Q: “It is not only football, it is not only entertainment, it will be interactive, it will be involving… can you please explain the fans what is the AFX?”
A: “The AFX fans will enjoy this multilevel experience of live music, professional sport and entertainment groups in an open venue. This is a truly new, interactive and innovative concept in which our fans can participate and enjoy the facilities. The AFX Village experience will be at each AFX Home Team game through the full season of AFX League football, as well as the playoff and Championship games. All of the AFX Villages will have a festival air for the fans. There they can enjoy participating in the interactive games and take advantage of the food and beverages that will be available. These AFX Villages will also include pre-game and post-game live music, DJ’s, AFX Dancers, AFX merchandise availability and many other things which would be of interest to the fans.”

Q: “What do you like the most of the AFX project?”
A: “My personal involvement in all of the phases of the AFX has created an interesting and unique life experience. Nothing like the AFX League experience has been done before. My participation in helping make it happen, has sparked my enthusiasm, and made me very excited to be a part of this endeavor.”

Q: “Do you think the Italian and European public will like the AFX concept of Entertainment and sport? Will they be able to understand the Action Football, even if it is not the football (i.e. soccer) they are used to and it is not the classic American Football?”
A: “The Italian and European public is very sophisticated in their entertainment approach. I believe our fans will realize that the AFX concept is being geared to their level of innovated sophistication.

Q: “How are the rules of Action Football going to be different from the American Football?”
A: “The AFX League Professional Football Rules are established to insure that any of our fans can completely follow the on field play. It will be a game with more non-stop action, and as opposed to USA football, should be more easily understood. Action on the field is what our fans want, have paid for, and that is exactly what they will get. Our field is 80 yards long with 5 yard end-zones. This will enable the play on this field to be more concise and intense. If you have seen games like the latest Super Bowl, within the 60 minute game schedule, there is only 20 to 25 minutes of real game action. The AFX League’s primary rule is to provide continuing action. Except for half-time or injury, the clock does not stop. It will fulfill the fan’s desire to see non-stop action for the entire length of the contest. It is action very much like NFL and NFL Europe, in that, the AFX League uses professionally experienced players who will receive their payment under our AFX Professional Player contracts.”

Q: “What impact do you think the AFX will have in Europe and how will it affect the amateur leagues and teams that already exist? Do you plan to work with them and how?”
A: “The National Club Federations, with whom we wish to strengthen our relationships, are very well run and organized. They are a well established standard in most of Europe. The Leagues they run are where many European professional players have learned and developed their proficient football skills. Those c club teams, with any assistance that we can provide, are a fertile place for those talented coaches and players who may wish to move up to the next level of athletic performance.”

Q: “How is the AFX getting ready to launch?”
A: “The AFX advertising and promotional programs are now in the final phase of completion and should be ready to start about the first of April. The AFX League’s preseason conditioning camps at the designated Home Team cities will also begin in April. These promotional programs will encompass the full range of media exposure necessary to place the AFX concept in front of the public. This will include radio, news print, billboards, internet and TV. We will include the AFX Dancers in many of the preseason AFX League activities and public functions. During the Season, the AFX Dancers will perform at all AFX games and selected community functions. Try outs for the AFX dancers will be held in two cities, one in the North and the other in Southern Italy. The AFX Dancer tryout dates, locations and requirements will be advertised.”

Q: “What else does the AFX offer to players Italians, EU and imports?”
A: “The AFX League has already signed many of the players which were selected in the draft during December 2009. All signed players will be under contract, no matter if they are Italian, Import or EU Players. They are professionals. The Director of Player Development and Recruiting, as well as former NFL Players and coaches, who are friends of the League Management, have been evaluating talent from all over Europe and the States. All the players of each AFX Team, will receive insurance coverage, transportation, housing and access to local vehicle usage. All players will be available for appearance and community events. Players who may live in local areas or near their Home Team city, will not be eligible for local housing.”

Q: “How can a player be selected as a “Free Agent”?”
A:“The talented players that were not drafted, (free agents), will be invited to the AFX League Teams’ preseason camps for additional evaluation. Within this professional atmosphere, all drafted and free agent players , will be on preseason camp salary during that time. The abundance of available, talented professional football players is almost unlimited. However, The AFX will only sign the best of these professional players. This shall guarantee the best possible product on the field in each AFX Team city to entertain and play for the loyal, home town fans. All players and AFX Dancers will be available to the fans for pictures and autographs at the end of each game.”

Q: “Will the AFX be in Europe anytime soon?”
A: “The AFX League concept could very well take firm root through out Europe. The AFX is not intended to replace the National Club Leagues, but would work in partnership in developing home grown talent in an expanded European AFX League. Expansion is being planned through out Europe. This would enable all AFX Europeans Divisions to field their Champions and then engage in a true, full AFX League Super Bowl style final Championship game.”

Quincy Wilson, former running back of the Cincinnati Bengals, has accepted the offer from the AFX of Emilia Romagna.
He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia.
Wilson has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Florida Tuskers. He is the son of former NFL linebacker Otis Wilson.

