Recent news

Before the bouncedown of the Round 21 derby between West Coast and Fremantle, the Dockers were the younger colt in a 2 horse town. As the final sounded, Fremantle had not only earned the respect of West Coast, but the attention of the entire AFL community.

Fremantle humbled the top of the table and Premiership favourites in West Coast by an astonishing 57 points only one game away from finals, and in doing so has broken all kinds of club and derby records.

by Lisa reporting for AFANA from Chicago

New Plan For Telstra Dome
The AFL, Telstra Dome management, and its turf supplier have been working together for the past 2 years on a new plan to improve the playing surface at the Telstra Dome. Experiments with new turf have been conducted in secret at Essendon's training ground Windy Hill. The controversial Telstra Dome playing surface could be replaced as early as the end of this season.

It is believed that Telstra Dome manager Ian Collins, who has traveled extensively to Europe and the USA to learn about turf management, will soon head to Germany to look at stadia used during the recent World Cup Soccer games.  

Even late in the season, with finals beckoning and sides fighting for positions, there are some games that fans and experts alike question why they even take place. With the Brisbane Lions decimated by injuries and looking ahead to 2007, they were considered by many to be pushovers for a Sydney Swans side on their march towards an all-important Top Four position.

Brisbane came to Telstra Stadium with 12 players on their injury list, including key position players Jonathon Brown,

Future of Cable and Satellite Coverage in Australia Unclear (updated)

by Rob de Santos and Johnson Leung, reporting for AFANA

In a press release issued today (23 August 2006), Foxtel announced that at the end of this AFL season, the Fox Footy Channel (FFC) would cease operations.  The closure was blamed on "The positions taken by Seven and Ten and the delays and uncertainty over the future" leaving "FOXTEL with no option but to close its dedicated AFL FOX Footy Channel at the end of this season."  The apparent breakdown in negotiations between Foxtel and the Seven and Ten Networks leaves the future of pay television coverage in Australia in doubt. 

There is no immediate impact to viewers in North America as whatever networks

by Lisa reporting for AFANA from Chicago

AFL Canberra Deal
Manuka Oval, abandoned by the Kangaroos, will see AFL football next year with Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs agreeing to play one home game each for the next 3 years. A total of 4 games will be scheduled at Manuka, with a preseason NAB Cup game and one practice game to make up the other 2 matches. The Sydney Swans will be involved in at least one of these games as the away team.

In making the announcement AFL Chief Operating Officer Ben Buckley praised the Bulldogs and Melbourne for their support in helping to retain an AFL presence in Canberra. The Bulldogs have been playing one home game per year against Sydney at the SCG,