Australian Rules Football (AFL) 2013 Season

**Dogphins** · 08-31-2011, 05:07 AM

What about Aussie Rules Football (AFL)?

Does anyone follow it? Anyone interested in knowing about it?

If so, I can write something up about the game and the current season...

Please respond with your thoughts and opinions

**Reveryroadie** · 08-31-2011, 07:20 PM

go ahead and write something up. always room for another sport, and it will let us all learn about the sport.

**Reg** · 08-31-2011, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reveryroadie

go ahead and write something up. always room for another sport, and it will let us all learn about the sport.

DITTO!

Even VaGinants fans might learn something

**Dogphins** · 09-01-2011, 08:00 AM

Australian Rules Football (AFL)

“The History”

First Started: 1859 (in Melbourne)

Details of the game's origins in Australia are obscure and still the subject of much debate. Australian Rules football became organised in Melbourne in May 1859, when the first laws of the game were published by the Melbourne Football Club.

Australian Rules football, officially known as Australian football, also informally known as football, Aussie rules or (colloquially) as footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players (18 on the field, and four interchanges) on either an Australian Rules football ground, a modified cricket field or another modified sports venue.

The objective of the game is to score points by passing the ball through the opponent's goal. The main way to score points is by kicking the ball between the two major goal posts. The team with the higher total score at the end of the match wins unless either a draw is declared or a tie-break is used.

During play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their body to move the ball. The primary methods are kicking, handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled: for example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground. Throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick is paid. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick (with specific conditions), are awarded a free kick.

Australian Rules is a contact sport, in which players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as pushing an opponent in the back), interference when marking and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties or suspension, depending on the seriousness of the infringement. Frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of both players and the ball and high scoring are the game's main attributes.

Australian football is a major participation and spectator sport in Australia. The sport is also played at amateur level in several countries and in several variations.
The most prestigious competition is the Australian Football League (AFL), which culminates in the annual AFL Grand Final - currently the highest attended club championship event in the world. Australian football is governed by the AFL Commission, which also runs the AFL competition, and the rules of the game are decided by the AFL's Laws of the Game Committee.

Laws Of Australian Rules Football

Eighteen players are permitted to take the field for each team, with an additional four players on an interchange bench (although this number often varies in exhibition and practice matches). The equipment needed to play the game is minimal. As in other kinds of football, players wear boots with stops (known as "cleats" or "studs" in some regions) in the soles, shorts, and a thick, strong shirt or jumper known as a guernsey.

The game is played with an ellipsoid ball, on a grassed oval. A red ball is used for day matches and a yellow ball is used for night matches. A full size ball is a size 5.

The Field

Four posts, aligned in a straight line, 6.4 metres apart from each other, are erected at either end of the oval. The size of the ground is not fixed, but is generally between 135-185m long and 110-155m wide. Lines are drawn on the field to mark the boundary, a 50m wide centre square, two circles in the centre with diameters 3m and 10m and a line dividing the circles in half, a 9×6.4m goal square at each end of the ground, a 15m wide interchange on one flank of the oval, a distance of 50 metres from the goal line (the "Fifty Metre Line")

Play

The game is a fast-paced combination of speed, athleticism, skill and physical toughness. Players are allowed to tackle the player with the ball and impede opposition players from tackling their teammates (known as shepherding), but not to deliberately strike an opponent (though pushing the margins of these rules is often a substantial part of the game). Like most team sports, tactics are based around trying to get the ball, then — through a combination of running with the ball, hand-passing (punching the ball from the open palm of the other hand) and kicking — deliver it to a player who is within range of goal. Because taking a mark entitles the player to a free kick, a common tactic is to attempt to kick the ball on the full (without bouncing) to a teammate who is within kicking range of goal. In this situation, packs of players often form around the goal square, and the opportunity arises for spectacular high marks (or "speckies"), in which players launch themselves off opponents' backs to mark the ball, high in the air.

There are no set positions in the rules of the game, but traditionally the field was divided into three major sections: the forward line, back line, and midfield. The forward and back lines consisted of six players, arranged into two lines of three players each. The midfield generally consists of the designated ruckman (i.e. player who contests the ruck or bouncedown) and players who either stay in the centre area of the ground (between the two 50 metre arcs) or follow the ball and are not confined to a particular area.

