Alfa Lionesses v Bayonne Dockers, AFL France in Parc de Parilly, 8 November 2025
Video: women's match
The Brisbane Lions may have won the 2025 premiership but the city of Lyon, France has had a grip on the Lion theme for so long that nobody quite remembers how or why it came about.
On 8 November 2025, the city's Lions and Lionesses ( francais: Lionnes) of Australian rules football faced off against the Dockers of Bayonne.
This is the first time I recorded a football match with my camera. I have a LiFePO4 battery for amateur radio and I joined it with an inverter to run my DSLR camera for the entire afternoon.
The French teams play nine-per-side on a rugby pitch. The vast majority of participants are local and Australians are few and far between. The French have well and truly taken ownership of our game. The scoreboard for the women's team shows us the Lionnes share more than a name with the Australian premiership winners. They have the roar too.
Team photo
Please visit Alfa Lionesses and Lions
The club currently trains two nights per week in the Parc de Parilly. Visitors and newcomers are always welcome. Both French and English is spoken.
Full details about Alfa Lionnes and Lions on the AFL France profile page.
Men's match
The video of the men's match will be published in a separate post in the next day or so.
More blogs about Australian rules football