Below are nations which have either had a domestic or international presence, but as of 2023 have not played the sport for over two years.
Andorra The Australian rules football club of
Andorra formed in early 2008, with plans to compete in the Catalan AFL. Logistical problems saw them withdraw from the league before the first round. Andorra made its first appearance at the WAFF (World Australian Football Federation) World 9s in September 2008, which was played in
Valls,
Catalonia. The first ever international goal for the Andorran team was kicked by Sumra Sallis and the team went on to defeat Spain in their first international match. Andorra finished equal third in the competition which included teams from Senegal, Catalonia, Argentina, France and Spain. France went on to win the final which was played against Catalonia.
Lithuania Australian rules football in
Lithuania was first played in 2009, with the creation of a club in
Vilnius, the Vilnius Iron Wolves, in 2009 by a French fan of the sport. There are efforts to expand the game in Lithuania.
Iceland Australian rules football has been played in
Iceland since 20 May 2009, when Friðgeir Torfi Ásgeirsson, who had played in the
Danish Australian Football League, rounded up friends in a local park to kick some footy. Before the first club was founded in Iceland, a national team, known as the Icelandic Ravens, was assembled for the
2009 EU Cup. The first teams were founded in April 2010 and are known as the Dragons, the Eagles and the Bulls. The team names come from Iceland's coat of arms. The 3 teams play in a 9-a-side league and finished their inaugural season on 18 May 2010 with the Bulls as the first premiers of the IceAFL (Icelandic Australian Football League).
Italy Australian rules football in
Italy was first played in 2004 with an attempt to start a league based around the city of
Naples, under the name Federazione Italiana di Football Australiano (FItAF). Four teams in
Salerno,
Naples,
San Giorgio a Cremano and
Barra were created, but the league ultimately did not get off the ground. A new group started playing under the name AFL Italia in
Milan in July 2009, who created the first national league in Italy in 2010, with the Rome Blues, Genoa Dockers, Milan Aussie Rulers and Lugano Steinbocks. A friendly match between Rome and Milan in June 2010 became the first match played in
Rome. The new league which also includes teams from
Genoa and cross Switzerland border city
Lugano was supported by prominent Australians
Tim Fischer and
Amanda Vanstone. The 2010 AFL Italia premiership was won by the Rome Blues, who defeated Milan in the Grand Final, held in Rome. A team representing the Melbourne Italian community also competed at the
Australian Football Multicultural Cup in 2005.
Norway The Oslo Trolls formed in 2005 as Norway's first Australian rules football club, but didn't play their first match until hosting the Karlstad Dragons from Sweden in August 2008. Prior to this, players from the Trolls had travelled to western Sweden to play in club matches with the teams in
Karlstad and
Gothenburg. The second club to form in the Oslo area were founded in early 2009 in the town of
Ås. This club is nicknamed the
Ås Battlers, after the Australian expression
Aussie battler, due to the name of the town sounding similar to the first syllable of
Aussie. The Oslo Trolls and Ås Battlers played their first match against each other in August 2009. In May 2009, a group started playing social matches in the northern city of
Tromsø. This club is currently the most northerly Australian rules team in the world. The Oslo Trolls changed their name to Oslo Crows in 2010, with an affiliation agreement with professional club the
Adelaide Crows from the
Australian Football League. In 2012 they split the team in Oslo East and Oslo West to make a 3 team cup with Ås. It was called Kenguru Cup (Norwegian for Kangaroo) and was played over 5 rounds where all teams met each other once in each round. (Similar to home and away season in AFL) The first winners of the Kenguru Cup was Oslo East.
National team The Norway Polar Bears (
Isbjørnene in
Norwegian) made their first test match appearance against
Sweden in
Karlstad, Sweden on 3 October 2009. The side involved players from all three Australian football clubs in Norway, with around 50% local-born players, the Norway side defeating Sweden on the day. With the Oslo club becoming known as the Crows, the Trolls name has since occasionally been used for the Norway national team. Norway Trolls played in their first Euro Cup in 2012 and won the Plate final, finished at 13th place and received credit by a number of people who watched them play.
Russia The first Australian rules football clubs in Russia were created in May 2011, with groups starting practice matches in Moscow and
Krasnoyarsk within a few weeks of each other. Both fledgling clubs have been started by an expat Australian, but with the remainder of the playing group consisting of local Russians. Russia competed at the 2011 AFL 9s Euro Cup in Belfast. In 2016 Russian national team took part in AFL Europe Cup in Lisbon.
Spain Australian rules football in
Spain is currently played in two regions, with an emerging local league in the
Autonomous Community of Madrid and the LFAC in the region of
Catalonia.
Spain's national Australian rules football team is nicknamed the Bulls, their guernsey showing a
Bull, a well known national symbol of Spain, in the
national colours of red and yellow. Spain entered a team into the 2005
Australian Football International Cup, successfully raising the money to travel to
Melbourne, Australia. The team failed to win a game and finished last, but was widely commended for its spirited performance. This team was drawn exclusively from players from the Madrid Bears and Spanish nationals resident in Melbourne, the Catalan league not taking part in the squad for various reasons. Two separate sides from Spain appeared at the 2007
EU Cup, one drawn from
Madrid under the banner of 'Spain' and another representing
Catalonia.
Madrid Australian rules was first played in Madrid at a social level in 1997. In 2003, the Madrid Bears club formed and quickly grew in player numbers. In a minor international championship in 2003 hosted by Spain and with
Germany and
England also involved, Spain defeated Germany in the final. In October 2003 the
Australian Convicts played their second match of their European tour against the Bears in Madrid, Spain. The Bears' level of activity dropped off in the season following the 2005 International Cup, although the creation of a second team known as the Kangaroos in the town of
Móstoles near Madrid and the commencement of a championship series between the Bears and Kangaroos has seen a resurgence in playing numbers.
Catalonia Australian rules football in
Catalonia is currently played by two teams in
Barcelona and
Valls organised as the Lliga de Futbol Australià de Catalunya (Catalan Australian Football League). The sport began in Catalonia in 2000, when a group of people begun to play in
Valls. The LFAC was officially created in 2005, teams that have competed in this league include Belfry Valls, Barcelona Stars, Gabas Tarragona, Lleida Coiots, and Wendells Salou.
Salou merged with
Tarragona for the 2006 season, then in 2007 the teams from
Lleida and
Tarragona elected to withdraw from the league, hoping to rebuild. A French team from
Northern Catalonia, the
Saint Esteve Saints, considered joining the LFAC for their 2007 season, but this club has since folded. The Catalan team played at the 2005
EU Cup in London and also appeared at the EU Cup in 2007. In 2008 the league kicked off the season with four teams; Belfry Valls, Cornella Bocs (previously the Barcelona Stars), Valls Fire and Picamuixons Birds. A team from
Andorra had planned to compete, but were forced to withdraw due to problems with the stadium they had planned to use. The Andorrans competed in other matches outside the LFAC season. In 2009, the league spread to cover teams from the Catalan regions of
Andorra and France, with the inclusion of the Andorra Crows and the Perpignan Tigers. ==European performance at International Cup==