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Saturday, 12 April 2008

Australian Football League

It's hard to say why Australians feel the need to have like ten different versions of football, but they definitely stretch the idea a bit. First they have Rugby, second they have Grid Lock (which is basically American Football), then they have soccer, and finally they have the Australian Football League. Of the four of these, AFL is by far the most popular and has the most die hard fans. As American students we were given the opportunity to attend and AFL game and i just so happened to sit next to a couple of guys that knew the rules of the game...and thats important because this is nothing like any sort of football that i've ever seen before.
One of the first things you're going to notice is the teams, there are always 36 guys on the field at any given time, 18 from each side and its played much like soccer in that you only switch players out when they become tired, there is no difference between the defense team and the offense team. The field itself is round and at each end there are four large poles, which are the goals. To more or less some up the game you could say that its a combination of: ahem, <clears throat> Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Rugby, Basketball, and Ice Hockey. How does it manage to fit all of these in one game? Well...Footballs easy to see, you have a football in play, although it very much like someone took a regular football, held it on both ends and smooshed it in, making in rounder and less pointy. Soccer, the players come on and off the field as in soccer, and are also dressed like soccer players...no pads of any kind, you also kick the ball from player to player. Rugby, AFL is definitely a full contact sport without any protection of any kind, also has some of the same fules. Now Basketball...this is the most comical part of this sport if i do say so myself, you're only allowed to run 20 yards with the football before you have to 'dribble' it in front of you, so you have to throw it just right so it bounces down in front, and comes straight back to you. And finally Ice Hockey...anyone who watches Ice Hockey knows they often have a player thats the 'enforcer' the person soley on the team to take people out if need be. Well, the AFL is the only professional sport that i've watched where one of the team member can get upset, turn around punch another an opposing team member in the face (knocking him out), then turn and take out the another opposing team member who stepped up to defend the first guy - all without getting so much as a time out.
Wow...Australian Football...intense.
Australian Football League

It's hard to say why Australians feel the need to have like ten different versions of football, but they definitely stretch the idea a bit. First they have Rugby, second they have Grid Lock (which is basically American Football), then they have soccer, and finally they have the Australian Football League. Of the four of these, AFL is by far the most popular and has the most die hard fans. As American students we were given the opportunity to attend and AFL game and i just so happened to sit next to a couple of guys that knew the rules of the game...and thats important because this is nothing like any sort of football that i've ever seen before.
One of the first things you're going to notice is the teams, there are always 36 guys on the field at any given time, 18 from each side and its played much like soccer in that you only switch players out when they become tired, there is no difference between the defense team and the offense team. The field itself is round and at each end there are four large poles, which are the goals. To more or less some up the game you could say that its a combination of: ahem, <clears throat> Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Rugby, Basketball, and Ice Hockey. How does it manage to fit all of these in one game? Well...Footballs easy to see, you have a football in play, although it very much like someone took a regular football, held it on both ends and smooshed it in, making in rounder and less pointy. Soccer, the players come on and off the field as in soccer, and are also dressed like soccer players...no pads of any kind, you also kick the ball from player to player. Rugby, AFL is definitely a full contact sport without any protection of any kind, also has some of the same fules. Now Basketball...this is the most comical part of this sport if i do say so myself, you're only allowed to run 20 yards with the football before you have to 'dribble' it in front of you, so you have to throw it just right so it bounces down in front, and comes straight back to you. And finally Ice Hockey...anyone who watches Ice Hockey knows they often have a player thats the 'enforcer' the person soley on the team to take people out if need be. Well, the AFL is the only professional sport that i've watched where one of the team member can get upset, turn around punch another an opposing team member in the face (knocking him out), then turn and take out the another opposing team member who stepped up to defend the first guy - all without getting so much as a time out.
Wow...Australian Football...intense.
Australian Football League

