History
The Bulldogs have participated in the Australian Football International Cup held in Melbourne finishing 6th in both 2002 and 2005 as well as the Atlantic Alliance Cup in 2001.
In October 2005, the Bulldogs played against Ireland in a curtain raiser at the West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle exhibition match at the Oval in London.
In October 2006, the Great Britain vs Ireland fixture was repeated before the Geelong Football Club vs Port Adelaide Power match. Although defeated once more by an opposition primarily composed of seasoned gaelic football player, the development of the squad continues and there are many encouraging signs of improvement in the British game.
2007 saw the team travel to Ireland to take on the Irish side, on their home turf. The victory saw them dubbed as the unofficial European Champions.
In 2008 the highly improved team were considered by some to be a chance for the finals of the International Cup, however their defeat at the hands of Nauru (who they had beaten by a goal in 2005) put them out of contention.
The coaching role switched to ex-pro Mark Pitura and England Dragonslayers coach Rob Fielder as assistant in late 2009, after a defeat away in Ireland was the last match of Charlie Kielty's coaching. The first test was against a travelling Denmark Vikings squad, which resulted in a 76-63 win for the Bulldogs.
In 2010, the squad competed in the inaugural European Championships in Denmark and Sweden, but due to the tournament dates, were unable to field an experienced squad, fielding a team with only 1 player with Bulldogs caps (Captain, Adam Bennett). The squad achieved a credible 4th place, losing out to losing finalists Denmark in the group and co-hosts Sweden in the qualification final. This was the first time that many of the squad had played full oval footy and this development would be key in recruiting and developing a squad for the 2011 International Cup.
Read more about this topic: Great Britain National Australian Rules Football Team
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