Read more]]> Friday and Saturday were two fairly easy days with some light training and a bit of tactics for the weekends upcoming games. On the Saturday the NEAFL boys including me had a short session at the oval in Blacktown before the game Sunday against Sydney Swans reserves.

Sunday started really early because the NEAFL match started at 9:30am. In order for us to get there and do all the preparation in time I had to leave the house at 7:30am.

At the oval we did all the pre-game preparations and were told the lineup. I started on the bench and during the game I would be rotating with the forwards. It wasn’t  long into the 1st quarter before I had to rotate in and have my first appearance for the Giants. It was a great feeling being on the field with so many great players and they all did a great job helping me out with positioning myself in the right spots.

I wasn’t really nervous or anything I was just determined to go out and give it a 100% in every tackle, chase and contest. Throughout the game I started to gain more and more confidence and I had a few good tackles and a few touches. I even had a few shots at goal, one of them I should have kicked a goal but just a lack of concentration or maybe I was just too surprised that I actually had the opportunity to kick a goal and therefore I missed. I’m still a bit angry at myself for that.

The game continued and I played almost the whole 3rd quarter up in the forward line and had a few tackles and touches. Unfortunately Sydney were playing really good footy the whole game and we were only doing it for 5-8 minutes and the we would fall behind a bit. It all ended up with a loss 11-12-78 to 19-13-127 (Sydney are currently on top of the NEAFL Eastern ladder). Personally I had two behinds and a few good tackles and chases to put to my name. It was heaps of fun playing for the GWS Giants reserves and I’ve definitely made some great new memories out at the oval in Blacktown.

After the game we headed into Skoda stadium to see the first team take on the Adelaide Crows. Unfortunately it was a big win for the crows 29-13-187 to 7-10-52. After the game everyone headed up to the members bar for a post match function, and I got to say goodbye to everyone from club.

I’m now on my way to the airport and looking back it just seems like I arrived yesterday. It’s been a great time here in Sydney with the GWS Giants and everyone made me feel very welcome. Ahead of me is a 24 hour flight before I’ll be back in Denmark for one day to see my family and after that it’s straight back to Afghanistan for the last 3 months of deployment. It’s been a busy leave period from Afghanistan but I wouldn’t do it any different.

Thanks to AFL Europe for making this possible. Thanks to everyone at and around GWS Giants and a special thanks to Dylan Shiel and Adam Kennedy for having me in their home during my stay.

Go Giants.

Read more]]> As of the start of 2013 AFL Europe has signed a deal with Sherrin to become the Official ball supplier of AFL Europe. We will be the only place to purchase Sherrin balls in Europe. We have doen everything in our power to keep costs low and bring quality balls into Europe at an affordable price. We would like to thank Sherrin for partnering with us on this exciting journey of growing Australian Football in Europe.

We have landed our first shipment of Sherrin’s and they are now available for purchase.

Prices

Sherrin KB Red – £65 inc VAT + Postage

Sherrin KB Vegtan – £65 inc VAT + Postage

Sherrin Match Red – £55 inc VAT + Postage

Postage will be quoted on order numbers

NB. Purchaser will be responsible for any local import taxes incurred

Other balls for sale:

Burley Premier Red or Yellow – £60 inc VAT + Postage

Custom AFL Europe Leather – £15 inc VAT + Postage (suitable for training)

Custom AFL Europe Synthetic – £10 inc VAT + Postage

Custom AFL Europe Synthetic (Size 3) – £5 inc VAT + Postage (suitable for children between 5 – 12)

NB. All balls are size 5 Adult unless otherwise stated

Prices may fluctuate on future sales due to import, transport and duty costs.

To place and order please contact AFL Europe on ben.maccormack@afleurope.org

Read more]]> After a relaxing day off I was more than ready to have a Wednesday with a bit of training.

We stared out with a training session at Skoda stadium where the Giants usually play their home games. This great venue is also where they take on the Adelaide Crows next Sunday. It was a good training and a very hard session where we got to do skills, tackling, spoiling and goal kicking. Besides that we had a really intense handball game and 18 v 18 at the end.

After the session we had a great ice-bath and lunch before we headed back to the club for weights and Pilates.

In the evening the whole team went out to a great restaurant called Noi Dui for an amazing dinner.

Thursday was a bit more relaxing but we still had to do a boxing session which was really hard on your shoulders but still was a lot of fun. After that we went straight to weight training where the main focus was on the upper body region.

We were also told which team we are going to play with on the weekend and I’m going to play for the NEAFL team against Sydney Swans on Sunday before the Seniors take on the Adelaide Crows.

The NEAFL are going to play out in Blacktown were I have played before with the The Danish Vikings during IC11 and scored my first goal for our national team. I already have great memories from this oval and after next Sunday I’ll have many more.

Thanks for everyones support and messages on Facebook.

Read more]]> I’m back in Sydney after a great couple of days in Melbourne catching up with friends and watching footy at Etihad stadium.

Unfortunately the GWS Giants were not able to end high-flying Essendon’s winning streak and bring the first defeat to them this season even though the Giants played really great 1st and 2nd quarters and were in front at half time.

Essendon had a great 3rd quarter and after that it seemed like everything just worked their way and they ended up winning 120-81.

Monday started at 8am for the boys who didn’t play on the weekend with a training session at the new training ground Tom Wills oval (he was a 19th-century sportsman who is considered one of the pioneers of the sport of Australian rules football). Afterwards we had a short pool session and then we headed back to the club for review of the Essendon match and weight’s training.

Adam Kennedy and I were invited to dinner at Nick Walsh’s (fitness trainer at the club) and we had a really good evening with him and his girlfriend.

Tuesday was a day off so I spent the day looking around in Sydney and catching up with a friend of mine. A good relaxing day so I’m ready for a great day of training tomorrow.

