the AFL London league gained by Onóra Mulcahy and Linda Connolly and we think it’s a formidable team.

We have 16 players from the Ulster Kookaburras, 1 from the Galway Magpies, 2 players from London club, the Wandsworth Demons, with the remainder coming from the Dublin Angels.

 

AFL Europe Championships focus

We would have liked to have had more collective training sessions in the lead up to the tournament but to counteract that we have linked in with the men’s carnival rounds in the ARFLI premiership. This has allowed the girls learn the finer points of AFL from looking at the men’s game.

We’re looking forward to playing on a full oval as we rarely get the chance, so in particular we’ll be looking to add width and pace to our game, which will allow the players adapt their Gaelic football skills to a new game. The experience of 18 a side will be of huge benefit going into IC17.

Our strength is definitely the quality of our footballers. All the players have played Ladies Gaelic Football to a high level in Ireland. Our weakness is probably the lack of 18 a side football in Ireland and an inability for the team to train collectively on a regular basis.

 

Who has the X-Factor?

Emma Kelly, Onóra Mulcahy and Fiona Roarty can really dominate, so it’s certainly worth watching out for them. As we are travelling with a relatively new squad, a number of players have really improved out of sight over the last few months so it would be unfair to single any one player out.

That is the exciting part of a tournament, you never know which player we will be all talking about by the end of it – hopefully it will be one wearing green!

 

Coach’s thoughts – Pat Leavy

“We’d expect to have a fair crack at getting to the final, but we know it will be difficult. The Crusaders will have the best players from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and France, while the GB Swans are currently the benchmark in Europe. The GB women’s league is probably the best female league outside of Australia. The Vixens were excellent the last time we played them in 2014 and have improved since.

From a Banshee point of view, how the tournament unfolds will be determined by how our players react to full format and knowing the potential in our team, I’m excited at seeing how they will develop as the tournament progresses but expect a great team performance and hopefully we will get over the line”

 

Squad

  1. Claire Donnelly (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  2. Terri Kelly (Dublin Angels)
  3. Ciara Mone (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  4. Catherine Collins (Dublin Angels)
  5. Emma Kelly (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  6. Fiona Roarty (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  7. Carolann Cassidy (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  8. Olivia McCann (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  9. Onóra Mulcahy (Wandsworth Demons)
  10. Naomi Curtis (Dublin Angels)
  11. Mairead Walsh (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  12. Marley Bevan (Dublin Angels)
  13. Ursula Murphy (Irish Exiles AFL)
  14. Linda Connolly (Wandsworth Demons)
  15. Leona Russell (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  16. Claire Doherty (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  17. Clara Fitzpatrick (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  18. Aisling Gillespie (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  19. Edel Gray (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  20. Crea McAleer (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  21. Tracey Moloney (Irish Exiles AFL)
  22. Amy O’Donnell (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  23. Nuala O’Hagan (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  24. Colleen Quinn (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  25. Oonagh McAnespey (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  26. Niamh Mc Fadden (Ulster Kookaburra’s)
  27. Colleen Mallon (Irish Exiles AFL)
  28. Ashleigh Payne (Dublin Angels)

EC16 Team Preview – GB Swans

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AFL Europe Championships Team Preview – GB Swans

Every three years the AFL Europe Championships take place for teams to assert their dominance and claim bragging rights against their European counterparts, as well as gain valuable 18-a-side match practice in the lead up to the International Cup the following year.

In the lead up to this year’s AFL Europe Championships in London we’ll be focusing on each team and previewing their chances of taking out the top prize.

In the first of our women’s team previews we are getting to know the GB Swans a bit better.

What’s happened since International Cup 2014?

The GB Swans were established earlier this year by two England Vixens players who wanted the opportunity to play in tournaments alongside the GB Bulldogs (men’s team), including the European Championships and the International Cup. Since the formation of the team, the GB Swans have attended two events, the Champions League in Amsterdam and the AFL London Preseason Cup in Peckham. In what couldn’t have been a better start for the team, they won both tournaments, making a name for themselves as a team to beat. Charlotte Eales and Lisa Wilson, who founded the team, have been working hard to schedule selection days, prepare the team for the upcoming tournament, arrange kits and are working hard to bring in sponsorship. The management team have hugely been helped out by Jason Hill, Team Manager for the GB Bulldogs.

