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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)

 

2016 AFL EUROPE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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The 2016 AFL Europe Championship Schedule taking place in London from August 13-20th.  AFL Europe’s triennial 18-a-side tournament is a warm up for the AFL International Cup in August 2017. With match days falling on, Sunday 14th, Tuesday 16th, Thursday 18th, Friday 19th and Saturday 20th at Motspur Park (Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Ground, KT3 6NE) this year’s competitors are:

 

MEN

German Eagles

Great Britain Bulldogs

Irish Warriors

Swedish Elks

 

WOMEN

European Crusaders (Made up from France, GB and Scandinavia)

Great Britain Swans

Irish Banshees

 

SCHEDULE

DAY ONE – SUNDAY 14TH AUGUST

1pm Irish Warriors v German Eagles

3pm Great Britain Bulldogs v Swedish Elks

 

DAY TWO – TUESDAY 16TH AUGUST

4pm German Eagles v Swedish Elks

6pm Great Britain Bulldogs v Irish Warriors

 

DAY THREE – THURSDAY 18TH AUGUST

1.30pm Great Britain Swans v Irish Banshees

2.15pm Irish Banshees v European Crusaders

3pm European Crusaders v Great Britain Swans

4pm Irish Warriors v Swedish Elks

6pm Great Britain Bulldogs v German Eagles

 

DAY FOUR – FRIDAY 19TH AUGUST

11.30am Irish Banshees v European Crusaders

12.15pm Great Britain Swans v Irish Banshees

1pm European Crusaders v Great Britain Swans

 

DAY FIVE – SATURDAY 20TH AUGUST

1pm Men’s Third Place PO

2.30pm Women’s Grand Final

3.30pm Men’s Grand Final

 

Good luck to all involved, we can’t wait to host you in London from 13th-20th August 2016.

 

For volunteering, physiotherapists, or umpires please email admin@afleurope.org

Player of the Week – Daniel O’Connell

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AFL Europe Player of the Week

Each week AFL Europe is profiling a European player and finding out how they got into the great game of Aussie Rules and a bit about themselves. If you’d like a profile or know of someone who would, then email admin@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.

 

Daniel O’Connell has been instrumental in his first year at the Leeside Lions. Currently 8 from 8 this season Daniel has been nominated as Player of the Week by Richard MacSweeney who wished to acknowledge his role in the club’s success.

An enthusiastic and skilled player for the Leeside Lions, we look forward to hearing how you and the Lions go for the remainder of the Season! Good luck!

 

Name:

Daniel O’Connell

Club:

Leeside Lions

Nationality:

Irish

What position do you play?

Anywhere in the forward line, I’d like to think I have a great eye for goal.

AFL team you support:

Carlton Blues

Favourite AFL player:

Ciaran Sheehan of the Carlton Blues, a fellow Muskerry & Cork man.

How did you find out about AFL?

Through my brother Padraic, who is actually my sporting idol, he started playing a couple of years ago.

How long have you been playing for?

This is my first year playing the game but I love it.

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

In my first game this season, still unsure of the rules, the ball came in over the fullbacks head, all I had to do was catch it and be left with a couple of metres to kick, it was a guaranteed major. Instead of this, as the ball floated in I leapt like a salmon and flung my arms in the air in the direction of the oncoming Sherrin.

I connected perfectly, and had just done a Maradonna “Hand of God” style goal, punching the footy over the line. Proud as anything I turned around, expected to be congratulated by my teammates but was only met with amusement and laughter from them and the opposition. All I could do was laugh, now I know for sure I can’t punch the ball over the goal line.

Best AFL moment?

Scoring my first “legitimate” goal for the Leeside Lions

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

The guys in the club have a song about me and my brother to the tune of the Toure brothers song (Kolo Toure , Yaya Toure).

It goes like, “Danny, Danny Connell, Danny Connell, Paudie Connell, Paudie, Paudie Connell” on repeat for about an hour straight.

After a game I also like to chill my baby wipes in the fridge before using them, it’s my little treat.

Match of the Round

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Berlin Crocodiles v Rheinland Lions  

It’s the first game of the German 16-a-side Premiership. Rheinland Lions are making the trip to Berlin to take on the Berlin Crocodiles in what is set to be an intriguing battle between two sides who didn’t meet in the 9-a-side tournament earlier in the year.

The Crocodiles finished that tournament by winning 11 out of a possible 12 games to finish second behind the Munich Kangaroos. The Lions had an indifferent tournament and lacked consistency winning 50% of their games to finish fourth with a 6-12 record.

