The Denver Bulldogs took out the 2009 USFooty National Championship. The Denver Bulldogs were led through the tournament by former Fremantle Docker big man Brendon Feddema. Against last year's national champions, the Vancouver Cougars, Feddema roved his own ruck picked up the ball at full throttle and slotted a goal from the pocket for one of USFooty's goals of the year. In the final, however it was the defense of Dom Kennedy that quickly turned Grizzly forward forays into Denver attacks. Kennedy's play earned him Best on Ground in the final. It was the Bulldogs 7th national title.
2009 Divvy 1 National Champion Denver Bulldogs. Photo: Anthony Moss
A cynic may say that it was the same 'ol same 'ol, with Denver winning its seventh title in a tough fought low scoring game against the Seattle Grizzlies, but straight away you realize things were different in 2009 because for one thing it was the Seattle Grizzlies that were beaten in the final. The Grizzlies were the 2008 Division II National Champions and in 2009 they made the improbable rise from 4th seed to the Divvy I Grand Final which they lost by a measly 3 points. A club that's only previous claim to fame was that legendary AFL coach Kevin Sheedy thought their jumpers were cool, are now a legitimate force in USFooty!
As we move out of the first decade of the 21st Century, other things are different around USFooty. Teams are starting to play a "modern" brand of footy. On Sunday of the Nationals we saw the Baltimore Washington Eagles absolutely demolish the New York Magpies in a brand of run and carry footy that was something to see. Similarly, the day before, the Orange County Bombers, the perennial chump of the West, wholloped the Eagles with the skills, speed and size. For the Eagles it was an eye-opener. It was a whole different game. While the wet Fall mornings may have favored Seattle's style, but during the long dry summer, it was the run and carry games of Orange County and the Baltimore Washington Eagles that was in favor.
OC went undefeated during the regular season taking care of arch-rivals San Diego in their home and home series and as well as getting a significant win over Division 1 power Golden Gate in San Francisco. 2009 National Champions, the Denver Bulldogs, toured West Coast in early August and OC gave them a hiding. The Eagles played 11 games in 2009 regular season with their only loss a 2 point loss to New York in the wet on the road. Among their regular competitors the Eagles had the honor of hosting a team made up of players from the HMAS Ballarat and the HMAS Sydney. Two Australian Naval ships visiting United States and docked in Baltimore Harbor. The Eagles defeated the Australian sailors 102 to 65. The Eagles also earned the record for the highest score in a USFooty, kicking 222 points against the North Carolina Tigers.
Orange County Bombers
Probably the biggest story in USFooty came not from these games but from the women and the tour of Australia by USFooty women's national team, the US Freedom. The Freedom were coached by Wayne Kraska and Revo Dan Sarbacker and led by co-captains Jenny Sarbacker (Dan's sister) and Tina Arend. While the Freedom went 0-4 in their games against Australian teams they were far from disgraced and were fantastic ambassadors for USFooty and womens footy in Australia and around the world. In Bendigo they played in front of 1500 people and in their forth and final game they went down by just 2 points to a development representative team from the Victorian Womens Football League. Six members of the Freedom team including Jenny Sarbacker and Suzy Thomas led the Milwaukee Lady Bombers to their first National title with a win over the 2008 champs, the Calgary Kookaburras.
On the men's side of International footy, the Revolution started 2009 by appointing Matt Bishop to coach the team through the 2011 AFL International Cup. Bishop's first test was the annual game against the Canadian Northwind. The Canadian's had gotten best of the Revolution in 2007 and finished ranked above the Revos in the 2008 International Cup. But in 2009 the Cup was back on home soil and the Revos were eager to show the Northwind what they learned over the previous two years. Mason OH hosted the big game in which the Revos were stronger, fitter and more skilled than their northern neighbors taking the win 10.9 (69) to 4.2 (26). The Revos were led by Nashville's Luke Nemeth who was named at Full Back in the 2009 USFootyNews.com All-Star team and is a contender for the USFootyNews.com Mark of the Year with huge leap against the Columbus Jackaroos in August.
