Rob's Blog » AFL

No Rules International Rules

Rob Wood — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 01:53:10 +0000

Every year a representative side from the Australian Football League play a series of games against an Irish Gaelic Football rep team, in what is called International Rules. The two games, AFL and Gaelic Football, are somewhat alike, so they have made up some rules that are a hybrid of the two games. Every year the series is full of controversy, and this year was not an exception. The problem is usually a result of the interpretation of the rules, and that the Aussies are used to a more physical game and find it hard to hold back during the heat of a competitive game. After Australia won the series this year, and after the Irish took some very hard knocks, they have come out crying for an end to the series. Of course we will see games again next year, as both games do not have any other international scope and it makes good money for the amateur Irish players.

Related Pages: AFL

Becoming a member of the MCC

Rob Wood — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:29:21 +0000

My wife is expecting a baby in April next year, and one thought in my mind is whether to get he or she onto the waiting list for the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is an exclusive club – the waiting list is so long that it may take 20 years before you are offered a place. To get onto the waiting list, it currently costs a non-refundable $55. A lot can happen in 20 years. Once they offer you membership, if you donâ€™t take it up you may forfeit your place. By then you may not even be interested in sport. If you do take up the offer of membership, it is going to cost you a small fortune to join and stay a member. The current entrance fee is $660.00 (which you pay in installments as you move through the various membership and age categories), and being a full member also cost $504 annually. If you are not at a stage to regularly go to matches or events at the ground, it is quite a bit to pay. In twenty years time, MCC membership will probably be very well sought after. My child can always so no, I see the $55 fee as a good price to pay to just give them the chance of membership.

Related Pages: Cricket, Aussie Rules, MCG

Kicking the Footy

Rob Wood — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 05:48:29 +0000

It is interesting to compare the popularity of the different football codes between the Australian states – historically SA, VIC and WA are AFL states, NSW and QLD rugby states. AFL appears to be recently making headway into the northern states, and starting with the kids is the way to go. One thing I believe that makes Aussie Rules a popular sport with kids, and gives it an advantage, is the ability to have a social kick to kick. In comparison, throwing a rugby ball to each other does not have the same excitement. The highly physical nature of the rugby codes also does not lead themselves to school yard play. With the issues of liability and the concern about injuries, we may see a gradual change to AFL. Soccer may beat them all, but that is another story.

Related Pages: AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer

Beyond the Wave

Rob Wood — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 21:17:12 +0000

I have just finished reading a book, â€˜Beyond the Waveâ€™ by Trisha Broadbridge. It was one of those books that when you start you just canâ€™t put it down. It wasnâ€™t because it was well written or anything â€“ I was just curious to read a first hand account about a major disaster. The sporting link made it more interesting. The book is about the events leading up to and following the Tsunami disaster on Boxing Day 2004, in which Trishaâ€™s husband Troy, and AFL player, was killed. The message I got from this story is that cannot take anything for granted. No matter how big and strong you are, the human body is still pretty fragile. We have to make the most of every day. In the words of one sporting company, â€œJust do it!â€

Related Pages: AFL

Scalping Tickets

Rob Wood — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 01:47:15 +0000

I felt pretty special on the walk from Melbourne city centre to the MCG for the AFL grand final. We passed at least 10 people with signs begging for tickets to the game, and I had mine and I was not going to sell it. Well, if the price was right, I could be tempted. I wonder if any of them got a last minute ticket, though I doubt it. If someone offered me over $1000 I would have sold them mine, but that was unlikely. AFL authorities were out to stop any scalpers, so I would not be risking it close to the ground. If I was going to try and pick up any tickets before the game, I would try the pubs or at least be further away. Actually, if I did not have tickets, which was nearly the case, I would have forgotten all about trying to get hold of any at the last minute and organised to watch the game at a friendâ€™s place or at a pub nearby. That way you can avoid any disappointment, relax with a few drinks, hear the commentary, yell and scream whatever you want, then come out later and celebrate into the night with the crowd if your team wins.

