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. It is based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
As of 2011, there were over 1,000 registered USAFL players. There are 46 member clubs, of which 45 have men's teams (all except North Star Blue Ox) and 25 have women's teams. Most of the football clubs in the United States have a traditional 18-a-side team for representative purposes and multiple 9-a-side teams running in a local league.
Each year the USAFL holds a National club championship, a tournament open to all clubs across the nation, the largest of its type in the world for the sport. In addition to the Nationals, the USAFL holds major regional tournaments including the Central, East and West regional tournaments.U.S. Australian Football League hosts regional tournament in the Twin Cities by Ren Clayton for CBS Minnesota. 18 June 2022
The USAFL selects the national men's (USA Revolution) and women's (USA Freedom) teams for competitions such as the Australian Football International Cup and the 49th Parallel Cup.
History
The first match between two local US clubs was played in 1996 between Cincinnati and Louisville. 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 via the then-nascent ESPN cable network. Although the local game grew, ESPN no longer broadcast AFL matches, and in response the lobby group, Australian Football Association of North America 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.
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.
Robert DiPierdomenico, Leigh Matthews and Michael Voss are official USAFL ambassadors.
National teams
USAFL is responsible for the co-ordination of the National Teams, the USA Revolution 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 Australian Football International Cup. As of the last edition in 2023, the Revolution men have won eleven of the twelve meetings against the Canada Northwind, while the Freedom women have fallen to the Canada Northern Lights in five of seven contests.
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. At the 2011 Australian Football International Cup, the Revolution finished 4th in an increased field of 18 countries. The Revolution finished 8th at the 2014 Australian Football International Cup, again with 18 countries participating. They would come in 4th at the 2017 Australian Football International Cup which, as of 2024, was the last edition.
After completing a tour of Australia in 2009, the Freedom were one of five teams to compete in the first International Cup Women's Division at the 2011 Australian Football International Cup, finishing third. At the 2014 Australian Football International Cup, the Freedom finished in third place again while a reserves team, the USA Liberty, came in last of the seven competing teams. Three years later, the Freedom finished fourth at the 2017 Australian Football International Cup while the Liberty went 3–2 in five matches against teams from various leagues in and around Melbourne.
After the postponement and subsequent cancellation of the International Cup in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, both the Revolution and Freedom took part in the 2024 AFL Transatlantic Cup, one of three regional tournaments scheduled by the AFL to sustain the international Aussie Rules game until the International Cup could be restored. Both American teams would advance to the Grand Final, and both would lose to Ireland.
Domestic tournaments and competitions USAFL National Championships USAFL East vs West 49th Parallel Cup
USAFL clubs and representative sides
Football Map
