United States Australian Football League
Encyclopedia
The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) is the governing body
for Australian rules football
in the United States
. It was conceived in 1996 and organized in 1997.
Since co-ordinating the first National Championships
, the organisation has functioned as a national amateur Australian rules football representative league
. By 2006, the league had grown to 40 affiliated clubs, making up 60 teams and 2,000 players. 1,048 were registered USAFL players and 340 USAFL sanctioned matches were played. Of the 709 players who competed at the USAFL National Championships, 77.4% were non-Australian, and over 60% were American.
The USAFL has Junior Development, Coach
ing Development and Umpire
Development programs.
.
In the first year the Mid American Australian Football League
was formed.
Many of the local players had found out about the game in the 1980s on television and ESPN. Although the local game grew, ESPN no longer broadcast AFL matches, and in response the lobby group, AFANA was formed.
In 1997, the first club national championships were held in Cincinnati. Nashville
hosted the first Australian Grand Final Festival in the same year. The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) was formed in 1997 to govern the code in the country.
, Colin Carter, Ian Dicker, Wayne Clarke, Leigh Matthews
and Michael Voss
have become official USAFL ambassadors.
– a scaled down version of footy (as the sport is sometimes called) for American-sized fields with fewer players. Many USAFL clubs are fed by several Metro Footy or Rec Footy sides and selected players represent at the Nationals. Metro Footy has also enabled the USAFL to stage exhibition matches at Arena Football League games.
Rec (or Recreational) Footy is generally a co-ed, non-tackle version of the game which has been adopted by many clubs across the US in order to introduce women into the game and men at a more introductory level.
men's team and the USA Freedom women's team.
The team plays in international tournaments and exhibition matches against other countries. National team players are selected from the best US-born players from the club teams across the country.
With close proximity to Canada, the Revolution & Freedom participate in the annual 49th Parallel Cup
against Canada each year except for years of the International Cup in Australia.
The Revolution competed in the 2002 Australian Football International Cup
, finishing 5th out of 11 countries and in the 2005 Australian Football International Cup
finishing 3rd out of 10 countries. They competed in the 2008 Australian Football International Cup
where the Revolution finished 7th out of 16 countries.
provides around A$80,000 annually in funding for the USAFL, primarily for league development.
The USAFL also generates revenue through club and player membership and merchandising activities.
program and part of the USAFL's junior development program.
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
for Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was conceived in 1996 and organized in 1997.
Since co-ordinating the first National Championships
USAFL National Championships
The USAFL National Championships is a tournament for Australian rules football in the United States.Since 1997, the National Championships have been a large event featuring teams from the United States and Canada in four men's divisions and a women's division...
, the organisation has functioned as a national amateur Australian rules football representative league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
. By 2006, the league had grown to 40 affiliated clubs, making up 60 teams and 2,000 players. 1,048 were registered USAFL players and 340 USAFL sanctioned matches were played. Of the 709 players who competed at the USAFL National Championships, 77.4% were non-Australian, and over 60% were American.
The USAFL has Junior Development, Coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
ing Development and Umpire
Umpire (Australian rules football)
An umpire is an official in the sport of Australian rules football.-Origins:Unlike many other codes of football, where the official is called a referee, in Australian Football, the officials borrow their title from the game of cricket, which is played on the same types of fields and was an...
Development programs.
History
The first match between two local US clubs was played in 1996 between Cincinnati and LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
In the first year the Mid American Australian Football League
Mid American Australian Football League
The MAAFL is a division of the United States Australian Football League and is a semi-professional Australian rules football competition based in the middle of the United States....
was formed.
Many of the local players had found out about the game in the 1980s on television and ESPN. Although the local game grew, ESPN no longer broadcast AFL matches, and in response the lobby group, AFANA was formed.
In 1997, the first club national championships were held in Cincinnati. Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
hosted the first Australian Grand Final Festival in the same year. The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) was formed in 1997 to govern the code in the country.
