2013 NEAFL Season Launch

NEAFL Eastern Conference Season Launch

(As reported on the NEAFL website)

The Sydney Harbour Bridge provided a spectacular backdrop for the official launch of the North East AFL Eastern Conference 2013 Season.

Attended by the coaches, captains and club officials of the nine NEAFL Eastern clubs, the launch provided the opportunity for the four Sydney-based clubs to play host to their southern counterparts and emphasize the growth of the elite pathways for players in both Sydney and Canberra.

The Tigers were represented by Coach Kade Klemke,  Assistant Coach Josh Bryce, Captain Ryan Quade and General Manager Ron Fowlie.

The Tigers Captain was presented with the 2012 NEAFL Eastern Conference Premiership Flag during the launch.

AFL NSW/ACT General Manager Tom Harley said he was looking forward to an exciting year of quality football from the competition, in just it’s third year.

“One of the foremost goals of the NEAFL competition is to give local players the opportunity to have elite football experience right here in NSW and the ACT,” Harley said “This year’s NEAFL Eastern Conference is shaping up to be the most competitive yet; every club has actively recruited the best players possible so I think that we will see some really exciting match-ups.”

The NEAFL Eastern Conference is the AFL’s elite second tier competition in NSW and the ACT. Competing against the best teams in the region, as well as cross-conference games against teams from Queensland and the Northern Territory, the league is the breeding ground for the pinnacle of Australian Football, the AFL.

For the second year, Sydney will be represented by four teams: Sydney Swans Reserves, the UWS GIANTS, Sydney Hills Eagles and Sydney University, while　the ACT　region will　have 5 teams competing; Queanbeyan,　Ainslie, Eastlake, Belconnen and Tuggeranong　– giving players from across the city the opportunity to progress through the elite talent pathway through to the AFL.

AFL National Second Tier Manager Simon Laughton said the NEAFL is showing positive signs for the years to come.

“In the first two seasons we have had 20 players drafted from the NEAFL with eight of those coming from the Eastern Conference, which is a fantastic achievement and one that we would like to improve year on year,” Laughton said.

The unique NEAFL cross-conference structure gives each team the opportunity to travel interstate at least once each season, which allows players to experience a true reflection of elite competition.”

Laughton said the AFL, supported by AFL NSW/ACT and AFL Queensland, is committed to providing a high quality environment for local talented players.

“Facilities play a big role in developing and retaining quality footballers and we’re proud to have invested more than $5 million over the past two years at nine of the fifteen state clubs that are involved in the NEAFL,” he said.

“We’re pushing hard to ensure that the aspiring AFL players in the NEAFL are getting the experience they need to take them to the next level.”

This year’s NEAFL competition will see 171 matches across the two conferences, with 14 cross-conference matches for state clubs. The four AFL clubs will play nine unrestricted matches against AFL opposition