Dutchmen galant in defeat in EuroCup 2010 grand final
The Flying Dutchmen have proven last year’s success was no fluke, by going down to Croatia by less than a goal in the EuroCup 2010 grand final in Milan, Italy and taking out successive silver medals.
It wasn’t all bad news, with the Dutchmen getting revenge on reining champions England in the semi-final, leaving the English Dragonslayers relishing in 4th position at the tournament’s end.
Even though we fell short in the end, there were some individual performances that deserve mention, with our player-coach Josh Carmichael awarded the Player of the Tournament, not only for his leadership across the day, but kicking 9.4 in the process to cap an excellent season.
- The Flying Dutchmen celebrate their silver medal after narrowly missing out on winning the EU Cup
Josh, Stephen Dillon and Aaron Gray-Block were selected in the EU team 2010. Remi Nolle was also very impressive after missing last year’s tournament. He kicked 7 goals for the day and put in an outstanding performance in the grand final.
For pictures of the Dutch team, click here, while more photos of the tournament itself you’ll find here.
Amsterdam Devils win inaugural DAFA grand final
After a slow start to the season, the Amsterdam Devils had steadily improved throughout the year, sparring with the Utrecht Saints in the race for the premiership honours in the inaugual Dutch Australian Football Association domestic competition.
After a tough, enjoyable and sociable debut season fought out by teams from Amsterdam, Den Haag, Eindhoven and Utrecht, that one day in September had boiled down to a clash between the Devils and the Saints in crisp and sunny autumn weather, each team vying for that Premiership Clog!
- Amsterdam flies high against Utrecht
Utrecht, a team mostly comprised of Dutch players, had at times had the better of the lads from Amsterdam, a mix of Australian, Dutch, British and other nationalities, which had struggled to find its rhythm despite posting crushing wins over Den Haag and Eindhoven midway through the season.
And so it came down to one last encounter. Utrecht or Amsterdam? In the end, it was the Devils who emerged as the stronger team. It was a torrid encounter, but Amsterdam threw down the gauntlet against the Saints and peppered their attacking half, at times scoring at will, to run out convincing winners.
Best players award 2010
| Total | ||||
| 1st | Josh | Carmichael | 39 | Amsterdam Devils |
| 2nd | Joost | van der Hulst | 29 | Utrecht Saints |
| 3rd | Trevor | Adair | 21 | Amsterdam Devils |
| 4th | Remi | Nolle | 14 | Eindhoven Eagles |
| 5th | Tim | Jolly | 12 | The Hague Ooievaars |
Photos
For photos of the Amsterdam v Den Haag semi-final, click here. You can find photos of the Utrecht v Den Haag semi-final here and for photos of the grand final Amsterdam v Utrecht, click here.
Selection of EuroCup 2010 team
- EU Cup Team 2009
After a long and difficult choice made over the last few matches, the DAFA selection committee have chosen the team of 16 who will take on Europe’s best at the 2010 EuroCup Championships in Milan, Italy, on the first weekend in October.
Last year The Flying Dutchmen shocked all by reaching our first ever grand final and taking silver medals as runner-up in Europe’s longest running Australian Rules tournament.
In 2010, we set our sights on going one better in Milan, Italy, as we count down to the 2010 EuroCup tournament.
| 2010 National Australian Football Team – The Netherlands | ||
| Remi Nolle | Wicor Telkamp | Aaron Gray-Block |
| Forward Pocket | Full Forward | Forward Pocket |
| Josh Carmichael (Coach) | Paul van der Meer | Trevor Adair |
| Centre | Ruck | Rover |
| Calvin Telkamp | Joost van der Hulst (Captain) | Mark van der Werf |
| Back Pocket | Full Back | Back Pocket |
| Reserves | ||
| Rens Kattenberg | Gerard O’Leary | Marnix de Groot |
| Stephen Dillon | Vincent van Neuren | Jort Kolman |