2009 Nationals Merchandise Clearance
2009 Nationals Merchandise final Clearance! Limited sizes and quantities left so hurry. There are also great deals on footballs as well as USFooty gear!
http://www.usfooty.com/usfootystore/
12/30/2009 - League Administrator
Media Release From The AFL MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Second International Team to play in 2010 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships
The AFL today announced a second international team will be entered in the 2010 NAB AFL Under 16 Championships.While the introduction of a World XVIII team was announced in October, the AFL considers the interest and potential is significant enough to enter a separate Pacific Nations team.
AFL General Manager of Development David Matthews said several factors had led to immediately enlarging the AFL's search for international talent including:
.The success of the recent AFL Oceania Under 16 Championships
which had been attended by AIS-AFL Academy Coach Jason McCartney.
.The recent experience for four young talented South Africans
to engage for a week with the AIS-AFL Academy and a week with an AFL Club.
.The fact that a key feature of the NAB AFL Draft and NAB AFL
Rookie Draft was the selection of several international or international born players.
"We have an opportunity to better engage other countries in our game and while eight teams representing the states and territories of Australia will continue to generate the majority of the talent for the AFL competition we do want to provide more compelling career pathways for international talent," Mr Matthews said.
The announcement comes the day after eight international players were selected in the 2009 NAB AFL Rookie Draft; Sudanese born Majak Daw (North Melbourne), Japanese born Sean Yoshuira (Brisbane Lions), United States born Seamus McNamara (Collingwood) and five Irish players; Chris McKaigue (Sydney Swans), Nial McKeever (Brisbane Lions), Tommy Walsh (St Kilda), Jamie O'Reilly (Richmond) and Zach Tuohy (Carlton).
There are now 22 international players listed with AFL clubs including Gold Coast's Karmichael Hunt (born in New Zealand to Cook Islander and Samoan parents) and Sydney Swans' Tadgh Kennelly (Ireland) and Michael Pyke (Canada).
There are currently 52,908 international Australian Football participants playing in 273 clubs in 38 senior leagues throughout Europe, Asia, the United States and the Pacific region.
In 2008 16 nations competed in the third International Cup; Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, India, Japan, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peace Team, Samoa, South Africa, Sweden and the USA. Papua New Guinea defeated New Zealand in the final.
AIS-AFL Academy Coach Jason McCartney said he was so impressed with the talent at the recent AFL Oceania Under 16 Championships that it definitely justified the inclusion of a separate representative team in next year's NAB AFL Under 16 Championships.
"The raw athletic capability of some of the players was outstanding. It is certainly quite exciting to think what this squad could look like with the natural skill and speed of these boys," Mr McCartney said.
Five countries participated in the Oceania Championships; Tonga, Nauru, Samoa, New Zealand and Fiji.
The NAB AFL Under 16 Championships will be played in Western Sydney between July 3 to 10 next year.
The competing teams will now be:
Division I: Vic Metro, Vic Country, Western Australia, South Australia
Division II: Queensland, NSW/ACT, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Pacific, World XVIII
..ends
12/29/2009 - Dave Matthews (AFL)
Australia Day Raffle Australia Day Raffle
G'Day Australia Day '10 Party
Price: $9.99
Win a trip for two to Australia. The land down under!
This amazing raffle gives the lucky winner the opportunity to fly to Australia (from either NYC or LAX) and spend 5 glorious nights in Sydney.
Experience all the excitement of Sydney Harbour, The Rocks, the Sydney Opera House, and the ever welcoming people of Australia.
The NC Tigers will work with the winner to customize their vacation if they so wish.
So support the Tigers by entering into the drawing. The winning ticket will be drawn at the annual Australia Day '10 Party, Saturday 23rd January 2010. The winner will then be contacted by the NC Tigers the following week. Good luck to all!
(Tickets also make great holiday presents!)