 

Who’s in for AFL Europe Championships in 2016?

The GB Swans are lucky to have 3 excellent coaches; Garth Nevin as Head Coach and Lauren Spark & Ian Mitchell as Assistant Coaches who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team. On announcement of the GB Swans forming a few months ago, the Swans received nearly 50 registrations of interest from girls across the country. After two selection days in Birmingham and Glasgow, a squad of 26 was selected for the European Championships. The girls come from a number of different teams representing England, Scotland and Wales. Unfortunately, we are yet to have a Northern Ireland girl register, but we hope to get them engaged soon! Clubs that are represented by the GB Swans are: Glasgow Sharks, Wimbledon Hawks, University of Birmingham, Greater Glasgow Giants, Wandsworth Demons, South East London Giants and North London Lions.

 

AFL Europe Championships focus 

The two selection days we had in Birmingham and Glasgow were doubled up as training camps to give the coaches an idea of the skill and fitness level of the girls in order to give feedback to aid improvement before the tournament. Alongside these, many of the players selected for the EC16 team played in the AFL London Preseason Cup back in April. Many of the girls have played together before for the England Vixens and Scottish Sirens, or within their clubs, however this will be the first time for many of the girls playing together.

With many of the girls coming from the AFL London league, there is a wealth of 18 aside experience which will be one of our strengths. However, fitness is always an issue when playing on an Oval as large as the one at Motspur Park. The girls will be looking to neaten up their skills, clean hands and kicks whilst ensuring constant pressure on and off the ball.

 

Who has the X-Factor?

Sisters Alex and Danni Saulter have had a bout of injury this season with the latter being out all season with a fractured elbow, sustained in the AFL London Preseason Cup. With both girls nearly back at full fitness they will be a force to be reckoned with; Alex in the half-back line and Danni strong in the midfield. They will both be hoping to replicate their fantastic performances in the 2015 Euro Cup where they both played for the England Vixens who took out the title.

One of our youngest, Chloe Hall, recently moved from playing at the University of Birmingham to the South East London Giants. She has rapidly adapted to the 18 aside format and her knowledge, skill and commitment to the game has been outstanding. She will be one to watch at this tournament and in the future for GB Swans. She also stands out as she has a tomato blush as she exerts herself into the contest. A real leader and hard ball getter!

 

Coaches thoughts – Garth Nevin 

“I’m not going to lie, I have set high expectations. I believe the talent we have in our team we should push very hard for the No 1 European spot. I hope that the girls send a message to the other countries competing in the International cup in 2017. We mean business. Another aim is to open the doors for the upcoming inaugural year of Women’s AFL in Australia for all GB women. The commitment these women have shown inspires me to pass on every bit of AFL knowledge I have. Whatever the result, I will be extremely proud of these ladies and honoured to be the first ever coach of the GB Swans.”

 

Squad

  1. Beth Bailey
  2. Carolyn Baker (Glasgow Sharks)
  3. Jen Bennett (Wimbledon Hawks)
  4. Freya Blount (University of Birmingham)
  5. Lea Cobham (North London Lions)
  6. Louise Darby (Wimbledon Hawks)
  7. Charlie Eales (Wimbledon Hawks)
  8. Chloe Hall (University of Birmingham)
  9. Stacey Hughes (Glasgow Sharks)
  10. Kirsty Gray (Greater Glasgow Giants)
  11. Rose Lewis (Wandsworth Demons)
  12. Laura Mackay (University of Birmingham)
  13. Jess Milford (Wimbledon Hawks)
  14. Sophie Morris (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
  15. Rania Ramadan (North London Lions)
  16. Zoe Rowe (Greater Glasgow Giants)
  17. Alex Saulter (North London Lions)
  18. Danni Saulter (North London Lions)
  19. Caroline Sellar (Glasgow Sharks)
  20. Louise Smith (Glasgow Sharks)
  21. Ellie Sutherland (Glasgow Sharks)
  22. Lynsey Torrance (Glasgow Sharks)
  23. Laura Turner (North London Lions)
  24. Lisa Wilson (Wimbledon Hawks)
  25. Lucy Jones
  26. Laura Park (Greater Glasgow Giants)

 

 

Match of the Round

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Match of the Round 6/8/16

ARFLI Grand Final – Leeside Lions v Belfast Redbacks

Mardyke Arena, Cork plays host to two of the fiercest rivals in Irish Aussie rules. The Leeside Lions take on the Belfast Redbacks in tomorrow’s Grand Final blockbuster with the Lions playing in their first Grand Final since 2011. The Redbacks are ‘big dance’ specialists, having qualified for their fifth consecutive ARFLI Grand Final.

