Footy

I finally made it to an Australian Rules Football game, also known as Footy. I thought it was a lot of fun, but I would have to say that I’m still a bigger fan of Rugby. Footy is a game played between two teams of 18 players, usually played on cricket ovals during the winter months. At either end of the oval four posts are erected. The aim for each team is to kick the ball between the either the two inner posts of one set (for a goal, worth six points) or the between an outer and inner post (for a behind, worth just one point). The game is played with a bouncy oval ball which may be caught, kicked, dribbled on the bounce (like a basketball) or passed to another player by punching. A player who cleanly catches a kicked ball (called a mark) that has travelled more than 10 meters is entitled to an unimpeded kick of the ball, to advance his team towards the goal post. You can pass or kick it in any direction and looks similar to a game we played in the offseason in high school called “grabace” or grab ass.

The playing field is enormous, approximately 190 yards by 150. That is a lot of running. An interesting technique is used when passing the ball. Often a player will hold the ball in one hand and punch it with the other. If you watch the Men at Work, Land Down Under video you will notice that the big guy in the second chorus uses this technique to deliver the vegemite sandwich.

I watched the Collingwood Magpies versus the St. Kilda Saints. The Magpies prevailed. It was a close game and just as much trash talking that you would hear at a Razorback game. The most interesting part is that there are so many of these teams in close proximity to each other. AFL was primarily popular here in the State of Victoria so the majority of teams are in Melbourne and close by. It has grown into a more national game in the last twenty years. It’s like if Hillcrest, the Heights, the Quapaw Quarter and West Little Rock all had their own professional teams.

I also threw in a few pictures I took while I took one last stroll through the City. I’ll be in Brisbane and Canberra until I leave Friday.