USAFL National Championships explained

The USAFL National Championships is a tournament for Australian rules football in the United States.

Since 1997, the National Championships have been a large event featuring teams from the United States and Canada in four men's divisions and two women's divisions. The competition is organized and run by the United States Australian Football League.

History

The first championships were held in Cincinnati in 1997, and they were won by the host Cincinnati Dockers. The Queen City would host the first three Nationals, with the 1998 edition welcoming 10 teams. The 2017 edition saw the largest turnout in the history of the carnival; 53 teams representing 42 clubs across North America took part, including a record 13 women's teams representing 27 USAFL and AFL Canada clubs.

The Denver Bulldogs have been the most successful club at Nationals, winning Men's Division 1 eight times, Women's Division 1 six times, and Men's Division 4 once. The Austin Crows have won the second most titles, picking up their fifth Men's D1 crown in 2021. The New York Magpies, San Diego Lions and Boston Demons are the only other multiple Men's D1 winners, each having won twice.

Canadian clubs were first invited to the USAFL Championships in 2006. The first Canadian champions were the Vancouver Cougars and Calgary Kookaburras in 2008. The Calgary Kangaroos have won four Division 2 premierships while the AFL Quebec Saints have won two.

In 2005, the first USAFL Women's championships were held and were won by the Atlanta Lady Kookaburras. The Lady Kookas took home the first three premierships until 2008, when their 19-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Calgary Kookaburras. The Denver Lady Bulldogs then won six consecutive titles from 2010 to 2015, winning 20 consecutive games in the process until losing to the Minnesota Freeze. Their string of premierships ended at the hands of the San Francisco Iron Maidens, who have since gone on to claim seven-in-a-row of their own from 2016 to 2023.

Format

The USAFL tournament seeding committee sets the divisions and seeding of all teams at least two weeks prior to the tournament. Teams are placed in divisions based on season performance, regional championships performance, previous Nationals’ performance, and team player availability. Teams are then seeded within each division, with teams that are geographically close together usually separated by pool to avoid matchups during the season repeating in the group stage. Clubs that aren't able to field full sides are combined with others to ensure that everyone is able to play.

The Men's Division 2 was created for the 1999 tournament, and has been used since 2001. Men's Division 3 was introduced in 2002, and Division 4 was added in 2007. A standalone reserves division was used in 2017, 2018, and 2021. A second women's division was created to accommodate combined teams in 2015, though the women's competition reverted to one division in 2021 due to reduced numbers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Matches at Nationals are 40 minutes long, which is half the length of a typical full Australian football match. Usually, matches are played as two, twenty-minute halves with no time on. For the 2021 tournament this was changed to four, ten-minute quarters to allow for restrictions surrounding water runners as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finals matches that are tied after forty minutes of play are decided by a five-minute extra time period, followed by golden point rules if the match is still tied.

Each team is guaranteed three games on the weekend, usually two on Saturday and one on Sunday. Each division's Grand Final is played on Sunday afternoon, with the Men's Division 1 Grand Final being the final match of the weekend.

The top three men's divisions and women's Division 1 are played as 18-a-side. All teams in Divisions One and men's Division Two must be single entity squads; they may not combine with other teams. Men's Division Three is played as 16-a-side if both teams agree. Division Four is played 14-a-side or 16-a-side, and women's Division two is played 14- or 16-a-side. As of 2017, in all divisions each team is permitted to dress a maximum of 24 players.

All Divisions are subject to the "50-50 Rule", which requires at least half of the players on the field at any one time to be "nationals" of the country that their team represents. Players of other origin are considered "non-nationals." Prior to 2009, the players were designated "Australian" and "non-Australian", with at least half of the players on the field needing to be "non-Australian."

In addition to premiership medals, awards are also given to outstanding players in each division. The Paul Roos Medal, named after the former AFL player and coach and former US Revolution coach, is awarded to each division's Best and Fairest. The Coopers Medal goes to the most consistent player in each division, while the Geoff Cann Medal goes to each of the Grand Final MVP's. The umpires of the Grand Final in each division are each awarded the Hayden Kennedy medal.

