Our first region to preview is the East; eight teams with varying histories and fortunes.

New York continued their dominance in season 2016, continuing to be the lead singer of the rock and roll band that is this grouping of clubs. There are improvements and strength coming from up and down the east, especially from the Nation’s capital, Boston, and the Florida gulf coast.

The matches that will see these clubs bang their heads together (not literally, that would just be painful) should be full of intrigue and different styles. This includes the Eastern Regionals at Raleigh on June 24th, where some of the lower ranked can test their might, Mortal Kombat style.
The Floridians with the Funny Name have punched above their weight in recent years, and last season fought well despite a limited number of appearances.

Their only USAFL matches prior to Nationals were a home-and-home against St. Pete, which they split. A late season encounter with the Swans was cancelled, so the bulk of their games came from metros. They headed across Alligator Alley for Nationals as the bottom seed in Divvy 2, but despite their best efforts they were no match for their challengers and went three-and-out and into calamari.

It wasn’t all bad news bears for the Squids, as Tom Hecker and Mike LeValley were named to Tom Ellis’s Revo list, and the two American veterans are the engine room for a side that boasts a balance of up and comers with Aussie veterans. Branko Milic, Glen Parrish, and Cameron Pinnock are among the men from Down Under who provide the skills that punish teams, and Russian-born Slava Belov was a strong pickup late last season who continues to bloom.

Being in a remote part of the country geographically may have hindered Ft. Lauderdale’s ability to get a lot of game experience, but they continue to be a consistent side. After two years’ cameo in Division 2, however, a spell in Division 3 may find them more aptly matched before challenging up.