Nashville to Kick Off 2015 with Winter Classic Tournament

As our Aussie friends constantly remind us, footy is a winter sport.

There is nothing better than a football game among friends in the crisp winter air among friends, with good, hard competition to boot.  For ex-pats who have come over here to America, the thought of which harkens back to June and July days in Melbourne, Adelaide, and other homeward locales.

And for one Saturday, at least, the Nashville Kangaroos are taking us there to kick off the season.

The first ever Nashville Footy Winter Classic will take place this Saturday, January 10th at E.S. Rose Park in the Music City.  What started out as an early season challenge match between the Roos and the Atlanta Kookaburras has snowballed -- pun somewhat intended -- into a larger event where all comers from the USAFL and beyond are welcome.

"The vision began as a Nashville v Atlanta winter match just to keep the boys interested and active," said Kangaroos president David Harris.  "We originally planned to have the match in Chattanooga, Tennessee because that city is just about halfway between Nashville and Atlanta.

"Our field fell through in Chattanooga just before the holiday, which left me scrambling to find a suitable location. Couldn't pin down anything in Chattanooga, so we had to bump it back up the road to Nashville.

"As we were pondering the new location, and also our smaller oval, we also decided that this event would be even more fantastic if we turned it into a tournament of 10s or 12s, and made an open call to all USAFL players and teams who might want to come get in on the action."

Harris explained that any USAFL clubs that come with eight players or more can compete as a team.  Once players have registered, there will be a supplemental skill draft to fill out rosters for up to a total of six teams.

"In other words, this is a come one come all tournament," Harris stated, "and even brand new players can get a run because they will be drafted to teams that have many senior level experience guys."

As of this writing, the club indicated that, aside from metro teams from Atlanta and Nashville, players from North Carolina, Chicago, Des Moines, and the new Tampa Bay club have committed to attending.  The draft will occur at 12:30pm CST, with the first game commencing at 2pm.

The venue for the tournament, E.S. Rose Park, is home to the baseball and soccer teams of Belmont University.  Opened in 2011, the park features FIFA-quality artificial turf, bleachers, as well as a spectacular view of downtown Nashville.

The park also has lights, which will illuminate the Grand Final match, lending a dramatic touch to what should be the culmination of a fun weekend.

There is no cost to participate, and there will be food and refreshments, compliments of the Nashville Kangaroos.

It is not to late to register; to RSVP as a player, or for more information, e-mail the club at president@NashvilleKangaroos.org.