The last saturday in september is behind us again...
16 teams compete over 22 home and away rounds between march and september in my homeland of Australia for the chance to enter the finals series of Australian Rules Football ; to become Premiers of arguably the greatest (contact/skill combination) sport this world offers.
Each premiership season sees weekend played rounds of 8 matches where two teams of 22 players field an oval shaped field measuring 180 metres, with two sets of 4 posts at each end. The two taller posts in the middle represent the master goal of the game, in fact they are called "goals". Some key terms and their explanation :
Goals = when you KICK the ball between the centre posts either on the full or bouncing through (without being touched)
Behind = the ball going through either the 2 spaces each side of the central posts. OR the ball being touched by any player and entering between any of the posts.
Mark = A player grabbing a cleanly kicked ball from mid air without it having being touch, and holding it. This represents a stoppage by default where the player can opt to go back from the mark position and kick forward to teammates.
Handball = using hands to hit the ball to a teammate running by, or to avoid being wrapped up a pending tackle. Also key in keeping posession without risk by foot.
Tackle = in AFL grabbing an opponent above the knee and shoulders or below by using a bearhug like action either on the run or not. (if you tackle a player bouncing the ball you are awarded a "free kick" as the tackler)
Bounce = a running player must bounce the ball every 15-20 metres or a free kick to the opponents is rewarded. Players not really moving need not bounce periodically (bounce rule isnt a time thing)
Free kick = a penalty bonus for the opposite team of a player deemed to be infringing on any number of rules against the team recieving the kick. A free kick works the same way as a mark, a stoppage by default but the player awarded can "play on" by hand or foot before the umpire has finalised the mark position
Hit the post = hitting either of the central goal posts is a "point" no exceptions, you cannot bounce a goal in by hitting the inner sides of the goal posts, you must
Goal = gets you SIX points
Behind = gets you ONE point.
Kicking it over the boundary on the full = gets you nothing rofl, its a free kick to the other team.
Another key thing to note, players match up man on man by default (though minor tactical deviations to this exist) and there is NO such rule as offside etc like in soccer.
Epic Promo for AFLFor 150 years this sport has offered an equal measure of skill and body contact, that normally sports will weigh emphasis on tactics more heavily to either category. In the past 20 years it has become far more high paced and players become so refined and athletically inclined. But the fundamental spirit of the game hasnt changed since 1859
Yesterday The
Geelong Cats and the
St.Kilda Saints lined up on the last saturday in september for the 2009 premiership season Grand Final and it went right down to the wire...
final minutes of 2009 grand finalscores
LEVEL with 5 mins left
http://www.afl.com.au/video/tabid/76/videoid/50660/st+kilda+vs+geelong+cats/default.aspx - if you fancy seeing all the game
OTHER CLOSE GRAND FINAL MOMENTSEXTRAS
- goals of 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0W9SbBHqo&feature=related - high fly marks of 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wds8DWvJ98&feature=channel - big hits
AFaiL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvKi7fiacJA&feature=relatedIMPROBABLE GOALS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8llcP6tZoiw&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxRWyjBLZvY&feature=related
