Magpies Go Down to the Bombers in the Final Home Game
Sept 12^th 2004 – by Magpie Press
Figure 1: Captian Stuart Rackham takes a shot at goal.			The showdown for a possible MAAFL championship and a shot at the Nationals Division 1 title was fiercely fought on Saturday September 11 in Dallas. As a strong Milwaukee Bombers outfit traveled to Dallas and, on a 90-degree day, played well enough to defeat the Magpies. The final score read Milwaukee 89 to Dallas 41. The two teams were never separated by more than two goals until the final quarter in which Dallas had the majority of the play in the first five minutes – threatening to close the gap with numerous missed opportunities, but Milwaukee steadied the ship by reeling off six consecutive goals to blow the game wide open to give them the victory. The first game was a great contest where both teams displayed just why the MAAFL is the best competition in the USA. There was high marking, team running, sharp skills and goals from both teams. Only slight inaccurate goal kicking from both sides kept the scores from running away. The crowd numbered approximately 200, and even though they left disappointed they were treated to a fine display of sportsmanship and skill.
It was a disappointing finish to the MAAFL season for the Dallas side, which had only lost two other games by a total of 7 points. There were many positives to come out of the game and rookie players in their first season will learn for the experience. Dallas will now turn it's focus to the Nationals Competition in Atlanta on October 9th and 10th and hopefully with the return of key position players will return to the form that has put them in the class of the best in the USA this year. About the Dallas Magpies: The Dallas Magpies are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, dedicated to fostering national and international amateur sports competition as well as promoting a cultural exchange between Americans and Australians.		Figure 2: Some of the many specators who came to the game.
Figure 3: Grant Campbell kicks for goal.	The Magpies participate in the Mid American Australian Football League, a division of the United States Australian Football League, and also have a player, Brandon Blankenship, competing on the U.S. National team in international competition. The team is active in promoting the Australian national sport and Australian culture through clinics at area schools and by sponsoring events such as the annual Australia Day and ANZAC Day celebrations in the Metroplex. For more details on organizing a school clinic, playing footy with the team or supporting the Dallas Magpies Australian Football Club, e-mail the recruiting department (recruiting@dallasfooty.com).