Portland AFC
Portland Australian Football Club
James Begg is a proud major sponsor of the Portland Australian Football Club.
James grew up with footy in Melbourne, and the club is where Portland's Australian community and curious Americans come together.
About the club
Portland Australian Football Club (PAFC) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit sports organization representing Portland, Oregon, in the United States Australian Football League (USAFL).
The club fields two teams: the Steelheads (men) and the Sockeyes (women). Both compete regionally and nationally, and the club also runs a Portland metro league (PAFL men, PWAFL women). It is open year-round to players of any skill level or sporting background, Australians and Americans alike.
The Steelheads were founded in 2003 as the Portland Power, with founding members receiving jerseys from the Port Adelaide Power, and renamed the Steelheads in 2011. Several club players have represented the USA internationally: the men's USA Revolution and the women's USA Freedom and Liberty.
Steelheads honors
- USAFL Division 3 National Champions, 2016 and 2017
- USAFL Western Regionals Division 2 Champions, 2018, 2019 and 2023
- Competing at USAFL Nationals since 2010
Why James sponsors the club
Community
The club is where Portland's Australian community and curious Americans come together.
Giving back
Sponsoring the club is a way to give back to the city James calls home.
Sharing the game
Keeping Portland's Australian community connected, and introducing Americans to footy.
What is footy?
Australian rules football was codified in Melbourne in 1859. It's played on an oval field with an oval ball; men's teams have 18 players on the field, women's teams 16, and everyone plays offense and defense. You move the ball by running, kicking or handballing (hitting it with a closed fist). No throwing and no offside.
Kick it through the two middle posts for a goal (6 points), or between a middle and outer post for a behind (1 point). Catch a kick of more than 15 meters on the full and you earn a "mark" and a free kick. Games run four 20-minute quarters.
The season runs year-round: Ausball (coed, non-contact) from mid-spring, metro leagues and inter-city games over summer, Regionals in July with teams from the West Coast to Colorado, Nationals in October (a two-day tournament with 40+ teams), and indoor games in the colder months.
Learn the skills: handball, kicking, the drop puntGet involved
Play
No experience needed. Email recruiting@portlandfooty.com or come along to a training.
Watch and socialize
Post-practice gatherings, footy watch parties, Australian holiday celebrations and fundraisers.
Club information from portlandfooty.com.