Ambassadors
The involvement of many well-known Australians has helped boost the relations between the USAFL and AFL. In the early days, Paul Roos was a key figure. More recently, Robert DiPierdomenicoRobert DiPierdomenico
Robert "Dipper" DiPierdomenico is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL of Italian descent and a member of the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century...
, Colin Carter, Ian Dicker, Wayne Clarke, Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
and Michael Voss
Michael Voss
Michael Voss is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League team and a former professional Australian rules footballer....
have become official USAFL ambassadors.
Metro and Rec Footy
The USAFL has embraced Metro FootyMetro Footy
Metro Footy is a modified version of Australian rules football rules played on gridiron football, rugby or Association football fields, predominantly in the United States of America...
– a scaled down version of footy (as the sport is sometimes called) for American-sized fields with fewer players. Many USAFL clubs are fed by several Metro Footy or Rec Footy sides and selected players represent at the Nationals. Metro Footy has also enabled the USAFL to stage exhibition matches at Arena Football League games.
Rec (or Recreational) Footy is generally a co-ed, non-tackle version of the game which has been adopted by many clubs across the US in order to introduce women into the game and men at a more introductory level.
National teams
USAFL is responsible for the co-ordination of the National Teams, the USA RevolutionUnited States national Australian rules football team
The United States national Australian rules football team, nicknamed the Revolution represents the United States of America in the sport of Australian rules football....
men's team and the USA Freedom women's team.
The team plays in international tournaments and exhibition matches against other countries. National team players are selected from the best US-born players from the club teams across the country.
With close proximity to Canada, the Revolution & Freedom participate in the annual 49th Parallel Cup
49th Parallel Cup
The 49th Parallel Cup is an annual Australian rules football match between the USA and Canada.-History:In 1999, the first USA v Canada game was played 49th Parallel Cup...
against Canada each year except for years of the International Cup in Australia.
The Revolution competed in the 2002 Australian Football International Cup
2002 Australian Football International Cup
The 2002 Australian Football International Cup was the inaugural international Australian rules football tournament held in Melbourne, Australia in 2002....
, finishing 5th out of 11 countries and in the 2005 Australian Football International Cup
2005 Australian Football International Cup
The 2005 Australian Football International Cup was the second time that the Australian Football International Cup tournament, an international Australian rules football competition was held....
finishing 3rd out of 10 countries. They competed in the 2008 Australian Football International Cup
2008 Australian Football International Cup
The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested....
where the Revolution finished 7th out of 16 countries.
Funding and revenue
The Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
provides around A$80,000 annually in funding for the USAFL, primarily for league development.
The USAFL also generates revenue through club and player membership and merchandising activities.
USAFL Footy Kids
US Footy Kids is the USAFL's equivalent of the successful AFL AuskickAuskick
Auskick is a national program in Australia to develop and promote participation in Australian rules football by children. It has proven to be popular with both boys and girls....
program and part of the USAFL's junior development program.
USAFL clubs and representative sides
| Club | City | Colours | Metro League | Founded | Official website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Hawks | Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... |
Arizona Australian Football League | 1999 | Official Site | |
| Atlanta Kookaburras | Atlanta, Georgia | Atlanta Metro Footy League | 1998 | Official Site | |
| Austin Crows | Austin, Texas Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... |
2002 | Official Site | ||
| Baltimore Washington Eagles | Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore... , Fairfax, Virginia Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat.... & Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
Baltimore Washington Eagles Metro Competition | 1998 | Official Site | |
| Baton Rouge Tigers | Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South... |
 |
2004 | Official Site | |
| Boston Demons | Boston, Massachusetts Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... |
New England Metropolitan Australian Rules Football League | 1997 | Official Site | |
| Cincinnati Dockers | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1996 | Official Site | ||
| Chicago United | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
Chicago Australian Football Association | 1998 | Official Site | |
| Columbus Jackaroos | Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... |
Columbus Metro Footy League | 2008 | Official Site | |
| Dallas Magpies | Dallas, Texas | 1998 | Official Site | ||
| Denver Bulldogs | Denver, Colorado | 1998 | Official Site | ||
| Des Moines Roosters | Des Moines, Iowa | 2010 | Official Site | ||
| Florida Redbacks | Tampa Bay, Florida Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently... |
Florida Metro Footy League | 2003 | Official Site | |
| Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids | Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010... |
2005 | Official Site | ||
| Golden Gate Roos | San Francisco, California | 1998 | Official Site | ||