It's hard to say why Australians feel the need to have like ten different versions of football, but they definitely stretch the idea a bit. First they have Rugby, second they have Grid Lock (which is basically American Football), then they have soccer, and finally they have the Australian Football League. Of the four of these, AFL is by far the most popular and has the most die hard fans. As American students we were given the opportunity to attend and AFL game and i just so happened to sit next to a couple of guys that knew the rules of the game...and thats important because this is nothing like any sort of football that i've ever seen before.
One of the first things you're going to notice is the teams, there are always 36 guys on the field at any given time, 18 from each side and its played much like soccer in that you only switch players out when they become tired, there is no difference between the defense team and the offense team. The field itself is round and at each end there are four large poles, which are the goals. To more or less some up the game you could say that its a combination of: ahem, <clears throat> Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Rugby, Basketball, and Ice Hockey. How does it manage to fit all of these in one game? Well...Footballs easy to see, you have a football in play, although it very much like someone took a regular football, held it on both ends and smooshed it in, making in rounder and less pointy. Soccer, the players come on and off the field as in soccer, and are also dressed like soccer players...no pads of any kind, you also kick the ball from player to player. Rugby, AFL is definitely a full contact sport without any protection of any kind, also has some of the same fules. Now Basketball...this is the most comical part of this sport if i do say so myself, you're only allowed to run 20 yards with the football before you have to 'dribble' it in front of you, so you have to throw it just right so it bounces down in front, and comes straight back to you. And finally Ice Hockey...anyone who watches Ice Hockey knows they often have a player thats the 'enforcer' the person soley on the team to take people out if need be. Well, the AFL is the only professional sport that i've watched where one of the team member can get upset, turn around punch another an opposing team member in the face (knocking him out), then turn and take out the another opposing team member who stepped up to defend the first guy - all without getting so much as a time out.
Wow...Australian Football...intense.
Australian Football League

It's hard to say why Australians feel the need to have like ten different versions of football, but they definitely stretch the idea a bit. First they have Rugby, second they have Grid Lock (which is basically American Football), then they have soccer, and finally they have the Australian Football League. Of the four of these, AFL is by far the most popular and has the most die hard fans. As American students we were given the opportunity to attend and AFL game and i just so happened to sit next to a couple of guys that knew the rules of the game...and thats important because this is nothing like any sort of football that i've ever seen before.
One of the first things you're going to notice is the teams, there are always 36 guys on the field at any given time, 18 from each side and its played much like soccer in that you only switch players out when they become tired, there is no difference between the defense team and the offense team. The field itself is round and at each end there are four large poles, which are the goals. To more or less some up the game you could say that its a combination of: ahem, <clears throat> Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Rugby, Basketball, and Ice Hockey. How does it manage to fit all of these in one game? Well...Footballs easy to see, you have a football in play, although it very much like someone took a regular football, held it on both ends and smooshed it in, making in rounder and less pointy. Soccer, the players come on and off the field as in soccer, and are also dressed like soccer players...no pads of any kind, you also kick the ball from player to player. Rugby, AFL is definitely a full contact sport without any protection of any kind, also has some of the same fules. Now Basketball...this is the most comical part of this sport if i do say so myself, you're only allowed to run 20 yards with the football before you have to 'dribble' it in front of you, so you have to throw it just right so it bounces down in front, and comes straight back to you. And finally Ice Hockey...anyone who watches Ice Hockey knows they often have a player thats the 'enforcer' the person soley on the team to take people out if need be. Well, the AFL is the only professional sport that i've watched where one of the team member can get upset, turn around punch another an opposing team member in the face (knocking him out), then turn and take out the another opposing team member who stepped up to defend the first guy - all without getting so much as a time out.
Wow...Australian Football...intense.
Australian Football League

It's hard to say why Australians feel the need to have like ten different versions of football, but they definitely stretch the idea a bit. First they have Rugby, second they have Grid Lock (which is basically American Football), then they have soccer, and finally they have the Australian Football League. Of the four of these, AFL is by far the most popular and has the most die hard fans. As American students we were given the opportunity to attend and AFL game and i just so happened to sit next to a couple of guys that knew the rules of the game...and thats important because this is nothing like any sort of football that i've ever seen before.
One of the first things you're going to notice is the teams, there are always 36 guys on the field at any given time, 18 from each side and its played much like soccer in that you only switch players out when they become tired, there is no difference between the defense team and the offense team. The field itself is round and at each end there are four large poles, which are the goals. To more or less some up the game you could say that its a combination of: ahem, <clears throat> Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Rugby, Basketball, and Ice Hockey. How does it manage to fit all of these in one game? Well...Footballs easy to see, you have a football in play, although it very much like someone took a regular football, held it on both ends and smooshed it in, making in rounder and less pointy. Soccer, the players come on and off the field as in soccer, and are also dressed like soccer players...no pads of any kind, you also kick the ball from player to player. Rugby, AFL is definitely a full contact sport without any protection of any kind, also has some of the same fules. Now Basketball...this is the most comical part of this sport if i do say so myself, you're only allowed to run 20 yards with the football before you have to 'dribble' it in front of you, so you have to throw it just right so it bounces down in front, and comes straight back to you. And finally Ice Hockey...anyone who watches Ice Hockey knows they often have a player thats the 'enforcer' the person soley on the team to take people out if need be. Well, the AFL is the only professional sport that i've watched where one of the team member can get upset, turn around punch another an opposing team member in the face (knocking him out), then turn and take out the another opposing team member who stepped up to defend the first guy - all without getting so much as a time out.
Wow...Australian Football...intense.