This past year has been a big one for the ARFLI as a focus on reformation of the structures of the league took to the forefront. The establishment of ‘carnival footy’ has been the major structural change to the league. This saw carnivals held in the home city of each of the four competing league teams with Galway, Cork, Belfast and Dublin hosting carnivals throughout the season.

The Leeside Lions were the first side to lock in their place for the Grand Final having done so on the back of a ‘clean sweep’ – winning 9 from 9 games, a first in Irish League history. The Lions squad has been boosted this year by the large number of players from the local university team, the UCC Bombers. Being the first to qualify gives the Lions a much deserved home advantage which could prove pivotal to the outcome of this game.

The boys from Belfast will be a formidable opponent and could shatter the Lions hopes of a perfect season. They’ve qualified for their fifth straight Grand Final and the experience of playing on that first Saturday in August gives them a massive advantage if the game goes down to the wire. They also have the largest proportion of players in the Irish Warriors squad contesting the AFL Europe Championships the following week so that’s not to be underestimated.

Will the ARFLI be crowning a new champion on Saturday in the form of the youthful Leeside Lions or will it be the experienced and battle-hardened Belfast Redbacks. This one is set to be a ‘corker’ and isn’t to be missed. With the ball up set for 3pm get down to Mardyke Arena for the culmination of the 2016 ARFLI season.

Coach’s thoughts – Leeside Lions, Chris O’Brien

“The game will be won by playing our fast, precise style of footy. Players to watch are our Aussie gun, Matty Moore, and experienced players like Eoin Sull, Ian Sull and Cian Quigley that have been here before with the Lions and the national team on many occasions.

A younger crop of guys who have experience players with the Irish Warriors in various tournaments over the last couple of years, most notably, Muiris Bartley and Conor O’Halloran in IC14. We also have a good crop of youth and experience heading to London representing the national team in a couple of weeks’ time for the AFL Europe Championships.

The feeder club, UCC Bombers, have given the Lions a boost this year not only with players but an exuberance for the game and a sense of freshness to the squad that will hopefully reap benefits in the Grand Final against a tough Redbacks team.

We wouldn’t be where we are without the help of Tadgh from our sponsor, Blockagebusters, his generous contribution has allowed us to book training fields, help with insurance and physio bills, especially in the lead up to the final”

 

Tuesday Around the Grounds

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Around the Grounds – 2/8/16

West Lothian Eagles ARFC start up in Scotland

AFL Scotland’s welcomes a new club to its ranks with the West Lothian Eagles taking flight. The Eagles are looking for new recruits and pushing for a side in the coming seasons. This is great news for Aussie rules in Scotland.

The Eagles have their next training session on Monday the 8th of August. Jump over to their Facebook page to keep up-to-date with all things Eagles.

https://www.facebook.com/wleaglesarfc/?fref=ts

 

Jacob Raiwalui…remember the name!

Jacob Raiwalui picked up his first Sherrin 3 months ago. Last weekend he was being put through his paces by AFL royalty, Tadgh Kennelly.

Jacob stands at 6’6 and resides in France where his father, Simon Raiwalui, a former Fijian Rugby star, now co-manages French rugby side, Stade Francais.

The skies the limit for Jacob and hopefully his passion for the oval ball continues grow because he develops his skills and knowledge of Aussie rules.

Screen Shot 2016-08-02 at 18.42.12

 

ARFLI Grand Final set to be a ‘corker’

Mardyke Arena UCC, Cork plays host to the ARFLI Grand Final in 2016. The Leeside Lions will be playing in their first grand final since 2011 having not dropped a game in the regular season. The Lions come up against a formidable opponent in the Belfast Redbacks who are competing in their 5 straight grand final.

This match is set to be a thriller, with free entry for all patrons, a huge crowd is expected for the crowning of the new Irish champions. Jump onto their event page and spread the word.

Keep an eye out on the AFL Europe website and social media as we feature this match as our ‘Match of the Round’.

https://www.facebook.com/events/643829235769315/

 

Former Hawk does the rounds at AFL Europe clubs

Hawthorn Premiership player, Max Bailey, is doing the rounds throughout Europe by visiting a number of clubs following his 6-month stint in Tanzania as part of the Future Warriors Project.

Max’s first stop was a Thursday night training and fines session with an AFL London club before running a weekend training program in Graz, Austria. He’ll be in Munich and Amsterdam meeting the local clubs for the remainder of this week.

Follow the big man’s progress on his Instagram @maxintanzania2016 and #MaxyOnTour

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AFL London Grand Finals takes centre stage at Motspur Park

The culmination of the AFL London season is here. This Saturday 8 teams across 4 divisions will fight for the title of AFL London Premiers. The Wimbledon Hawks will again play hosts for the day at the picturesque Motspur Park. It’s set to be a great day both on and off the field with the festivities kicking off at 10:30am with the Social division and culminating at with the Premiership match starting at 4pm.

Schedule:

10:30am – Social Division – South London Demons v Reading Kangaroos

12:00pm – Conference Division – Clapham Demons v Shepherds Bush Raiders

2:00pm – Women’s Division – Wimbledon Hawks v North London Lions

3:30pm – Premiership Division – West London Wildcats v Wandsworth Demons

Keep an eye out on the AFL London Facebook page for match previews of every game in the lead up to the weekend.

https://www.facebook.com/AFLLondon/?fref=ts

 

 

 

EC16 Team Preview – Irish Warriors

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AFL Europe Championships Team Preview – Ireland Warriors

Every three years the AFL Europe Championships take place for teams to assert their dominance and claim bragging rights against their European counterparts as well as gain valuable 18-a-side match practice in the lead up to the International Cup the following year.

In the lead up to this year’s AFL Europe Championships in London we’ll be focusing on each team and previewing their chances of taking out the top prize.

Next up to be previewed is the Ireland Warriors. The boys from Ireland are always up around top of the placings and will be looking to further assert the dominance in London.

What’s happened since International Cup 2014?

Since the International Cup in 2014 the Irish Warriors have been consistent participants in the yearly Euro Cup. They finished third in the 2014 and were beaten by Croatia after the siren in Umag in the third-place playoff. There has been a high volume of player turnover in recent years for the Warriors.

The positive for the Irish is that their Draft Cup competition unearthed a lot of new talent and the squad will contain a number of players making their Warriors debuts.

The management for the Irish Warriors has undergone significant changes in recent years. The team at IC14 was managed by Paul Brogan and coached by Shaun McElhone, who led the team to wins at Euro Cup 2011 and 2012 as well as retaining the AFL Europe Championships in Dublin 2013. Shaun’s success was unable to travel Australia for IC14 but had the side coached under the watchful eyes of David Stynes and Lachlan Buzsard.

Since the success of the recent era a new coaching and management team has been put in place and it has evolved over the last few years. They’ll be looking to go one step better than previous tournaments and come away with the win at the Champs come August.

Who’s in for the AFL Europe Championships in 2016?

The joint coaching team of Brian Currane and Ciaran O’Hara, both of whom have worked with the team since 2014 and began the process whilst IC14 was underway.

Brian was one of the best forwards in Ireland for many years and was a member of the winning International Cup side from 2002. He was also involved in an administrative capacity for the AFL Europe Championships in 2010.

Ciaran has for many years been involved in the management of the National team, having travelled as an assistant to the International Cup in 2002. In the 2008 and 2011 instalments of the tournament he also managed the team. He coached Croatia at the last AFL Europe Championships in Dublin and has a wealth of experience coaching Irish club teams.

Supporting the coaches is a number of people, most notably, former captain Cian Quigley as team liaison.

The team itself is coming together well, blending a mix of youth and experience. With multiple International medal winners like David McElhone, Eoin O’Suilebhain and Gerard Walls mixing with some really exciting prospects like Stuart McKeating, Paul Murphy and Luke Hickey this Warriors side looks pretty formidable. Add to this some full format experience from the UK Leagues and the Irish could be hard to stop.