| Houston Lonestars | Houston, Texas | 2005 | Official Site | ||
| Kansas City Power | Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
Kansas City Metro Footy League | 1998 | Official Site | |
| Las Vegas Gamblers | Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
2005 | Official Site | ||
| Louisville Kings | Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
1996 | Official Site | ||
| Milwaukee Bombers | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Metro Cheddar Cup | 1998 | Official Site | |
| Minnesota Freeze | Minneapolis, Minnesota |  |
2005 | Official Site | |
| Nashville Kangaroos | Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... |
1997 | Official Site | ||
| New York Magpies | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
New York Metro Footy League | 1998 | Official Site | |
| North Carolina Tigers | Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh... |
North Carolina Metro Footy League | 1997 | Official Site | |
| Orange County Bombers | Orange County, California Orange County, California Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County... |
Southern California Australian Football League | 1998 | Official Site | |
| Philadelphia Hawks | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1998 | Official Site | ||
| Portland Steelheads | Portland, Oregon Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... |
Portland Metro Footy League | 1998 | Official Site | |
| San Diego Lions | San Diego, California | San Diego Metro Footy League | 1997 | Official Site | |
| Sacramento Screamers | Sacramento, California Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... |
Sac Footy Rec League | 2009 | Official Site | |
| Seattle Grizzlies | Seattle, Washington | Seattle Metro Footy League | 1998 | Official Site | |
| St. Louis Blues | St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
1998 | Official Site |
Former clubs
| Club | City | Founded | Official website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Overdrive | Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Illinois Ironmen | Naperville, Illinois Naperville, Illinois Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,... |
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| Inland Empire Eagles/Fire | Riverside, California Riverside, California Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California... |
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| Lehigh Valley Crocs Lehigh Valley Crocs The LeHigh Valley Crocs were an United States Australian Football League team based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in April, 1999 by Michelle and Robert Giabardo. Giabardo was the team's head coach.... |
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,... |
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| Los Angeles Crows | Pasadena, California Pasadena, California Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet... |
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| Mojave Greens | Fort Irwin, California | ||
| Phoenix Scorpions | Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... |
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| Pittsburgh Wallabies Pittsburgh Wallabies The Pittsburgh Wallabies are a former Eastern Australian Football League and United States Australian Football League team. They were based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.They played in the USAFL in 2004 and the EAFL in 2005.... |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | ||
| South Carolina Hawks | Charleston, South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the... |
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| Tri-Cities Saints | Bristol, Tennessee Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State... |
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| Tucson Javelinas | Tucson, Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200... |
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Affiliated leagues
- Mid American Australian Football LeagueMid American Australian Football LeagueThe MAAFL is a division of the United States Australian Football League and is a semi-professional Australian rules football competition based in the middle of the United States....
- Eastern Australian Football LeagueEastern Australian Football LeagueThe Eastern Australian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in the Eastern United States of America and a division of the United States Australian Football League.-History:...
- North West Pacific Australian Football League
- Californian Australian Football LeagueCalifornian Australian Football LeagueThe California Australian Football League was the first organized league of Australian rules football in the United States of America, and is in itself a member of the United States Australian Football League. Wayne Pollock served as the CAFL's first head...
See also
- Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballAustralian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
- Australian rules football in the United StatesAustralian rules football in the United StatesAustralian rules football in the United States is a team and spectator sport which has been played domestically in the United States since 1996.There are several leagues around the country, a national championship and a national men's and women's teams.-History:...
- Metro FootyMetro FootyMetro Footy is a modified version of Australian rules football rules played on gridiron football, rugby or Association football fields, predominantly in the United States of America...
- Women's Australian Football AssociationWomen's Australian Football AssociationThe Women's Australian Football League is a Women's Australian rules football competition in the United States of America.The league is the governs women's Aussie Rules in the USA, however, the USAFL governs the sport overall in the country.-History:...