Related Pages: AFL, MCG

Grand Final Sprint

Rob Wood — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:29:59 +0000

This year the Grand Final Sprint was won by the Carlton player Brendan Fevola (the ‘Fev’). I donâ€™t understand why, but this year it was a handicap event, meaning the players started from different marks. In the old days (as far as I can remember) all the players would run off scratch, which then means that the winner is really the fastest AFL player around (unless the fastest player is in one of the Grand Final Teams), which I thought was the purpose of the while thing. A bit of searching found out that the contestants’ times over 20 metres were sourced from their clubs and sent to Athletics Australia, which then devised the handicap marks for each player. The result of the final sprint did not mean much at all, except that maybe Fev was foxing when the club did their sprint tests, enabling him to have a 8m head start. Let’s hope they revert back to the straight sprint for next year.

Related Pages: AFL, Carlton Blues

Major Entertainment

Rob Wood — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 20:57:18 +0000

The end of the season is here, and my third favourite team had made it to the AFL Grand Final! The West Coast Eagles playing the Sydney Swans. Our seats were not too bad, on the top level above the pocket, and just under the scoreboard. We were early enough to catch all of the pre-game entertainment, though I would struggle to describe it as entertaining. They need to get some class acts and not just use mediocre performers that satisfy sponsors or the media. We have probably been spoiled with Olympic and Commonwealth Games opening ceremonies in recent years, where they go over the top with the displays. At half time the main entertainment was the sprint race, which for some unknown reason was handicapped this year, and the winner started well ahead of the others – it was a joke. The game was much more exciting, as it should be, it was the reason we were there. The Eagles got off to a good start, but such was the closeness in ability of these teams it was never a comfortable margin. The Swans crept up on the Eagles and the game finished with just a point between the teams. We finished the day of entertainment at the ‘after party’ at Punt Road Oval as did thousands of others. We were lucky to get in â€“ they closed the gates not long after we passed through. We got a beer and watched Mark Seymour while waiting an hour or two for the victorious Eagles to show up – which they did for only a few minutes. We were satisfied, and ready for home.

Related Pages: AFL, MCG, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles

Parading the Stars

Rob Wood — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 21:07:22 +0000

For the first time, I went into Melbourne city to watch the AFL grand final parade, where the grand final teams are presented to the people of Melbourne the day before the big game. We arrived in time to get a spot only one row back from the front with pretty good views of the street. We had another half hour to wait around for the parade to arrive. It all happened pretty quickly, the players passed by sitting in the back of cars, occasionally waving to the crowd. The players seem disinterested â€“ maybe they had something else on their mind, like a game of footy? I am sure they all just itching to get out onto the MCG and play, as we were itching to see the game. It was a disappointment really. The crowd disappeared just as quickly as the players passed, leaving an empty street for us to walk along. The street blockade remained for a while, leaving us the chance to parade down the middle of the street too. That was the highlight for me!

Related Pages: AFL

Brownlow Countdown

Rob Wood — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 05:57:21 +0000

Last night was the vote for the fairest and best AFL player of the year. It is one for the die hard footy fan – reading out the votes round by round has never excited me very much. Even in the media, it seems like more of the interest was on what the female partners of the players were wearing. This year the AFL enforced their black tie dress code for the players. Apparently this requirement has been around for a couple of years, but this year they were going to enforce it. The whole thing backfired anyway, as the winner was not present, and was in Sydney at their own function, wearing a red and white tie! For the players, it appears like a good party night out, as every time the camera went on them they were swigging from a bottle of beer. It became a good advertisement for Crown Lager. By the end of the night, many of them probably did not remember if they polled any votes.

Related Pages: AFL, Brownlow Medal

Searching for Grand Final tickets

Rob Wood — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:57:08 +0000

Tickets to the AFL Grand Final are hard to come by. Although the MCG has a capacity of nearly 100,000 people, in this footy mad city many more than that are eager to go to the game. Even though I have connections to the Richmond Football Club, there were no tickets allocated to the general staff, as all of their tickets go into corporate packages available at thousands of dollars each. The AFL administration had blocked anyone selling them on ebay, though there were plenty of people asking for tickets there. Our only hope was obtaining one through the extra tickets allocated to the Grand Final participating teams. Both Fremantle and Eagles were chances for the final, and through members that we knew in Perth we were able to put our names down for tickets in case either team made it into the final. The Dockers failed in their preliminary final, thankfully the Eagles won theirs, and our tickets for the big one came through the following day. We are going to the Final!

Related Pages: AFL, Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles