Season Preview Week 2016!

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

Another long American winter has finally dissipated, and though the Cold Old Man still clings to certain parts of the country with an iron grip, it cannot stop the coming of the 2016 USAFL season.

Through a gauntlet of local, regional, and sometimes national matches through the varying climes that our landscape offers, 34 USAFL clubs will weave their way towards the ultimate goal of lifting up a piece of hardware at Nationals.

The 20th rendition of the largest Aussie Rules carnival in the world will be on a majestic emerald green plot on Florida’s Suncoast on that third weekend in October.  And between here and there, there are numerous questions to be answered in that time…

Can Austin repeat as D1 champ without the benefit of home field advantage?  Can Dallas and L.A. emerge from the shadows to put their own stamp?  Will emerging clubs such as Houston, Sacramento, and Tulsa shine?  Is this the year the Denver Lady Bulldogs title streak comes to and end?  Will the guys on SportCenter actually figure out what’s going on with this sport?

Sporadic league play has begun across the South, and metro and co-ed play is underway in earnest in local leagues within the clubs.

Brian Barrish, our intrepid media manager and footy scholar (said humbly, you understand) has gathered info from around the league and gives you a look at all 34 men’s teams as well as the ten women’s sides (which may be more by October) that will take to the fields across America.

We will have a total of six articles over eight days (because we’re going on Beatles time, because we here at USAFL.com love footy eight days a week).  Here is the schedule:

Tuesday, April 5th: Men’s East region
-- Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, New York, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay

Wednesday, April 6th: Men’s Central-North region
-- Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Ohio Valley, Milwaukee, Minnesota

Thursday, April 7th: Men’s Central-South region
-- Austin, Baton Rouge, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Tulsa

Friday, April 8th: Men’s West region
-- Arizona, Denver, Golden Gate, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle

Monday, April 11th: Women’s East/Central:
-- Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Columbus, Minnesota, New York

Tuesday, April 12th: Women’s West:
-- Arizona, Denver, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco