Game Day, USA! June 10th, 2017

G’Day footy friends!  Today is a very, very big football day.  So big, in fact, that it gets its own page on the website!  So get ready for the awesomeness that is GAME DAY, USA!

CENTRAL REGIONALS: Nine teams gather this morning in Little Rock, Arkansas for the 2017 Central Regional Tournament.  Everyone will be chasing the Austin Crows, who have won 25 games in a row.  Will a new champion emerge?  You can read my preview of the weekend here.  We’ll be recording all nine games (that’s the plan, at least) for our YouTube channel, and we’ll be streaming the 3^rd place game and Grand Final LIVE on our new station, mixlr.com/usafl1997 starting at 4pm US Central Time (7am AU ET Sunday morning).

GOLDEN GATE TOURNEY: A HUGE in big old capital letters meeting out west between the Golden Gate AFL, Denver Bulldogs, and Sacramento AFC out west in the Bay Area which feature high quality footy on the men’s and women’s sides.  For the men, the #2 Roos take on the #5 Bulldogs, while the Roos’ seconds take on the #15 Suns in games that will give a good barometer as to their competitiveness this early in the season, and are good prep for the Western Regionals in a month’s time.

On the women’s side, this will be the first time the Iron Maidens and Lady Bulldogs have faced off since THAT game a year ago, which may be the most intriguing match of the weekend bar none.  Both teams will also tangle with an improved Lady Suns side, who come into 2017 with something to prove.

MONTREAL TOURNEY: North of the Border where the rapids run fierce, and the women run the footy ground fiercer.  The annual AFL Quebec women’s tournament sees the New York Magpies and Boston Lady Demons square off against the Ottawa Swans and Montreal Angels in a round robin tournament.  The Pies walked off with the hardware in 2015 before the Angels took it back last season. 

On the men’s side, #10 Quebec Saints face the #12 Boston Demons in the first of two matches, as the Demons look to defend the PJ Devine Cup after winning last season.

KEWLONA TOURNEY: Our other Canadian Friends, the #8 ranked Calgary Kangaroos, are in Kewlona, BC where they’ll take on the Vancouver Cougars and Edmonton Wombats.

HAWKS v CANNONS/RIVER RATS: Apparently this is a very huge sports weekend in Pittsburgh, but even more so than the hockey, footy makes its return as the Philadelphia Hawks travel to meet a combined side of the Cleveland Cannons and #18 Ohio Valley River Rats.  It will be the first meeting between the Hawks and Cannons in club history.

And that’s it, gang.  Have a great day!