Winning and Grinning - Day 2 at the USAFL Nationals

The heat was hot and the ground was dry, and when the dust had settled on the 23rd USAFL Nationals, there were new and old champions crowned at the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch.

The Austin Crows and San Francisco Iron Maidens added another cup to their cupboards, while the Arizona Hawks and Boston Demons had rare doubles, winning both men’s and women’s championships.

MEN’S DIVISION 1 – AUSTIN MAKES IT FIVE FOR FIVE IN REPEAT

AUSTIN 8.3 (51) DEF DENVER 1.2 (8)

Three goals from Kenrick Tyrell paced the Austin Crows to their fifth USAFL D1 Men’s National Championship in seven years, and the second on the trot.  Denver’s appearance in the Grand Final had been their first in eight seasons, and their eleventh in their illustrious history.  The Crows victory not only meant they are now a perfect 5-0 in D1 Grand Finals, but their 51-point tally was the highest in a D1 decider since Denver hung 53 on the Boston Demons in their 2003 victory.

PAUL ROOS MEDAL (Best & Fairest): Jack Lucas (Golden Gate)
COOPER’S MEDAL (Most Consistent): Thomas Crameri (Denver)
HAYDEN KENNEDY MEDAL (Grand Final Umpiring): Ross McLaren, Derek Govier & Liam Dye
GEOFF CANN MEDAL (Grand Final MVP): Kenrick Tyrell (Austin)

WOMEN’S DIVISION 1 – SAN FRANCISCO SURVIVES SCRAPPY SEATTLE FOR FOURTH FLAG

SAN FRANCISCO 2.2 (14) DEF SEATTLE 0.3 (3)

In a rematch of last year’s Grand Final, and Saturday’s pool match which ended 2-0, the San Francisco Iron Maidens got major scores from Savannah Green and Nikole Makenzie to wrap up their fourth straight Women’s D1 National Championship by 11 points.  The Maidens’ victory puts them two behind the Denver Lady Bulldogs (six) for most D1 titles in history.

PAUL ROOS MEDAL (Best & Fairest): Nikole Mackenzie (San Francisco)
COOPER’S MEDAL (Most Consistent): Janie Green (New York)
HAYDEN KENNEDY MEDAL (Grand Final Umpiring): Shawn Farber & Brendan Dye
GEOFF CANN MEDAL (Grand Final MVP): Ellise Gallagher (San Francisco)

MEN’S DIVISION 2 – SAN DIEGO SINKS BUOYANT BALTIMORE IN TIGHT CONTEST

SAN DIEGO 3.1 (19) DEF BALTIMORE 1.2 (8)

The San Diego Lions picked up their fourth overall National Championship banner, and their first since they won D4 in 2015 by defeating a game Baltimore Docker outfit 18-9.  Justin Valley’s early second half goal was the winning marker over the Dockers, who made history by being the first team to make a Grand Final one season and then doing the same thing two divisions higher the following year.

PAUL ROOS MEDAL (Best & Fairest): Jack Haw (San Diego), John O’Connor (Baltimore) & John Hinchen (Philadelphia)
COOPER’S MEDAL (Most Consistent): Lachlan Miscamble (Houston)
HAYDEN KENNEDY MEDAL (Grand Final Umpiring): Laurie Rupe & Steve Arnott
GEOFF CANN MEDAL (Grand Final MVP): Michael Coffey (San Diego)

WOMEN’S DIVISION 2 – HAWKS COMBO TAKE OUT EAGLES/ROOSTERS

PHILADELPHIA/AZ HAWKS/BALTIMORE/BOSTON 2.1 (13) DEF DC EAGLES/DES MOINES/AZ OUTLAWS 1.2 (8)

The DC Eagles combination held the lead for 38.5 minutes of the women’s D2 final, only to see Philadelphia/Arizona kick a goal in the dying seconds to steal a 13-8 victory.

PAUL ROOS MEDAL (Best & Fairest): Rebekah Quinn (Chicago) & Liz Danielson (Sacramento)
COOPER’S MEDAL (Most Consistent): Hailey Rebar (Texas) & Hannah Alexander (North Star)
HAYDEN KENNEDY MEDAL (Grand Final Umpiring): Brian Dunkin & David Heward)
GEOFF CANN MEDAL (Grand Final MVP): Dani Marshall (Arizona Hawks)

MEN’S DIVISION 3 – BOSTON USES WIN TO CLINCH FIRST TITLE IN TWENTY SEASONS

BOSTON/MAINE 4.2 (26) DEF COLUMBUS 2.3 (15)

The Boston Demons/Maine Cats used a strong first half wind to put 26 points on the board in the first half, then set up shot defensively to hold off the Columbus Cats by eleven.  The win was Boston’s first National Title since they won the 1998 and 1999 D1 championships, while Maine was victorious in its first ever Nationals.  The 26 points ties the fewest by a winning team in a D3 final (Philadelphia 2003, Kansas City 2008)

PAUL ROOS MEDAL (Best & Fairest): Samuel Barnett (Boston)
COOPER’S MEDAL (Most Consistent): Noor Jehangir (Austin) & Clyde Simpson (Columbus) [tie]
HAYDEN KENNEDY MEDAL (Grand Final Umpiring): Ryan Willsmore & Peter Pearce
GEOFF CANN MEDAL (Grand Final MVP): Samuel Barnett (Boston)

MEN’S DIVISION 4 – OHIO VALLEY PLUCKS ROOSTERS BY FOUR POINTS FOR SIXTH D4 WIN

OHIO VALLEY/ARIZONA HAWKS 5.2 (32) DEF DES MOINES 4.4 (28)            

A see-saw affair saw the Ohio Valley River Rats come home four point winners in the D4 Granny, their sixth such win in the division.

PAUL ROOS MEDAL (Best & Fairest): Shane Branscum (Ohio Valley)
COOPER’S MEDAL (Most Consistent): Michael Hoffman (DC Eagles) & Josh Curtis (Des Moines) [tie]
HAYDEN KENNEDY MEDAL (Grand Final Umpiring): Peter Dinnick & Greg Everett
GEOFF CANN MEDAL (Grand Final MVP): Ben Judge (Des Moines)

Photo Credit: Jerry Long (@myfootypics)