The side is made up of 9 players from both the Belfast Redbacks and Leeside Lions, 2 from the Galway Magpies, 2 from South Dublin Swans and a number of player representing UK Clubs such as the Manchester Mozzies, North London Lions, Wandsworth Demons and Wimbledon Hawks.

Pre-Tournament Focus

Due to very busy domestic league schedules it has been difficult for the Warriors to meet for training camps. Their players will be in form with regular carnivals and premiership games throughout the year keeping them fit and with good touch.

The Warriors will relish the opportunity to run out onto a full sized oval seeing as they don’t usually get the opportunity. They’ll look to add width and pace to their game which is something Irish players are traditionally very good at. With a high calibre of football player, the Irish will always a tough opponent and will be very difficult beat. Their Achilles heel is always their inability to train as a team before big tournaments which will put pressure on them early in the Champs to gel as quick as possible.

Who has the X-Factor?

The ruck duo of Gavin Murray and Dominic Joyce will be ones to look out for and can be really dominate. They could dictate first use for their midfielders which is key to winning big games.

The improvement shown by players like Sean Paul Henry is going to be vital for the Warriors. His natural athleticism has always had him at the forefront of opposition discussions but not his foot skills have become a focal point of his game which makes him a really exciting prospect for the Irish side.

Coaches thoughts – Brian Currane?

“We’d expect to have a fair crack at defending our title, but we know it will be difficult, GB were very good in 2013 and have improved since and the home advantage for them could be the percentages they need to take out their first European Championship.”

Team List (includes emergencies)

  1. Muiris Bartley (UCC & Leeside Lions)
  2. Sean Paul Henry (Belfast Redbacks)
  3. Luke Hickey (UCC & Leeside Lions)
  4. Brendan Kelly (Belfast Redbacks)
  5. Stiofan Mac Finn (Wimbledon Hawks)
  6. Tom McKenna (Belfast Redbacks)
  7. Paul Murphy (UCC & Leeside Lions)
  8. Conor O’Halloran (Leeside Lions)
  9. Eoin O’Suilleabhain (Leeside Lions)
  10. Tom Stack (Manchester Mozzies)
  11. Gerard Walls (Belfast Redbacks)
  12. Liam Burns (South Dublin Swans)
  13. Conor Fitzgerald (Wandsworth Demons)
  14. David McElhone (Belfast Redbacks)
  15. Sean McGlinchey (Belfast Redbacks)
  16. Stuart McKeating (Belfast Redbacks)
  17. David Miller (Belfast Redbacks)
  18. Gavin Murray (South Dublin Swans)
  19. Kevin O’Brien (Wandsworth Demons)
  20. Eoin O’Murchu (Wandsworth Demons)
  21. Conor Fitzgerald (North London Lions)
  22. Dominic Joyce (Leeside Lions)
  23. Ryan McCloskey (Belfast Redbacks)
  24. Kevin McDonnell (Galway Magpies)
  25. David McGinty (Galway Magpies)
  26. Kevin McSorley (Belfast Redbacks)
  27. Kevin O’Brien (Wandsworth Demons)
  28. Padraic O’Connell (Leeside Lions)
  29. Coilin O’Lordain (Leeside Lions)
  30. Rory O’Donnell (UCC & Leeside Lions)
  31. Alan Tobin (Wandsworth Demons)

Tuesday Around the Grounds

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Tuesday ‘Around the Grounds’ 26/7/16

Mozzies are Kings of the North

The Manchester Mozzies claimed the AFL Central North England Premiership at the weekend making it their third in a row. The Mozzies blew the game apart in the first quarter and held on for what turned out to be their 5th premiership in 7 years. The final scores reading 156 to 73.

DSC_0428

Congratulations must as well go the Tyne Tee Tigers for claiming the Plate Final against the Sheffield Thunder in a 9-point thriller. Final scores 99-90.

DSC_0378

 

AFL Iceland get Australian air time

The most northern league in Aussie Rules, AFL Iceland, received some amazing air time on the ABC in Australia recently. The short clip documented the AFL Iceland league based in Reykjavik and showed the growing passion and development of the game in one of the more obscure locations in the world. We’d love to see Iceland competing in our Euro Cup in Lisbon later this year.