Locations

The USAFL had previously attempted to keep Nationals in the Midwestern part of the United States in order to keep travel costs down for teams on the East and West coasts, and for all teams to be able to bring as many players as they can. At the league's 2014 annual general meeting, USAFL president Denis Ryan stated that he wanted to have the three regions, East, Central, and West, alternate hosting duties.[1]

The 2020 Nationals tournament, originally scheduled for Ontario, California the weekend of October 10–11, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ontario would later host the 2022 Nationals.[2]

USAFL Nationals host venues
YearDateHost CityVenue
2024October 11-12Austin, TexasOnion Creek Sports Park5600 E William Cannon Dr, Austin, TX 78744
2023 October 14-15 Sarasota/Bradenton, FloridaPremier Sports Campus. Lakewood Ranch
2022 October 11-12Ontario, California[3] Silverlakes Sports Park, Norco
2021 October 16-17Austin, Texas[4] Onion Creek Sports Park
  • 2020
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 October 12-13Premier Sports Campus. Lakewood Ranch
2018 October 13-14Racine, Wisconsin[5] Soccer Complex of Racine, Franksville
2017 October 21-22San Diego, California[6] Surf Cup Sports Park, Del Mar
2016 October 15-16Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida[7] [8] Premier Sports Campus. Lakewood Ranch
2015 October 17-18Austin, Texas[9] [10] Onion Creek Sports Park
2014 October 11-12Dublin, Ohio[11] Daree Fields
2013 October 19-20Austin, Texas[12] Onion Creek Sports Park
2012 October 13-14Mason, Ohio[13] Heritage Oak Park
2011 October 7-8Austin, Texas[14] Onion Creek Sports Park
2010 October 10-11Louisville, Kentucky[15] [16] Champions Park
2009 October 9-10Mason, Ohio[17] Heritage Oak Park
2008 October 11-12United States Air Force Academy
2007 October 13-14Champions Park
2006 October 7-8Star Nursery Field at Sam Boyd Stadium
2005 October 1-2Milwaukee Polo Fields, Merton
2004 October 9-10Atlanta Polo Grounds
2003 October 4-5
2002
2001 October 17-18Rosecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, Maryland
2000 October 14-15
1999
1998
1997 Cincinnati, Ohio[18]

