UPDATE: Montana Is Getting An Australian Football Team

Being a sports fan in Montana has its advantages. If you are a fan of professional teams, you don't have the pressure to follow the state's team. You have the freedom to like any team you choose. It's quite liberating to pick any bandwagon and become a fan.

It was long ago that I picked my teams to follow. None of them are from the same city, and at the time I started following them, they were mostly underdogs. When it comes to sports I feel like I can literally talk about them all day. I can honestly say I am a sports fanatic. I even appreciate sports that get very little to no coverage in Montana. I have been known to watch cricket, rugby, lacrosse and a soccer match or two.

One day, years ago, when I was home sick and flipping through the channels I happened to find an Australian Rules Football game and I was fascinated. It was wild to watch the hits happening and the fast pace of the game. It is a combination of soccer, football, and rugby, all without pads.

via GIPHY

Montana is working towards getting our very own Australian Rules Football team called the Montana Mustangs ARFC, they have a Facebook page here, and an Instagram page here. I spoke with Daniel Hill, who is putting the team together. This is currently the off season for the sport. It's season runs from March until Mid-October. The team practices in Polson, but Hill is talking with Parks and Rec in Missoula about practice locations here too. The league has teams in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, as well as Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake, and Denver. Hill played the game in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Currently the team is based in Polson, but is building a heavy presence in Missoula. Hill has some big plans for the club, he says:

So my goal for 2025 is we got an invitation to the Stampede Cup in Calgary, so that's that's my primary focus is to get minimum 18 guys to go do that...The second goal is to get at least 10-12 guys willing to make a trip to nationals in Arizona and merge with the Baton Rouge club and try to win a title. Then leading into 2026, I want to make a full, maybe, 10 game schedule and then go to nationals ourselves with that same core group of guys plus hopefully we can get several more going. 

If you are interested in playing you can email the team montanausafl@gmail.com. 

I know it is too late for an old man like me to play the game, but for others who are looking to try a new sport in Montana maybe this is something you can give a try. In the meantime, if you want to watch and learn how the game is played, you can check it out on YouTube.