Saturday 16th September saw the Central European Australian Football League (CEAFL) Championships take place in Prague, Czech Republic. Five emerging Aussie Rules nations battled it out in magnificent football conditions for European supremacy in 2006!!
Teams from Austria, Croatia, Finland, France and host nation, Czech Republic, contested the round robin style tournament.
|
Central European AFL Championship 2006 ladder
|
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
F
|
A
|
%
|
Pts
|
|
Finland
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
284
|
155
|
183,23
|
12
|
|
Croatia
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
272
|
186
|
146,24
|
12
|
|
Czech.R
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
243
|
214
|
113,55
|
10
|
|
France
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
176
|
281
|
62,63
|
6
|
|
Austria
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
193
|
332
|
58,13
|
0
|
|
Game
|
|
G
|
B
|
H
|
Total
|
|
|
G
|
B
|
H
|
Total
|
|
FINAL
|
Croatia
|
4
|
0
|
21
|
45
|
Vs
|
Finland
|
12
|
9
|
9
|
90
|
|
10
|
France
|
4
|
11
|
6
|
41
|
Vs
|
Croatia
|
8
|
8
|
21
|
77
|
|
9
|
Finland
|
10
|
12
|
9
|
81
|
Vs
|
Austria
|
4
|
0
|
14
|
38
|
|
8
|
Croatia
|
1
|
7
|
21
|
34
|
Vs
|
Finland
|
6
|
7
|
9
|
52
|
|
7
|
Czech.R
|
12
|
6
|
9
|
87
|
Vs
|
Austria
|
6
|
4
|
14
|
54
|
|
6
|
France
|
2
|
6
|
6
|
24
|
Vs
|
Finland
|
13
|
12
|
9
|
99
|
|
5
|
Croatia
|
4
|
11
|
21
|
56
|
Vs
|
Czech.R
|
5
|
6
|
9
|
45
|
|
4
|
Austria
|
5
|
9
|
14
|
53
|
Vs
|
France
|
8
|
5
|
6
|
59
|
|
3
|
Czech.R
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
59
|
Vs
|
Finland
|
6
|
7
|
9
|
52
|
|
2
|
Austria
|
5
|
4
|
14
|
48
|
Vs
|
Croatia
|
13
|
6
|
21
|
105
|
|
1
|
France
|
6
|
10
|
6
|
52
|
Vs
|
Czech.R
|
6
|
7
|
9
|
52
|
Finland and Croatia finished equal first, each with 12 points from a possible 16, deservedly winning the chance to fight it out against each other in the Grand Final.
Under lights, the game started very close, with only a few points separating the teams at half time. In the second half, it was the Finnish Lions who found top gear and pulled away with a dazzling display of teamwork and skill to run out winners in their first CEAFL Championship. In an interview after the final, Israel “Izzy” Barker, Goal Kicker of the tournament and President of the Finnish Lions, was jubilant:
"WOW, is how I would I start to talk about this victory. The Lions train on a gravel field in the heart of Helsinki with a group of guys who first spotted a footy this year! We have worked hard, training two nights a week all summer leading up to this event, strongly concentrating on our handball game and a very basic, high percentage brand of football. We went to Prague hoping to gain more game experience… little did we think we would end up with the Cup!!