WE HAVE CONFIRMED WITH THE SYDNEY SWANS THAT THIS IS OPEN TO CLUBS IN AUSTRALIA ONLY.

The Sydney Swans are pleased to announce the Volkswagen Grassroots Grants program is back for 2016 with another $10,000 up for grabs for community AFL clubs.

The Swans and Volkswagen have again teamed up to offer 10 grants of $1000 each to help community clubs with initiatives such as facility improvements, new footballs, guernseys or training equipment.

For the chance to win a share of the $10,000, clubs should visit www.sydneyswans.com.au/vwgrassrootsgrants  and fill out the online application form by Sunday 29 May.

AFL Media Release

The AFL is pleased to announce the appointment of a Women’s Football Advisory Group.

Chaired by AFL Commissioner Major General Simone Wilkie, the 10-member group will meet quarterly to provide input in the inaugural national women’s competition which will commence in 2017.

AFL General Manager Game and Market Development Simon Lethlean said the panel will help shape recommendations for the new league.

There will be no repeat of the scenes in 2010 when Collingwood and St Kilda played out a draw in the first Grand Final that year.  Players collapsed and fans scrambled as everyone realised they would all be back to do it again the following week. 

Footy clubs around the world also realised that the grand final party they had just held, would be back on the following week.  For many clubs their best fundraising activity of the year - holding a live grand final viewing party - could be done all over again.  Other benefits for overseas viewers (beyond the benefits of having one more game televised live) were that they would be a chance to get a ticket if they wanted to make a late dash to watch the replay in person.

The story gained great media coverage around the world too, enhancing the image of the tough physical game that would come back and do it all again the following week.

But this will not happen again it seems.  The AFL announced on Tuesday it would no longer use a replay for any drawn match in the Toyota AFL Grand Final.

 

 

The following article from the AFLNT (AFL Northern Territory) details the selection of the top 100 footballers from this often underrated footballing goldmine. The AFL has been graced over the years by names such as Rioli, Long and Burgoyne – all heralding from the Northern Territory.

 

Following months of robust discussion and committee debate, we are pleased to announce the top 100 footballers for the Northern Territory Government AFLNT Team of the Century.

 

The list includes NT football identities that established their careers on the national stage and also pays respect to the local men who made their name in the Territory.

 

Featuring in the Top 100 is Michael Long, winner of two AFL Premierships with the Essendon Football Club, a Norm Smith Medallist and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee. Long heralds from local club St Mary’s where he was also a two-time premiership player.

At the recent National Diversity Championships in Townsville, I was allowed access to the Northern Territory Kickstart teams coach’s bench during their Preliminary Final against the Victoria/Tasmania team. It was a match of two well performed teams, and the winner would go on to play the Western Australia juggernaut in the Grand Final. There was a lot riding on the match, but their coaches were generous in letting me have a close up view of what happens inside that inner sanctum of coaching.

Northern Territory coach, Shannon Motlop, knows a thing or two (or three) about footy. After a 54 game career at the North Melbourne Kangaroos, including an AFL premiership in 1999 with them, he went on to be recruited by the Melbourne Demons as a replacement for Troy Broadbridge who tragically died in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Stints playing and coaching across country Victoria added to his repertoire of practice.

 

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

 

The AFL is pleased to announce the 2016 Boomerangs and World Team squads to compete at the 2016 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships on the Gold Coast in July.

 

 

Selected by AFL Club recruiters following the 2016 AFL National Diversity Championships held in Townsville, the respective squads of 30 young men has been chosen based on school attendance, leadership skills, and football ability.

If you are from "over east" then you probably just don't get it. But for Western Australians "The Derby" is their Aussie rules Christmas Day. With that in mind the West Coast Eagles have a good list of venues to watch the match around the world.

Venues are available in Cambodia, China, Denmark, Dubai, England, Greece, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Thailand, USA, Vietnam and Zambia. Follow this link for more details.

If you prefer to watch it somewhere more quiet, like on your couch - check out the International Broadcast schedule here.

The Kickstart and All Nations Cups move into their finals series today in Townsville. After three days of round robin matches where each side played each other once, the teams now have the chance to move through to tomorrow’s grand finals by winning their semi-finals and later preliminary finals today.

Once again the Western Australia Kickstart team has excelled across the tournament. Having won all five championships since this format began, the boys from the west a geared again to retain their title once again. Whilst many teams have held them for a half, the highly drilled, committed and enormously talented Sandgropers have found the extra gears to pull away and remain undefeated. The Northern Territory team has also been impressive, as have the Victoria/Tasmania and South Australia teams. The fact that all teams have snagged a win along the way says much for the national spread of talent.

The opening day of competition got under way today at the U15 Kickstart and All Nations Cup with last year’s title holders in each competition getting off to impressive starts. Western Australia has won the Kickstart title for the past five years, and began today winning both of their matches. The reigning All Nations winners Queensland also had the perfect start winning both of their opening matches played today.

On a beautiful day in Townsville the cream of Under 15 indigenous and multicultural talent took to the fields for their respective teams. The crowds were treated to some of the most scintillating football imaginable as players displayed a combination of team discipline and outrageous individual skills.

Under the lights on a beautiful, mild Townsville night, the 2016 National Diversity Championships got under way with an opening ceremony at Tony Ireland Stadium. With a cooling light breeze to welcome the event, an enthusiastic crowd, many having travelled from all points of the nation, watched on as the cream of national indigenous and multicultural talent marched onto the field.

With MC for the night, Ms Beth Kempe, welcoming firstly the umpires and then the Kickstart and All Nations Under 15 players to Townsville, the assembled competitors and spectators were treated to a small but focused program of speakers and local entertainment.

Following on from the national anthem, Randall Ross, elder of the local Bindil people, gave the welcome to country on behalf of both the Bindil and Wulgurukaba people on who’s lands the tournament is taking place.