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“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.” – T.S. Eliot
2025 was a seemingly non-stop year in our world. There were just a lot of things… happening. And while I’ll allow other sites and other voices to extrapolate more on things outside of the snowglobe that is the USAFL, the 28th completed USAFL season was also a multitude of things just coming one after another.
For you, the player or the coach, it was week after week of training, Aussie Rules Rec, matches, tournaments, and so forth.
For you, the umpire, it was the constant challenge of doing one of the toughest things to do in any sport, let alone ours.
For you, the volunteer, board member, or any other cog in the machine that makes the sport go on this side of the Pacific, it was constant planning, discussing, and navigating the waters of the campaign, and constantly keeping the game fresh and exciting.
For me, the guy who creates content, yells into the microphone, and spent many hours clicking and banging into a keyboard, and travelled more than 11,000 to do so, it was yet another busy few months.
And for we – the fans and aficionados of Australian Rules Football – it was another damn good year.
Especially if you were a Brisbane Lions supporter.
It was the year of new teams making their mark regionally and nationally, of old champions gaining and regaining championships, and of commemorating just how far the women’s game has come in the past two decades.
It was a year of strengthened partnerships, of milestones, and next chapters.
And this is the story of The Season That Was 2025.
Seedlings of New Clubs Sprout Quickly
New pins were added to the USAFL map in 2025. Not completely out of the blue, but rather through the nurture of established clubs. That gave them a leg up as they roared into full membership with early success that they can build on for the future.
After a year of rapid development and interest, the Bayou Brawlers were officially welcomed into the league. Representing New Orleans and playing in the tradition of the Baton Rouge Tigers, the Brawlers joined up alongside the Virginia Lions for a fantastic showing at the Southeast Regionals in Raleigh, and then played strongly at Div 5 at Nationals. Their future is definitely bright, led by centurion Chance Mire and women’s standout Stefanie Freilenger.
Raleigh was also a coming out party for the Wilmington Bombers, one of many metro clubs playing as part of the North Carolina Tigers set up. Nic Parker’s side teamed up with Jacksonville in Raleigh for their first major appearance.
Parker, who began his career with the Maine Cats, came back to the Cats when they played at Nationals and took out the Division 5 title in Tucson. It was a great return year for the boys from the Pine Tree State; they had been founded in 2018, joined the Boston Demons organization, then struck back out on their own this season and the end result couldn’t have been sweeter.
Aussie Rules the Game
Last season, we launched our “Aussie Rules” promotional campaign, in an effort to show the best of the sport in this country. 2025 took it to the next level.
Beginning in April, each of the league’s 50+ clubs were showcased on social media, and was one of the most popular series in terms of engagement we’ve had in the decade or so I’ve been doing this.
The campaign also included, for the second year in a row, a competition which invited the clubs to carry on the promotion in their own space, as well as to promote the league’s created content to spur their own recruitment drives.
St Louis took the ball and ran with it (then bounced and kicked a magnificent goal) as their Denim themed content which fused their brand and player profiles led them to victory. Their reward was ten brand new footballs, a branded tent, their own VIP section at Nationals, and a slab of beer. Maine finished second, while Arizona took third.
The other part of the campaign was the long awaited debut of this very website. The streamlining of information at every level was a dream realized for the USAFL, and our programs are together in one easy to find directory for fans and recruits to get more information.
Regionals Takes Us All Over the Compass Rose
Summer is when the USAFL season usually cranks into full gear, and this season was the case writ large. After two seasons of having two regional championships, the docket was doubled to include four Saturdays of full on Aussie Rules action in different corners of the country.
The Northeast Championships brought two more cups home to the New York Magpies, who stomped home over host Philly on the men’s final and whose women’s side outlasted DC. A week later the scene shifted south to Raleigh and this time, the homestanding North Carolina Tigers took the bikkies. But while it was the veteran outfit that went unbeaten, the story was the new and up-and-coming clubs; in addition to the above-mentioned Maine Cats, both the Virginia Lions and a Wilmington/Jacksonville conglomerate gained confidence and big game experience.
A fortnight later it was Olathe, Kansas for a co-ed format at Central Regionals. It wasn’t as muggy as it was when we were at Super Regionals in 2023, but the atmosphere was still electric. An early rout of Minnesota helped the North Texas Devils en route to their first ever championship, while the Oklahoma Buffaloes muscled their way to the Division 2 crown.
The biggest tournament was in Westminster, Colorado, with three men’s divisions and a four-way women’s battle. The Denver Bulldogs men had their third win over the Austin Crows in four seasons, and their second D1 regional championship to boot. Arizona swept through the D3 field, and Seattle and Sacramento went down to the bell for another classic before the Suns kicked the trophy winning point after the siren.
Showcasing the best of women’s football in the USAFL, the quartet of women’s teams played out to a rematch of last year’s Western Regional and National Grand Final; Minnesota and Golden Gate. The Maidens would have reinforcements from both Seattle and Sacramento that would take them to another feather in their cap and set up a potential fourth straight Nationals decider pitting the two clubs together… or so we thought.
Mason Makes History… then Goes West
When he stepped onto the ground at Optus Oval in Perth for Collingwood’s Round 10 clash against Fremantle, Mason Cox made a little bit of history. For a man who had to overcome all sorts of obstacles just to get to game number one, getting to game number 133 seemed like reaching the moon.
And yet, the appearance marked the lanky Texan as the American who had played the most games in V/AFL history. It was coincidental in two ways, one obvious and one completely unexpected. The previous games record by an American-born player was held by Don Pyke. Born in Illinois to Australian parents who moved back home to Perth when he was four, and played all 132 of his league games with the West Coast Eagles.
