Tag: Overseas

by Sam Weller

Victorian officials excel at World Championships

Victorian officials David Sinclair and Paul Mercer were honoured to be selected to officiate at the IFAF World Championships just recently in Canton Ohio USA.

Both men were selected for the 3rd time at International level: David served at the Junior’s in Austin Texas in 2012 and Kuwait in 2014, whilst Paul also officiated in Kuwait and at the Senior event in Austria in 2011. David was selected as an Umpire and Paul as a Back Judge.

2015 IFAF SWC Gold Medal game featuring Victoria's own Paul Mercer

The 26 officials on the panel represented 15 countries and included some of the best officials from outside of the USA. The pair, along with ACT official Shaun Dove worked 8-man crews and used headsets to communicate with each other.

Continue reading “Victorian officials excel at World Championships” →

by Sam Weller

Victorian’s selected to the 2015 Australian Outback Team

Outback Training Camp

Congratulations to the seven Victorian’s selected to the 45 man Australian Outback National Squad to head to the World Championships of American Football in Canton Ohio USA in July 2015.

  • Jonathon Tostevin – Guard (Warriors)
  • Joshua Faure – Guard (Raiders)
  • Luke Jackson – Fullback (Warriors)
  • Matthew McKie – Tight End (Rangers)
  • Scott Wolfe – Strong Safety (Warriors)
  • Tyson Garnham – Slot Receiver (Crusaders)
  • Tyson Burgess – Free Safety (Rangers)

Tostevin and Garnham will represent their country for the second time whilst the other five Victorian’s make their Outback debut.

In addition the Head Coach John Leijten is also a Victorian whilst Warrior Heather Buzza joins the squad as medic & trainer.

Only two players who were on the original training camp squad failed to warrant National selection including the reigning Gridiron Victoria Overall Defensive MVP (ed: go figure) Mark Doyle and young star Taylor Berrington who will no doubt don the Green and Gold in the future.

We wish these players and our National Team well at the IFAF World Championships later this year.

by Daniel Noonan

Jordan Berry Kicking in USA

Update: Check out this sensational play by Jordan recently, a first of its kind lateral punt for a first down which caught press across the US:

Jordan Berry, the former Crusaders, Victorian, and Australian stand-out punter is etching a name for himself in the American collegiate ranks. Berry is now playing with the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky.

Check out links to Jordan’s progress below:

Kentucky.com

EKU Sports

by Sam Weller

2011 Australian World Cup Team Announced

The Board of Directors of Gridiron Australia are pleased to announce that Head Coach John Leijten has selected 40 players for the Senior Outback Train-on Squad for the 2011 IFAF World Cup.

Congratulations go to the following Victorians who made the squad:

  • Tyson Garnham (Western Crusaders)
  • Adam Gotsis (Monash Warriors)
  • David Murphy (Western Crusaders)
  • Jon Tostovin (Monash Warriors)
  • Scott Wolfe (Monash Warriors)
  • Andrew Yeung (Western Crusaders)

A final squad of 45 players will represent Australia at the 2011 IFAF World Cup of American Football which will be held in Austria in July.

More information available at the Outback Australian Gridiron Team website.

by Sam Weller

University of the Incarnate Word sign Victorian lineman

UIW Cardinals sign Monash Warriors Offensive Lineman Rory Dew!

University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals

www.cardinalathletics.com/news/2011/2/2/FB_0202112020.aspx

From Dalhart to Brownsville. From Beaumont to Australia? Incarnate Word’s football signing class of 2011 numbers 29 and they come from all over the state, and yes, one player is from Melbourne, Australia.

Coach Mike Santiago announced the class at a media function on Wednesday, the first official day high school players could sign letters-of-intent with colleges. This is the fourth class for Incarnate Word and it is the largest in terms of numbers.

“One more class,” Coach Santiago said, “and we will have a full roster. You don’t get a full roster until the fifth year. Our staff did a great job of canvassing the state and then going outside the box. I am proud of this staff. This is a lot of hard work.”

Also, in terms of size, 10 of the 29 new Cardinals go 250 pounds or more in physical size. And the Aussie is the largest of them all. Rory Dew played at St. Kevins High School in Melbourne. He is an offensive lineman and he goes 6-8, 315. “This guy is all Coach (offensive line coach Tony) Marciano,” Santiago said. “Rory was in a football camp in Florida for the past month when we heard about him. We are now looking at international players.”

For local Cardinals fans, the San Antonio area is highly represented. Eight signees are from Alamo City schools. “We are seeing more recruiters than ever before in San Antonio,” Santiago said. “But our recruiting always begins at home.”

Another aspect of what Santiago calls a “UIW guy” is how each player does in the classroom and how each is projected to perform in UIW classrooms. “The average grade point average of this group,” Santiago said, “is 3.71. And their average SAT score is 1,040. And we think when a player does well in the classroom there is a high probability of him bringing good character to us.”

UIW’s coaches covered thousands of miles just inside Texas in assembling this class. From Beaumont’s Ozen High School and running back Melvin Adderton to up north and Dalhart tight end Harper Scofield then back to the Gulf Coast and Corpus Christi area’s Kyle Fishbeck and Nick Ginn. The list even includes a quarterback from Tucson, Ariz., Jordan Scelfo.

Santiago talked about what the fourth year was like. “After four years the high school coaches know our staff when they come through the door. We get places quicker because we don’t have to explain who we are.”

Incarnate Word has now played two full seasons of Division II football, the second of which, 2010, as a member of the Lone Star Conference. The original class of 2008, in most part, will be juniors this coming season.

2011 signing class (pdf)