The modern game, however, has largely discarded positional play in favour of a free flowing running game and attempting to have loose men in various positions on the ground. The rise in popularity of the hand-pass since the 1970s has greatly influenced this style of play, with players more willing to follow the ball and move it quickly amongst themselves rather than kicking long to a one-on-one marking contest. In the late 1990s a tactic known as flooding was devised and also shifted focus away from set positions. When a team "plays a flood", they direct two or more of their midfield or forward line players into their defence, thus out-numbering their opponent and making it difficult for any opposing forward to take an uncontested mark. Most football sides are named (and demonstrated) in the traditional set positions, but it is in fact uncommon for players to stay within the traditional areas of their position. The players are shuffled on and off the field using the interchange bench, the blood rule means that if any player, for any reason, should begin to bleed, no matter how minor or severe, they must remove themselves from the ground to receive treatment. They may return when the flow of blood has stopped and has been treated by the team medic.

Holding The Ball

One of the things that causes the most confusion for people that are not familiar with the game are the Holding the ball, Dropping the Ball, and Throwing rules. Confusion arises because a player being tackled is not allowed to hold onto the ball, but is not allowed to throw it either.
These rules are easily summarised: Players must always dispose of the ball by either a kick or a handpass.

A handpass, also called a handball, is performed by punching the ball from one hand with the other fist. The ball can not be thrown up (like a volleyball serve) and hit, nor handed to a teammate like an American/Canadian football handoff.
When a player is in possession of the ball, and moving, the ball must be bounced, or touched to the ground, at least once every 15 metres. Failure to do so results in a penalty, where a free kick is awarded to the opposing team. This is sometimes called running too far or travelling, and is signalled by the umpire in the same way as travelling is signalled in basketball.
If the ball carrying player decides to run with the ball or to evade a tackling opponent, he would be deemed to have a prior opportunity of being able to dispose of the ball legally, as long as there was a reasonable time for the player to dispose of the ball correctly prior to being tackled. e.g. a couple of steps would not normally constitute "prior opportunity".
When a player is in possession of the ball, and is tackled correctly (i.e., above the knees and below the shoulders), he must immediately dispose of the ball by kicking or handpassing. Failure to do so, when a prior opportunity to dispose of it existed, results in a penalty benefiting the tackling team, which is awarded a free kick. A free kick is also awarded to the tackler if there was no prior opportunity, but the player in possession of the ball does not dispose of it or attempt to do so within a reasonable time. This is also called holding the ball. Exceptions to this rule include:
Being bumped, that is, hit side-on by another player or tackled in such a manner that causes the ball to be knocked free or come loose from a player's possession.
Being tackled with the ball despite gaining possession of it but had no chance of disposing it (no prior opportunity), where the ball is unable to be released. A ball-up would result to restart play.
If the ball carrier, who had prior opportunity before the tackle, was swung off balance while attempting to dispose the ball but not making contact, a holding the ball decision would be awarded against the ball carrier on the basis of the ball not being legally disposed of whilst tackled. Where there is no prior opportunity, the umpire will call "play on".
In a recent effort to reduce the amount of unnecessary stoppages, the interpretation of the prior opportunity has widened to include any player who grabs hold of the ball during a ball-up or throw-in situation instead of knocking it away. In this instance, if the player is then tackled and could not dispose of the ball legally, a holding the ball penalty would be paid against him.

Scoring

Australian Rules football goal posts - the two tall central posts are the goal posts, and the two shorter outer posts are the behind posts.
Like many other codes of football, the way to score points is to score goals. In Australian Football, there are two types of scores: a goal, and a behind. There are four posts at each end of the ground; the two middle (and taller) posts are the goal posts, and the two outer (and shorter) posts are the behind posts. The area between the goal posts is the goal: kicking the ball between these posts scores a goal which is worth six points. Kicking the ball between a goal and a behind post scores a behind, which constitutes a single point. A behind is also scored if the ball passes between the goal posts, but is not kicked by the attacking team (e.g., it comes off the hands of either team, or is kicked by the defending team), or if the ball hits the goal post. (If the ball hits the behind post, the ball is considered to have gone out of bounds.) A rushed behind (also worth one point) is scored when the defending team deliberately forces the ball between any of the posts. This may occur in pressure situations where a defender decides that it is safer to concede one point to the opposing team rather than risk a goal being scored.
A goal umpire judges whether a goal or behind is scored. The goal umpire shows that a goal has been scored by pointing both index fingers in front of him and then waving two flags above his or her head to indicate the score to the other goal umpire. A behind is signalled by pointing one finger, and waving one flag.