Yearly Results

YearMen's USAFL Div 1 Grand FinalWomen's USAFL Div 1 Grand Final
PremierG.B (Total)Runner UpG.B (Total)PremierG.B (Total)Runner UpG.B (Total)
1997Cincinnati Dockers (1)Nashville Kangaroos
1998Boston Demons (1)15.7 (97)Golden Gate Roos1.1 (7)
1999Boston Demons (2)4.2 (26)Golden Gate Roos3.2 (20)
2000Denver Bulldogs (1)3.4 (22)San Diego Lions3.2 (20)
2001San Diego Lions (1)10.4 (64)Boston Demons2.5 (17)
2002Denver Bulldogs (2)8.1 (49)0.2 (2)
2003Denver Bulldogs (3)8.5 (53)1.3 (9)
2004Denver Bulldogs (4)2.6 (18)New York Magpies1.1 (7)
2005Denver Bulldogs (5)4.8 (32)Milwaukee Bombers1.1 (7)Atlanta Kookaburras (1)6.5 (41)Florida Fusion2.1 (13)
2006San Diego Lions (2)4.9 (33)Denver Bulldogs2.0 (12)Atlanta Kookaburras (2)3.10 (28)Pacific Coast Highwayers0.0 (0)
2007Denver Bulldogs (6)3.3 (21)San Diego Lions2.3 (15)Atlanta Kookaburras (3)7.7 (49)Arizona Hawks0.0 (0)
2008Vancouver Cougars (1)4.4 (28)Baltimore Washington Eagles2.0 (12)Calgary Kookaburras (1)4.3 (27)Atlanta Kookaburras3.4 (22)
2009Denver Bulldogs (7)2.5 (17)2.2 (14)Milwaukee Bombers (1)8.3 (51)Calgary Kookaburras1.5 (11)
2010New York Magpies (1)4.4 (28)Denver Bulldogs1.1 (7)Denver Bulldogs (1)3.1 (19)Calgary/Montréal2.6 (18)
2011Denver Bulldogs (8)3.2 (20)Calgary Kangaroos0.5 (5)Denver Bulldogs (2)3.7 (25)New York/Montréal 0.1 (1)
2012Vacated[19] Denver Bulldogs (3)3.4 (22)Boston/Baltimore-Washington 0.0 (0)
Austin Crows (1)4.2 (26)Calgary Kangaroos4.1 (25)Denver Bulldogs (4)3.7 (25)San Francisco Iron Maidens0.0 (0)
New York Magpies (2)2.4 (16)Orange County Bombers2.1 (13)Denver Bulldogs (5)2.3 (15)San Francisco/Portland/Arizona0.4 (4)
2015Austin Crows (2)4.4 (28)Orange County Bombers2.4 (16)Denver Bulldogs (6)1stNew York Magpies2nd
2016Austin Crows (3)6.3 (39)Golden Gate Roos2.1 (13)San Francisco Iron Maidens (1)1stDenver Bulldogs2nd
2017Golden Gate Roos (1)6.4 (40)Los Angeles Dragons2.2 (14)San Francisco Iron Maidens (2)2.2 (14)Denver Bulldogs1.0 (6)
2018Austin Crows (4)4.6 (30)Golden Gate Roos4.1 (25)San Francisco Iron Maidens (3)3.2 (20)Seattle Grizzlies0.0 (0)
2019Austin Crows (5)8.3 (51)Denver Bulldogs1.2 (8)San Francisco Iron Maidens (4)2.2 (14)Seattle Grizzlies0.3 (3)
2021Austin Crows (6)10.8 (68)New York Magpies2.2 (14)San Francisco Iron Maidens (5)5.4 (34)Denver Bulldogs2.5 (17)
2022Austin Crows (7)6.3 (39)Denver Bulldogs2.4 (16)San Francisco Iron Maidens (6)6.4 (40)Minnesota Freeze1.1 (7)
2023Austin Crows (8)5.3 (33)Denver Bulldogs2.4 (16)Golden Gate Iron Maidens (7)2.2 (14)Minnesota Freeze1.2 (8)
YearMen's USAFL Div 2 Grand FinalMen's USAFL Div 3 Grand Final
PremierG.B (Total)Runner UpG.B (Total)PremierG.B (Total)Runner UpG.B (Total)
1999 Baltimore Washington Eagles3.4 (22)Southern Crusaders*1.4.10
2001 New York Magpies3.8 (26)Atlanta Kookaburras2.3 (15)
2002 Orange County Bombers7.3 (45)Golden Gate Roos2.3 (15) Philadelphia Hawks3.8 (26)Milwaukee Bombers 2.2 (14)
2003 Milwaukee Bombers4.2 (26)Golden Gate Roos3.1 (19)Kansas City Power6.7 (43)North Carolina Tigers0.3 (3)
2004 Arizona Hawks3.4 (22)Philadelphia Hawks3.4 (20)Cincinnati Dockers8.5 (53)Kansas City Power 3.2 (20)
2005 Golden Gate Roos7.3 (45)Philadelphia Hawks1.4 (10)Minnesota Freeze4.3 (27)Baton Rouge Tigers3.3 (21)
2006 Baltimore Washington Eagles10.9 (69)Minnesota Freeze2.0 (12)Las Vegas Gamblers 7.5 (47)Baton Rouge Tigers5.1 (31)
2007 Minnesota Freeze3.5 (23)Seattle Grizzlies2.2 (14)Saint Louis Blues4.7 (31)2.4 (16)
2008 Seattle Grizzlies 3.4 (22)Calgary Kangaroos0.3 (3)Kansas City Power3.8 (26)Austin Crows1.2 (8)
2009 Calgary Kangaroos5.8 (38)Milwaukee Bombers3.2 (20)Dallas Magpies8.3 (51)Austin Crows1.2 (8)
2010 Calgary Kangaroos11.8 (74)Minnesota Freeze5.1 (34)Austin Crows4.4 (28)Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids2.5 (17)
2011 Dallas Magpies8.6 (52)Austin Crows0.5 (5)Arizona Hawks5.2 (32)Atlanta Kookaburras3.1 (19)
2012 Minnesota Freeze1.6 (12)Los Angeles Dragons0.3 (3)Chicago Swans4.7 (31)3.4 (22)
Columbus Jackaroos 5.5 (35)Los Angeles Dragons1.5 (11)Houston Lonestars3.5 (23)Sacramento Suns0.1 (1)
Los Angeles Dragons11.3 (69)Columbus Jackaroos1.0 (6)Sacramento Suns7.1 (43)Philadelphia Hawks0.5 (5)
2015Quebec Saints3.9 (27)Sacramento Suns0.0 (0)Portland Steelheads5.7 (37)Cincinnati Dockers1.3 (9)
2016Calgary Kangaroos6.3 (39)Columbus Jackaroos0.3 (3)Portland Steelheads7.4 (46)North Carolina Tigers3.4 (22)
2017Quebec Saints5.6 (36)Orange County Bombers1.1 (7)Seattle Grizzlies4.3 (27)San Diego Lions3.2 (20)
2018Minnesota Freeze5.7 (37)Portland Steelheads3.0 (18)Philadelphia Hawks7.4 (46)Cincinnati Dockers3.2 (20)
2019San Diego Lions4.4 (28)Baltimore Dockers1.4 (10)Boston Demons4.2 (26)Columbus Cats2.3 (15)
2021D.C. Eagles8.0 (48)Boston Demons1.5 (11)Arizona Hawks6.6 (42)Oklahoma Okies2.1 (13)
2022Boston Demons5.3 (33)Sacramento Suns3.5 (23)Denver Bulldogs (R)5.3 (33)Arizona Hawks0.3 (3)
2023Sacramento Suns4.6 (30)Seattle Grizzlies4.3 (27)Philadelphia Hawks7.8 (50)Oklahoma Buffaloes2.2 (14)

