Home

  Contact

  Where we practice
  History

  Articles

  Events

  Footy Store

In the News:

December 8, 2007

What’s in a name?

The Kings celebrate 11 years in style.

In the delightfully smoke free back half of the now infamous, Zazoo’s Bar and Grill, stood the painstakingly recreated eleven year history of the oldest footy club in America. Framed by both the US and Australian flags a set of masterfully constructed pictorial storyboards traced the team’s humble beginnings from the ramshackle Highanders through today’s sparkling incarnation, the LouisvilleKings. This night was not only about celebrating the teams on and off-field escapades for the season just concluded but to also look back and commemorate the storied history of this colorful club.

The night was kicked of by our spiritual leader Chris ‘Pigdog’ Parsley who eloquently brought to life the storyboards that stood behind him. He spoke of the passion and personality that has helped create such a unique atmosphere and experience for all those that have come into contact with the game in Louisville. From ‘Papa’ John Harrell through Ronnie ‘Butt Dart’ Haggar to Jimmi ‘Boss’ McKinney-Kirkman every person has had a part to play in the development of the club’s culture. It is this notion, the strength of the collective, which resonated throughout the night’s proceedings, with a much greater focus on the team as a whole than the individual.

Next up was President Will ‘Stompy’ Sandman who, unlikeHugo Chavez was able to pass the ‘Iam the Boss of you’ referendum, discussed the excellent off-field achievements of season 2007 making particular reference to the early season trip to Chicago. This weekend also doubled as the dynamic duo, Jimi and Jay’s, coming out party in which Jay ‘Penny’ Kirkman introduced his penchant for parody as he attempted his best Michael Flattely in front of an enamored crowd. Stompy also spoke to the dilemma faced by one of the clubs stalwarts, ‘Brian Whitney’, who when charged with the unfamiliar role of the pursued rather than pursuer, found himself floundering and promptly wilted under the weight (actually not figuratively) of a particular local lady’s persistent advances.

Third cab of the rank was Coach Matt ‘Toke’ Seuling who briefly reviewed what one can only describe as a disappointing on-field 2007. He quickly moved to a more positive tact by calling for a renewed commitment and swell in numbers for the 2008 season with a greater emphasis on expanding and improving the K.A.F.L. ‘Toke’ also underlined the importance of making a much better fist of the inter-city schedule where the newly formed Ohio Valley (enter name here) squad, comprised of the elite players from both Louisville and Cincinnati, will be a competitive force in the M.A.A.F.L. in 2008.

he presentation component of the evening was next with the inaugural ‘Right of Naming’ ceremony again highlighting the night’s theme of team over individual. The brainchild of Chris ‘Pigdog’ Parsley, the ‘Right of Naming’ concept looks to formalize the compilation of nicknames that are thrown around at training, on trips or in the bar after training. An embossed certificate listing each players nickname was presented to all of the 2007 squad members which was a fitting end to an evening that, although sparsely attended was well received and enjoyed by all those lucky enough to be present.

09/19/2007

The Kings continue to improve.

Cincinnati 09/15/2007

On a picture perfect day in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati an under manned Louisville Kings took on their closets and fiercest rivals, the Cincinnati Dockers in the final inter-city game for both teams before the National tournament in October. With each team blooding new players and experimenting with their line-ups in preparation for the ‘big dance’, the game took on a new complexion, a less intensive and more instructional one.

The Kings kicked with the aid of a slight breeze in the first quarter but were unable to capitalize as the Dockers met every challenge the Kings and the breeze threw at them. The same script was followed in second quarter with Kings working hard into the breeze, creating a number of chance only to be thwarted by the counter attacking Dockers defenders who in turn kept the over worked Kings defense busy. After a closely contested first half, again it was the Kings inability to maintain concentration that contributed to the Dockers pulling away in the third to a handy seven goal lead. But to the Kings credit they came storming home, into the breeze, to reduce the final margin to a respectable 20 points.

WorldFest 2007

Tucked in the corner of the tent city version of the United Nations that was WorldFest 2007, the Louisville Kings made their way on a crisp and breezy Saturday morning to the ‘International Sports Field’ in ones and twos, passing through row after row of merchants hawking their wares and organizations flogging their causes. On account of the early hour we had the field all to ourselves, though a curious fella with a bag full of cricket bats and an air of anticipation about him took his place in the queue behind us. Although the WorldFest didn’t officially open for another hour, it was still rather busy with the hustle and bustle of folks setting up stalls, preparing food, and awaiting the crowds to follow.

