Our first mention goes to the Bendigo Weekly who have done a pretty comprehensive job promoting the game.
US footy girls tour
Posted by
Admin on 02/07/2009 at 09:43 AM in SPORT / Bendigo. By Alan Besley
Bendigo is set to host its first international Aussie Rules women’s football match next month. The touring USA Freedom team with a squad of 24 players will be playing matches in Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne before taking on a Bendigo representative team at Kangaroo Flat on Thursday, August 13. The match is being organised by the Bendigo Regional YMCA as part of its Women in Sport program and supported by the state government. Bendigo YMCA Women in Sport project officer Bianca Rinaldi said the game will be vital for this city as it strives to establish a team in a state wide competition in 2010. “We are in constant contact with the USA officials are they are keen to assist our efforts in establishing a women’s team in this city,” she said. “The tourists are aiming to visit local schools as well as conduct a clinic on the day.
“We are getting plenty of support locally for the game especially from the Kangaroo Flat Football Club who are providing their facilities and
expertise for the game,’’ she said. USA Freedom coach Wayne Kraska said the playing group is looking forward to promoting women’s football on their only visit to a regional area. “Our team is very much looking forward to coming to Bendigo,” he said. “We will have players from established USA teams like the New York Magpies, Milwaukee Bombers, Denver Bulldogs and Arizona Hawks.” Kraska said seven of the players went to the 2007 Vancouver Games for the football games. “We have been working on this trip to Australia for just on two years and so to play in some of the major capital cities as well as a visit to a country town will be great for our players,’’ he told the Bendigo Weekly.
Warfe to coach
Posted by Admin on 09/07/2009 at 03:22 PM in SPORT / Bendigo
Former Sydney Swans star Rowan Warfe will coach a combined Bendigo team in the International Women’s Football Challenge against the touring USA Freedom at Kangaroo Flat on August 13. The appointment comes as organisers gather a talented group of sporting personnel eager to test their football ability against the tourists who are also playing games in Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne. Assistant coach for the Bendigo team will be Kangaroo Flat coach Darryl Wilson. The duo is likely to conduct at least two training sessions for players to try out for a place in our representative team. The Bendigo Umpires Association is assembling an all-female panel to officiate in the game which will be used as a major promotion to establish a team to play in a statewide competition next year.
Walsh set to lead Bendigo against US
Posted by Admin on 23/07/2009 at 04:58 PM in SPORT / Bendigo
The countdown continues towards Bendigo’s first international women’s football match. A combined Bendigo representative side will tackle the touring USA Freedom at Kangaroo Flat at 5pm on Thursday, August 13 and yesterday the two captains were named. Former Bendigo Spirit leader Andrea Walsh will captain the home side in the big clash against the Americans who will be led by Jenny Sarbacker from the Milwaukee Bombers, and the rivalry has already begun. Speaking on You Tube this week the touring USA Freedom skipper had a warning for our Aussie Rules stars. “We are looking forward to heading to your city and beating you at your own national game,’’ Jenny said. Walsh has led this city in to many sporting battles and said the game against the USA would be a huge challenge for her team. “We start training next week and we expect to be much younger and a lot quicker than our opposition,” she said. “I’m sure coach Rowan Warfe will improve our skills enormously in the lead up to the big game.’’ Vice captain of the Bendigo team will be former Victorian youth team member Sarah Baldwin.
A squad of more than 40 players will train with Warfe and his assistant Darryl Wilson at Kangaroo Flat on Thursday, July 30 at 5pm and again on Thursday, August 6 at 5pm when the team will be finalised. The USA Freedom squad will have a hectic schedule during its brief stay in Bendigo. This includes a tour to the Central Deborah Mine followed by a football clinic with local school teams just before the main game.
Pictured is Andrea Walsh (Photo courtesy of the Bendigo Weekly).