As an example, consider a match between the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle. West Coast scores 15 goals and 10 behinds which equate to 100 points. Fremantle on the other hand manage 10 goals and 6 behinds, totalling 66 points. West Coast Eagles wins the match by 33 points, and the result would usually appear like this:

West Coast Eagles 15.10 (100) def. Fremantle 10.6 (66)
And reads: West Coast fifteen, ten, one-hundred, defeated Fremantle ten, six, sixty-six.

The first number is the number of goals (six points) scored; the second number is the number of behinds (one point) scored, and the third number in the brackets is the total score. The final result is decided on the total score only; there is no 'countback rule' in which the team with the most goals wins.

Umpires

The game is controlled by a number of field umpires (at elite level, three), two boundary umpires whose main job is to conduct throw-ins when the ball leaves the field of play and two goal umpires who judge which scores are recorded, and are the official score-keepers of the game. In addition, there is an emergency umpire, who can replace any field umpire who becomes injured. Each of the eight umpires may report players, but only field umpires may pay free kicks.
Historically, all umpires have worn white, but most competitions have changed this now to ensure that umpire uniforms do not clash with team uniforms. Historically, the field umpires and boundary umpires have worn white short-sleeved shirts and white shorts, while goal umpires wore a white coat, white broad-brimmed hat and black trousers. Today, goal umpires wear the same short-sleeved shirts as the other umpires and a peaked cap, but retain the black trousers. Goal umpires also have white flags which are waved to signal scores.

Length of the Game

The length of a game of Australian Football can vary from league to league, but is generally around 15 to 25 minutes per quarter. In the AFL, each quarter runs for 20 minutes excluding stoppage time (also known as time on). The clock is stopped on occasions such as the ball going out of bounds, injuries, goals (or behinds) being kicked, or when the umpire is setting the angle of a free kick on goal. Time is kept by two off-field officials, known as timekeepers, who sound the siren at the start and end of each quarter. A typical AFL quarter might run from 27 to 33 minutes, but might run to 35 minutes if, say, a stretcher injury causes undue delay.

In the AFL, the four quarters are each 20 minutes, with the clock stopping when the ball is out of play. This clock is seen by the coaches and on TV. However, the clock at the ground counts up from 0, and does not stop. Therefore, spectators and players never know exactly how much time is left in the game. AFL breaks after the first and third quarters are six minutes, with a 20-minute break at halftime. Thus a match whose quarters averaged 30 minutes would last about two and a half hours.

Structure and competitions

The football season, proper, is from March to August (early autumn to late winter in Australia) with finals being held in September and October.

For almost all Australian rules club competitions the aim is to win the Premiership. The premiership is always decided by a finals series. The teams that occupy the highest positions on the ladder play off in a “semi-knockout” finals series. The AFL finals system is contested by the top 8 teams.

List Of AFL teams

Adelaide Crows

(Founded: 1990, Joined VFL/AFL: 1991, Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Premierships won: 2)
Brisbane Lions*

(Founded: 1996, Joined VFL/AFL: 1997, Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Premierships won: 3)
* Brisbane Lions was a merger between 2 clubs: Fitzroy Lions and Brisbane Bears. Fitzroy Lions was founded in 1883 and joined the VFL in 1884, while the Brisbane Bears was founded in 1986 and joined the VFL in 1987.
Carlton Blues

(Founded: 1864, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 16)
Collingwood Magpies

(Founded: 1892, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 15)
Essendon Bombers

(Founded: 1872, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 16)
Fremantle Dockers

(Founded: 1994, Joined VFL/AFL: 1995, Location: Perth, Western Australia, Premierships won: 0)
Geelong Cats

(Founded: 1859, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Geelong, Victoria, Premierships won: 8)
Gold Coast Suns

(Founded: 2008, Joined VFL/AFL: 2011, Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Premierships won: 0)
Greater Western Sydney Giants

(Founded: 2010, Joined VFL/AFL: 2012, Location: Sydney, New South Wales)
Hawthorn Hawks

(Founded: 1902, Joined VFL/AFL: 1925, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 10)
Melbourne Demons

(Founded: 1859, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 12)
North Melbourne Kangaroos

(Founded: 1869, Joined VFL/AFL: 1925, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 4)
Port Adelaide Power

(Founded: 1870^, Joined VFL/AFL: 1997, Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Premierships won: 1)
^ Port Adelaide originally played in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), known as the Magpies. The Magpies continue to play in the SANFL, while the Power plays in the AFL.
Richmond Tigers

(Founded: 1885, Joined VFL/AFL: 1908, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 10)
St. Kilda Saints

(Founded: 1873, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 1)
Sydney Swans+

(Founded: 1874, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Premierships won: 4)
+ Sydney was originally known as South Melbourne when founded in 1874, until they relocated to Sydney in 1982.
West Coast Eagles

(Founded: 1986, Joined VFL/AFL: 1987, Location: Perth, Western Australia, Premierships won: 3)
Western Bulldogs†

(Founded: 1877, Joined VFL/AFL: 1925, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 1)
† Western Bulldogs were originally known as Footscray Bulldogs, until they changed their name in 1997.

