The Austrian Football League (AFL) is the highest level of American football in Austria founded in 1982. The AFL has always been considered among the best and strongest leagues in Europe. The league plays by rules based on those of the NCAA.
The AFL is the highest tier level and below that is a tier pyramid system consisting of teams playing in divisions I through division IV. Winners of each division move up to the next level of play. The Tyrol Raiders and Vienna Vikings which had dominated the league for much of the preceding decade announced their intention to leave for the European League of Football for the upcoming 2022 season. However, unlike teams in other countries that have made this move, the reserve team of both will remain a participant in the Austrian Football League.
The AFL was founded in 1982 by the teams such as the Salzburg Lions, Graz Giants, Vienna Ducks and Vienna Ramblocks. The first Austrian Bowl was held in 1984 in Salzburg.
The AFL is commonly considered as one of the best American football leagues in Europe. This was especially so in the period from 2004 to 2011, when the European Football League final game the Eurobowl, was won seven out of eight times by an Austrian league AFL team.[1]
In 2010, the Prague Panthers from the Czech Republic joined the league as the first team from outside of Austria. The Panthers were a member of the AFL until the 2016 season. In 2016, the Ljubljana Silverhawks from Slovenia joined, and in 2018, the Bratislava Monarchs from Slovakia entered the league.
In the mid to late 1980's with the increase in talent and professionalism throughout the league, a more formalized mechanism was put in place to recruit and fly in former college and free agent football players to play in Austria for pay (salary) as well as room and board. Because homegrown players are one of the main focus points of the league, there are specific rule limitations for the numbers of foreigners. The rule has changed several times over the years. Currently, each roster can have a maximum of 6 American, Canadian, Mexican or Japanese professional import players, with two allowed on the field at the same time.
The regular season currently consists of ten games and starts in mid-March; the playoffs continue through July. The final game, the (Austrian Bowl), was held for the first time in 1984 in Salzburg, Austria.
In 2024, the AFL will consist of:
^ 1: Formerly known as Klosterneuburg Mercenaries
(criteria= won major (AFL) award or NFL experience)
Sandro Platzgummer, RB Raiders Tirol, AFL-Offensive player of the year, NFL with the New York Giants Bernhard Raimann, TE-OL Vienna Vikings -AFL, currently of the NFL Indianapolis Colts Bernhard Seikovits, TE Vienna Vikings -AFL, currently NFL Arizona Cardinals
Max Pircher, OL Raiders Tirol -AFL, Currently NFL Seattle Seahawks
Anthony Thompson, 1993 AFL League MVP, Bulls 1993-94 & Mercenaries 1995 RB/LB, NFL for Denver Broncos Eric Beavers, 1992 AFL League MVP, Graz Giants QB 1991-1993. Nevada Wolfpack Doug Wilkerson, Graz Giants OL/DL 1987, was NFL All Pro player for the San Diego Chargers Tony Hunt, RB Vienna Vikings & NFL for Philadelphia Eagles. Todd Hendricks, 1995 AFL League MVP & 1995-96 Offensive player of the year, AFC Rangers WR/RB Dave Dunn (American football), Graz Giants 1991-1992 DL Mark Helfrich, Former Vienna Viking QB 1997, former Oregon Ducks head coach Thomas Smythe, AFL Coach of the year, 1994-2006 Head coach Vienna Vikings, 8 AFL championships, 3 Eurobowl titles Hugh Mendez, 1993 AFL Coach of the year, AFL Champion 1993, Head coach Feldkich Dinos 1993-94, Klosterneuburg Mercenaries 1995 Rick Rhoades, 2008 AFL Coach of the year, 2007-2011 Head coach Graz Giants, Austrian National team head coach Charles Drake (American football), DB Cinneplex Blue Devils. Emmanuel Moody, Vienna Viking RB, Florida Gators Chris Gunn, AFL League MVP, Graz Giants QB Jason Johnson (quarterback), Swarco Raiders QB 2009. Jaime Kimbrough, Carinthian Cowboys and Lions RB 1999-2001. Fresno State Bulldogs George Paton, Vienna Vikings DB/RB 1993. Current GM for Denver Broncos Sean Shelton, 3 X AFL League MVP, Swarco Raiders QB
Shuan Fatah, AFL Coach of the year, AFL Champion, Eurobowl Champion, Head coach Swarco Raiders Kevin Burke, (American Football) 2017 Austrian Bowl Game MVP, Vienna Vikings QB Chris Calaycay, AFL Coach of year & Former Vienna Viking DB, AFL Champions and Eurobowl Champion Cameron Frickey, 1999 AFL Offense POTY, 1998-2003 Vienna Vikings WR & current Woman's National team coach Clinton Graham, AFL Offense POTY, Vienna Vikings, Prague Panthers and AFC Rangers RB. Eric Marty, 2010 Austrian Bowl game MVP, Danube Dragons QB Germaine Race, 2010 AFL Offense POY, St. Polten Invaders RB. Former NFL player Kyle Newhall-Caballero, 2012 AFL League MVP, Prague Black Panthers QB, NFL player & Scout Darius Robinson, Swarco Tirol Raiders DB & former NFL player, Clemson Tigers football Lance Gustafson, AFL League MVP, Vienna Vikings LB/RB Paul Kujawa, AFL League MVP 1994, Graz Giants RB/LB 1994-96, Iowa Hawkeyes Talib Wise, 2011 Austrian Bowl Game MVP, Swarco Raiders RB Kyle Callahan, Swarco Raiders QB/WR and coach D.J. Hernandez, AFL offense POY, Carinthian Lions QB, Brother of Aaron Hernandez Luke Atwood, Vienna Vikings QB/WR -AFL Offensive player of year Reece Horn, Vienna Vikings WR- NFL player Geoff Stults, Mercenaries player WR, (now Dragons). Current Hollywood Actor Jonathan Dally, former Dragons QB Brad Strohm, AFC Rangers QB 1995-96, 1998, AFL-Offense POTY 1998 LSU Tigers / Mississippi College Matt Sayre, 1996 AFL league MVP, Graz Giants QB 1994-96 Tim Nielson, AFL league MVP 1989, Graz Giants QB/RB 1989-1990,1992
Despite the relatively small size of Austria, both the Austrian national American Football team and individual club teams of the AFL have enjoyed remarkable success in European competitions. The Austrian national team, whose players mostly play in the AFL (with a few also playing in the German Football League), won the final 28-0 over team Finland 2023 European Championship of American football to win the championship title. The National team also has placed third at the 1995 European Championship of American football (hosted in Austria), third place at the 2010 European Championship, second at the 2014 European Championship (hosted in Austria), losing the final in double overtime to Germany in front of 27000 spectators at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion[2] and placed second again in 2018.
The Vienna Vikings have won the Eurobowl five times and reached the final ten times overall while the Tyrol Raiders have won it three times in five appearances in the final. Furthermore the Central European Football League has been won five times by Austrian teams both before and after it became a premier European competition.
The AFL Graz Giants own the first known European victory against a US college team in 1991. The Giants won the exhibition game 32–23 against Albany State University. The game was played in the United States on August 31, 1991.