Read more]]> Tuesday is normally a day off for the GWS Giants and this week was no exception. So while my housemates Adam and Dylan went to university to do some work I had a relaxing day back at the house.

Wednesday was the first day where I was supposed to have an on ground footy session with the boys. I was really looking forward to being back on field and a part of the great game of footy which I haven’t played since the Euro Cup 2012 in Edinburgh.

After a good warm-up we had a few kicking/leading drills and I got to feel the speed and skill level of professional AFL football. It was an amazing thing to be a part of, the players and coaches were really helpful with me during the drills that were all totally new to me.

I was training with the midfielders during this session and we had a little handball game which was quite intense! The session ended with a 18 aside full field match which was a lot of fun. After the session we had a bit of a stretch and ice-bath before we headed back to the club for lunch, pilates and leg weights training.The whole day ended with a team meeting where Kevin Sheedy announced the team for the match against Essendon.

Sheeds gave the guys an extra day to rest, so the only thing we had to do Thursday was massages and then enjoy the rest of the day. I also had a bit of media at the Skoda stadium which was kinda fun to try. See his interview here

I’ve been granted to go down to Melbourne and watch the boys play against Essendon this weekend and visit some friends since the reserves aren’t playing, so that’ll be a really good experience and a good match to watch at Ethiad stadium in Melbourne.

Read more]]> Aksel’s Diary Day 1:

After serving with the Danish Army for 3 months and a long flight from Afghanistan to Denmark (home) I didn’t really want to spend the next 24 hours on a plane to Sydney. Then I started to think about why I was undertaking this journey: A 17 day international scholarship with the GSW Giants. All of a sudden the long flight didn’t bother me at all, and I was really excited to have a great experience and be a part of a real AFL club.

After a night in Sydney I got picked up by Ady one of the staff members of the club and he drove me out to one of the many Sydney suburbs where I was going to live during my stay. The house was owned by Adam Kennedy and Dylan Shine, and they had a spare room I was able to move into.

They are really great blokes and we had a relaxing Sunday on the couch with Fifa and Footy on the television.

The boys were a bit worn out after the match against the Gold Coast Suns which they unfortunately lost 104 – 148.

Especially Dylan who’s direct opponent was Gary Ablett.

Monday I had my first day down at the club and met a lot of people. I’m trying to remember everyone’s name and face but it’s pretty hard. My housemates did a really good job looking out for me and helping me during the whole day.

We started the day with a pool session and then we had a light weight session. All good fun! After lunch we had a review of the match against Gold Coast Suns where they pointed out what they had to keep doing as a team and what they had to improve. A lot of statistics and a lot different from what I’m used to with soccer. Every move on the footy field is noticed and analysed.

We then went for a 5 min drive to a field where we had a light session with handballs, kicks and a soccer match before we returned to the club for massages. A really great first day with the GWS Giants.

Read more]]> In what can only be described as an amazing experience AFL Europe’s Chairman and General Manager, Chris Dow and Ben MacCormack recently attended the 5th edition of the ANZAC Cup played in historic Villers-Bretonneux, France. This event has been built by the French league and a proud bunch of Australian Ex-Pats with a deep connection to the area and the Australian Armed Forces.

From the moment of arrival on Friday night at the organised dinner the spirit amongst both the French and Australians was obvious. Hearing the stories of why people from both sides had made the journey to represent their countries was emotional and inspiring.

Early on the Saturday morning both teams attended a wreath laying service at the Australian War Memorial dedicated to nearly 11,000 departed Australian soliders on the battlefields of France during WW1. In the graves at the site lay brothers at arm’s from our neighbours New Zealand and allies from the UK, Canada and Ireland. This is a truely special place.

After hearing stories of bravery and sheer determination to take the town of Villers-Bretonneux in a fierce battle three years after the bloodshed of Gallipoli on ANZAC Day it was time for a group of Australian’s to pull on the national jumper and play our indigenous game against the French national team.

The game was physical and the contest willing as both sides worked hard to gain the early advantage. A strong mark and goal by Albury native Reece Tanner got the Aussies started and this was celebrated with earnest. It was to prove the only time the team lead a well drilled and much fitter French team. They certainly grow them tall in France as the Australian team was undersized and looking outmatched.

After revisiting the values of the ANZAC’s the Aussies came out hard in the 2nd quarter and fought back strongly to get within 2 goals at half time. This certainly felt like a game to go to the wire.

With a stiffening breeze blowing straight down the short ground the French piled on the pain in the 3rd quarter kicking 7 goals to 2 in what proved to be the decisive blow. The French bigs were dominant around the ground while the smalls run out the game strongly.

The last quarter saw an early fightback by the Aussies to draw within 3 goals with plenty of time to spare. Fitness proved the difference as the quarter continued the Aussies were out on their feet. To their credit they never gave up and tried right until the siren which certainly honoured the past heroes of this area.

Q1: France 6.7.43 – 2.2.14 Australia

Q2: France 10.10.70 – 8.6.54 Australia

Q3: France 17.13.115 – 10.8.68 Australia

Q4: France 21.16.142 – 15.11.101 Australia

Goal Kickers:

France: James-Robert Theis 4 / Wilfried Houvion 3 / Grégoire Patacq 3 / Emilien Martinez 3 / Valentin Mendoza 3 / Loïc Besnard 2 / Julien Bonnefoi 1 / Nicolas Vautrin 1 / Guillaume Lautré 1

Australia: Reece Tanner 4 / Jamie Wilson 4 / Joe Durling 2 / Ben MacCormack 2 / Nathan O’Neill 2 / Huw Ryan 1

Best on ground : Grégoire Patacq & Reece Tanner

Full gallery

Channel 7 report on the event