About
Learn footy, meet the Lions
Who we are
The San Diego Lions are a USAFL club founded in 1997 and registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
We're a social club first, with a tradition of on-field success. Over the past 15 years we've sent multiple players to the USA Revolution men's national team. We rose from Division 3 to Division 2, and in 2019 we won the Division 2 national championship.
What is Australian football?
Think soccer's endurance, rugby's contact and basketball's high-flying leaps, all on one big oval.
- Two teams run, kick and handball an oval ball up the field.
- Kick it through the big middle posts to score 6 points; between a big and a small post, 1 point.
- You can't run with the ball without bouncing it every few steps, so passing and kicking are key.
- Catch a kick on the full (a "mark") and you get a free kick – hence the spectacular leaps.
- Tackling is allowed below the shoulders and above the knees. Ruckmen, midfielders, wings, forwards, defenders: there's a role for everyone.
Social calendar
Footy is only half of it. Our regular social events:
Australia Day
Pie Day
Crawfish Boil
Flip Flop Formal
AFL Grand Final Night
See the schedule page for upcoming dates.
The board
Brendan "Moose" Heussler
President
Joined 2017. Primary ruckman and a four-time board member.
Lukas "Fridge" Golson
Vice President
Second year on the board. Full forward for seven years.
Seb Lindner
Director of Football Operations
Australian expat who played wing for four seasons.
Paul Fields
Director of Sponsorships (and Growth)
From Perth; played for Swan Districts in the WAFL.
Dwight Wells
Director of Growth (Recruitment)
Joined in early 2024 and went to Nationals in Austin with no footy experience.
Edward "Sharpy" Sharp
Social Director
A Lion since 2021, midfielder, second year on the board.
Kenzi Pfeifer
Member at Large
Our first female board member. Joined July 2024 after our Big Brothers Big Sisters event and wants to start a women's team.
Jeffrey "Puke" Robinson
Secretary
A Lion since 2022. Plays wing or midfield.