United States Australian Football League
Template:Short description Template:Redirect-distinguish Template:Infobox Sports league The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) is the governing body for Australian rules football in the United States. It was conceived in 1996 and organized in 1997. It is based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
As of 2011, there were over 1,000 registered USAFL players.[1][2] There are 48 member clubs, of which 47 have men's teams (all except North Star Blue Ox) and 25 have women's teams.[3] Most of the football clubs in the United States have a traditional 18-a-side team for representative purposes and multiple 9-a-side teams running in a local league.
Each year the USAFL holds a National club championship, a tournament open to all clubs across the nation, the largest of its type in the world for the sport. In addition to the Nationals, the USAFL holds major regional tournaments including the Central, East and West regional tournaments.[4]
The USAFL selects the national men's (USA Revolution) and women's (USA Freedom) teams for competitions such as the Australian Football International Cup and the 49th Parallel Cup.
History
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The first match between two local US clubs was played in 1996 between Cincinnati and Louisville.[5] In the first year the Mid American Australian Football League was formed. Many of the local players had found out about the game in the 1980s on television via the then-nascent ESPN cable network. Although the local game grew, ESPN no longer broadcast AFL matches, and in response the lobby group, Australian Football Association of North America was formed.
In 1997, the first club national championships were held in Cincinnati. Nashville hosted the first Australian Grand Final Festival in the same year. The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) was formed in 1997 to govern the code in the country.
The involvement of many well-known Australians has helped boost the relations between the USAFL and AFL. In the early days, Paul Roos was a key figure.
Robert DiPierdomenico, Leigh Matthews and Michael Voss are official USAFL ambassadors.
National teams
USAFL is responsible for the co-ordination of the National Teams, the USA Revolution men's team and the USA Freedom women's team. The team plays in international tournaments and exhibition matches against other countries. National team players are selected from the best US-born players from the club teams across the country.
With close proximity to Canada, the Revolution & Freedom participate in the annual 49th Parallel Cup against Canada each year except for years of the Australian Football International Cup. As of the last edition in 2023, the Revolution men have won eleven of the twelve meetings against the Canada Northwind, while the Freedom women have fallen to the Canada Northern Lights in five of seven contests.
The Revolution competed in the 2002 Australian Football International Cup, finishing 5th out of 11 countries and in the 2005 Australian Football International Cup finishing 3rd out of 10 countries. They competed in the 2008 Australian Football International Cup, where the Revolution finished 7th out of 16 countries. At the 2011 Australian Football International Cup, the Revolution finished 4th in an increased field of 18 countries. The Revolution finished 8th at the 2014 Australian Football International Cup, again with 18 countries participating. They would come in 4th at the 2017 Australian Football International Cup which, as of 2024, was the last edition.
After completing a tour of Australia in 2009, the Freedom were one of five teams to compete in the first International Cup Women's Division at the 2011 Australian Football International Cup, finishing third. At the 2014 Australian Football International Cup, the Freedom finished in third place again while a reserves team, the USA Liberty, came in last of the seven competing teams. Three years later, the Freedom finished fourth at the 2017 Australian Football International Cup while the Liberty went 3-2 in five matches against teams from various leagues in and around Melbourne.
After the postponement and subsequent cancellation of the International Cup in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, both the Revolution and Freedom took part in the 2024 AFL Transatlantic Cup, one of three regional tournaments scheduled by the AFL to sustain the international Aussie Rules game until the International Cup could be restored. Both American teams would advance to the Grand Final, and both would lose to Ireland.
Domestic tournaments and competitions
USAFL clubs and representative sides
Football Map
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USAFL Senior Teams[6]
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Associate Members (via AFL Canada)
| Colours | Club | Nickname | City | State | Region | Est. | Titles (M) | Titles (F) | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | Kangaroos | Calgary | Alberta | AFL Canada | 2002 | 1 | Link | ||
| Quebec | Saints | Montreal | Quebec | AFL Canada | 2008 | Link |
USAFL Collegiate Teams
| Club | Nickname | City | State | Region | Est. | Senior Club Affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | Bearcats | Cincinnati | Ohio | Central | 2024 | Cincinnati Dockers |
| William & Mary | Tribe | Williamsburg | Virginia | East | 2024 | Virginia Lions |
Previous clubs
| Colours | Club | Nickname | Years in competition | Reason for Disbandment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Outlaws | 2018 - 2021 | Absorbed back into Arizona Hawks | |
| Baltimore Washington | Eagles | 1998 - 2017 | Split to form Baltimore Dockers and DC Eagles | |
| Charleston | Saints | 2011 - 2015 | Folded | |
| Centennial | Tigers | 2020 - 2022 | Withdrew from league | |
| Detroit | Overdrive | 1999 - 2006 | Folded | |
| Florida | Redbacks | 1999 - 2013 | Folded | |
| Illinois | Ironmen | 2000 - 2004 | Merged with Chicago Swans | |
| Inland Empire | Eagles | 1997 - 2002 | Folded | |
| Lehigh Valley | Crocs | 1999 - 2003 | Absorbed by Philadelphia Hawks | |
| Little Rock | Coyotes | 2017 - 2021 | Folded | |
| Los Angeles | Crows | 1996 - 2003 | Folded | |
| Mojave | Greens | 2003 - 2006 | Folded | |
| Oklahoma City | Flyers | 2016 - 2017 | Absorbed into Oklahoma Buffaloes | |
| Pittsburgh | Wallabies | 2004 - 2006 | Absorbed by Philadelphia Hawks | |
| South Carolina | Hawks | 1999 - 2001 | Folded | |
| St. Petersburg | Swans | 2014 - 2017 | Left to create Major League Footy, both folded in 2019 | |
| Tri Cities | Saints | 1999 - 2004 | Folded | |
| Tucson | Javelinas | 1999 - 2004 | Folded |
Affiliated leagues
- Mid American Australian Football League
- Eastern Australian Football League
- Southern California Australian Football League
See also
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References
External links
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