Click on the link below to watch the full clip.

https://www.facebook.com/abcnews.au/videos/10155310999754988/

 

DAFA 9s kicks off in Amsterdam

Round 1 of the DAFA 9s was held at the weekend in beautiful conditions in Amsterdam. The 3 team, 9-a-side format was played out by the Den Haag Ooievaars, the Amsterdam Devils White, and the Amsterdam Devils Black.

The Amsterdam Devils White went in as favourites, however, finished the day with registering a win. The Ooievaars went through undefeated and the Amsterdam Devils Black had one win and one loss.

Each game went down to the wire with 2 matches coming down to 7 points and the other by 4 points displaying just how tight a competition the DAFA 9s will be this year.

DAFA LadderDAFA 9s

 

Finals fever hits Scotland

Its finals time in the Scottish Australian Rules Football League (SARFL) with the preliminary final between the Edinburgh Bloods and Glasgow Sharks determining who takes on the Greater Glasgow Giants in the Grand Final on the 13th of August.

The Bloods and Giants finished the ladder equal on 20 points with the Giants qualifying straight through to the grand final by having greater percentage. Any of the three sides remaining could come away with the Scottish title meaning we’ll be eagerly watching how it all unfolds over the coming weeks.

SARFL Ladder

 

Wildcats, Hawks and a couple of Demons go straight through to AFL London Grand Final

The weekend saw the first round of the AFL London final series take place over both Saturday and Sunday. The major semi-finals took place on the Saturday at Clapham Common with the winners earning a week off and a spot in the Grand Finals in two weeks’ time. The minor semi-finals were held down at Peckham Rye on the Sunday with the losers of those games finished their 2016 season in 4th place.

In the Social division the Wandsworth Demons won through to the Grand Final in convincing fashion over the Ealing Emus. The Reading Roos ended the Wimbledon Hawks campaign in the first of the Sunday games which sets up a big clash with the Emus next weekend in the Preliminary Final.

The Conference games saw the Wandsworth Demons hold on for victory against a face finishing Shepherd’s Bush Raiders to qualify for the big dance and the South East Giants got over a tough side in the North London Lions. The Giants will now play a sudden death game against the Raiders.

In the Women’s division the Wimbledon Hawks were dominant against North London stamping their authority in the Women’s competition. They’ll play the winners of the North London Lions and Wandsworth Demons who won through in a thriller against South East Giants.

The Premiership games were typically physical and tight affairs. The Wandsworth Demons put up a fight but went down to AFL London powerhouses, the West London Wildcats, who booked their place in another grand final. The Demons now face a notoriously crafty finals opponent in the North London Lions in next week’s preliminary final.

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Tuesday Around the Grounds

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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

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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)

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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.

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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

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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.

Match of the Round

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Match of the Round 15/7/16

Round 2 CEAFL Review

This weeks ‘Match of the Round’ is going to review the 2nd round of the CEAFL which took place last week in Dobl near Graz, Austria.

Following a successful 1st round in Zagreb, Croatia the ladder looked like this:

  1. Zaprude Giants 15 Points
  2. Zagreb Dockers 12 Points
  3. Sesvete Double Blues 10 Points
  4. Zagreb Hawks 10 Points
  5. Styrian DUDogs 8 Points
  6. Eagles 6 Points
  7. VG Bombers 4 Points

With the round originally planned with 8 teams, the tournament was eventually run with 5 teams, comprising of the Styrian DownUnderDogs, Sesvete Double Blues and the VG Bombers with full squads, the Zaprude Giants with 7 players and a mixed team combining players from the Prague Dragons, Zagreb Hawks and Zagreb Dockers.

With the Giants only having 7 players they were entitled to an 18-point handicap each game. In addition, all games for the Giants along with the Semi Final were played as 7-a-side games.

The group stage included all 5 teams in the one group – every team played each other once. Only the last two games weren’t played due to a lack of numbers from the mixed side and an agreed draw between the Double Blues and Dogs.

The final standings from the group stage is as follows:

ladder

The final series was kicked off with the Dogs taking on the Bombers followed by the Double Blues locking horns with the Giants.

The first semi-final between Dogs and Bombers ended as a convincing victory for the Dogs as the VG Bombers had numerous injuries and despite a handicap were unable to get close to the Styrian side.

The second semi-final was an absolute thriller between the Giants and Double Blues which saw the Giants clinch victory in the dying minutes of the game.

