Australian rules football to newcomers is a mystery because it is so unlike any other football code. There is no offside and the players from both sides are spread all over the pitch in an oval shape.
The average person with a few useful tips can come to understand the main goals of the game and the great skills of kicking, high scoring, handball and other skills. The devotee of my game also watches many other parts of the game. This is the essence of this article.
When I grew up, other followers of the soccer code called our national game “Aerial Ping Pong” mainly because of the high amount of kicking and few vigorous tackles. Nowadays, the game is full of vigorous 360 degree tacking and has become extremely fast with the constant running of all the players.
Devotees of the game will tell you that in order to appreciate the game more fully; it must be placed in front of the center circle at least halfway up a grandstand. There you can see the movement of the players, the high ratings and the great innings.
There is plenty to see to keep you interested in the game from the first bounce to the final siren.
First, there are the physical confrontations involving tackles, strikes and passes, often followed by second and third efforts to win the ball.
Then you will be delighted with the spectacular high marking with defensive players trying to spoil these markings. Often the ball-marker is given a “ride” on the shoulders of a defending player to take what is called a “Small”.
Next, you will be surprised by the speed of the game. You will see players running from one end of the field to the other. Players will run with the ball into the open spaces, bouncing the ball in front of them every fifty yards until they see a target player they can kick or handball.
Sitting high up in the stands allows you to see not only the movement of the ball, but you can also watch the way players run to receive the ball further down the pitch.
If you’re still not impressed, just admire the players’ skill with their hands and kicks. Players now use handball as an attacking weapon more and more with balls going 30 meters forward towards an attacking player running into space.
The other great skill is being able to kick the ball over fifty meters with great precision. If that’s not enough, the variety of kicking styles players use to kick goals from the boundary line will amaze the new viewer. Then there’s the often scored goal on the run from over fifty meters that brings the crowd to its feet. It’s even more exciting when the player kicks a long torpedo punt after the siren to kick the game-winning goal.
As a devotee of the game, he also watches as the coach changes tactics during the game and moves players around the field to increase team effort or reduce the effectiveness of opposing players. The game can go through many sequences where each team has a “run”, kicking several goals in a row before the opposition can regain control. Thus the devotee will always feel that his team is in contention.
If you haven’t seen a match of our national soccer code live, and would like to, find a devotee to sit with on a field like MCG; the Adelaide Oval or the “Gabba”. That’s the best way to get an appreciation for our great national game of soccer.