Even prior to arriving in Australia I kept hearing people talk about footy and the Australian Football League (AFL). Frankly, I had no real idea about what the game entailed, but I quickly realized that it was a big part of Australian culture. People constantly talk about footy. I would honestly say that I hear more Australians talk about footy than I hear people from the U.S. talk about American Football. It seems like there are constant jokes about footy, conversations about footy, people playing footy, and footy being shown on TV. The sport is deeply embedded everywhere, and it was interesting to be surrounded by something I had no knowledge about.
It is difficult to describe the sport but it is like a mixture of soccer and rugby, with influences from a traditional Aboriginal game. The game has four quarters, each one twenty minutes long, that often include overtime due to frequent stops made, just like in soccer. Unlike American Football, players do not wear any protective equipment besides mouthguards and the game can get extremely violent and physical. With 36 players on the field at all times, 18 from each team, there is always a lot going on. The objective is to score the most points, and that is achieved when a player gets the ball through the middle two goal posts, awarding the team with six points. If the ball hits the post or goes through one of the two side goals, one point is scored. Players can kick the ball or hit it to another player, but they cannot simply throw it. Additionally, they may run with the ball as long as they bounce it every 16 yards. The players can get very aggressive, and one of the moves that players can perform involves jumping on the opponent’s back in order to propel yourself up to grab the ball. There are 18 teams in the AFL, and many Australians have a team that they wholeheartedly support.
Last weekend, after I spent weeks saying that I wanted to go watch a game, I finally went to my first match. The game I went to watch was supposed to be a pretty bad one because it was Carlton, who was deemed to lose due to their low standing in the league, against Collingwood, who is considered to be one of the best teams. I decided to support Carlton because that is the suburb that I live in Melbourne and because while on a night out I actually met one of the players and got a picture with him. I felt like due to my small connection to the team, I had to support the underdog. Although most had predicted it to be a boring match, Carlton was actually ahead or tied for most of the game, which made for a very intense and exciting atmosphere. During the very last quarter, however, Collingwood pulled through and ended up fulfilling everyone’s expectations.
What was amazing about the experience was the atmosphere at the stadium, which is located just one train stop away from the CBD, the center of the city. Walking up to our seats, it was great to feel everyone excited about the game and anticipating the start of the game to support their team. When I first caught a glimpse of the playing grounds I was amazed by the size of the field. It is actually larger than both a soccer field and an American football field, which shows how athletic players must be since they are constantly running throughout the entire 80 plus minutes of the game.
I was afraid that I would not understand the rules, or would be completely lost and bored during the match because I had never even properly watched a footy game on TV before. I watched a quick Youtube video on my way to the event which explained the most basic rules and made me feel more aware of what was happening. I was also lucky to go with an Australian who knew all of the rules, and they were kind enough to explain some of the plays to me as the game was occurring. I have never been a huge American football fan, and I thought I would feel similarly about footy but was completely intrigued just after my first game. I definitely plan on going to another game, and it was super fun to go to something that is so typically Australia and to immerse myself more in this culture. Anyone that comes to Australia, regardless of how much of a sports fan you are, you should give footy match a try!