With Wilson also the two Italian quarterbacks, Nicolò Scaglia e Leonardo Lazzaretti, picked by the same team in the AFX players Selections, signed to play in the AFX.

AFX press

Brett Hall, the first choice ever in the history of AFX accepted the offer from the Bari team and will be in Bari this spring.

These are the players that accepted the AFX offer up to date.

“Congratulations to Carl,” said the AFX Commissioner mr. H. R. Silvagni. “I am looking forward to signing other players of this high caliber. These players will not only ensure the quality product for our fans, but also to the AFX cities we represent”.

Mr. Wayne M. Anderson Jr., AFX Manager of USA Operations, congratulated Carl Zoellner for being the 1st Drafted player to sign with AFX. “I am looking forward to seeing other players following Carl’s lead to be “part of the ACTION” with AFX Italy in 2010″.

While the signing of the selected player is going on, the AFX Teams are also beginning to fill up their 50 men roster available for the training camps with Free Agent Players. Any Free Agent player interested in playing with the AFX should send his info and resume to the League office at the following email address: football@afxleague.com

The Emilia Romagna Team selected a british star player, Alex Cee, one of the best OLB in the UK and Europe.
The Team relied on the experience of Renato Frignani too, the cornerback from the Reggio Emilia Hogs, Italian Champion in 2008.

The Pisa Team chose a EU experienced linebacker too, Cesar Carballo, from The Reus Imperials in Spain.

The Rome Team Selected as linebacker Richard Adjei the former star fo the Rhein Fire of the NFL Europe. Richard was also on the cover of the German edition of the videogame Madden Football. With him, his brother Jason and the cornerback from with NFL experience Rich Gardent have been also chosen for the Rome Team.

Genova relied on the local talents even for its defence, and selected a couple of very talented young Italian defensive backs from the Legnano Frogs: Prospero Grasso e Antonio Delaria. The team also picked the Aden Durde. Aden is a british linebacker with experience in NFLE with the Scottish Claymores, and in NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Trieste selected Carl-Johan Bjork, linebacker from the Amsterdam Admirals and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The first AFX Players Selection is now over. All the selected players will be contacted shortly in the next couple of weeks.

In the new year the AFX Teams will fill their rosters for the April training camps with other 35 players selected as “free agents”. Out of the 50 players included in Training camp rosters, the teams will have to select the 35 players that will make it to the final roster and will be able to play in the first AFX season in May.

Bari picked also a young player from Spain who has what it takes to become a star in the AFX, Sisco Dominguez, a young talent, that showed a great potential in Rome in the past few years with the Marines Lazio.

The first Italian player selected is Nicolò Scaglia, the young quarterback from the Bologna Doves of the Italian Federation, picked in the first round for the Emilia Romagna Team. His skills make him one of the most promising prospects of the AFX.

He will have in  his backfield the first ex NFL player picked by an AFX Team, Quincy Wilson. Wilson played halfback in Cincinnati, with the Bengals for three years.

The second NFL player was picked by the Pisa AFX Team, Nate Ilaoa, former fullback of the Philadelphia Eagles.
With him Fernando Garza, an excellent quarterback with experiencein the US Arena 2 League and in the Italian Championship with the Lazio Marines.

The AFX Rome Team chose a young Italian Quarterback too, from the Lazio Marines again, Simone Mingoli. He will be able to grow throwing the football to a former NFL Receiver Aaron Boone and a very talented French receiver, Kevin Saibou, who proved to be one of the best athletes at the recent Combines in Europe.

Genova chose the most Italian players, while Trieste chose a former NFL Europe quarterback Brian Vrobel.

Monday the 28th the AFX Teams will select their defensive players and kickers.

Rome is the second largest city in Italy and is the third-most-visited tourist destination in the European Union. With its population, its history and monuments it is the perfect city to host the AFX shows and events.

“The chance to have our Events in the city of Rome is thrilling,” said AFX CEO Greg Anderson, “and the AFX is already planning to have great shows for the italian Capital city”.

The AFX composition is now defined right before the upcoming AFX Players Selections of sunday 27th of december.

These are the candidate locations to host the first AFX season in may 2010:
Bari
Roma
Pisa
Genova
Trieste
Emilia Romagna (city TbD)

Photo Colosseo
© sergey02 – Fotolia

Each AFX Team will choose the first players that will be allowed to the Team Camps in April 2010. The Teams will take turns to pick their first 15 players out of the athletes that tried out at the AFX Combines 2009.

The selected players will be contacted soon after the Players Selections.

In the coming year the AFX teams will then be able to start signing free agent players to fill the 35 remaining spots for the Training Camp of April. Each team will be allowed up to 50 athletes at their Training Camps, while their final rosters for the season will have 35 spots available.

The AFX wishes to thank once again the local administrations for their cooperation with the launching of the AFX first season in the spring of next year.
“It is very exciting to be able to develop the AFX program in two cities like Trieste and Genova,” said AFX CEO Greg Anderson.

Photo copyrights:
Trieste: Copyrights Dan00nad
Genova – Copyright Sidvics
Licence GDFL – Source: wikipedia