Australian Football is played in Europe at an amateur level in a large number of countries. The oldest and largest leagues are those in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, in each of these nations there are several established clubs, and organised men's, women's and juniors programs. The British AFL has now expanded into Welsh, Scottish and English leagues. The Danish AFL has been responsible for the expansion of Australian Football into Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Norway. The governing body for Australian Football in Europe was founded in Frankfurt in January 2010; the body was initially called the European Australian Football Association, but changed its name to AFL Europe at a general assembly meeting in Milan in October of the same year.AFL Europe - About Us It currently has 22 member nations. AFL Europe, with backing of the AFL in Australia has overseen a large improvement in the organisation of Australian football in Europe.
The sport has grown from a few clubs and leagues started mainly by expatriate Australians and returning nationals in the late 1980s and early 1990s, to now, having established leagues in almost 15 nations,15 Nations found European Australian Football Association in Frankfurt with the majority of players being non-Australian.AFL Europe proposed
As of the 2017 edition of the tournament, Ireland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, France, Germany, Croatia and Finland have sent national teams to the Australian Football International Cup.
The two main cup competitions played between nations in Europe are the 18-a-side (formerly 16-a-side) European Championships in Australian Football and the nine-a-side Euro Cup. Both competitions strictly only allow local players to represent their country.
As of 2018 AFL Europe also organises the Fitzpatrick Cup, AFL Europe Champions League and ANZAC Cup on an annual basis.
Cup competitions held in the past have included the Atlantic Alliance Cup and Central European Australian Football League Championships. In addition, there are tests matches played between Great Britain and Ireland, a tri-series (European Australian Football Tri-nations Tournament) between Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and a tri-series between Croatia, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Austria Australian rules football in Austria has been played since 2004, when the nation's first club was founded in Vienna. The club began life as the Vienna Dingos, changing their name to the Vienna Kangaroos in 2006. In the same year and doubling as the National Team, the Kangaroos competed in a tri-nations series against Croatia and the Czech Republic. The Kangaroos eventually folded, and in 2018 a new football team called the Vienna Galahs was created by two ex-kangaroos members.
A second club was formed in Graz in 2008, named the Styrian DownUnderDogs. The first game between the two Austrian clubs was played on 25 October 2008 in Zwaring, Styria. The first Austrian premiership series was contested between the two teams in 2010, with Vienna winning the series 3–2.European Roundup Part 4 from worldfootynews.com
The Austrian national team was considering attending the 2011 Australian Football International Cup, but later set a debut at the 2014 tournament as a more realistic goal.Positive Growth for Footy in Austria, but IC11 off the plan from worldfootynews.com
In 2013, the first game between the two clubs in three years was held, which the Styrian DownUnderDogs won with 74:59. Furthermore, the national team of Austria, renamed to the Austrian Avalanches, made it to end 9th (Plate Champion) out of 12 teams at the EU-Cup in Bordeaux.
The Vienna Galahs and Styrian DownUnderDogs now compete in the 'Empire Cup', a competition that involves the Galahs, the DownUnderDogs, the Budapest Bats, the Prague Dragons, Fort Nysa and the Silesia Miners. In 2022 the Galahs defeated the DownUnderDogs 102-18 in a dominant performance.
The championship win meant that the Vienna Galahs qualified for the European Cup in 2023, held in Paris, France. Whilst they did not get a win, they were embraced by all teams and affectionately known as 'the pink'. The Galahs also travelled to Israel in 2023 to form the majority of a European Australian representative side to play in an ANZAC day memorial match. They played in a tournament against two Israeli teams and a UAE Australian representative side.
In 2023, the Empire Cup final was to be between Prague and Vienna, with Prague unable to attend and therefore forfeiting the match. The same year, Vienna won the Nysa Cup in Poland after their third year of attending.
As of 2023, The vienna Galahs has both a men's and women's team and is working towards building women's football with surrounding clubs.
Clubs Active club TeamLocationFoundedNotes Vienna Galahs Vienna 2004 Facebook page Styrian DownUnderDogs Graz 2008 Facebook page
Belgium Australian rules football was first played in Chatelet in 1919 by Australian soldiers in World War I.Message
Australian rules football has been played in Belgium since 2004, with a team based in Brussels. The Brussels Saints have played matches against the Paris Cockerels and teams from around Europe, including winning the 2005 EU Cup, although since this era, the club has gone into recess and is not currently active.
A new Belgian club played matches against Dutch sides Amsterdam and The Hague in late 2012, the first Australian rules football match played by a Belgian team in over five years. The local Brussels competition became known as the Belgium AFL.Footy Back On The Map In Belgium from AFL Europe 11 December 2012
Clubs Active club TeamLocationFoundedNotes AFL Belgium Brussels 2012 Facebook page
Bulgaria
There are currently two Australian rules football clubs in Bulgaria, the Varna Demons and the Sofia Magpies. A former club is the Burgas Hawks. AFL Bulgaria is the main governing body and competition for the sport in Bulgaria.
Clubs Active club TeamLocationFoundedNotes Sofia Magpies Sofia 2018 Facebook page Varna Demons Varna 2020 Facebook page Burgas Hawks Burgas 2021 Facebook page
Croatia In Croatia there are more than 100 players including both men's and women's teams from Zagreb, Velika Gorica and Ploče. The governing body is AFL Croatia. The national team "Croatian Knights".Local Footy building in Prague and Zagreb has been very successful.
History Australian rules football in Croatia began with the first official team, known as the Zagreb Giants, in January 2006, although there had been efforts for many years before this to found a team in Zagreb.
In 2006, the team began a tri-nations series against the Czech Republic and Austria, winning the first event. In late 2006 plans were laid for a new team in Rijeka called the Sharks, although these did not come to fruition.
The Zagreb Giants formed an alliance with Australian Football League club the Hawthorn Hawks, changing their name to the Zagreb Hawks. Croatia's second club was created in 2008 under the name Kapitol Saints, with a series of domestic matches played between the Saints and the Hawks. This series has continued in 2009, with the Saints changing their name to the Agram Power, Agram being an old name for the city of Zagreb.
In 2010, the Velika Gorica Bombers became the third club founded in Croatia, based in the little town of Velika Gorica near Zagreb. They won the Croatian national league (HLAN) in 2011. They were followed in 2012 by the nation's fourth club, in the Zagreb city district of Zapruđe. They formed an alliance with AFL club GWS Giants, taking on the name Zapruđe Giants. In 2013 the Slavonski Brod Tigers joined the league and the league started construction of their home ground at the University of Zagreb.
Croatia is one of the stronger International teams, having come 1st (2010), 2nd (2008 and 2011) and 3rd (2009) in the four previous EU Cups. Croatia ended on 5th place on first European championship in Malmo and Copenhagen in 2010. The 2009 EU Cup was hosted by the Croatian Knights, in the town of Samobor, 25 km from Zagreb.
In 2014 there are four clubs playing out of Zagreb, the Zagreb Dockers, Zagreb Giants, Zagreb Hawks and the Zagreb Dragons. Also there is a new team playing in Slavonski Brod roughly 200 km from Zagreb. Almost all of the Zagreb players have/had a connection with the Zagreb University which maintains their oval. So do the Styrian Downunder Dogs from the university town of Graz in Austria who also play in the Croatian Australian Football League.
In 2015 a women's team from Velika Gorica was created. In 2016 there are five clubs from Zagreb and a sixth team from the Dalmatian coast at Ploče and a men's team from Velika Gorica. Croatian Knights won first place in EU cup 2016 while women's national team Queens won third place.
In 2016 Ploce Eagles and Zagreb Barbarians played an exhibition match in Zupa, Kupari.Australian Rules Football makes Dubrovnik history by Mark Thomas 17 March 2016
Croatia sent a men's team to the 2017 Australian Football International Cup, its campaign was successful, winning Division 2 of the competition on debut.
In 2021, a dedicated ground in Zagreb was opened, one of the first such facilities in continental Europe.Grand opening of the first Australian rules football ground in Croatia by Croatia Week 6 October 2021 The ground was announced to host the 2022 AFL Europe Championship. Croatia placed 4th in the championship in both 2019 and 2022.
Clubs Active club
TeamLocationFoundedNotes Zagreb Hawks Zagreb 2006 Facebook page (Originally known as the Giants) Kapitol Saints Zagreb 2008 Defunct Velika Gorica Bombers Velika Gorica 2010 Facebook page Zaprude Giants Zagreb 2012 Facebook page Slavonski Brod Tigers Zagreb 2014 Zagreb Cvjento Dockers Zagreb 2014 Facebook page Sesvete Double Blues Zagreb 2015 Facebook page Ploce Eagles Ploče 2016 Facebook page Velica Gorica Mambas (women's) Velika Gorica 2015 Facebook page Zagreb Panthers (women's) Zagreb 2016 Facebook page Sesvete Redlegs (women's) Zagreb 2018 Facebook page
Players
Currently on an AFL or AFLW senior list
Player Club/s AFL/AFLW Years* AFL/AFLW Matches* AFL/AFLW Goals* Connections to Croatia, References Marijana Rajcic 2018-2022 50 2 Parent Ivan Soldo , 2015- 63 27 Parent Ivan Maric , 2005-2017 157 61 Val Perovic , 1973-1985 175 13 Born ZadarVal Perovic – Blueseum. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
Czech Republic Australian rules football has been played in the Czech Republic since around 2003, when there were efforts to start a club in Prague known as the Tigers.
The first lasting club was founded in 2005, known as the Czech Lions. The Lions remained the only team in the Czech Republic for the next three years, playing mainly in tournaments against other European teams, hosting the CEAFL Championships in 2006.
The Czech AFL hosted the EU Cup in Prague in 2008, hosted at Slavia Rugby Club.
In 2009, the Czech AFL took steps to create a domestic competition in the Czech Republic, with the creation of two sides known as the All-Stars and the Marauders. As of July 2009, the two sides had around 30 active playing members, of which around one half were Czechs, one third expatriate Australians, and the remainder from other nationalities. The national representative side of the Czech AFL still competes under the name Czech Lions.
For the 2010 season, CAFL has expanded to four teams. The All Stars have been re-branded as the Vinohrady Hawks, the Marauders are now the Prague Cats and two new teams Prague Dragons and Prague Kings have been created. As well as significantly expanding the local league, The National team, The Czech Lions will be playing more international games this year. Making 2010 a significant year of expansion for C.A.F.L.
Along with these changes C.A.F.L. games are now played at the Sparta Rugby Field a new facility in Prague.