USAFL
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| Sport | Australian rules football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Inaugural season | 1997 |
| No. of teams | 37 (men's) and 13 (women's) |
| Country | USA |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Austin Crows (3rd premiership) |
| Most titles |
Denver Bulldogs (8 premierships) |
| Official website | www |
The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) is a 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.
In 2011, there were 10,000 registered players. There are 37 men's clubs and 13 club's teams. Most of the football clubs in the U.S.A. have a traditional 18-a-side team for representative purposes and multiple 9-a-side teams running in a local league.
The first match between two local US clubs was played in 1996 between Cincinnati and Louisville. 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 and ESPN. 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.
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.
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