Although our coach, Matt ‘Dropbear’ Seuling was unable to attend, Chris ‘Pigdog’ Parsley mobilized the troops as we donned our guernseys and began the warm-up drills. After the requisite number of handball and kicking drills (including one errant kick that very nearly bounced over the far wall and onto the interstate below), the ‘Festival Edition’ of the eternal Saints/Cats rivalry was underway.

Suiting up for the Saints were Casey ‘Lokomotiv Kiev’ Barwell, Jay ‘der Tanzer’ Kirkman, Christopher ‘Slippy’ Mason, Tim ‘Bam Bam’ Sears, Will ‘el Jefe’ Sandman, and Jack ‘Hot for Teacher’ Jacobs.

Staring them down from the other side of the pitch were Chris ‘Pigdog’ Parsley, Fred ‘King of Torts’ Hecht, Ronnie ‘Butt Dart’ Hagger, Matt ‘Springbok’ Adams, and, making her debut and turning the Cats into the first co-ed Metro footy side in the history of Louisville, Jimi ‘Nemesis’ White.
Due to the dictates of size, a full-on game of footy was simply not feasible, so the team opted instead to put on a show for the early-risers with a display of handball footy. Before the game would start, though, some courtesies and precautions had to be observed, most notably the peace of mind of the unnervingly-placed pottery stall at one side of the field. Economics tells us that a thing’s worth is determined by the amount someone is willing to pay for it, but one had to wonder when seeing them handle one small ceramic bowl with $13,000 scrawled on the inside in marker. Still, a few picnic tables strategically relocated saw to it that the pottery vendors could spectate in enjoyment instead of fear and dread.

With the locals pacified, the clash of the Cats and Saints began. Not to be an official result but rather one for demonstration of the sport, this one was for bragging rights only. Although the inability to employ their powerful boots left more than a couple of the players disadvantaged, it was more than made up for by the opportunity to mix it up a little in closer-than-usual quarters.

The first half was a game of two quarters. Matt ‘Springbok’ Adams was solid in the ruck, though each ball was fiercely contested by Chris ‘Slippy’ Mason. Casey ‘Lokomotiv Kiev’ and Tim ‘Bam Bam’ Sears were physical forces to be reckoned with, while Fred ‘King of Torts’ Hecht and Ronnie ‘Butt Dart’ Hagger were dexterous, nimble options who were hard to contain once they caught a glimpse of daylight.

By the half, though, the Saints had pulled ahead, and the occasional spectator passing through had paused to watch this clash of the titans unfold before them. Casey ‘Lokomotiv Kiev’ Barwell in particular was keen to act as ambassador for the game, chatting up anyone who showed even a glimmer of interest.

Before long, the players were rested and rehydrated, and back to the field of battle they strode. Jimi ‘Nemesis’ White, citing the obligatory parenting duties, had to remain on the sidelines, so Jay ‘der Tanzer’ Kirkman was sold to the Cats for three orange cones. He looked keen to deliver for his new club, making a solid diving play at the boundary to keep the ball in bounds.

Chris ‘Pigdog’ Parsley tapped into his deep reserve of stamina to keep the Cats in the game, leading the charge downfield time and time again. Jack ‘Hot for Teacher’ Jacobs was a constant scoring threat, though, with his uncanny eye for positioning.

Tragedy nearly struck in the second half, though, when Will ‘el Jefe’ Sandman, perhaps filled with irrational exuberance at his team’s growing lead, dropped one right to his boot and blasted it through goal. Unfortunately, said goal was perhaps a meter in front of the sound booth for the concert stage, and the technician was perhaps slightly less amused than the players were as the football crashed into a moving crate. With ominous mutterings about “thirty-thousand dollars’ worth of equipment” looming above their heads, the Cats and Kings, duly chagrined, finished out the half.

By any standard the Kings’ presence at WorldFest was a success. There were people stopping and asking questions as well as watching the game, and many of the players found themselves on the receiving end of inquiry by the curious as they strolled about the park in their guernseys. And of course, a postgame beer-and-brainstorming session turned over a number of ideas which promise to make next year’s even better!

8/27/2007

The Kangaroos Bound Away Again.

Nashville 08/25/07

The Louisville Kings took a small step along the ever winding road to on-field respect during the latest chapter of their 2007 Magical Mystery Tour which landed in the Music City for the first time in a very long time.