Women's teams clash
13/08/2009 8:33:00 AM
KANGAROO Flat’s Fulton Hogan Oval will tonight host a football match of a different kind.
Not only will the game be played by women, but it will also feature a team from America. The touring US Freedom will tonight take on a Bendigo representative side in the third of its four matches in Australia. In its first two games, the US Freedom lost to Cairns 3.11 (29) to 1.8 (14), and was beaten by Sydney 4.9 (33) to 2.6 (18). The Bendigo team for tonight’s game will be coached by Kangaroo Flat senior coach Darryl Wilson. Bendigo will field a team of 24 to be captained by Andrea Walsh, with Sarah Baldwin to be the vice-captain.
Walsh is a well-known Bendigo basketballer with the Lady Braves, as well as Bendigo Spirit, while Baldwin is a former AFL Youth Girls state
representative. Walsh comes from strong footballing bloodlines, with her father, Brian, playing 115 VFL games for Carlton and Essendon between 1970 and 1978, while he also remains the Bendigo Football League’s youngest Michelsen medallist, claiming the honour as an 18-year-old with Sandhurst in 1969.
Walsh’s brother, Darren, is one of Bendigo’s most well-known footballers having previously captained the Bendigo Diggers, as well as coached Golden Square. Along with Walsh and Baldwin, other players expected to have a large bearing on Bendigo’s chances tonight include centre half-back Laura Stampa, who plays with North Ballarat in the Victorian Women’s Football League and is a former state representative; Anna Teague, who, like Walsh, plays basketball for the Lady Braves; and centre half-forward Ellie McGrath. It’s hoped tonight’s match could help lead to the start of a regular senior female football team being established in the region. The Bendigo Regional YMCA is co-ordinating a push for a locally-based side to represent the area in the Victorian Women’s Football League from 2010.
Tonight’s game starts at 5pm.
http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/football-australian-rules/womens-footy-match-a-raging-success/1595572.aspx?storypage=0
Women’s footy match a raging success
14/08/2009 4:00:00 AM
BENDIGO’S
goal to field an open-age women’s football team from 2010 gained pace
in last night’s Aussie Rules clash with USA Freedom.
A Bendigo
line-up that included a mix of basketball, soccer, netball and Aussie
Rules players was victorious at Fulton Hogan Oval at Kangaroo Flat’s
Dower Park by 32 points.
Coached by Kangaroo Flat’s senior coach,
Darryl Wilson, Bendigo won 8.4 (52) to 3.2 (20) before a crowd of more
than 1500 as the Freedom marked the third match of its first tour to
Australia. Although it had just a couple of training runs before the historic clash, Bendigo’s squad dominated the first half. Led
by the play of captain Andrea Walsh, Bree Martin, Ellie McGrath and
Faith Bentley, the home team led 4.2 (26) to nil at quarter-time. The Southern Shorthaul Railroad-backed challenge match kicked off with Simone George kicking the first goal.
A
great mark by Emma Wolters on the 50m arc set up another attack from
which Faith Bentley soccered the ball from the goalsquare for another
six points. Walsh marked at half-forward, kicked to the pocket and then ran to goal to be on the end of a handpass to goal. The teamwork of the Bendigo players earned high praise from Wilson. George’s tackle led to another free and goal. The USA Freedom lifted its pressure in the second quarter.
Freedom’s persistence was rewarded with a goal by Sheree Stiles when she received a handpass from a pack. In
a match that included many great marks, tackles and bumps, Michaela
Perceval’s torpedo goal brought smiles to the face of long-time footy
fans. Walsh and Martin capped off more attacks as Bendigo built a 44-point lead by half-time. The Wayne Kraska-coached USA Freedom fought back strongly in the second half. Although USA did not goal, neither did Bendigo. Cheered on by the hundreds of fans, Freedom won the final quarter. Judith Stein broke clear of the pack and goaled from the angle in the scoreboard pocket.
Pressure at half-forward forced a turnover and Stein was on the end of a chain of handpasses to kick her second goal.
At match end, Kraska said he was absolutely stoked about the match. “This
is by far the biggest crowd we have played in front of, the biggest
ground, and in a city that’s really passionate about its sport. “In the first half we looked tentative and overawed, and the Bendigo girls played some great football. “As the match went on we began to get more numbers to the contest and won more of the ball.” Freedom’s team drew players from as afield as Arizona, Milwaukee, New York, Minnesota, Atlanta, Denver, and St Louis. AFL Victoria’s female footy development manager, Chyloe Kurdas said the reponse to the match was remarkable.
“The turnout is fantastic,” Kurdas said. “By teaming up with the YMCA we are aiming to have an open age women’s team representing Bendigo next season. “The
community has shown its support for women’s football, the players have
been really enthusiastic, and we believe it can happen.” Kurdas
said the Bendigo players, whether they had been playing in the Youth
Girls’ league, or from other sports, had a lot of skill. “To have USA Freedom playing here is fantastic. “They are looking for as many opportunities to play and improve their skills, and this match was a terrific contest.” Kurdas said the popularity of women’s football continues to grow. “We are in our third season of the Youth Girls’ competition in Bendigo.
“There
is still a lot to be done to get an open team up and running in
Bendigo, but tonight’s response has shown what can be achieved.” The Victorian Women’s Football League includes a premier and premier reserves competition, as well a second-tier. Next year a Kangaroo Flat-based Bendigo team could be in action. Best player awards in last night’s match went to Andrea Walsh and the Freedom’s Suzy Thomas. The coaches award was presented to Ellie McGrath. USA Freedom’s tour will include being at the MCG for tonight’s AFL clash between Hawthorn and Adelaide. The final match of the tour `down under’ will be played tomorrow at Coburg.
Freedom will be aiming to tour Australia again in 2011.
2nd mention goes to Facebook. There is obviously the US Women's National page, but our primary mention goes to the Sporting Shelias. who kindly gave us a writeup on their page.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=110780162734&ref=mf
3rd mention is the Inner West Courier - i just wanted to mention that I did say i was the trainer/assistant coach at the Sahamrocks I bear no responsibility for them promoting me to be the head coach - haha!
http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/us-v-australia-in-afl-showdown-in-marrickville/
US V Australia in AFL showdown in Marrickville
30 Jul 09 @ 03:05am by Marie Sansom
THE Yankees are planning to beat us at our own game in Marrickville next weekend.
The US national women’s AFL team are coming to Australia to play a series of four matches against local representative sides in Sydney, Cairns, Bendigo and Melbourne. The Sydney game will be held at Mahoney Park in South Marrickville this Saturday.
The US Freedom team will face a Sydney representative side that includes three players from the Newtown Breakaways and six from Ashfield team the Western Wolves. Lance Yu from the Sydney Women’s AFL, who coaches newest league team the Bondi Shamrocks, said the Americans were excited at visiting the home of AFL and hoped to beat the locals at their own game.
“Most of the time the time they played nine to 12-aside on the field over in the States so it’s very much a learning opportunity for them to play a full field, which is normally 18-aside” Mr Yu said. American players didn’t get much competitive practice since the three women’s AFL teams were spread as far afield as New York City, Atlanta and Milwaukee.
“Quite often they only play every two or three months,” he said. But the Americans won’t be pushovers. They have comfortably defeated Canada in two international games and they have a formidable weapon in the form of experienced captain Jenny Sarbacker. “That will be one of the thing in the pre-game talk: we can’t lose this. It’s almost like losing the boomerang challenge!”. Mr Yu has been busily inviting people from the American Chamber of Commerce and various American Australian Associations to the game but hoped that inner-west football fans will turn up to cheer the Aussies.