Official rules are at www.nctigers.com/raffle
NORTH CAROLINA TIGERS
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL CLUB
Since 1998
website: www.nctigers.com
inquires: Contact Us
12/17/2009 - League Administrator
Zach Johns Update Zach Johns is currently in Perth and has been there for 2.5 weeks. He is training and started with fitness tests las Saturday. He is currently trying out for the Claremont squad. See below for the story from an article in then WA.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/wafl/6527075/change-of-scenery-for-aspiring-wafl-trio/
Change of scenery for aspiring WAFL trio
CRAIG O'DONOGHUE, The West Australian November 28, 2009, 12:41pm
Claremont have taken left-field recruiting to another level by adding a former AFL boundary umpire, a former professional tennis player and a former US college footballer to their pre-season training squad.
Haden Martin, Harrison Keyser and Zach Johns wouldn't have even been on the radar of suburban clubs, but they all contacted Claremont and asked if they could try their luck over summer.
Martin boundary umpired 50 AFL games and three WAFL grand finals before being de-listed at the end of the season. The 27-year-old hasn't played competitively for 10 years and needs to bulk up, but his pace (he runs 100m in less than 11 seconds) and endurance (400m in 47 seconds) give him an edge when defensive pressure is required.
Martin said the change of environment had been great.
"The players have been really nice. I love footy and I'm enjoying the team environment," he said.
"A lot of the team-building stuff is the same that we've done in umpiring, but I have to prove myself again here.
"I'm finding the running during training is fine but you have to adjust to getting the body contact and then starting up again.
"If I make it, I'd say I'll be a midfielder who can run with quick bursts. That's where my strength is and that's the way footy is going."
Johns, 27, played as a running back, line back, kicker and punter in grid- iron as a junior then later played for the University of Oregon. He is 180cm and 86kg and has experience in soccer, basketball and baseball. He said Australian Rules had become his chosen sport.
"I love the game. I didn't even know it was around for a long time," he said. "I'm hoping to make the team. My skills and conditioning have to develop but my strength was pretty good when we did the testing. Rob Wiley has helped me with my kicking and so has Phil Scott. I'm enjoying it.
"If I don't make the team, I'll stay in Australia and play in the country somewhere."
Keyser is the youngest of the trio at 20 and is the son of former South Fremantle player Mark Keyser. He committed to playing tennis as a teenager and joined the Victorian Institute of Sport at age 14.
He received a scholarship to the Bob Brett Tennis Academy in Italy as a 16-year-old, so he moved overseas, turned professional and spent 11 months of the year on the road.
But the 189cm and 90kg Keyser grew tired of the constant travel, returned to Australia and decided to start playing football again.
11/30/2009 - League Administrator
2010 AFL Fixtures Announced
2010 FIXTURE HIGHLIGHTS
Round 1 - March 25-28 |
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Richmond v Carlton, MCG - Thursday, March 25
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| Easter, Round 2 - April 1-5 |
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Brisbane Lions v Carlton, Gabba - Thursday, April 1 |
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Hawthorn v Geelong Cats, MCG - Monday, April 5
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ANZAC Day, Round 5
Sunday, April 25 |
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Collingwood v Essendon, MCG (afternoon) |
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Hawthorn v North Melbourne, Aurora Stadium (twilight) |
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Fremantle v Richmond, Subiaco (night) |
| Monday public holiday, April 26 |
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Carlton v Geelong Cats, MCG
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| Monday night football, Round 7 |
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St Kilda v Carlton, Etihad Stadium - May 10
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| Dreamtime at the 'G, Round 9 |
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Essendon v Richmond, MCG - Saturday, May 22
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| Split round, Round 13 - Grand Final replay |
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St Kilda v Geelong Cats, MCG - Friday, June 25
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2010 Toyota AFL Finals Series starts Friday, September 3
2010 Toyota AFL Grand Final - Saturday, September 25
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For more information go to http://www.afl.com.au/fixture/tabid/10586/default.aspx
11/3/2009 - League Administrator
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