Canada

EMC sports - More than 100 of Canada's best women's Australian Rules Football players will be in the nation's capital to fight for the national championship title in October.

The Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club is excited to announce the club has won the bid to host the 2013 Women's Canadian National Championships Oct. 11 to 13.

Australian Rules Football, also known as the AFL or footy, is played widely in Australia through professional and recreational leagues. Internationally, especially on the women's side, the sport has been rapidly growing.

By Jacob Robinson, Simcoe Reformer
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 6:38:40 EDT PM

A multi-sport athlete growing up, Kendra Heil had no idea there was one missing piece to her athletic puzzle.

The Simcoe native found it this summer — Australian rules football.

“I think I fell in love with it because it’s a combination of every sport that I’ve ever played — basketball, volleyball, soccer, rugby,” said Heil. “It has something from everything and that made it very challenging but at the same time very pleasant because I got to use all my skills from previous sports.”

AFL Canada Northern Lights head coach Tristan Waldock has named the squad to compete against the US Freedom at the 49th Parallel Cup in Dublin OH on Aug 4, 2012.

For the first time, the women will be playing two games with a development squad and senior squad each taking the field.

Coach Waldock will be announcing the selection for the individual squads on Friday after getting a final look at his players in Dublin OH.

May 5, 2010 | Toronto, Ontario

The Hamilton Wildcats made history at Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Toronto this past Saturday (May 5).

Last season, the Ontario Australian Football League introduced women’s footy to its leagues to compliment the 11 Division 1 and six Division 2 men’s teams. The Wildcats found some minor interest but were unable to get enough players to field a women’s club for the 2011 season. But that wasn’t the case on Saturday and the results of an off-season recruiting and promoting program were evident.