US Sports fans tune into AFL Aussie Rules...

American sports starved fans have been tuning into the AFL and loving it...the bad news is the AFL has just suspended the season from now.
While most of the US viewers are just plain confused, some like former NFL punter Pat McAfee are still sharing their excitement on social media.

“Watching this Aussie Rules Football. I think it’s my favorite sport I’ve ever seen. About 6 punts a minute right now,” he tweeted.


AFL 2020: American sports fans watching AFL, Pat McAfee, what is Aussie rules football, Watch AFL internationally


Some Americans reacting to AFL Biggest hits:





Funny stuff...

 

Aussie rules football is great. I played the relatively-more-civilized game of Rugby when I was a younger, more resilient boy. I would have liked to give Aussie ball a shot, looks like tremendous fun.

 

Its played by men and women and children...even a masters competition...there are leagues in the US, still time to pick it up...

United States Australian Football League - Wikipedia

My two US teams...



and of course the Magpies:

 

Not enough violent collisions and grandstanding players for American tastes. But we'd bet on it.

 

You learn to kick from day one (I started at 6)...takes years to become proficient. There are a few different kicks to master...Standard punt, where the ball tumbles backwards in the air...perfect for accuracy. Spiral/Torpedo/Barrel - not great for accuracy but is used for distance as the ball becomes super aerodynamic...Banana - the ball travels in a half loop...great for tight angles. Or the "Snap" - where you kick it 90 degrees to your body...only ever really done when running parallel to the goals.
When I started in the seventies, they were even still teaching the drop punt...the ball hits the ground before you kick it...good for short distances with height (to get over the head of the opposition) and accuracy...replaced by the stab pass where you pull the kick at the last moment...good for short accurate kicks.
Standing kicks are one thing, but you need good practice to do these kicks on the sprint.

Ive picked a grid iron team - Green Bay Packers - (They wear the Australian sporting colours, so I imagine its Australia playing) So I invite the Americans to pick a team in the AFL and start following them...even if you dip in and out, a team where you can at least follow their fortunes.

 

The rules explained:

 

The Bombers...and Geelong cats...Essendon has had a rough 15 years, yet to get back to its former glory. Geelong has been strong for a decade...starting to wain currently...

 

Found some good videos:

Best marks:



Best Goals:

 

I love those referees when they score and just step out, stop, and point with both arms straight ahead. Cracks me up.

 

And point with one hand if a point or behind...you may notice they then go grab two (or one) flags and wave the two flags...this is to signal to the goal umpire way over on the other end that it was a goal (or point) so he can then enter it in his score card...both cards must match at the end of the game.



or if a point...

 

Yeah things have changed since I played in the 70s and 80s...Its not as rough as it used to be...punching was very much a part of the game then but with huge fines and suspensions, its almost died out of the game...You will still see it though...An Essendon player was fined for punching in the first round.
Plenty of rule changes, which get trialled in the pre-season competition, a good place to trial new ideas.
The game used to be called VFL - Victorian Football League. The home of Aussie Rules...then in the 90s it changed to AFL and became a truly National competition (even though everyone in Australia already played it. - (Except NSW and Queensland who are rugby mad) But there are NSW teams and Queensland teams these days - GWS Greater Western Sydney (Dumb name) and of course the Sydney Swans who used to be South Melbourne. In Queensland there is now the Brisbane Lions who used to be Fitzroy Lions, a now defunct Melbourne team. And The Gold coast Suns...pfft...every sporting team coming out of there fails. There are/were strong talks about getting Tasmania and the NT teams into the comp...im sure at the moment that's a while away.

Umpires used to wear white coats and hats:

You can see the old VFL logo...

An old Australian tradition to call these guys "f..kin white maggots!" - Something they sucked up. But with the advent of women being allowed to be umpires the maggot call was considered too much for the women so they changed the traditional white outfits, losing another part of the old game.

 

An example of punching still in the game...The "line in the sand game" between the Essendon Bombers and Hawthorn Hawks, both Melbourne teams. This was in 2004...