**Dogphins** · 09-01-2011, 07:21 PM

Questions?

Comments?

Will also put some videos up soon of the game

**Reg** · 09-01-2011, 07:28 PM

Keep it coming while I (and hopefully) others absorb some of this. It's totally new to me, but I wanna learn.

I will tweet & Facebook this thread to see if others "out there" either follow or wanna learn about this sport.

**Reveryroadie** · 09-02-2011, 01:11 AM

gonna take a few reads/re-reads to get even a simple grasp of the game. maybe re-editing the post to include video's that explain each point would be helpful.

but it is obvious you put a lot of effort into it, and it is definitely appreciated

**Dogphins** · 09-02-2011, 08:23 AM

What is Aussie Rules Football

This video will help explain

Sav Rocca, punter for the Philadelphia Eagles, this is why he left for the NFL

Ben Graham, punter for the Arizona Cardinals, kicks the ball 85 meters (93 yards)

A nice highlight package

Highlights of the 2011 season

Collingwood Magpies - 2010 Premiers - Highlights of the 2010 Grand Final Replay against St. Kilda Saints (after the first game ended in a draw and there is no extra time in Grand Finals

08-31-2011, 05:07 AM	#1
Dogphins Moderator Blue Chipper Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 2,284 Reputation: 203 My Mood: : $24599	Australian Rules Football (AFL) 2013 Season What about Aussie Rules Football (AFL)? Does anyone follow it? Anyone interested in knowing about it? If so, I can write something up about the game and the current season... Please respond with your thoughts and opinions __________________ "Metal brothers raise your hands, together we are strong Spread the Metal through the world, we will carry on Never do what they say, walk against the wind Heavy Metal never dies" Last edited by Dogphins; 03-31-2013 at 02:47 AM.

08-31-2011, 07:20 PM	#2
Reveryroadie Roadie/NFL Swami/Co-Owner All Pro Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: virginia Beach, VA Posts: 9,538 Reputation: 1744 My Mood: : $84244	go ahead and write something up. always room for another sport, and it will let us all learn about the sport. __________________

