Footy Match

Like most things Australian, Aussie Rules Football was not part of my vocabulary before 2010.  And like most things down under, it has proven to be not only a revelation, but a fun one at that.  I don't think I can adequately convey in this post just how crazy this nation is over sport.  I am only beginning to learn about its importance myself.  One telling illustration is the number of Olympic medals earned at Beijing in 2008.  Australia, with a population similar to the state of Texas, went home with 46 medals, compared to 47 from the United Kingdom, a country with three times as many people.  The U.S. finished with 110.

The sport mania is nowhere more evident than at a footy match.  Melbourne is the place to be if you want to participate in Australian Football, whether as a spectator or player.  Out of 17 total professional teams in the Australian Football League, nine are in Melbourne.  This weekend we were given tickets to watch the North Melbourne Kangaroos (royal blue and white) play the Melbourne Demons (red and blue). The game was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), a stadium with a total capacity of just over 100,000.

We parked at Ross's office building, and then followed the Yarra River to the MCG, located next to at least five other stadiums.

Exterior of the MCG:

Because Ross planned this excursion, we arrived quite early and were able to watch the fans filling the stadium (or at least parts of it).  We felt out of place with our lack of neck scarves and team colors, but we have not yet chosen a team to support.

The game is played outdoors between two teams of eighteen players on a very large oval-shaped grass field (I have noticed that sport grounds are referred to as "ovals" here).  The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by kicking the ball between the goal posts.  The highest score is awarded for kicking the ball between the two middle posts (called a goal, worth 6 points).  If the ball passes through the goal post and a behind post, or touches any parts of the goal post, one point is awarded (a behind).

Sophie and James were mesmerized by the wild, screaming, flag-waving fans.

Apart from the passionate displays of enthusiasm for one's favored team, what impressed me the most was the athleticism of the players.  Players run almost constantly.  I read that the record for one player in one game is around 24km in 2000.  The average for a midfielder is about 16km.

Players may not run more than ten steps or so without either bouncing, kicking or handballing the ball.  It is not permitted to be thrown or held.  At first the game appeared to me to resemble something like hot potato, but I quickly caught on and enjoyed the constant action.  Something called the mark is a unique feature of the game.  It occurs when a player clearly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without touching anything or anyone.  At that point the player who caught the ball is awarded a free kick, often resulting in a score.

The sleeveless shirt worn by players is called a "jumper" or a "Guernsey."  On the scoreboard, the number of goals is displayed first, followed by the number of behinds and the total score.

Ross had to fulfil his promise of meat pies for a traditional snack.   While we all enjoyed watching the game, we did not shed any tears over leaving at halftime in order to get home in time for James to get to sleep at a reasonable hour.  The walk back to our car was lovely.

A look back at the MCG:

Comments

[Deborah]

Of all the pictures that you post Christie, my favorite ones are the ones of your children. Not only are they beautiful, but it is evident that they are secure and happy as well. Hope all is well with you guys.

[janetjames]

These are beautiful pictures - gives us a real sense of "where you live". (Bob would really like those meat pies !)

[Suzanne Pannelle]

Amazing pictures! You are becoming quite the reporter! I am amazed that you not only remembered the rules of the came, but were able to repeat them in a manner in which we were able to understand what was going in. I still am not sure what is going on at an American football game. :)
Seriously, the scenery photos are amazing.

[Christie]

@Suzanne: Thanks for the comments. I had some help from Wikipedia when we got back home to help me describe how the game is played. I am sure I don't know anymore than you do about American football. As for trying new foods, I think it all goes back to our trips to Manila when we were teen-agers. I have always regretted not trying baloot.