Champions League 2018 Tournament Review

The best of the best from throughout the continent made their way to Amsterdam over the weekend to contest the highly acclaimed 4th annual AFL Europe Champions League trophy. With 24 teams from 14 nations competing in the tournament, this year’s edition of the Champions League featured more talent and more players than any other previous competitions. Held at the Sportpark de Eendracht with 54 matches across the day to decide the champions across both men’s and women’s divisions, the tournament continued to press it’s claims as one of Australian Footballs premier international spectacles.

Men’s Competition

Group Stages The men’s competition at this year’s Champions League featured four groups with great contest and close matches featuring in every group. The West London Wildcats would go into the tournament as favourites, looking for a historic four-peat and Champions League immortality with victory in Amsterdam. They got off to the perfect start, easily accounting for the Bristol Dockers, Zagreb Dockers and ALFA Lions in Group C and conceding just three goals on their way to the semi-finals. Their London rivals the Wandsworth Demons also got off to a terrific start in Amsterdam. Featuring in the pool of five in Group B including the Sesvete Double Blues, Stockholm Dynamite, Styrian DownUnder Dogs, Winterthur Lions, the Demons went through unbeaten and unscathed to top their respective group. Elsewhere in Group B, the Dynamite, Dogs and Double Blues all pinched wins and valuable experience moving forward in 2018. The Leeside Lions entered the Sportpark de Eendracht as a serious contender for the Champions League title. Alongside the Copenhagen Barracudas, Oslo Crows and Manchester Mosquitoes in Group D, the Lions made their intentions clear very early with a 58 point win over the Oslo Crows. They then followed this performance up with an 18 point victory against the Barracudas. As their biggest competitor within the group, the Manchester Mosquitoes also won their first two matches. They just beat the Barracudas by a singular goal before finding some form against the Crows in their second match. As predicted, the winner of Manchester and Leeside would make it through to the semi-finals, and it was Leeside who got the job done. In a tight affair, the Lions won by 14 points and booked their place in the last four. Runners-up from last year’s tournament and the competitions hosts the Amsterdam Devils, entered the 2018 Champions League with a point to prove. In a pool featuring the Greater Glasgow Giants, North West Eagles and Berlin Crocodiles, the Devils would need to overcome some fierce competition to make their way to the finals. It was clear from the early games in this pool that the Crocodiles and the Devils were the two teams vying for the top spot in Group A. The Berlin boys started off strongly with big wins against the Eagles and the Giants. Likewise the Devils easily accounted those opponents to set up a crucial match against the hosts. The Crocodiles vs Devils showdown was a match that had everything. Goals, great marks, fantastic tackles and fierce pressure, created a match that was decided by just one singular kick. In the end, it was Amsterdam who just got over the line against their German opponents by just one goal. Finals Two massive semi-finals headlined the close nature of the men’s competition at the Champions League in 2018. On Pitch 1, cross-town rivals the West London Wildcats and the Wandsworth Demons would battle it out in a London derby not to be missed. The Demons tried their hearts out but the Wildcats were just too good. After a reasonably close first half, the Wildcats broke the game open in the second to win by 27 points and make their way to the Grand Final. On Pitch 2, the Amsterdam Devils looked to make it back to back finals by taking care of the Leeside Lions. Playing in front of a large and loud crowd, the Devils took their fans on a roller-coaster ride. The Lions were brave and fought back on numerous occasions, but it was the Devils who yet again made their way through to the final by just two points. For the second straight game, the Devils had made their way through to the next stage of the tournament by a very bare margin. For the second time in a row, it would be Amsterdam and West London in the men’s grand final. Although Amsterdam had only just scrapped wins in their previous two games, the Devils started the final in very promising fashion. In a very hotly contested first half, the sides went into the main break at eight points a piece in a low scoring affair. The start of the second half was always going to be vital for Amsterdam to stay in touch with the reigning champions and they tried their best to keep with the talented Wildcats outfit. But with too many stars and too much class, it was the Wildcats who broke away from the Devils in the second half to claim their fourth consecutive Champions League crown by 20 points. An achievement showcasing their superiority as a football club in Europe. An event such as this is not possible without the support and fantastic efforts of many people throughout the day. A special mention and a big thank you to the umpiring squad who officiated the matches on the day for their outstanding contribution to the sport in Europe. Once again, our thanks must be said to AFL Netherlands for their superb management of this event in combination with the team at Spark United & Sportpark de Eendracht for hosting us and Drovers Dog for providing extra food and beverage options. To all the volunteers and pitch managers who work so hard throughout the day and the team managers, we applaud you for your service to the sport and thank you once again for ensuring the day could run as smoothly as possible. We would also like to acknowledge and the Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands Brett Mason and Tony Pubjie the First Consul of the Australian Embassy to the Netherlands for coming along and supporting this fantastic event by presenting the Champions trophies and the Team of the Tournament jumpers. To the players and coaches, congratulations on an outstanding tournament played in great spirit both on and off the field. You all represented your leagues proudly. Good luck with your 2018 seasons! Will Taylor – AFL Europe