Player Pathway
Ausball is designed as an introduction to Australian Football. It is a modified, minimal contact game designed for both children & adults to teach the basics of this great game. It is the beginning of a pathway to a lifetime infatuation with one of the worlds most athletic & fast team sports.
Choosing Australian Football as a sport also offers US athletes unique opportunities with some very achievable outcomes. From players with the most basic of ability, all the way through to elite athletes, opportunities to travel, live & work in Australia & to represent the US in international competition are all possible.
Ausball
Non or minimal contact version of Australian Football designed for US schools or adult sport & recreational leagues
Metro
USAFL club intra-mural leagues of usually 9 - 15 a side. These are full contact leagues, but as they are in house, the intensity is usually at a lower level due to all players "technically" being on the same team. These leagues are primarily used for the development of US players.
USAFL Clubs
USAFL clubs can be found all across the country, with new clubs forming every year. Games are usually played at 18 a-side with the year ending in a National tournament every 2nd weekend of October. This is the largest Australian Football tournament in the world, including Australia.
Living & Working in Australia playing Australian Football
Because of Australia's community based sports system, clubs exist all across our vast country, in cities, country towns & even the outback. The local Australian Football club is often the glue that binds these communities together & many of these clubs would gladly welcome a young American athlete to play with them for a season, helping them with visas, accommodation & even temporary work.....more info
The World Team
Every year the Australian Football League (AFL) hosts an under 16 National championships in the early weeks of July. The elite of Australian Football's junior talent represent their states over a two week carnival. These athletes make up the bulk of AFL draft nominations two years later, when they qualify for football's premier competition. In 2009 the AFL introduced a world team into the U/16 Championships, with eligible players coming from all over the globe & being allowed to be up to 18 years of age in the year of competition. Extremely pleased with the outcomes of the World XVIII in both '09 & '10, the AFL has committed to continuing the program.
In 2010, Dan Lehane, of the New York Magpies, was the first US player to make the World team. Read all about Dan's trip here
The US Revolution & Freedom teams
The USAFL has both Men's (Revolution) & Women's (Freedom) National teams. Every three years the AFL hosts the International Cup of Australian Football, where countries from all over the world come to compete in the quest to be IC champions. The next Cup is in 2014........read all about IC11 here
In non IC years, the US teams play Canada in the 49th Parallel Cup.
Because Australian Football is still in it's early stages of development here in the US, the progression from Ausball to National teams can be astonishingly quick. Five of this year's National representatives came through the Ausball pathway, with two of them only playing their first Ausball games just three years ago.
The AFL
The AFL is the premier Australian Football competition in the world. Players are full time professionals with players averaging $230,000 a year & the games elite earning up to $800,000 a year. In 2009, Collingwood, rookie listed American basketballer Shae McNamara, who had never played a game of Australian Football before in his life. Immersed into the game, Shae, while not having played a senior game yet, is still on Collingwood's list & working hard to break into the senior team in 2012. Follow Shae's blog
Contact
It is important at this time that we address what contact is in Australian Football, as it is a large impediment to participation in the game for many US athletes due to their perception, or mental model, of what contact is. Most American's mental model of contact is a visualization of the ferocity & intensity of collisions or tackles in the NFL. Ask an Australian Football person the same question & they visualize a contest for the ball of far less ferocity where all participants continue to partake in the game.
With its free flowing nature & objective of passing the ball before contact is made, the skills of handballing & kicking occur far more often than tackling. In short, Australian Football is a skill based, passing game, whereas American Football & Rugby are tackle based games. However, as contact does occur in Australian Football, injuries can be sustained along with any and all associated risks.
