Esslingen/Weil, 4 May 2013: You don’t necessarily need grand game
plans to win at footy. Sometimes just doing the basics well can be
more than enough: get to the ball first and clear it forward; when
it’s up front, kick it between the two big sticks in the middle. The
first quarter of Stuttgart’s Round 3 home game against Frankfurt added
up to not much more than that. The Emus burst out of the blocks making
their first four scoring shots for the game – all from different
players – count big time. Such first-quarter efficiency was a first
for the Emus, and set the stage for their premier win of the 2013
season.

It was a game played in difficult conditions – constant rain, a heavy
pitch, a slippery ball. It made it hard to orchestrate fancy stuff
around the ruck. Kicking clear early and keeping the ball up the
business end of the park proved to be an effective weapon against the
nature of things.

The forwards and midfielders can certainly be proud of their seven
goals and three behinds at half time. But consider what the Emus
defensive line had achieved: in the whole of the first half they had
allowed the Redbacks just one second-quarter scoring shot, a goal. It
was the Emus stand-tall defensive cordon that was a determining factor
in never giving the Redbacks a sniff of victory in this game.

Frankfurt did turn it on a little in the final quarter, swamping the
Emus for a period of play with three straight goals. But the rally was
too little, too late. Overall, the Emus functioned as a team, each
player becoming more aware of his team-mate’s strengths as the game
progressed. The victory provides a much-needed confidence booster
after two tough losses.

Match Report: Geoff Rodoreda

Ludwigsburg Taipans

2013 BW Cup Champions

Cologne, 20 April 2013: A first-half hammering by the Rheinland Lions proved decisive in dashing any hopes the Stuttgart Emus might have had of securing their first win of the AFLG season. A first-quarter Lions blitz of four unanswered goals was followed by a six goal drubbing of the Emus in the second quarter, leaving the home team with an unassailable lead at half time. A better Emus performance in the final two terms was not enough to turn the tables.

Winning the toss gave the Lions a crucial advantage from the start: they were able to kick long with a strong wind at their backs, and kept the ball locked in the Emus defensive lines for almost the entire quarter. With well-directed kicks and superior marking they were able to pile on the points early.

An initially disoriented Emus team found some direction in the second term. Kicking with the wind they scored three goals. But at the other end, the Lions added accuracy to their list of things to do better, landing six goals from seven scoring shots. In the second half of the match, a more tenacious Emus defence was able to hold the the rampaging hosts to five goals. The Lions frontmen were harried enough and forced into kicking 12 second-half behinds. Clearly, the scoreboard damage could have been worse.

The Emus can take heart from good attacking phases and relatively accurate kicking in front of the posts: for two games in a row now the Emus have scored more goals than behinds. Not much comfort, given the final scoreline in each of the first two games, but this is a team that continues to improve. Here’s hoping that the first win of the season won’t be too far around the corner!

Match Report: Geoff Rodoreda

Stuttgart Emus (6-6-42) vs Munich Kangaroos (9-11-65)

6 April 2013, Esslingen: The Emus have lost their first match for the 2013 season to last year’s champions, despite an outstanding last quarter which revealed the side’s potential. Stuttgart kicked four goals to a tiring Munich’s two in the final term to pretty up the final scoreline but the damage had been done earlier on.

Munich’s determination on the ball, teamwork around the ruck, and success in keeping the ball locked in their forward line for longer periods of the match were the telling factors in a hard-fought match. Last year’s league champions never broke clear on the scoreboard from a tenacious Emus line-up. The Roos only managed to grind out two goals apiece in the first two quarters. It was rather Stuttgart’s inability to convert occasional good attacking forays into solid scoring opportunities in the first half that left Munich with a flattering lead at half time.

In the third quarter, Stuttgart’s less-experienced troop of players started to combine better. The fourth quarter saw a polished performance from the Emus: handballing and kicking accuracy improved, the whole team lifted and fought harder to get to the ball first. Stuttgart laid on 26 points to the Roos’ 13, but it was not enough to overhaul the lead Munich had established.

This game, although lost, was certainly a confidence booster for the Emus and revealed what Stuttgart are capable of when they gel more as a team. It also revealed the positive developments taking place in footy across Baden-Württemberg as this Stuttgart AFLG team was mostly comprised of young German players drawn from the ranks of the Emus, the Ludwigsburg Taipans, the Böblingen Pirates and players from Karlsruhe.

Match Report: Geoff Rodoreda

The ten players who made it to Strasbourg for the nine-a-side game kicked the cobwebs out of their winter legs with a strong running game. A special thanks to Albert from Bordeaux for giving us a good reserve bench, and especially to Paul and Simon from the Taipans who were in the middle of everything, showed great courage going for the ball as well as tenacious skill, and – above all – had great fun playing Australian Rules footy.

Strasbourg were gracious hosts – a great bunch of blokes – who have beaten us soundly in the last two contests. Today, however, the Emus displayed great passing, running and marking skills to dominate from the start. Everyone played really concentrated footy – there are plenty of things to work on, still, but it was a great confidence booster for the boys.

Captain Flo led with great communication from the front, and his accurate comment at the end of the game was perhaps telling on how footy games are won: “We defended really well,” he said. “But Flo, we had nothing much to do at the back!” was the reply from the fullback. “Exactly,” he said, “The defence in the midfield was superb.” Herein lies just one of the lessons to take from this game. If the ball is kept in the forward half of the field through determined defence, up front and in the middle, the percentages usually take care of the rest.

Here’s looking forward to the 2013 season!

The Emus first practise match will be played this weekend – on March 9th – in Strasbourg. A flock of Emus will join with the mighty Ludwigsburg Taipans to form a Baden Württemberg mixed team in a shortened game. Should be a great opportunity to stretch the legs and kick out the winter cobwebs.

Good luck to those who’ll wear the green-and-white against the Strasbourg Magpies.

Get along to O’Reillys Irish Pub in Stuttgart-West on
Saturday, January 26th, for an Australia Day Party
When? From 7:30pm, Saturday, January 26th, 2013
Where? o’reilly’s irish pub Reuchlinstrasse 27, Stuttgart-West

Aussie Music – Special Aussie Quiz – Chook Raffle – Lamingtons – T-shirts – Great Prizes

Proudly organised by the Stuttgart Emus Australian Football e.V

Munich Kangaroos (19-7-121) versus Stuttgart Emus (9-6-60)

18 August 2012, Munich

With only one substitute on the bench, great passion didn’t made Emus win vs. Roos.