This weekend’s fixture in Berlin earmarks the start of the 16-a-side Premiership which runs up until the 10th of September when the season culminates with the Grand Final. This year’s format will see 3 teams competing in the larger format which also includes the Munich Kangaroos. The Kangaroos will go into the season as early favourites due to their dominance in the earlier 9-a-side Championship were they didn’t drop a game.

The weekends clash has added importance as the winner will go through to play the Kangaroos in what is effectively a preliminary final with the winner going straight through to the grand final in September.

Berlin 2

The Crocs have improved rapidly in the past few seasons and account this to the development of their internal 9-a-side Berlin tournament which consists of four teams, as well as the commitment from their first home-grown German coach, Constantine Hoher. This will be their first 16-a-side game in over two years which could prove difficult and how quickly they adjust will be key to winning this game.

The key players for the Crocs are their four big recruits for the year in Rhys Ironmonger, Mitch New, Luke Edwards and James Sunderman. All four have played reasonable football back home in Australia and have added real depth and talent to the Berlin list.

Berlin 5

The Lions have had an indifferent season thus far coming into the 16s Premiership and attribute some major team changes since their Premiership season and Champions League appearance in 2014/15 as a major factor for their inconsistency. The positive for the Lions is the fact that their team is made up primarily of young Germans. Despite their inexperience they’re enthusiastic, fit, strong and pushing hard for an all-out assault on the 16s Premiership.

The key players for the Lions are the midfield generals Julian Wichmann and Tobias Menzel. The latter has arrived back from a year exchange in Australia where he further developed his skills and tactics. Richard Huggard is one to look out for as well. Despite living in Australia, Huggard, returns to Germany every 2 years and pulls the boots on. Huggard should provide extra motivation for the young squad by showing his commitment to the team with the great lengths he travels to pull on the mighty Lions jumper.

It’s set to be a blockbuster to open the Germany 16-a-side Premiership season with plenty on the line for both sides. The winner books themselves a place against the Munich Kangaroos and a chance for automatic entry in the Grand Final. If that doesn’t get the two teams excited for this weekend’s blockbuster, then I don’t know what will.

Best of luck to the Berlin Crocs and Rheinland Lions, we look forward to hearing the result of this one.

Coach’s thoughts – Constantine Hoher (Berlin Crocs)

“I’m looking forward to the final and excited to see how we will go in our first 16-a-side match since 2014 (due to the comp being restructured to a 9-a-side format last year). We have a lot of height in our team this year and we are planning to use this to our advantage. So despite the fact they have been a strong team in the last few years I think we can give them good competition at our home ground and hopefully come away with a win.”

 

Coach’s thoughts – Kristopher Marsh (Rheinland Lions)

“The season has been quite up and down for the team so far. Even though skills have improved tremendously since the previous season the team has not always lived up to their potential. However, the squad is in good shape and has been training hard over the past days to work on their consistency. Certainly, motivation won’t be an issue since the boys are looking forward to their favourite away game in the capital.”

Tuesday Around the Grounds

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The sun shines in Norrtalje for Dockers and Blues

A cracking day of football in the beautiful sunshine in Norrtalje has seen the Norrtalje Dockers and Sodermalm Blues claim victory.  The final scores for the AFL Sweden games saw Norrtalje Dockers 15.11. 101 beat Arsta Swans 5.9. 39 and the Sodermalm Blues 21.8. 134 beating the Bromma Vikings 7.8. 50.

Continuing with the AFL Sweden league and with just over a week into their membership drive sees the clubs doing well so far.

The list of how the clubs are going is as follows:

  1. Norrtalje Dockers – 28 members
  2. Arsta Swans – 24 members
  3. Port Malmo Football Club – 36 members
  4. Sodermalm AFC – 27 members
  5. Solna Axemen – 22 members
  6. Bromma Vikings – 11 members
  7. Helsinborg Saints – 5 members
  8. Gothenburg, Falun, Uppsala – 0 members

Keep up the good work AFL Sweden!

 

Clapham Cubs want you!

The Clapham Cubs are looking for a male to assist with the running of their Sunday Auskick sessions. If you have a passion for growing the game in London, have a clear DBS check and are available on Sunday’s from 11-12pm then contact claphamcubs@gmail.com for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/Clapham-Cubs-861426217276768/?fref=ts

Clapham Cubs

 

ACL rules out Irish talent, Ciaran Byrne for the remainder of the season

Carlton’s Irish import, Ciaran Byrne, has been ruled out for the remainder of season 2016 after rupturing his ACL during Saturday night’s close loss to arch-rivals Collingwood.

It’s terrible news for the 21-year-old halfback who was having a consistent year for the Blues under first-year coach, Brendon Bolton.

Ciaran will undergo surgery in the weeks to come before undertaking an extensive rehabilitation program. All the best Ciaran and we wish you a speedy recovery.

http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2016-07-03/scans-confirm-byrne-injury

 

The Flying Dutchmen are back!

