United States men's national Australian rules football team

Last updated

United States
Flag of the United States.svg
Nickname(s)Revolution
Head coachKyle Strenski
Rankings
CurrentSteady2.svg 6th (as of October 2022 [1] )
First international
1999 49th Parallel Cup [2]
United States vs. Canada
Flag of the United States.svg 10.15 (75) def. Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg 8.7 (55)
International Cup
Appearances6 (first in 2002)
Best result3rd (2005)

The United States national Australian rules football team, nicknamed the Revolution, represents the United States of America in the sport of Australian rules football. The Revolution are named after the American Revolution (an event which gave the country separation from the British Empire) and wear the colors of the American flag.

Contents

The team plays in international tournaments, including the Australian Football International Cup, as well as exhibition matches against other countries. The US national team has participated in every International Cup since its inception in 2002. The team's best result has been third behind New Zealand and Papua New Guinea at the 2005 Australian Football International Cup. [3] [4]

Revolution players are selected from United States-born players from USAFL clubs across the country. [5] [6]

History

International fieldball: USA v Young Australia. Presidio of San Francisco. 1 October 1911 2021-10-04 11 54 36-San Francisco Call 25 September 1911 -- California Digital Newspaper Collection.png
International fieldball: USA v Young Australia. Presidio of San Francisco. 1 October 1911

The first American representative team was assembled from grammar schools and took part in three reciprocal tours of Australia with international matches played at junior level between 1909 and 1919, the game in the US at the time was known as Fieldball and it competed against Australia in 1911 in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 in San Francisco. In addition to the matches against Australia, the team also competed against Canada in 1911 and 1915. It was disbanded in the 1920s and it would be another three quarters of a century before a team was again assembled to compete at international level.

Australian football legend Paul Roos coached the national side's inaugural game in 1999 at Chicago (Naperville, 8/1/99) to victory over Canada USA 10:15(75) CAN 8:12(60) before returning to Australia be appointed as coach of the Australian Football League side the Sydney Swans.

Gary Hill of the Milwaukee Bombers succeeded Roos, coaching the Revolution from 2000 to 2001.

Under 2006 head coach Tom Ellis, the Revolution lost in a lopsided score to the ex-patriate team (the All-comers) in a January 2006 match played as a curtain raiser to the AFL exhibition match held at UCLA.

On November 2, 2006, it was announced that Australian Trevor Lovitt would be the new Revolution head coach. Lovitt had served as an assistant coach (1998-2001) with the Noble Park Football Club (a premier division Eastern Football League club), winning the premiership twice, and twice finishing runner-up. In 2002 and 2003, Trevor served as the head coach of Mulgrave Football Club’s (division 2 Eastern Football League) senior team which finished 3rd in 2002 and 2nd in 2003. From 2003 to 2005, he was an assistant with Frankston Football Club in the Victorian Football League. He also served as a recruiting officer for Port Adelaide Football Club in 2004 and 2005.

Action from USA Revolution vs China during the 2008 International Cup Usa china ruck contest.jpg
Action from USA Revolution vs China during the 2008 International Cup

Prior to the 2008 Australian Football International Cup, Trevor Lovitt stepped down as coach. New York Magpies coach Robert Oliver was appointed coach of the Revolution and guided the team to Melbourne. Matt Bishop became head coach in 2009. [7] Tom Ellis returned as head coach in May 2015. [8]

International competition

International Cup

The U.S. played South Africa at ANZ Stadium during the 2011 International Cup. The U.S. won the match 7.14 (56) to 2.6 (18). ANZ Stadium, Essendon.jpg
The U.S. played South Africa at ANZ Stadium during the 2011 International Cup. The U.S. won the match 7.14 (56) to 2.6 (18).
USA International Cup results
YearFinishPW-L-DPFPA%
2002 5/1164-2-0393184213.59
2005 3/1064-2-0277200138.50
2008 7/1653-2-0342129265.12
2011 4/18 [9] 64-2-0326170191.76
2014 8/18 [9] 53-2-0360166216.87
2017 4/1853-2-0312201155.22

