AFL Quebec

AFL Quebec

Current season, competition or edition: 2015 AFL Quebec season
Sport	Australian Football
Founded	2008 http://www.aflquebec.ca
No. of teams	8
Country	Canada
Most recent champion(s)	West Island Wooders

AFL Quebec is a 9-a-side Australian Football competition formerly known as the Eastern Canadian Australian Football League or ECAFL. The league has both a men's and women's division and consists of teams predominantly from Montréal and its surrounding areas including two women's teams from Ottawa. Players from the current regular season men's teams (the Old Montréal Dockers, Laval Bombers, Montréal Demons, West Island Wooders) are eligible for selection in the league's 18-a-side representative team the Québec Saints. The Saints participate in the USAFL National Championships Tournament having previously participated in the OAFL Division 2 competition from 2008-10.

History

The league began on October 4, 2008. After competing in the Toronto-based OAFL 'Rec' footy league, Luke Anderson divided the Québec Saints team into two teams in order to create a locally based 9-a-side competition. The game is played on reduced size football fields (usually Rugby or Soccer fields) and in general is around 100 metres in length. The first match between the Montréal Saints and Laval Bombers was played at Parc Cartier in Laval. The Bombers claimed victory by 8 points.

Dani Anderson tackles Margo Legault - Pointe Claire Power and the Laval Bombers face off in the 2010 ECAFL Grand Final

In 2009 the ECAFL regular season was contested by two teams and consisted of 7 rounds. The team that finished with the best regular season record earned the right to challenge if they lost the Grand Final. The Laval Bombers finished with a 4-3 record claiming first position. The final played at CEGEP Montmorency in Laval saw the Laval Bombers 27.12 (174) defeat the Montréal Saints 2.6 (18). The final score, and winning margin both ECAFL records. Two Bomber's players, Ben Vawser (Australia) and Renaud Carbonnel (France) were awarded the best on ground medallions.

2009 also saw the introduction of women's ECAFL games. The newly formed Montréal Angels (a branch of the Québec Saints) played against and defeated the Toronto Central Blues WAFC and the Montréal Shamrocks GAA women's team. Although there was no official ECAFL Women's Premiership trophy, the champion was determined from the results throughout the season. As such the Angels were installed as ECAFL Women's Champions for 2009.

The 2010 ECAFL season saw the launch of a third Montréal based team, the Pointe Claire Power. The Pre-season cup was contested by a record six teams. The Montréal Saints, Laval Bombers, Pointe Claire Power, Montréal Shamrocks, Ottawa Swans and Ottawa Swans 'A'. For the first time a women's Pre-season cup was also run, contested between the Montréal Angels and Toronto Central Blues WAFC.

The 2010 regular season consisted of five rounds. The Pointe Claire Power finished first in their inaugural season thereby earning direct entry into the 2010 Grand Final. The second placed Montréal Saints played the third placed Laval Bombers in the semi-final. The Bombers emerged victorious by a single goal, kicked with less than thirty seconds left in the match. The Laval Bombers 14.12 (96) defeating the Montréal Saints 13.12 (90). The Grand Final played on the same day was a tight contest with only one point separating both teams at three-quarter time. The Power's fresh legs proved the difference as they overrun the Bombers and claimed victory by 28 points. Nico Pouessel (France) of the Power was and Darrin Haverhoek (Australia) of the Bombers were awarded the best on ground medallions.

AFL Quebec Premiers

AFL Quebec Individual Awards

Current and Former AFL Quebec Teams

References

Anderson, Luke.A. L'Histoire des bleus et blancs: An Aussie Rules Journey Through Canada. Blurb Publishing, 2011.