National Tournament!!
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USFooty hosted the 2007 National Championship Tournament in Louisville KY over the weekend of October 13 and 14. USFooty celebrated its 10th anniversary by returning to its birth place of Louisville KY. The tournament is believed to be the largest Australian football carnival (tournament) in the world with almost 1,000 players and 32 teams competing in 4 men’s divisions and 1 women’s division. The size of the tournament illustrates amazing growth of the league since the first 5 team tournament held in Cincinnati in 1997. Special guests for the weekend included Essendon’s legendary coach Kevin Sheedy, AFL Fullback of the Century Steven Silvagni, USFooty Australian Advisory Executive Director Tony Fairhead, USFooty Australian Advisory Board Member and AFL Queensland Commissioner Tom Potter, the voice of USFooty Rod Grljusich, General Manager of the Western Australian Country Football League Cameron Knapton, Senior Vice President of Western Australian Country Football League Terry House, umpires from the Ontario Australian Football League, and the Convicts Australian traveling football team.
The Denver Bulldogs won their sixth National Championship in eight years by defeating the San Diego Lions by 6 points, 3.3 (21) to 2.3 (15). Denver took home the John Harrell Perpetual Trophy, which was graciously donated by Tom Potter. John Harrell’s widow and daughter Hanna along with Steven Silvagni presented the inaugural trophy to Denver’s coach Tom Ellis, who became the first American to coach a National Championship team. According to Tom Ellis “sometimes the football gods look down on you and let you get a bounce here and there, both teams were fighting hard all day.” Denver was behind at the end of the first half but come back to win the game, led by Rich Mann, Matt Daniuski, Tom Ellis and Jim Baldwin. San Diego was very unlucky to suffer their first loss of 2007, with great efforts from Brendan McDonald, JJ Cisneros, Jake Cameron and Adam Cannane.
The Minnesota Freeze won their first Division II National Championship defeating the Seattle Grizzlies. The Minnesota Freeze are also coached by an American, US Revolution Assistant Coach Jason Becker who was awarded with a best on ground performance. The Minnesota Freeze owe some of their success to a program developed by Tony Fairhead with 5 graduates of the “Yankeroos” pulling on the Freeze jumper at the Nationals. The Yankeroos were part of a footy bootcamp given to American men and women studying at Notre Dame University in Fremantle. Most of the exchange students attend St John’s College in Minneapolis Minnesota. Danny Hanson was one of the best for the Freeze in only his 9th game of football. Danny played 4 games in the Western Australian Country Football League while on exchange from St Johns.
The St Louis Blues took out the Divison III title defeating the combined team of Las Vegas and the New York Magpies Reserves. The Reserves Division was won by the Denver Bulldogs Reserves completing an impressive duo, while the Minnesota Freeze Reserves came in second on percentage. The Atlanta Lady Kookaburras won their third Women’s National Championship in a row.
The Convicts, a touring party of Australians, took on the US Revolution in a game of two twenty minute halves played prior to the Division I Grand Final. While the Revolution had its moments, the Convicts were able to make better use of their chances and went out comfortable winners.
The weekend also saw a netball exhibition by the Kentucky Netball team, a junior USFooty Kids clinic, the naming of the US Revolution Team of the Decade, the USFooty Team of the Decade (the latter a 50/50 Australian/American team which included former AFL players such as John Ironmonger and Cameron Trickey O’Brien), the USAFL Umpires of the Decade, the launch of the USFooty Hall of Fame and the inaugural USFooty Life Memberships. On the Friday before the tournament, USFooty Kids National Coordinator Denis Ryan and Kevin Sheedy visited Trinity High School and ran a series of very successful clinics.
The success of the weekend is due to many people but those that need special mention are Will Sandman, the President of the host club, the Louisville Kings, incoming USFooty president and Nationals Coordinator Rich Mann, Coopers for providing the beer, and Bill Stark for the professional video production. The “chief cook and bottle washer” (aka Office Manager) for USFooty, Julie Upton did an incredible job organizing the tournament including heating thousands of Mojo Pies for the Saturday night function.
Finally, USFooty thanks the men who came together in Kentucky to form the league ten years ago, including John Harrell and Paul O’Keeffe.
For more article and pictures:
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,22591847%255E20322,00.html
http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20071016070945594
http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20071016070459105
http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20071015120111186
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFIdmOW9TGo
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/SPORTS/710150481
- Chris Adams
(1018)
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