The national Australian Rules team for the Netherlands, the Flying Dutchmen, are back on social media and ready to take the AFL Europe community by storm. Not only did they host a game with the Scottish national team in mid-June but rumour has it that they’re trying to rally the troops and make an appearance at the Euro Cup in Lisbon later this year. Fingers crossed!

Jump over to their Facebook and give them a like when you get a chance.

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

 

Bloods reassert dominance over arch-rivals the Glasgow Sharks in SARFL blockbuster

The Edinburgh Bloods claimed a three goal victory to jump to an early advantage in the SARFL Premiership at the weekend.

It started out as a beautiful day at Leith Park and the scene was set for an absolute thriller. But it was the Bloods who jumped out the blocks early kicking 5.6. 36 to 1.3. 9 to take the heat out of the contest in the first term.

The Sharks weren’t going down without a fight and clawed their way back slowly before a very heavy shower in the third quarter allowed the Bloods to shut up shop and take a close but comfortable three goal victory.

The final scorecard read 13.16. 94 to 10.16. 76 in favour of the Bloods in what was another great instalment of this fierce rivalry.

Bloods v Sharks

AFL Europe Match of the Round

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Edinburgh Bloods v Glasgow Sharks

Leith Academy Park plays host to the oldest and fiercest rivalry in the Scottish Australian Rules Football League (SARFL) when the Edinburgh Bloods and Glasgow Sharks lock horns on Saturday.

History favours the Bloods between these two foundation clubs but Season 2016 has these old foes even on 8 competition points with 2 wins and 1 loss. Both sides chalked up victories against the Falkirk Silverbacks and Kingdom Kangaroos although going down to current competition leaders, the Greater Glasgow Giants.

The well-drilled, rigid game plan of the Sharks will need to hold firm if they’re to get the win on Saturday. Having a settled squad with consistent key players holds the Sharks in a good position to execute this game plan and stick to their structures. On the other hand, the Bloods traditionally like to take the game on and play a freer flowing style. A regular at the top of the ladder of the SARFL, the Bloods are a popular destination for expat Australian talent and mixing that with their regular home-grown stalwarts means they are always going to be tough to beat, especially while playing at home.

Despite being even on points the Sharks will go into this match as favorites with some good recruiting in the off-season providing them with the upper hand. James Hancock and Paul McGavin are notable inclusions for Season 2016 but its Sharks Captain, Andy Butler, who is having a stellar year with his strong presence and run out of the back-line.

Players and fans alike pencil in the date for this game each year with the anticipation of the hard-fought game of footy that it always brings. Saturday will be no different and come 1:30pm you can bet both sides with be doing everything they can to come away with the 4 competition points.

3

What the Coach says – Alan ‘Snow’ McSparron, Edinburgh Bloods

“It is always a tough game no matter how both teams are going. We will have to be on our game with the Sharks travelling well this season.”

What the Coach says – Stephen C, Glasgow Sharks

“Of course there is the rivalry aspect to this game but we need to be sure we don’t take our eyes off the ball! We are traveling to Edinburgh to continue our recent good form and come away with the 4 points. These games are always close and I am hoping that our overlap run will provide the catalyst for us to play a strong 4 quarters. “4

Match Details

Leith Academy,

Academy Park, Leith, EH6 8JQ

Ball up 1:30pm BST

Player of the Week – Natascha May

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AFL EUROPE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (UK/ROW)

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’s player profile is on Natascha May from the South East London Giants. Natascha has only been playing the game for a year and a half and found out about the game through a friend who wanted to spend more time together. The ruck with South African and German heritage is relishing her time at the Giants and will be hoping they go far in the AFL London Women’s finals coming up in a few weeks. Best of luck for the rest of the season Natascha.

 

Name:

Natascha May

Club:

South East London Giants

Nationality:

South African/German

What position do you play?

Ruck

How did you find out about AFL?

My Aussie friend Amelia recommended I attend training with the giants as a way for us to catch up and see each other more regularly.

How long have you been playing for?

1.5 years

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

Our first game was a preseason friendly with the Wandsworth Demons. It was a really cold, wet London morning and I had no idea what I was doing. The game was a lot of fun and I knew afterwards that I would love playing AFL.

Best AFL moment?

My best AFL moment so far was playing with the Giants at the London preseason cup that we hosted this year. Our team managed to win 3 of our 4 games and in doing so, we managed to beat all the London ladies teams. It was a really great experience for myself and my teammates and despite the bad weather and playing in swamp-like conditions, we had so much fun! We missed out on the grand final because our percentage was beaten by one of the other teams but we felt like winners at the end of the day.