USA Revolution

WELCOME TO THE REVOLUTION
Squad highlights growth of game in the States.

Various cities in the USA have established Australian social organisations, and it was these clubs that provided the catalyst for the birth of Australian Football in the States.

In 1996, a match took place in Indianapolis, with players from Cincinnati, Nashville, Louisville and Indianapolis participating.

One challenge in the US is finding a field large enough to hold a full-size game. American football and soccer fields are plentiful, so a nine-a-side version of the game was developed, branded MetroFooty. In 2002, the number of MetroFooty teams was at 30, growing to 66 by 2005.

In 2001, the USAFL and Essendon FC created an annual scholarship, allowing a USAFL player to train with the Bombers during the pre-season. Scholarship participants, including Dustin Jones (2001), Josh Loring (2003), and Jared Brunmeier (2004) will represent the USA at this year's Cup.

US footy has now expanded to over 37 cities, with over 2300 senior games played since 1996. Player numbers have grown to around 2000 senior players, but more importantly the mix of players has changed - originally 70 per cent of players were Australian, but that number has decreased to 30 per cent. Women's football was also introduced in 2003.

The first American national team was introduced in 1999, with the Revolution, playing its inaugural international match with Canada in Chicago, where, under the expert tutelage of AFL legend Paul Roos, it scored a memorable victory. This set up an intense rivalry with the Canadians, which continues today.

The Revolution travelled outside North America to attend the Atlantic Cup in London in 2001, coming away with a 2-2 record. At the 2002 International Cup, the Revolution finished fifth out of 12 teams.

The 'Revos' continued to expand their program, with trips to Pittsburgh in 2003 and Toronto in 2004. This led to a successful campaign in the 2005 International Cup, where the Revolution finished third, dropping games only to New Zealand in the semi-final and Papua New Guinea by a point in the pool games.

In 2007, the Revos continued their domination of the Canadians in Houston, but the re-match in Vancouver in August saw the Northwind finally take a game to split a great weekend of footy north of the border.

This provided additional motivation for the Revos in 2008, with training camps in Los Angeles and Atlanta before selecting a final squad in April in Fort Lauderdale, where the side easily handled all comers.

The final squad was whittled down from an original list of over 90 players, which speaks volumes about the depth of talent being developed in the States.

The American Revolution will be led by Robert Oliver, coach of the New York Magpies, who was an assistant coach in 2005. Assistants this time include Jason Becker and Matt Dainauski, both former Revolution players.

Without the support of Burley Sekem, Coopers Brewery and the AFL, the USAFL would not be where it is today. The American Revolution is an integral part of the overall development of the code in the US, from umpires to juniors to talent development. The members of the 2008 Revolution squad could not be more proud to represent their league and country.

More information on the USAFL can be found at usfooty.com.

• Top