World Footy News

New Zealand: The 36th Auckland football season since the resumption of play in 1975 kicked into life on Sunday 29th September 2010, despite some of the worst underfoot conditions seen for many years. The usual daily downpours during August combined with pretty much undrained fields at Mountford Park Manurewa to produce a mudfest. Never the less the traditional season opener, the Lightning Premiership, was keenly contested by the six Auckland clubs, the same six who have contested every AAFL Premiership since 1990. The Lightning Premiership was introduced in 1994 as the season opening event when the Premiership was reduced from 15 to 10 rounds.

The tournament is usually contested on about three quarter sized grounds with between 14 and 18 players per team over 12 minute half matches, about a minute at half time to allow teams to change ends. With 10 minutes between matches the four matches are completed in a little over two hours. An interesting feature in recent years is that on the two fields that require temporary posts only goal posts are erected, and in all matches the winner is determined by the number of goals scored only, as was the practice during football's first 50 years. This is done to halve the time and effort required to erect and dismantle posts, however it does reduce the pressure on inexperienced goal umpires who can make a good job of determining and recording goals but, understandably, can struggle with four less than full height goal and behind posts spread across 21 yards. It also serves to focus teams on the important task of kicking goals, an important objective given that with goals-behinds-points scoring, kicking more goals than the opposition yields a 98% chance of not losing the match.

The six Auckland Clubs are divided into the North Harbour Conference of Takapuna, North Shore and Waitakere and the South Auckland Conference of Mt Roskill, University and Manurewa; each club plays the other two teams in its Conference, and one inter Conference match.

Conference winners North Shore and Mt Roskill squared off in the Final, with Nth Shore slight favourites. Scores were locked at 2 goals a piece for most of the second half and the final looked headed for a draw given the difficulty of scoring in the midst of a severe squall which arrived with a couple of minutes left to play. However with seconds to play a free kick was awarded to North Shore on centre wing, a 50 metre penalty was then added, and Tom Woods kicked truly, after the siren had sounded, to land the Tigers victors.

Pre season victory does not frequently translate to Grand Final success, however Nth Shore showed enough form to be at the top of the list of contenders for the 2010 AAFL Premiership. Lightning Premiership finalists Mt Roskill, along with University and Waitakere who played off for 3rd place (Uni won 2-1) look likely finalists, however Takapuna and Manurewa can never be written off and if they are able to recruit sufficient player numbers could well challenge for a final four berth come November.

Round 1 of the season proper sees a repeat of the Lightning Premiership finals matchups, with North Shore, University and Manurewa enjoying home ground advantage. For full AAFL Lightning Premiership results and photographs, and 2010 AAFL season details go to the AAFL website.