Rob Dollar Memorial AFLX Tournament Kicks off in Phoenix

By word and by deed, Rob Dollar was an inspirational human being.  Full of enthusiasm and heart, he loved his family, his footy, and cycling.

He was known as a fierce competitor to his friends and teammates, and gave so much to the communities that surrounded his passion.  He represented his country with the USA Revolution side, and was a part of three National Championship teams with the Arizona Hawks and Los Angeles Dragons.

Rob Dollar is still inspiring people in the footy community, some six months after his untimely passing at the age of 36.

The first ever Rob Dollar Memorial Tournament, the first sanctioned event to be played on AFLX rules on American soil, will take place on Saturday, at the Tempe Sports Complex in suburban Phoenix.  The proceeds of the tournament, hosted by the Arizona Hawks, Arizona Outlaws, and Los Angeles Dragons, will go towards the Rob Dollar Foundation, which advocates for improved protection for cyclists on roadways.

Rob would most certainly be proud of the turnout in his honor, as in all eight USAFL clubs will be represented across a men’s and women’s division, not just from the three host teams, but from as far away as Austin, Oklahoma, Des Moines and New York.

When: Saturday, May 5, 2018
Where: Tempe Sports Complex – 8403 Hardy Drive, Tempe, AZ
Team Welcome 12:30pm MST, First games Begin at 1pm
Full schedule below
Click here for more information about the Rob Dollar Foundation

“Obviously Rob's loss was tragic, and it was clear he was an important part of both AZ and LA footy clubs,” Hawks coach Darren Henderson told USAFL.com.  “So when I was asked if the Hawks would host a tournament in his honor, I was glad to do my part with the organization of the event. It is also great to be helping the Foundation in Rob's name. Providing opportunities to introduce people to sports, be it footy or cycling is a good cause. I think all of us participating in sports know the benefits of that participation, including the lasting friendships we build with teammates like Rob.”

The Arizona Outlaws, who have only been around since February, are also well familiar with the spirit of Rob Dollar.  Most of the Outlaws are Hawks veterans, and though he never played a game with them, the Outlaws will retire the number 19, Dollar’s number, in a ceremony on Friday night.

“Having only known Rob for a short amount of time it comes as no surprise to me the number of lives he has had an impact on,” said Outlaws president Morgan Lee. “The foundation set up in his honor is a testament to his will to "dominate" in all areas of life. Whilst the foundation is in its early days it has been making a big impact here in Phoenix and their message continues to spread across the valley.”

Bill McGovern played alongside Rob Dollar for Los Angeles during their run to the Division 2 Men’s National title in 2014.  “Rob was a player you could always count on to put his head over the footy in every contest and leave everything on the field,” he remembers.  “That's the sort of player that lifts a team, and that's the sort of guy he was.”

The AFLX format, which is played seven-a-side with three interchange players on a rectangular field, was selected so that as many players and teams could participate as possible.  It debuted in February as a prelude to the AFL preseason, and this is the first time that it will be played in organized format in the US. (Click here for a full explanation of the AFLX rules).

“I’m interested to see the format,” said Los Angeles’ Justin Hall.  “We already play metro (SCAFL) 10-a-side on smaller fields than regulation, so most of our players are familiar to playing a shorter form of the game.”

Lee stated that he Outlaws have used the AFLX rules to get them ready for the season as their young club continues to grow:  “The AFLX format is great for preseason, it is a much faster pace than the normal game which has helped to increase player fitness immensely. We have played several rounds of AFLX so far in our metro tournament this year and it's amazing to see how the new rules and format can change the way in which we play.”

“Obviously we have been doing modified versions of the game here forever out of necessity,” added Henderson, referring to the Metro format.  “But it is still great to kick off the season with an event like this. It promises to provide some high action footy to help everyone shake off the cobwebs of the off season, and as far as I can tell, everyone coming is looking forward to it.”

For just about everyone involved, it will be a good test for the clubs’ new recruits and a good way to get them touches early on the season.  It will equally be as good for the veterans, though with temperatures being warm nearly year round in the southwest, they are already in season stride.

There are a total of eight men’s sides, divided into two groups of four:
Group A: Arizona Outlaws-A, Austin Crows, Oklahoma/Des Moines, Los Angeles Dragons-A
Group B: Arizona Outlaws-B, Arizona Hawks, Las Vegas Gamblers, Los Angeles Dragons-B

The women’s competition will be a three-game series between the Arizona Lady Hawks and an Arizona Outlaws/New York Magpies combination.

Though the temperature is expected to brush the triple digits on Saturday, the competition should be good and fierce, but played in the right spirit.  For that is what Rob Dollar personified, and that is what those gathered in the sun drenched valley of Arizona will carry on through footy.