USAFL Senior Teams ClubColoursNicknameCityHome GroundRegionYears activeNational Championship TitlesFemale TotalMost recent TotalMost recent ArizonaHawks Phoenix, ArizonaCountryside Park, Mesa West 1999- 320210 - AtlantaKookaburras Atlanta, GeorgiaPhoenix II Park, Summerhill East 1998- 0 -32007 AustinCrows Austin, TexasZilker Park, Barton Hills Central 2002- 1020250 - BaltimoreDockersBaltimore, MarylandHerring Run Park, Baltimore East2017-0 -0 - Baton RougeTigersBaton Rouge, LouisianaFlanacher Park, Zachary Central 2004- 0 -0 -BayouBrawlersNew Orleans, LouisianaPelican Park, MandevilleCentral2025-0 -0 -BirminghamBushrangersBirmingham, AlabamaHeardmont Park, BirminghamEast2020-0 -0 - BostonDemons Boston, MassachusettsMillennium Park, West Roxbury East 1997- 320220 - ChicagoSwans Chicago, IllinoisWaveland Softball Fields, Lake ViewCentral 1998- 120120 - CincinnatiDockers Cincinnati, Ohio Sheakley Lawn, University of Cincinnati Central 1996- 220040 - Cleveland Cannons Cleveland, OhioEdgewater Park, Detroit-Shoreway and Brookside Park, Stockyards Central 2014- 0 -0 - ColumbusCats Columbus, OhioThree Creeks Park, South Alum CreekCentral 2008- 120130 -DC EaglesEaglesWashington, D.C.West Potomac Park, Washington D.CEast2017-120210 - DenverBulldogs Denver, ColoradoCentral Park, Recreation Centre, Central ParkCentral 1998- 9202262015 Des MoinesRoostersDes Moines, IowaValley Southwoods Freshman High School, West Des Moines Central 2010- 0 -0 -Finger LakesBlue HeronsSyracuse, New YorkBurnet Park, WestsideEast2024-0 -0 - Fort LauderdaleFighting Squids Fort Lauderdale, FloridaEast 2005- 0 -0 - Golden GateRoos (men), Iron Maidens (women) San Francisco, CaliforniaBushrod Park, North Oakland; West 1998- 12005 72023 HoustonLonestars Houston, TexasCullen Intramural Field, Greater Third Ward Central 2005- 220240 -IndianapolisGiantsIndianapolis, IndianaBroad Ripple Park, Broad RippleCentral2013-20210 -0 -JacksonvilleSaintsJacksonville, FloridaAlexandria Oaks Park, San MarcoEast2018-0 -0 - Kansas CityPower Kansas City, MissouriLiberty Memorial, Kansas CityCentral 1998- 220080 - Las VegasGamblers Las Vegas, NevadaSummerlin Centre Community Park, Summerlin SouthWest 2005-120060 - Los AngelesDragons Los Angeles, CaliforniaWestchester Recreation Center, Westchester West 2010- 120140 -LouisvilleKingsLouisville, KentuckySeneca Park, Rockcreek-Lexington RoadCentral1996-20230 -0 - MaineCatsPortland, MaineWainwright Sports Complex, South PortlandEast2018-0 -0 - MinnesotaFreeze Minneapolis, MinnesotaEagan Community Center, EaganCentral 2005- 4201812024 NashvilleKangaroos Nashville, TennesseeElmington Park, Hillsboro West EndCentral 1997- 0 -0 - New YorkMagpies New York City, New YorkTibbetts Brook Park, YonkersEast 1998- 320140 - North CarolinaTigers Raleigh, North CarolinaThompson Rad Park, GarnerEast 1997- 0 -0 - North Star Blue OxBlue Ox Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MinnesotaBF Nelson Park, St Anthony WestCentral 2017-0 -0 -North Texas DevilsPlano, TexasBreckinridge Reserve, RichardsonCentral2020-0 -0 - OklahomaBuffaloes Tulsa, OklahomaDream Keepers, RiverviewCentral 2010-0 -0 - Orange CountyGiants Orange County, CaliforniaLa Veta Elementary School, OrangeWest 1998- 120020 - PhiladelphiaHawks Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, OaksEast 1998- 320230 - PortlandSteelheads (men), Sockeyes (women) Portland, Oregon Clinton Park, South TaborWest 1998- 220160 -RomeRedbacksRome, GeorgiaGrizzard Park, BerwinEast2018-0 -0 - SacramentoSuns Sacramento, California South Natomas Community Field, South NatomasWest 2009- 220230 - San DiegoLions San Diego, California Nobel Recreation Center, University CityWest 1997- 320190 -SavannahHurricaneSavannah, GeorgiaDaffin Park, ParksideEast2017-0 -0 - SeattleGrizzlies Seattle, WashingtonVassault Park, TacomaWest 1998- 220180 - St LouisBlues St. Louis, MissouriForest Park Cricket Field, Forest ParkCentral 1997- 0 -0 -Tampa BayTiger SharksTampa Bay and St. Petersburg, FloridaFlora Wylie Park, Historic Old NortheastEast2017-0 -0 - VirginiaLions Richmond, Virginia Roseland Farm, CrozetEast2018- 0 -0 -WasatchWarGullsSalt Lake City, UtahSugar House Park, Sugar HouseWest2019-0 -0 -WilmingtonBombersWilmington, North CarolinaWrightsville Beach Park, Wrightsville BeachEast2024-0 -0 -WisconsinWombatsMadison, WisconsinDoor Creek Park, Sprecher EastCentral2017-0 -0 -
Associate Members (via AFL Canada) ClubColoursNicknameCityHome GroundRegionEst.National Championship TitlesFemaleTotalMost recentTotalMost recentCalgaryKangaroosCalgary, AlbertaAE Cross Oval, GlenbrookAFL Canada20024202412008QuebecSaintsMontreal, QuebecAFL Canada2008-2019220170 -
USAFL Collegiate Teams ClubColoursNicknameCityRegionEst.Senior Club AffiliateCincinnatiBearcatsCincinnati, OhioCentral2024Cincinnati DockersWilliam & MaryTribeWilliamsburg, VirginiaEast2025Virginia Lions
Defunct clubs ClubColoursNicknameCityHome GroundEst.Years in USAFLNational Championship TitlesFateFemaleTotalMost recentTotalMost recentArizonaOutlawsPhoenix, ArizonaBenedict Sports Complex, TempeWest2018-20210 -0 -Absorbed back into Arizona Hawks in 2022 Baltimore WashingtonEaglesBaltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.East1998-2017220060 -Split to form Baltimore Dockers and DC Eagles in 2018Charleston SaintsCharleston, South CarolinaEast 2011–20150 -0 - Folded after 2015 seasonCentennialTigersDenver, ColoradoWashington Park, DenverCentral2020-20220 -0 -Withdrew from league in 2023DallasDallas, TexasCentral1998-2023120110 -Inactive since 2023Detroit OverdriveDetroit, MichiganCentral 1999–20060 -0 - Folded after 2006 season Florida RedbacksSt. Petersburg, FloridaCrescent Lake Park, Crescent Lake East 1999–2013 0 -0 -Folded after 2013 seasonGrovetownPiratesGrovetown, GeorgiaPatriots Park, GrovetownEast2021-20240 -0 -Inactive since 2024Hawai'iEaglesHonolulu, HawaiiKapi'olani Park, Diamond Head-Kapahulu-St. LouisWest2019-20190 -0 -Inactive since 2023Illinois IronmenChicago, Illinois 2000–2004 0 -0 -Merged with Chicago Swans in 2005 Inland Empire Eagles 1997–2002 0 -0 -Folded after 2002 seasonLehigh Valley Crocs East 1999–2003 0 -0 -Absorbed byPhiladelphia Hawks in 2004Little RockCoyotesLittle Rock, ArkansasPinnacle Mountain Park, PinnacleCentral2017-20210 -0 -Folded after 2021 season Los Angeles CrowsLos Angeles, California West 1996–2003 0 -0 -Folded after 2003 seasonMilwaukeeBombersMilwaukee, WisconsinKletzsch Park, GlendaleCentral1998-20191200312009Inactive since 2019 MojaveGreens West 2003–2006 0 -0 -Folded after 2006 seasonOklahoma CityFlyersOklahoma City, OklahomaWill Rogers Park, Grand PortlandCentral2016-20170 -0 -Absorbed into Oklahoma Buffaloes in 2017PittsburghWallabiesPittsburgh, Pennsylvania East 2004–2006 0 -0 -Absorbed by Philadelphia Hawks in 2006 South Carolina HawksSouth Carolina East 1999–2001 0 -0 -Folded after 2001 seasonSt. Petersburg SwansSt. Petersburg, FloridaEast2014-20170 -0 -Left to create Major League Footy, both folded in 2019 Tri Cities Saints 1999–2004 0 -0 -Folded after 2004 seasonTucson JavelinasTucson, Arizona West 1999–2004 0 -0 -Folded after 2004 seasonVancouverCougarsVancouver, British Columbia, Canada120080 -Former Associate member
Affiliated leagues Mid American Australian Football League Eastern Australian Football League Southern California Australian Football League
See also