The Kings trip was rocked by the news that key playmaker and talisman, Fred ‘I will pay you, I promise’ Hecht was a late withdrawal from the squad due to unforeseen issues with his ‘ladies’ in Evansville. However this devastation was off set by the equally astounding sequence of events that led to the availability of the clubs fearless leader, Will ‘W for 2008’ Sandman. Will being plagued by a variety of ailments and working 25 hours a day (except when indoor soccer is on) arose from the dead and made the call that turned all the Kings frowns upside down as they jumped in their cars and headed down I-65 in search of the sun.

A relatively uneventful trip ensued up until the very final hurdle when Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd was heard saying ‘Mapquest f*cked us’ as the lead vehicle in the convoy was inadvertently lead down the proverbial garden path. Disaster was averted and the 13 man squad arrived at the Velodrome just after 3:00pm central time. A brief warm-up and even briefer pep talk had all the Kings ready for battle as they took up their positions just after the scheduled starting time, that is, everyone except Casey ‘My Yugo Broke Down’ Barwell who was no where to be seen as Jeff ‘Serpico’ Persson pointed the Sherrin towards the very hot Tennessee sun.

Whether it was Chris ‘Pig Dog’ Parsley’s selection of punk classics or the playing of the national Anthems the Kings came out of the blocks flat with the Kangaroos jumping to a quick three goal lead. The Kings eventually awoke from their slumber and grabbed one back through the great work of Jack ‘Kick it to me’ Jacobs who snapped a goal over his right shoulder from just off second base.

The second quarter had a very similar narrative with the home team grabbing the initiative, the Kings working it back only to let the Kangaroos slip away again. This was not the case in the third with the Kings putting together 20 minutes of memorable football both in quality and endeavor. They out hustled, tackled and played the hosts for the full period with Patrick ‘Trick’ Choe, Matt ‘No Socks’ Adam and Casey ‘I eventually got the Yugo fixed’ Barwell all dominating.

The final quarter promised to be a big one with the upstart Kings taking it to their more accomplished opponents in the premiership quarter, however just like my penchant for laying good money on bad horses, the Kings were outclassed and out run in the final quarter with the Kangaroos piling on five unanswered goals that left the final scores looking a little sick.

These scores did not truly indicate the competitive nature of the contest with the Kings again making small improvements and progression in every facet of the game however it was the stars of Nashville that stepped up when needed and helped them pull away as the game started to get just a little bit tight.

more images of the KINGS..

8/23/2007

Louisville Kings Looking to Expand the Kingdom.

At Indiana University Southeast’s annual freshman orientation event, Freshfusion, a couple of ‘old school’ Kings were hoping that the fact that they looked more like parent than peer would not interfere with their ability to spread the gospel of this great game to a new generation.

Sharing a table with our generous hosts, the IUS Athletic Department, afforded both Chris ‘Pig Dog’ Parsley and Matt ‘Kylie’ Seuling the perfect opportunity to bend the ear of a number of unsuspecting freshmen caught up in the world wind that is the first week of college.

Just a hint of tentativeness and that slight look of confusion, that normally arises at events such as this, was all the veteran Kings needed to pounce and lay out the Aussie Rules spiel. A spiel that has, over time, become almost perfected; to the point where a number of students could no longer be classified either ‘dazed or confused’ in regards to footy. Whether it was the students being overly polite or just plan scared, Chris and Matt were able to hold the attention of a number of promising looking athletes beyond a courteous, ‘hey, how you goin, could you please sign my card’.

Both through this event and the continued promotion and hard work of Jason ‘Rusty’ Holman we will hopefully generate enough interest in the upcoming exhibition game scheduled for September 13, on the IUS Campus in New Albany, to establish a more permanent presence at the University. .

The Louisville Kings would like to take this opportunity to thank the IUS Athletic Department, in particular Pat Mrozowski and Perry Brown, for their help and continued support.

_______________________________________________________________

USAFL Returns To Where It All Began.

Like an old married couple looking for a spark, the United States Australian Football League has announced that Louisville, Kentucky will host the jewel in the crown of the 10 year Anniversary celebrations, the 2007 National Tournament.

Louisville’s Cherokee Park was the sight of the first ever game of Aussie Rules played between two locally organized sides back in September, 1996. A team from Cincinnati traveled down I-71 to take on a Louisville team haphazardly gathered by the late, great ‘ Papa’ John Harrell, the spiritual founder of Aussie rules in this country.

Things have certainly changed since John decided to plaster almost every flat surface in Louisville’s east end with flyers looking for players to take on this underexposed and exotic game. In the proceeding 10 years with a lot of hard work and sacrifice from a number of individuals from around the country the USAFL looks set to have its biggest and brightest event ever.