US Freedom and the Vic Metro Development Squad
Nemeth's teammate at Nashville, Adelaide native, Chris Moerman, took the USFootyNews.com Goal Kicking Award for the second year in a row. Moerman kicked 41 goals in 7 games including two 13 goal hauls. The performance earned Moerman the Full-Forward position in the 2009 All-Star team. Carrying a last name familiar to all footy fans, Joel Daniher led his New York Magpies to the 2009 EAFL Premiership and took at the 2009 USFootyNews.com MVP award and a place in the starting line up for the 2009 All-Star team.
In 2009 USFooty celebrated the contribution of a number of players who have made a huge contribution to the growth of the game. In May, Chris "Bluey" Carroll officially retired from footy while lying on the ground waiting for the ambulance to arrive toward the end of the game between Chicago and Nashville. Bluey was an integral part of the US Revolution for two campaigns, a young star at St Louis, a standout for the BW Eagles and experienced key position player for Chicago, but none of these were his major contribution to growth of footy. Carroll's contribution came when he visited Essendon as one of USFooty's scholarship players.
Revo and Nashville Kangaroo Luke Nemeth attempts the 2009 USFooty Mark of the Year. Photo: Amy Hoover
Carroll so impressed Essendon's Head Coach, the legendary Kevin Sheedy, that Sheeds wanted to keep Bluey longer than the agreed time. Unfortunately, this could not happen because Essendon would have lost a rostered player. After this episode, USFooty and others in International footy lobbied the AFL to introduce an "International Rookie" list. While, it has taken a few years, a number of clubs have started to use the list to bring international players into trial with AFL clubs. The latest is Collingwood who signed a two-year deal with young Milwaukee native, Shae McNamara. The Pies hope to convert McNamara from basketball to key position or ruckman. Carroll showed Americans can play footy at the highest level. Maybe McNamara will be the first to do so.
A number of players played their 100th game of USFooty in 2009. Extremely impressive efforts in a league where few teams play more than 10 games a year. The New York Magpies celebrated the 100th game of former long-time President Doug Lewis with a win over arch-rival Boston and winning the 2009 EAFL Premiership. The Portland Power's Martin Coventry also played his 100th game in 2009. Coventry has contributed to many clubs around the country but most notably Portland, Seattle and the North Carolina Tigers. Coventry kicked one of the goals of the year for Seattle against Denver in the Divvy 1 final. His huge kick came at an important moment in the game but unfortunately for Coventry it wasn't enough to take Seattle across the line. Another big loss to the game was Tom Ellis. Ellis and his brother Charley have been stars for the Denver Bulldogs and the US Revolution for many years. Ellis coached Denver to their 7th title from the side-lines after doing his MCL earlier in the tournament. It was a bitter sweet ending to a fantastic career.
While we celebrate the great careers of the elder statesmen of USFooty, 2009 also saw the emergence of some young guns that will be the future of the game. The 24 year-old Noor Jehangir has emerged as a star for the Austin Crows and the US Revolution. Jehangir was integral in the Revos win over the Northwind in August and his efforts got him named to the 2009 All-Star team. Another up and coming player is Louisville's Eric "Sleepy" Floyd. The 21 year old on-baller scored a goal in his first game for the US Revolution and was awarded Geoff Cann medal for best on ground in the Division IV Grand Final, helping the Ohio Valley River Rats win the Division IV National Title.
New York Magpies celebrate Doug Lewis' 100th game. Photo: Rob Oliver.
Philly big man Alex Lynden-Horn has been something of a revelation in 2009. The skilled and versatile Lynden-Horn has been with the Hawks for a number of years but dominant performance at the EAFL tourney in September helped Philly to a couple of big wins. It also helped Lynden-Horn get named in the starting line up of the 2009 All-Star team. Eagles first year player, Jake Moyer, managed to cement a starting position in what was already a very good mid-field for the Eagles. For the Orange County Bombers, their 2008 Rookie of the Year, Adam Hale, and their projected 2009 Rookie of the Year Tyler Mounce helped the Bombers to a perfect regular season and were devastating against the Eagles at Nationals.