49th Parallel Cup

The 2015 49th Parallel Cup was played at CBRP Stadium in Florida CBRegionalPark.jpg
The 2015 49th Parallel Cup was played at CBRP Stadium in Florida
49th Parallel Cup
YearHome TeamScoreAway TeamScore
1999 Flag of the United States.svg USA10.15 (75) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada8.7 (55)
2000 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada2.4 (16) Flag of the United States.svg USA4.17 (41)
2003 Flag of the United States.svg USA9.12 (66) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada9.10 (64)
2004 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada7.9 (51) Flag of the United States.svg USA9.9 (63)
2007 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada6.9 (45) Flag of the United States.svg USA4.8 (32)
2009 Flag of the United States.svg USA12.11 (83) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada5.3 (33)
2010 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada5.2 (32) Flag of the United States.svg USA9.12 (66)
2012 Flag of the United States.svg USA7.12 (54) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada5.1 (31)
2013 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada5.6 (36) Flag of the United States.svg USA10.7 (67)
2015 Flag of the United States.svg USA6.9 (45) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada3.11 (29)

International Cup Squads

2017 IC Squad

2014 IC Squad

2011 IC Squad

2008 IC Squad

2005 IC Squad

The Revolution's best and fairest player at the 2005 International Cup was Donnie Lucero, and he was named to the 2005 International Cup All Stars Team. [12]

Development Team

The USA Revolution established a Development Team in 2012 (formally the U23 National Team), to develop players trying to work their way to the national team. This squad gives coaches opportunities to evaluate potential players for the next Australian Football International Cup. The Development Team competes against Canada's Development squad in an under-card showdown the night before the 49th Parallel Cup. The United States won the 2015 match, 9.9 (63) to 2.3 (15). [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Australian Football International Cup is a triennial international tournament in Australian rules football. It is the biggest international tournament in the sport that is open to all nations. More than 26 nations have participated and the competition has expanded into multiple pools and both men and women's divisions. At the time of the last tournament in 2017, the sport had a record 170,744 registered players outside Australia growing at a rate of 25 per cent per annum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Australian Football League</span> Governing body for Australian rules football in the United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Australian rules football</span>

Australian rules football is played in more than 60 countries around the world with approximately 1.4 million players worldwide. By 2017 more than 26 nations had contested the Australian Football International Cup, the highest level of worldwide competition. The AFL Commission is the world governing body which manages international competition through its International Development Committee headed by Andrew Dillon. There are 3 regional governing bodies affiliated to the AFL: AFL Asia, AFL South Pacific and AFL Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada national Australian rules football team</span>

The Canada national Australian rules football team represents Canada in Australian rules football. The men's side is known as the Northwind while the women's side is known as the Northern Lights. The national team is selected by AFL Canada the governing body for Australian rules football in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Australian rules football</span> Female-only form of Australian rules football

Women's Australian rules football, is the female-only form of Australian rules football, generally with some modification to the laws of the game. It is played by more than half a million women worldwide and with 119,447 Australian adult and 66,998 youth female participants in 2023 is the second most played code among women and girls in Australia behind soccer.

In the United States, Australian rules football is a team and spectator sport which has grown rapidly across the country since the 1996. The USAFL National Championships is currently the largest club tournament in the world with 41 teams competing across 6 divisions in 2022. A national youth team has also been established and participation is growing in women's teams, junior teams and in modified and non-contact variations such as Metro Footy and Footy 7s. The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) is the governing body, with various clubs and leagues around the country it oversees more than 2,000 players more than half of which are American. An active fan based organization, the Australian Football Association of North America also exists to promote a broader audience.

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

The 49th Parallel Cup is an annual representative Australian rules football match between the United States and Canada first contested in 1999. Since 2007 the women's teams have also contested the cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Countries playing Australian rules football</span> List of countries with registered players of Australian rules football

Note: In order to be recognised as a true national team and not simply expatriates, the list is subject to International Cup eligibility rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian rules football in Africa</span> List of AFL Leagues by country

Australian rules football in Africa is most organised in South Africa, although there are programs under development in many African nations including Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe and there are plans to introduce the sport into more African countries.

Australian rules football in Asia dates back to 1910 but was only sporadically played until the 1980s after which it has boomed. Clubs have begun in most Asian countries and a governing body for the region, AFL Asia was formed in 2008 to coordinate the Asian Championship and promote its affiliated leagues. AFL Asia estimates that there are now more than 10,000 Australian Football players across the continent.

Australian rules football in the Middle East describes the minority sport of Australian rules football as it is watched and played in the Middle East region.