The National Tournament is scheduled for the weekend of October 13-14 at the Louisville Soccer Park just off River Road right here in Louisville, Kentucky. With approximately 28 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams from all points of the United States competing for the right to be named National Champion, the action promises to be fast, furious and extremely entertaining both on and off the field. Please come along and enjoy the spectacle and excitement of the world’s greatest game.

Our flyers are available here in PDF format for community-wide distribution...

_______________________________________________________________

Kentuckiana Australian Football League
Est. 2007

Media Release (08/08/07)

Another beautiful day in the midst of a heat wave saw the embattled rank and file of the St Matthew's Saints and Highland Cats make their way towards the ersatz oval to once again join in a contest of strength. wits, and will... or hopefully at least a good two outta three. The pleasantries exchanged and warmup drills completed, the two teams settled in for business. With coach Matt 'Kylie' Seuling resting at home and sucking on Midols, Chris 'Pigdog' Parsley nobly volunteered to stand in as umpire and put the ball into play. Grunts, shouts, and the scuffle of feet announced to all of Seneca Park that these teams indeed had something to play for. For the Saints it was the opportunity for glory unbounded, the chance at a third triumph over their archrivals in as many weeks. For the Cats, they looked to snap a losing skid, not just for honor and dignity but also because rumors were rife that the storied sports traditions of 'losers buy the beer' was being floated once more. With everything to play for and their wallets to lose, a line in the sand had been drawn.

The first quarter was, not surprisingly, tightly contested. The Saints took full advantage of their speed options, with the ball finding its way into the hands of Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd and Jack 'Best in Show' Jacobs for some early goals, while the Cats responded to velocity with brute force, powering goals through at the hands of Bill 'Chief Oshkosh' Ley with a brace and Matt 'The Professor' Adams with one. The Saints, though, were not without muscle of their own, as Casey 'The Commissar' Barwell quickly put them up another pair of goals, but the Cats ended the quarter on a high with Tim 'Bam Bam' Sears storming downfield under pressure to give the Cats the last word in the quarter.

If the first quarter was a roughly even affair, the second was anything but. Chris 'Pigdog' Parsley, trading off officiating duties with Bill 'Chief Oshkosh' Ley, got things started with an equalizer for the Cats. Jay 'Flashdance' Kirkman made his contribution to the Saints with a nimble, diving play to snare a grounded ball that left Cats Parsley and Patrick 'Trick Daddy' Choe looking like statues. But fuelled in equal measure by both rehydrating Gatorade and blessed youth, Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd made the second his own personal highlight reel by putting all four of the Saints' goals on the board. Then like an act of divine mercy, halftime was called and the Cats slinked off the field.

The umpire-go-round continued into the third, with Matt 'The Professor' Adams taking over for Bill 'Chief Oshkosh' Ley, and the Cats showed that turnabout is fair play as Ley and Chris 'Pigdog' Parsley piled on the goals. The Saints were back on their heels, trying time and time again to close to the goal but the stifling Cats defense rebuffed every effort but one. At the end of the third, they had battled back to a draw and once again it was anyone's game.

With three quarters of play having passed in the withering sun, the Cats-Saints clash abandoned all pretense of defense in the fourth. The scoresheet read like a veritable who's who of Metro footy murderer's row: Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd, Casey 'The Commissar' Barwell, and Tim 'Bam Bam' Sears; three counts each. Jack 'Best in Show' Jacobs and Chris 'Pigdog' Parsley; two counts each. And after the heartbreak of watching a string of solid efforts sail just wide, Patrick 'Trick Daddy' Choe notched a beauty splitting the uprights. By the time the goalfest was done and the dust had settled, though, it was another win for the Saints.

The Kentuckiana Australian Football League (K.A.F.L) comprises of two teams, the Highland Cats and the St. Matthews Saints.

_______________________________________________________________

Media Release (08/04/07)

The next stanza in the K.A.F.L. premiership race was held this morning at the spiritual home of Kentuckiana Aussie Rules, Seneca Park. Carefully wedged between a masterfully manicured and vacant softball diamond, a horde of eight year old girls chasing after a round ball and a plethora of cross-county whippets completing lap after lap at a break neck pace stood the pride of Kentucky and southern Indiana.

The St. Matthews Saints and the Highland Cats looked to write the next chapter in their storied (five weeks old) history. Both teams are not only fighting for pride and bragging rights but the opportunity to cement their place in the top two and ensure a finals berth come the end of the season. With the Highland Cats looking to bounce back from last round’s disappointing performance and the Saints hoping to continue their dominance, this morning’s encounter was bound to be a barnstormer.