The US team includes players representing clubs from the states of Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Women’s Aussie Rules started in the US in 2003 and there are now more than 13 clubs. The match will be held at Mahoney Park, Marrickville on Saturday August 8 at 12pm. Plenty of off-street parking available and free entry.
Jetlag strikes as USA Team battles Sydney Women's AFL Team By Marie Sansom 12/8/09
http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/jetlag-strikes-as-us-team-battles-sydney-womens-afl-team/
WOMEN from the USA Freedom AFL team faced a forest of giant Australian players at Mahoney Park, Marrickville, on Saturday. View a gallery of photos here.
The Americans, just beginning their Aussie tour and battling jetlag, put up a tough fight but were overcome by a rookie Sydney Women’s AFL (SWAFL) side in the teams’ first meeting. Dulwich Hill player Georgia Woodyard, a player for Ashfield side Western Wolves, said two of the tallest American players were injured and didn’t play.
``We had a bit of a height advantage I’m 6ft 2. They were a little bit undersized compared to our team, but they were really fit and
pretty aggressive,’’ Ms Woodyard said. "They gave us a bit of a shock and played pretty hard. It was pretty close until the third quarter.’’ Women’s AFL coach Lance Yu said the game was tight and gritty from the outset. The SWAFL Rookies dominated possession and field position but kicked inaccurately to score four behinds to one behind at quarter time. Little separated the sides in the second quarter, with SWAFL scoring 1.3.9 to the USA’s 1.2.8.
In the third quarter, Sydney made the biggest impression, with a goal kicked off the ground that the Americans thought had touched their player’s leg first. Less than a minute later, the Sydney women punished the Americans for their concentration lapse with a quick goal. In the final quarter, the Americans kicked their second goal for the game while the local side also kicked a goal to leave the final score SWAFL Rookies 4.9.33 to US Freedom 2.6.18.
``If the Americans had another day to get over their jetlag there is no doubt the result would have been much closer than the 15-point win,’’ Mr Yu said.
Our fourth article comes courtesy of the Cooks River Valley Times, July 30 Edition
http://www.torchpublishing.com.au/read/index_assets/Valley%20Times_30_07_09/page_15.html
Our fifth article is from Josh Rakic from the Sun-Herald. Dallas Kilponnen from the Sydney Morning Herald took some awesome photgraphs.
If Karmichael Hunt can do it, the USA can. Right?
But a US women's Aussie rules team? That's crazier than, well, an NRL superstar switching to AFL … ''Oh yeah, the women's Australian rules competition, US Footy, started in the States about five years ago,'' said 26-year-old ruck-rover Christina Licata, from New York. ''A group of girls from California got together first, then slowly but surely teams sprouted up all over the nation - Arizona, Atlanta, Washington, New York, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Sacramento.
"It's steadily growing. We even have our own national titles each year.''
Crazier yet, they came within three goals of defeating the Sydney Women's AFL team yesterday in a hard-fought encounter at Marrickville's Mahoney Park.
US Freedom captain Jenny Sarbacker was even given a souvenir to remember Sydney by, suffering heavy swelling to her cheek after an off-the-ball ''incident''. There are matches pencilled in for Cairns, Bendigo and Melbourne on the side's first international tour to Australia, which was two years in the making. The women's teams throughout the US have even claimed our public holidays in order to fund their Australian getaway.
''The New York team, we throw Australia Day events, Anzac Day events and AFL grand final day events,'' said Licata, who missed yesterday's match with an ACL tear suffered in a brutal New York metro encounter last month.
''They bring in a huge amount of people, so a lot of our travel is subsidised by that. Other clubs have car washes and do calendars for fundraising. We get pretty creative.''
But Licata and co aren't just throwing Australian rules into even tighter pants than we're used to and giving it a pretty face - they're spreading the word. And like a handful of our own AFL players, many can be found at a bar at 2am on any given night.
