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“Australia is divided into two groups: footy fanatics and those who just don’t get it.” ~ Cheryl Critchley
Let’s get our definitions straight before I even attempt to begin; Footy = Australian Football League (AFL), Football = Soccer, and American Football = American Football (Oh and, just for fun, Rugby is different to Rugby League and, no it’s not the same as AFL).
I am certainly not an expert, and I know lots of people may be reading this and arguing in their head already, but I am simply going off of what I have learned from Australians, who seem very adamant about using the right word! So, forgive me if these definitions aren’t yours, but take it up with the Aussies I’ve spoken with!
Okay, now that we have some clarification, let’s talk footy!
I know, I know, who am I kidding? I can’t tell you much about footy, as basketball is a little more my style 😉 But what I can tell you is that it will not be anything you thought it was. (How many of you were thinking “Wait, rugby isn’t the same as AFL?” – Yeah, it’s okay. I had the same thought.) If you ever visit Australia as a foreigner though, I guarantee you will not be able to avoid the question, “What do you think of footy?”, or “Have you been to an AFL game yet?” Which isn’t bad; it just shows how fascinating our reactions are to it.
I have heard that when AFL was the only sports league continuing to play after COVID-19 fell upon us, it became the only sport being streamed live in America and lots of Americans actually got into it, so you may know a little something already, but here are some bullet points on this foreign sport.
- It’s the most physical game I have ever seen in my life (with no pads or protective gear); sometimes I’m watching and catch myself just staring with my jaw dropped.
- It’s like a combination of soccer and American football
- The fans are hilarious, and almost as physical as the players
- The field is huge and I don’t envy the amount they all run (and I mean ALL – there’s no goalie here). Making a comparison, an American football player can run on average, 1 mile per game; a football (soccer) player, 9.5 miles per game; 1 and the AFL players? 5 miles per game! 2
- If you run with the ball (an oval-shaped ball I might add) you have to bounce it every sixteen yards.
- There are four goal posts; inside the two center posts marks six points and outside the center posts but inside the outer posts marks one point.
- Goals have to be kicked.
- Passes have to be made by bunting, or kicking (like a drop kick though, not from the floor).
- If you catch a kicked pass that is longer than 15 meters (yes, they fight to catch it and these players have hops!) the whistle is blown for a mark; which means the defense backs off and you have a free drop kick.
- It’s a very fast-paced game with no stoppages between plays (much faster than American football), but there is a lot of whistle blowing that I’m not always quite sure the reasoning of.
Take a moment to watch this YouTube AFL video and let me know what your impressions are! Oh, and pay attention to the way the referee marks a goal – I think it’s hilarious!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMZYZcoAcU0&feature=youtu.be
And there you have it! Footy to a tee; well, if that tee is an American basketball player that only just discovered the footy one year, seven months and 16 days ago, then yeah, that’s pretty accurate.
I will say, I do actually enjoy watching footy and just like many sports, the atmosphere of attending a live game is really fun. Here in Adelaide, the supporters are pretty serious about the rivalry between Port Adelaide Power and the Adelaide Crows; two teams from the same city, what do we expect? It makes it fun for David and I though; we tell the Port Adelaide fans that we’re Crows fans because no Port Adelaide supporter has given us free tickets yet. Crows are winning 3-0 in our books 😉
The other notable experience I’ve had with footy is with the women’s side. Yes, there is a women’s footy league here (going on its 5th season now) and the support is constantly growing! I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Women’s National Football League Grand Final (American translation: championship) held on March 31st, 2019. The premiers (American translation: champions) of the league’s third season were the Adelaide Crows. They faced off Carlton – a club based in Melbourne, Victoria – in the Crows home arena with a record-breaking crowd of 53,034; the largest crowd for a stand-alone women’s sporting event in Australia! A proud moment for all women in sport and something I was really excited to be a part of!
Do I like footy? Yes.
Do I know much about it? Enough to say I like it!
Would I go to another game? Hopefully someday soon. Maybe once the quarantine is over, the Port Power fans will pick up their game. 😉
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Cheers,
Joyful Jot
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