General

The Western Magpies have thrown their recruiting net across the Pacific to sign 24-year-old Bryan Dragus from Los Angeles, California.

On the strength of his first training session for the club on Monday night, having arrived in the country last Saturday, the Magpies have confirmed the 198cm / 98kg American, who has played just eight games of football in his life, will be included on the club’s 2010 QAFL Senior List.

Delegates from 15 Australian football leagues around Europe converged on Frankfurt last weekend to officially found the European Australian Football Association, the long-awaited first pan-European governing body for the sport of Australian rules football.

Following on from the summit held in conjunction with the 2009 EU Cup in Zagreb, the conference has seen a governance structure put in place, with the financial and logistical backing of the AFL.

From the Wall Street Journal: An interesting article that compares the head injuries of the AFL and the NFL. Our game is not as rough as some may think.

NOVEMBER 11, 2009 Is It Time to Retire the Football Helmet?

New Research Says Small Hits Do Major Damage—and There's Not Much Headgear Can Do About It

By REED ALBERGOTTI and SHIRLEY S. WANG

This football season, the debate about head injuries has reached a critical mass. Startling research has been unveiled. Maudlin headlines have been written. Congress called a hearing on the subject last month.