''Setanta Sports shows a lot of AFL games in the States and there's a bar in midtown Manhattan named The Australian where I head at 2am to watch games live,'' Licata said. ''I love to watch it and see a good match. A lot of girls do." But why Australian rules? ''The way I first saw it was through the men's competition in the States - there are about 40 teams across the country - and it looked really exciting,'' Licata said. ''There's just such a huge population of expat Aussies in America and I guess they brought it over in order to feel a little closer to home. And Americans jumped right on. ''The teams are pretty spread out across the nation, so most women's teams break up into two squads and have a metro season against each other. Then we have games against each other throughout the year, so we do a lot of travelling. ''This year we had tournaments in Atlanta and Milwaukee, and then we'll have the national tournament in October in Ohio.'' Picture taking the bus from Sydney to Perth once a month just to have your body belted like Danny Green's sparring partner. Then spare a thought for the team members who are pushing 40 years of age.
Here is an excellent article in the Herald Sun
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,25938239-2862,00.html
THESE Yanks
definitely don't tank, taking it up to the Aussies in the first tour by
an international women's Australian rules football team.
Despite
losing their four games they edged closer each time, finishing with a
two-point nail-biter against a combined VWFL team on Saturday.
US Freedom is mostly Americans and one expat Australian, and boasts the Statue of Liberty on its jumper.
After visiting the SCG and enjoying a tour with Swans coach Paul
Roos, team members attended Friday night's Hawthorn-Adelaide game at
the MCG.
Arizona Hawks onballer/forward and Freedom vice-captain Tina Arend, 30, likes Hawthorn because it sponsors her team.
The Hawks lost, but the social security officer loved the game and our cheer squads, which were like nothing she'd seen.
"It was awesome to come to Melbourne, the home of footy," she said.
"I was surprised at how fast it moves and how skilled they are."
Dewi Mitchell-Schierholz, 33, a half-back flanker with the Atlanta
Lady Kookaburras, also loves the game but has a tough time explaining
herself back home.
"(I tell them) it's a combination of tackling and soccer skills and
basketball skills but with an oval ball," she said. "Most people look
at me like I'm crazy."
Other teams represented include the New York Magpies, Denver Bulldogs, Milwaukee Bombers and Minnesota Freeze.
Coach Wayne Kraska, 47, is a Melbourne expat who moved to Atlanta with his American wife, Mary.
Mr Kraska started playing with Atlanta in 2002, and now coaches the Atlanta Kookaburras.
US women have been playing since 2005 and there are now 7-8 teams
nationally, who play round-robin tournaments around the country. There
are about 35 men's teams.
Mr Kraska said footy was gaining popularity with Americans, who loved its uniqueness.
"I think they like the physicality of it, they like the running, they like the tackling," he said.
The VWFL will hold its premier division firsts and seconds grand finals on Sunday at Box Hill City Oval.
The last article is in the Moreland Leader
http://moreland-leader.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/aussie-women-tackle-us-in-coburg-footy-match/
THE
United States women’s Australian Rules team played the last game of
their 2009 Australian tour against the VWFL at Coburg Oval on Saturday.
The USA Freedom squad, touring Australia for the first time,
comprised 29 players from Atlanta, Arizona, Denver, Milwaukee,
Minnesota, New York and North Carolina.
They narrowly lost 23-25 to the VWFL, a team of players made up of the Heidelberg, Keysborough and Greensborough women’s teams.
>> Gallery: Pictures of the game between Victoria and USA Freedom at Coburg Oval
VWFL coach Penny Cula-Reid said it was a “very tight, close game, which was really, really good for them, and for us as well”.
Cula-Reid said although there were presently no plans for an Australian
tour of the US, “hopefully we can continue this relationship and go
over there”.
Most of the Freedom players flew home in Sunday after a four-match
tour of Australia, which included stops in Sydney and Cairns.
They will return to Australia in 2011.
“Hopefully I can play next time,” Cula-Reid said.
Last Modified on 19/08/2009 06:36