Australian rules football has been played in the Americas since the turn of the 20th Century, beginning with North American countries Canada and the United States in 1905 and 1906 respectively. However it has only been played consistently at an organised regular amateur level since the establishment of the current Canadian competition in 1989 followed by a United States competition in 1996. More recently it has been played in South America in Colombia since 2015 and Chile since 2017. There have also been clubs formed for occasional play in other South American nations including Bermuda, Brazil and Argentina. As there are too few countries playing separated by great distances, there is currently no formal regional governing body and international competition between countries is currently overseen cooperatively by AFL Canada and the USAFL.

AFL Canada is the governing body for Women's Australian rules football competition in Canada. The primary competition is centred in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec and the national team is known as the "Northern Lights".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States women's national Australian rules football team</span>

The United States women's Australian Rules football team, also nicknamed USA Freedom represents the United States in the sport of women's Australian rules football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Washington Eagles</span> United States Australian Football League team

The Baltimore Washington Eagles was a United States Australian Football League (USAFL) team, based in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. It was founded in 1998, and includes men's and women's teams that compete at a national level. Several of its players have participated in the USA national team in numerous AFL International Cups, which are held every three years in Melbourne, Australia. The club has won two Division II Championships, were runners-up in the Division I Championship in 2008, and won the 2017 Arctic Cup in Iceland. The Baltimore Washington Eagles also are affiliated with a kids footy program in the D.C. and Baltimore areas, as well as the AFL-light, tackle-free variation of the sport known as Ausball. The Eagles are affiliated with the West Coast Eagles, being one of only two USAFL teams to share the AFL club's name and wear its colors. At the end of the 2017 season, the Baltimore Washington Eagles voted to expand into two clubs, the DC Eagles and the Baltimore Dockers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Dingoes</span> Australian rules football team

The Dallas Dingoes are an Australian Rules Football team based in Dallas, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997 as the Dallas Outlaws, the team would play under that moniker until 2000. In that year the team changed its name to the Dallas Magpies after forming an alliance with the Collingwood Magpies of the Australian Football League (AFL). In 2018, a few years after the end of the partnership with the Collingwood Magpies, the club re-branded as the Dallas Dingoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Dragons</span> Australian rules football club

The Los Angeles Dragons are an Australian rules football team, based in Los Angeles, California. They were founded in 2010 and play in the United States Australian Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Cox</span> Australian rules footballer

Mason Cox is an American-Australian professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Playing as a ruckman and key forward, he first played Australian rules football in April 2014 before making his AFL debut two years later in April 2016. Cox had previously played basketball for Oklahoma State University in the Big 12 Conference and, standing at 211 cm, is the tallest player to ever be measured at an AFL Draft Combine.

Danielle Marshall is a former American Australian rules football player for the Essendon Bombers in the AFL Women's (AFLW) League. Marshall is the first American and first USA Freedom representative to play in the AFLW league, and the first player recruited to play professionally at AFL level from a club outside Australia.

References

  1. "World Footy News World Rankings post 2022 European Championships - World Footy News".
  2. "Men's World Rankings Matches - World Footy News".
  3. "International Cup team summaries - AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. August 8, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  4. Neumann, Thomas (October 18, 2016). "North American clubs put their best footy forward". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 29, 2017. The best American finish was third in 2005
  5. "What's the Score? Australian rules football: Australian Football League" (PDF). Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved November 29, 2017. Australian Football International Cup, involving 10 countries (New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, United States, Ireland, Samoa, Great Britain, Canada, South Africa, Japan and Spain) with teams composed entirely of nationals
  6. 1 2 3 4 Ryan, Conor (August 7, 2017). "Montrose's stars and stripes". Herald Sun. Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader. Retrieved November 29, 2017. All of the Revolution's players hail from USAFL clubs
  7. "USAFL selects new National Team coach". United States Australian Football League. April 8, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  8. Barrish, Brian (May 21, 2015). "Denver's Ellis Takes the Reigns of USA Revolution". United States Australian Football League. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Pountney, Tom (August 10, 2017). "'Grit, one-percenters, pride' is USA credo - AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  10. afl.com.au
  11. Official Website of the Australian Football League > News Article > Revolution IC 2008 squad named
  12. Rees, Tuifa'asisina Peter. "2005 INTERNATIONAL CUP RESULTS - Samoan Australian Rules Football Association - SportsTG". SportsTG. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  13. Barrish, Brian (August 2015). "USAFL.com". USAFL.