List of USAFL National Championship Premiers (Men)

TeamsPremiersRunner UpTotalYear(s) wonYear(s) lost
Denver Bulldogs85132000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
2007, 2009, 2011
2006, 2010, 2019, 2022, 2023
Austin Crows8082013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
San Diego Lions2352001, 20062000, 2002, 2007
Boston Demons2241998, 19992001, 2003
New York Magpies2352010, 20142004, 2012, 2021
Golden Gate Roos13420171998, 1999, 2016
Cincinnati Dockers1011997
Vancouver Cougars1012008

List of USAFL National Championship Premiers (Women)

TeamsPremiersRunner UpTotalYear(s) wonYear(s) lost
San Francisco / Golden Gate Iron Maidens7292016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 20232013, 2014
Denver Bulldogs6392010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2015
2016, 2017, 2021
Atlanta Kookaburras3142005, 2006, 20072008
Calgary Kookaburras11220082009
Milwaukee Bombers1012009
*In 2016, the Bulldogs finished second in a round robin where no Grand Final was played.

See also

References

  1. Web site: Barrish. Brian. October 21, 2014. Ryan: Future Relies on Coaching, Recruiting, and Schedule. USAFL.com.
  2. Web site: Barrish. Brian. July 16, 2020. USAFL Nationals 2020 Update. USAFL.com.
  3. https://usafl.com/tournament/october-14-2022-1100am/2022-usafl-nationals 2022 USAFL Nationals
  4. Web site: Stevens. Rhiannon. October 25, 2021. 'Everyone who plays this sport is a little crazy': America's Aussie Rules football league is turning 25. ABC.net.au.
  5. Web site: Racine in 2018 - USAFL Nationals Head to Wisconsin. Publicnow.
  6. Web site: News from the Consulate. Australian Consulate-General, Los Angeles. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. November 22, 2017. November 2017.
  7. Web site: Neumann. Thomas. Mason Cox Q&A: Surgery, finals and citizenship. ESPN.com. January 20, 2018. October 17, 2016.
  8. Web site: Neumann. Thomas. North American clubs put their best footy forward. ESPN.com. January 20, 2018. October 18, 2016.
  9. News: Rine. Jessica. Sacramento Australian Football League to host the Western Regional Tournament in Davis. January 20, 2018. Sactown Magazine. June 10, 2015.
  10. News: Walker. Chris. The Lady Bulldogs Are the Most Winning Team in Sports-Crazed Denver. January 20, 2018. Westword. October 13, 2015.
  11. News: Bishop. Amy. What Is Australian Rules Football? - Sacramento Press. January 20, 2018. Sacramento Press. 6 May 2014.
  12. Web site: Australia Football in America. Finding Houston. January 20, 2018. en. October 17, 2013.
  13. Web site: Beyond Bounds: Minn. Squad Nets National Football Title - Australian Style. January 20, 2018. CBS Minnesota. October 26, 2012. en.
  14. Web site: Q&A with Saints linebacker Craig Robertson. 20 January 2018. NewOrleansSaints.com.
  15. News: Hossana. Paida. Australian Rules Football Club - Sacramento Press. January 20, 2018. Sacramento Press. March 28, 2011.
  16. News: Lieburn. Sara. MBA student finds 'footy' success. January 20, 2018. news.wisc.edu. November 11, 2010.
  17. News: Carpenter. Les. Baltimore Washington Eagles Australian Rules Football Club Is Now More About Winning Than Drinking. January 20, 2018. Washington Post. October 8, 2009.
  18. Book: US Footy Ten Year Commemorative Book. USAFL. 6. January 20, 2018.
  19. Web site: October 30, 2012. 2012 Division One Championship Vacated. USAFL.com.

External links