AFL: Austrian Football League 2023 Preview

The Austrian Football League is back in action this weekend as the AFL will kick off 2023 with ten teams competing for 10 regular season games.

All games can be watched live here on a PPV basis, as the league has put together an AFL game pass available for all games throughout the 2023 season.

Let’s take a look at all 10  teams and their key additions and returning pieces for this season.

Graz Giants 2022 Record: 3-7

Key additions: HC Michael Mattingly, OC Cody Kent, QB Wyatt Smith (Linfield University NCAA DIII, DB MJ Hampton (JMU NCAA DI) LB Pete Haffner (Lehigh University NCAA DI), DB Eero Vaija (Kuopio Steelers) OL Robert Macaj (Italy)

Key returners: OL Elias Ortauf, LB Max Vartesa, OL Mattias Mörth, Konstantin Kerngast

Danube Dragons 2022 Record: 12-0 Austrian Bowl Champions

Key additions: HC Fred Armstrong, DC Daniel Docal, WR Mario Flores (Barcelona Dragons) QB Tyquell Fields (Stony Brook NCAA DI)

Key returners: DL Destiny Idiahi

Tells Patriots 2022 Record: 6-5

Key additions: HC Daniel Levy, DC Lex Braga (Swarco Raiders), DB Fabrizio Nanni (Brazil)

Key returners: QB Aaron Ellis WR Ravon Johnson

Traun Steelsharks 2022 Record: 3-7

Key additions: QB Slade Jarman (FCF, Wroclaw Panthers), Tobias Boregaard (Denmark) OL Anze Sever (Slovenia) OL Nejc Marolt (Slovenia), OL Maj Kimovec (Slovenia)

Key returners: HC Jure Bezica, DL WR Kenzo Mandl, DL Mike Taylor (Georgetown University NCAA DI) LB Andreas Aufreiter, WR Simon Stockhammer, Max Campregher

Swarco Raiders Tirol 2022 Record: 0-10

HC Florian Grein: Head coach Grein also runs the Raiders junior programs and will certainly have a strong core of young Austrian players suiting up for him in the AFL this summer. Many of these prospects could also be key contributors to the ELF Raiders team later this summer.

Key additions: QB CJ Fowler (Mid America Nazerene University NAIA, Tychy Falcons (Poland)

Prague Black Panthers: 2022 Record 8-3

Key additions: QB Tyler Jarnagin (Benedictine NAIA) WR Pete Anderson (Kotka Eagles), DB Keondre Ko (Virgina Tech NCAA DI)

Key returners: HC Spencer Ford, Filip Ondrsek, Thomas Svoboda

Salzburg Ducks: 2022 Record 4-6

Key additions: LB Patrick Kenney (Bryant NCAA DI ) WR Cory Jones (Stetson NCAA DIII)

Key returners: HC Nick Johansson, QB Kris Denton, DL Fillip Loffellberger, LB Manuel Jovic, WR Noah Touré, RB Noel Bernsteiner

Mödling Rangers: 2022 Record 5-5

Key additions: LB Christopher Zimmer Christensen (Denmark)

Key returners: QB Benjamin Brauer, WR Alexander Bare, DL Benedikt Dorner, DB Max Sekirnjak

Graz Styrian Bears 2022 Record: AFL2 Champions 

Key additions: HC Martin Kocian 

Key returners: QB Bastian Steinmair, WR Florian Wolf, WR David Brito, OL Michael Eibl, DL Promis Kabogoza DL

Dacia Vienna Vikings 2022 Record: 8-4 Austrian Bowl Runner-Ups

Key Additions: RB Lamar Carswell (Kuopio Steelers, Straubing Spiders), DB Marcus Lawrence (CSU Pueblo NCAA DII), RB Alexander Ernst, OL Armin Hörmann
Key returners: QB Nico Hrouda, WR Fabian Eder, WR Raoul Hrouda

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and