The oppressive conditions did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the season’s largest (approximately seven) and most vocal crowd, there was even a little agro that ended in an extended ‘time out’ for one of the culprits. On the ground, however, there was no such ‘how do you do’ with the mid 90s temperature and heavy humidity seemingly draining the players of their sparkle on the walk from their cars to the ground.

The first half was a flat affair, perhaps a hangover from last weeks ESPN instant classic, with both team’s play littered with mistakes and turnovers with only a long range effort from Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd drawing a ‘ohhhh’ from the sizeable crowd.

With the lackluster first half behind them, and a couple of gallons of magic potion drawn from a mysterious cooler, the players returned from the long break renewed and invigorated. Add to this the unusual occurrence of a mid-game draft in which the Highland Cats were able to pluck, with the first and only pick, evergreen Chris ‘Pig Dog’ Parsley from the side-lines and the table was set for a blockbusting finish.

The third quarter is not referred to as the premiership quarter for nothing as the Saints utilized their ever improving hand skills to slice through the previously impenetrable Cats defense. Christopher ‘Grain Fed’ Mason, Tim ‘Bam Bam’ Sears and Matt ‘The Bespectacled One’ Adam were just too much for the over worked Bill ‘Bud’ Ley and Casey ‘Chicken Kiev’ Barwell. Often teams will control general play for long periods of a match with no reward; the key here was the Saints ability to convert their dominance into scoreboard pressure which in turn left the result precariously balanced on a knife’s edge as the Saints had forged a comfortable lead heading into three quarter time.

The Cats found themselves three goals down as they entered the final quarter and with all the momentum in the Saints favor they searched for an inspiration. A couple of timely pirouettes and an aggressive overuse of his infamous ‘jazz hands’; the previously unsighted Jay ‘Tony Manero’ Kirkman helped to light a fire under his team mates. Two quick goals from Jack ‘The Alliterator’ Jacobs and the recently acquired Chris ‘Pig Dog’ Parsley helped breath new life into the contest but a timely goal from best on ground Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd stemmed the tied and the Saints were able to hold onto memorable a six point victory.

The Kentuckiana Australian Football League (K.A.F.L) comprises of two teams, the Highland Cats and the St. Matthews Saints.

_______________________________________________________________

Media Release (07/28/07)

Round Four of the inaugural K.A.F.L. campaign was held at picturesque Seneca Park in the east end of Louisville. The two combatants, the upstart St. Matthews Saints and the wily Highland Cats are quickly establishing a fierce and hotly contested rivalry, based almost solely on the fact that these are the only two teams in the competition, but this is neither here nor there.

The match was played under perfect conditions, a gentle breeze, a little overcast and a relatively mild temperature for this time of year. However the most striking image for the uninitiated was the sight of the respective cheer squads appropriately decked out in their team colors (well, Jimi, anyway) which help set the scene for a contest that promised plenty and delivered all that and more.

In a hard fought four quarters the young legs of the St. Matthews Saints proved a little too quick for the craft and guile of the Highland Cats. After a very tight first quarter in which the evergreen Chris ‘Pig Dog’ Parsley admirably lead his Cats to a one goal advantage the running power of the Saints lead by Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd, Ron ‘The Butt Dart’ Hagger and Casey ‘The Oligarch’ Barwell helped pile on five goals to two in the second stanza which proved to be too tall a mountain for the gallant Cats to climb.

The Cats cause was not aided by the untimely collapse of Jason ‘Rusty’ Holman who had up until that point been a steadying influence deep in defense and had turned away a number of Saints advances. To add insult to injury, Cats big man Jay ‘Dancing Queen’ Kirkman, deep into the third quarter, was also found mysteriously rolling and writhing on the ground like the victim of a gangland reprisal, but to his credit he was able to shake it off and get back into the game but even his valiant return from the grave could not slow the march of the Saints to victory.

Goal Kickers:
St. Matthews	Highlands
Eric ‘Sleepy’ Floyd 4 Christopher ‘Tardy’ Mason 3 Casey ‘The Oligarch’ Barwell 3 Ron ‘The Butt Dart’ Hagger 3	Chris ‘Pig Dog’ Parsley 3 Tim ‘Bam Bam’ Sears 3 Jack ‘The Decade’ Jacobs 2

_______________________________________________________________

Join us! We're always looking for new people to join the club. We have practices every Tuesday night at Seneca Park at 6:00pm. Metro Games, short sided games occur on Saturdays at 10:00. For directions to Seneca Park, see the link on the sidebar to the left.

Below is a video which gives a basic introduction of the rules of the game