The Grand Final was played as a 7-a-side game between the Styrian DownUnderDogs and Zaprude Giants. The Giants started with an 18-point handicap and lead by 1-point at halftime with the scores reading 19 to 18.

Even though the Dogs showed courage and almost drew even in the middle of the second half, it proved a lack of experience from the Dogs that led to an 8-point win from the Zaprude Giants.

Review of the teams:

Prague Dragons

The Dragons faced some late cancellations from various players, therefore only 4 guys made the long trip down from Prague. Nevertheless, together with players from the Zagreb Hawks and Dockers they teamed up and showed great passion and enthusiasm. With a full squad that will be on show at their home tournament, the Dragons will be another difficult opponent and raise the quality of the CEAFL competition.

VG Bombers

Founded earlier this year, the Bombers have already shown great courage and massive improvement from game to game. In their second group game, they even had the chance to knock off the more experienced and eventual winners, the Zaprude Giants, but failed to mark the final kick of the game which was only centimetres from goal, losing by 3-points. Their continual improvement is great for the CEAFL competition and they will on develop further in each tournament they play.

Sesvete Double Blues

In their second year of existence, the Double Blues from Sesvete are getting closer and closer to the more established clubs from Zagreb. The Double Blues were dominant throughout the group stages along with the first half of their semi-final against the Giants. They seemed to run out of gas in the second half with the Giants clinching victory in the dying minutes to win through to the final.

Styrian DownUnderDogs

The 1st round of the CEAFL in Zagreb saw the Dogs get their first win against a Croatian team in almost 5 years. With this success in their minds they started their home tournament with another win and managed to beat all the other opponents in the group stage. The Dogs won 5 games on their way to the Grand Final before a fast finishing Giants stopped them in a thrilling game.

Zaprude Giants

Winning 2 out of 2 tournament, the Giants emphasised their ambitions to win the CEAFL this year. If they combine their level of skills and experience again in the final round in Prague they will be hard beat and could claim the CEAFL title.

 

 

 

 

2016 CEAFL ladder after 2 of 3 rounds:

  1. Zaprude Giants 30 Points
  2. Styrian DUDogs 20 Points
  3. Sesvete Double Blues 20 Points
  4. VG Bombers 14 Points
  5. Zagreb Dockers 12 Points
  6. Zagreb Hawks 10 Points
  7. Prague Dragons 8 Points
  8. Eagles 6 Points

The Dogs would like to thank all the teams for attending the 2nd round of the CEAFL and providing such entertaining games of football. The whole CEAFL is now looking forward to the 3rd and final round of the 2016 CEAFL tournament on the 10th of September in Prague.

 

A huge thank you to Michael Jud, Martin Schittegg and Oliver Krajacic for compiling this amazing review of the 2nd round CEAFL tournament. We can’t wait to hear how the final round pans out.

 

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EC16 Team Preview – GB Bulldogs

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AFL Europe Championships Team Preview – GB Bulldogs

Every three years the AFL Europe Championships take place for teams to assert their dominance and claim bragging rights against their European counterparts, as well as gain valuable 18-a-side match practice in the lead up to the International Cup the following year.

In the lead up to this year’s AFL Europe Championships in London we’ll be focusing on each team and previewing their chances of taking out the top prize.

Kicking off our team previews is the host country men’s side, the Great Britain Bulldogs.

What’s happened since International Cup 2014?

In the 2014 International Cup the Bulldogs were drawn into Pool A alongside Ireland, Naura, Fiji, France and Indonesia. They claimed victories over France and Fiji and overall finished 9th.

In the current world rankings Great Britain are ranked 11th.

Following the International Cup in 2014, Head Coach Mark Pitura, departed from the top position. With no time pressure the GB management team took their time with the new coaching selection. In early 2016 it was announced that reigning AFL CNE premiership coach, Dean Thomas, would step up as GB Head Coach. He will be assisted by long-serving player, Will Worthington, as well as Jason Hill and Rhys Long as Team Manager’s.

The past 12 months have been very positive for the GB side with England finishing 2nd in the Euro Cup in Croatia with many of the current GB squad present.

