For the last few years I've been growing increasingly fanatical about Australian Rules Football, or "Footy" as it is known. I don't have a terribly good explanation for the source of this passion. I am naturally curious about the world I guess, came across it, and kept coming back to learn more about the sport.
It is a brilliant sport, and for many different reasons that are not immediately obvious. Here's my attempt to capture some of the magic of footy: 1) It is fast paced with lots of scoring like basketball, but goals (worth six points) are still a big enough deal to rate real excitement (unlike basketball - in my opinion). 2) Aussie Rules is derided for being overly physical, but it's not the giant, organized fight most Americans and Europeans think it is. Yes, it is rough, but the rules are enforced and players are not put in regular danger. And when I say rules, they mostly make sense and are easy to follow (unlike Rugby). The game flows, there is a lot of tackling and scrapping, but not to the point that distracts from the game itself. 3) The pitch (playing field) is HUGE!!! Honestly, after watching three seasons now I'm still amazed at what a big playing surface it is played on. This is because, historically, Footy was developed as a Winter sport to be played at cricket grounds, like the MCG. This is, I assume, one of the reasons the game can be so fast paced but not have goals every few seconds. 4) It's easy to enjoy as a newcomer. I'm probably years away from understanding the finer points of the game, but the basics are easy to follow. A quick search on YouTube will bring up several videos to explain what a "mark" is, how far the ball can be carried without bouncing it, etc. After that you can easily watch a game and enjoy it. 5) Great rivalries and traditions. This is a sport that grew up in one single city: Melbourne. Even today, more than half of the teams in the Australian Football League represent different Melbourne neighbourhoods and suburbs. The clubs are some of the oldest in organized sports. My team, North Melbourne FC, is celebrating its 150th season this year! Why am I talking about Footy now you wonder? The new season is just a couple weeks away. "North" narrowly lost out on the playoff spots in 2018 after being picked by most to be dead last. We're hoping for big things in 2019. Proud to be a #shinboner!
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AuthorSteve has many disparate and unconnected interests. This, he thinks, entitles him to claim the label "Renaissance Man." Archives
March 2019
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