But no one could’ve realized that by the end of 2025, it would be Cox who would sign with Freo after being delisted by the ‘Pies. Indeed, after ten seasons, five finals appearances, two Grand Finals and a premiership dotting his 139 games and 127 games in Collingwood, he had made his mark on fans around the league with his positive attitude, hard work, and perseverance.
And though his departure from Melbourne was bittersweet, he joins a Dockers team that is hoping he’ll be a piece to a premiership puzzle after a sixth place finish.
Tucson Treats Us to Amazing Nationals
If you didn’t make the trip to the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson for Nationals, you missed a good ‘un. The weather gods pushed a little bit of rain through in the days leading up to the carnival, cooling the weather down and giving the lush surface some more fuel to show off its emerald hue.
The scene was definitely set on Friday night, when a number of us went to the ground for the welcome gathering to get a glimpse of the facility for the first time. When we saw the sun set behind the mountains that first night, we knew we were going to be in for something special.
Nationals is always a great gathering, not just for teams to see each other but also as we get to visit with our friends and partners who help the league go. Tasmania were back again for their fourth Nationals, and its Trade Representative, Emily Minson, was on hand to help celebrate the USAFL’s partnership extension with the island state through 2030. Tasmania, along with perennial Nationals partner Cooper’s, CyberSolve IQ, Odin Mortgage and more, have become members of the family in a way.
But then the ball went up on Saturday morning and away we went. The five men’s divisions produced some surprises and some redemption songs.
- Austin won their seventh straight men’s D1 title and a record tenth overall… not over the Bulldogs, but rather the upstart New York Magpies, who upended Denver in the semifinal.
- Seattle obliterated the memories of defeats in two straight D2 Grand Finals by routing the San Diego Lions, picking up their first such title in 17 seasons.
- Boston and Philadelphia joined up to take out the homesteading Arizona Hawks in the grand final, marking the Dees’ 3rd Grand Final and Philly’s fourth title since 2018.
- St Louis, a club who was dormant for most of the 2010’s and revived following the COVID break, picked up its second D4 title in four seasons.
- Capping off an amazing first season back, the Maine Cats turned back the combined North Carolina/Des Moines side to pick up the D5 premiership.
Two Decades of Women’s Football Produces Thrills and New Memories
Without a doubt, 2025 was the year that Nationals showcased the growth of the women’s divisions. Members of the three trailblazing sides who played for that first championship in Milwaukee twenty years ago gathered in Tucson as part of a reunion and commemoration of the past and to revel in where it is now.
For the first time in tournament history, a bracket format was used. All eight teams had the chance to be crowned the best team in the country. That meant that Austin, three times Division 2 champions, found itself playing in the D1 semifinals against Denver/Sacramento. The Bulldogs and Suns, who had derailed the Golden Gate’s journey towards an 11th Grand Final in 12 seasons, dispatched of the Crows to make it back to their first D1 decider since 2021. The anticipated rematch between the Freeze and Maidens occurred one round early, and the Freeze scampered their way to their fourth straight D1 granny.
As part of the anniversary jubilee, the Women’s D1 Grand Final would be the weekend’s climactic moment. And it didn’t disappoint, as the Freeze and “SunDogs” put on a game for the ages. The match only had three goal kickers, but they each had their own story. Minnesota’s Connor Jo Lewis, who has quietly ascended to be one of the best players in the comp, opened the scoring. Sacramento’s Jenna Taipaleti, the mother of three who came back this season following the birth of daughter Tayla, leveled the scoring with a deft chip volley that even Lionel Messi would be proud of.
But the game winner came off the foot of Rose Lemmon, an ice hockey convert from Chicago, which seemingly only had eyes for the goal as it bounced along the Tucson turf. Being carried off the field by your teammates after winning a championship is a great way to end your rookie season, and Lemmon’s heroics led to the Freeze becoming the fourth team to repeat as Women’s D1 titles.
It was a happy ending for the home side too, The Arizona Hawks, who were one of those inaugural three women’s teams at the ‘05 Nationals, teamed up with players from San Diego and Orange County this season to strengthen the sport’s foothold on the Southwest. Alongside players from North Star Blue Ox, the Hawks and friends won their first D2 cup since 2019, accounting for a strong Portland/Seattle/North Texas combine by 13 points.
Got a Feeling ‘26 is Gonna Be a Good Year
It’s gonna be a busy and hectic summer. Yes, there’s a whole big soccer thing happening blah blah blah and all that BUT ALSO… July and August are going to have some more blockbuster matchups and Aussie Rules in exciting locations.
The Super Regionals will be back in 2026, as we head to Woodbury, Minnesota – the land of 10,000 lakes and like 4,000 variations of the Juicy Lucy. Two weeks later, we’ll put a bird on it and head to Salem, Oregon for the first time since 2019 to see who will be the best of the West.
Then, in August, it’ll be Destination: Kelowna for our National teams. The Parallel Cup is back, baby! It’s been two years since the Freedom and Revos defeated the Northern Lights and Northwind in the TransAtlantic Cup semifinals and everyone’s been itching for some International Aussie Rules.
“Aussie Rules” will return next season, but it will look and feel a little different. But the goal is the same – get excited about the sport, and get around it.
And then we’ll be back in Bradenton-Sarasota for the fourth time as the 2026 USAFL Nationals head to the Florida gulf coast.
2025 has been challenging in many ways, and I know you’ve been feeling some of that too. But we still have Aussie Rules, and each other. As ever, it’s been an honor to be here to tell your stories. I wish you and your family happiness and prosperity in the coming year, and I do hope to see you out on the oval next year, where once again… Aussie Rules.