Who’s in for the AFL Europe Championships

All 30 players have now been announced with a very fresh look to the squad that competed at IC14.Only Will Worthington, Owain Ryland, James Talbot and Andy Smith (unfortunately now injured) remain from the squad that flew to Australia 2 years ago. The squad comprises players from across the country with representatives from the Wimbledon Hawks, the North London Lions, the Manchester Mozzies, the Wolverhampton Wolverines and the Wandsworth Demons leading the way. Players from the Huddersfield Rams, the West London Wildcats, Southampton Titans and the London Swans making up the remainder of the 30. This just goes to show the strength and development across the country. Many of the squad will be Bulldogs debutants despite having International experience with their home nations team in tournaments like the Euro Cup.

AFL Europe Championships focus

Head Coach Dean Thomas has spent the first half of the year instilling team ethos, plans and support structure in place within the training squad while nailing down his squad from the Bulldogs performance squad. Thomas brings a wealth of knowledge and success with the Manchester Mozzies and has been working on translating this success into the International arena.

Who has the X-Factor?

With a very young looking Bulldog’s squad, many of who are making their international debut, it’ll be very hard to pick who would potentially provide the difference in this tournament.

The University of Birmingham keep producing high quality players and their link up with the North London Lions continues to be fruitful. Ross Denton, Jack Coughlan, Jonny Harvey, Andy Walkden, Chris Britton, George Dibble and Michael Sharp have all come through the pipeline and will be worth a watch at EC16.

The London league is seeing impressive performances from the Wimbledon newbies in Myles Hudson, David Hastie, Marc Cashman and Jason Hill. While Alex Watson and David Jordan at the Wandsworth Demons are putting in highly rated performances along with West London Wildcats defender, Lewis Brackstone.

The AFL CNE league continues to churn out new and young talent in Craig Degville, Andrew Cochran and Harry Duffield.

More experienced players such as Owain Ryland, Andy Smith, Will Worthington and Luke Booth will be key to bringing success, through their big tournament experience and years of service to the Bulldogs.

All in all, X-Factor performances have the ability to come from the whole GB squad and we’re as excited as anyone to see who’ll shine at the AFL Europe Champs in August.

Coach, Dean Thomas’ thoughts and aims for the AFL Europe Championships

“The tournament itself is a fantastic opportunity for locally produced players to showcase their capabilities and test themselves at a higher level than they have previously competed in. It’s also an opportunity for the sporting public, in the UK, to get along and see for themselves, the entertaining nature of the sport we participate in. The players themselves can’t rely on experienced Australians to guide them in this tournament. It is therefore their opportunity to claim the limelight.

Our end goal, like every other nation attending, is to win the tournament. There has been a major overhaul of the squad, with a view to sustainable long term improvement, but in the short term we are quietly optimistic that the players we are assembling will be primed in August to deliver a very competitive performance in every game we participate in”.

Great Britain Bulldogs Squad:

  1. Lewis Brackstone (West London Wildcats)
  2. Chris Britton (Manchester Mozzies)
  3. Luke Booth (Huddersfield Rams)
  4. Marc Cashman (Wimbledon Hawks)
  5. Jack Coughlan (North London Lions)
  6. Craig Degville (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
  7. Ross Denton (North London Lions)
  8. George Dibble (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
  9. David Hastie (Wimbledon Hawks)
  10. Jonny Harvey (North London Lions)
  11. Jason Hill (Wimbledon Hawks)
  12. Myles Hudson (Wimbledon Hawks)
  13. Owain Ryland (London Swans)
  14. Michael Sharp (North London Lions)
  15. Andy Walkden (Manchester Mozzies)
  16. Alex Watson (Wandsworth Demons)
  17. Jack Wood (West London Wildcats)
  18. Will Worthington (London Swans)
  19. Andrew Cochran (Manchester Mozzies)
  20. Harry Duffield (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
  21. David Jordan (Wandsworth Demons)
  22. Andy Smith (Wandsworth Demons)
  23. Spike Kilheeney (Manchester Mozzies)
  24. Cameron Cope (Wolverhampton Wolverines)
  25. Alex Overton (Huddersfield Rams)
  26. Ryan Spivey (Susses Swans)
  27. James Talbot (North London Lions)
  28. Matt Warwick (West London Wildcats)
  29. Martyn Hinchey (Southampton Titans)
  30. Matthew Goodman (The Wandsworth Demons)