09-01-2011, 08:00 AM	#4
Dogphins Moderator Blue Chipper Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 2,284 Reputation: 203 My Mood: : $24599	Australian Rules Football (AFL) “The History” First Started: 1859 (in Melbourne) Details of the game's origins in Australia are obscure and still the subject of much debate. Australian Rules football became organised in Melbourne in May 1859, when the first laws of the game were published by the Melbourne Football Club. Australian Rules football, officially known as Australian football, also informally known as football, Aussie rules or (colloquially) as footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players (18 on the field, and four interchanges) on either an Australian Rules football ground, a modified cricket field or another modified sports venue. The objective of the game is to score points by passing the ball through the opponent's goal. The main way to score points is by kicking the ball between the two major goal posts. The team with the higher total score at the end of the match wins unless either a draw is declared or a tie-break is used. During play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their body to move the ball. The primary methods are kicking, handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled: for example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground. Throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick is paid. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick (with specific conditions), are awarded a free kick. Australian Rules is a contact sport, in which players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as pushing an opponent in the back), interference when marking and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties or suspension, depending on the seriousness of the infringement. Frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of both players and the ball and high scoring are the game's main attributes. Australian football is a major participation and spectator sport in Australia. The sport is also played at amateur level in several countries and in several variations. The most prestigious competition is the Australian Football League (AFL), which culminates in the annual AFL Grand Final - currently the highest attended club championship event in the world. Australian football is governed by the AFL Commission, which also runs the AFL competition, and the rules of the game are decided by the AFL's Laws of the Game Committee. Laws Of Australian Rules Football Eighteen players are permitted to take the field for each team, with an additional four players on an interchange bench (although this number often varies in exhibition and practice matches). The equipment needed to play the game is minimal. As in other kinds of football, players wear boots with stops (known as "cleats" or "studs" in some regions) in the soles, shorts, and a thick, strong shirt or jumper known as a guernsey. The game is played with an ellipsoid ball, on a grassed oval. A red ball is used for day matches and a yellow ball is used for night matches. A full size ball is a size 5. The Field Four posts, aligned in a straight line, 6.4 metres apart from each other, are erected at either end of the oval. The size of the ground is not fixed, but is generally between 135-185m long and 110-155m wide. Lines are drawn on the field to mark the boundary, a 50m wide centre square, two circles in the centre with diameters 3m and 10m and a line dividing the circles in half, a 9×6.4m goal square at each end of the ground, a 15m wide interchange on one flank of the oval, a distance of 50 metres from the goal line (the "Fifty Metre Line") Play The game is a fast-paced combination of speed, athleticism, skill and physical toughness. Players are allowed to tackle the player with the ball and impede opposition players from tackling their teammates (known as shepherding), but not to deliberately strike an opponent (though pushing the margins of these rules is often a substantial part of the game). Like most team sports, tactics are based around trying to get the ball, then — through a combination of running with the ball, hand-passing (punching the ball from the open palm of the other hand) and kicking — deliver it to a player who is within range of goal. Because taking a mark entitles the player to a free kick, a common tactic is to attempt to kick the ball on the full (without bouncing) to a teammate who is within kicking range of goal. In this situation, packs of players often form around the goal square, and the opportunity arises for spectacular high marks (or "speckies"), in which players launch themselves off opponents' backs to mark the ball, high in the air. There are no set positions in the rules of the game, but traditionally the field was divided into three major sections: the forward line, back line, and midfield. The forward and back lines consisted of six players, arranged into two lines of three players each. The midfield generally consists of the designated ruckman (i.e. player who contests the ruck or bouncedown) and players who either stay in the centre area of the ground (between the two 50 metre arcs) or follow the ball and are not confined to a particular area. The modern game, however, has largely discarded positional play in favour of a free flowing running game and attempting to have loose men in various positions on the ground. The rise in popularity of the hand-pass since the 1970s has greatly influenced this style of play, with players more willing to follow the ball and move it quickly amongst themselves rather than kicking long to a one-on-one marking contest. In the late 1990s a tactic known as flooding was devised and also shifted focus away from set positions. When a team "plays a flood", they direct two or more of their midfield or forward line players into their defence, thus out-numbering their opponent and making it difficult for any opposing forward to take an uncontested mark. Most football sides are named (and demonstrated) in the traditional set positions, but it is in fact uncommon for players to stay within the traditional areas of their position. The players are shuffled on and off the field using the interchange bench, the blood rule means that if any player, for any reason, should begin to bleed, no matter how minor or severe, they must remove themselves from the ground to receive treatment. They may return when the flow of blood has stopped and has been treated by the team medic. Holding The Ball One of the things that causes the most confusion for people that are not familiar with the game are the Holding the ball, Dropping the Ball, and Throwing rules. Confusion arises because a player being tackled is not allowed to hold onto the ball, but is not allowed to throw it either. These rules are easily summarised: Players must always dispose of the ball by either a kick or a handpass. A handpass, also called a handball, is performed by punching the ball from one hand with the other fist. The ball can not be thrown up (like a volleyball serve) and hit, nor handed to a teammate like an American/Canadian football handoff. When a player is in possession of the ball, and moving, the ball must be bounced, or touched to the ground, at least once every 15 metres. Failure to do so results in a penalty, where a free kick is awarded to the opposing team. This is sometimes called running too far or travelling, and is signalled by the umpire in the same way as travelling is signalled in basketball. If the ball carrying player decides to run with the ball or to evade a tackling opponent, he would be deemed to have a prior opportunity of being able to dispose of the ball legally, as long as there was a reasonable time for the player to dispose of the ball correctly prior to being tackled. e.g. a couple of steps would not normally constitute "prior opportunity". When a player is in possession of the ball, and is tackled correctly (i.e., above the knees and below the shoulders), he must immediately dispose of the ball by kicking or handpassing. Failure to do so, when a prior opportunity to dispose of it existed, results in a penalty benefiting the tackling team, which is awarded a free kick. A free kick is also awarded to the tackler if there was no prior opportunity, but the player in possession of the ball does not dispose of it or attempt to do so within a reasonable time. This is also called holding the ball. Exceptions to this rule include: Being bumped, that is, hit side-on by another player or tackled in such a manner that causes the ball to be knocked free or come loose from a player's possession. Being tackled with the ball despite gaining possession of it but had no chance of disposing it (no prior opportunity), where the ball is unable to be released. A ball-up would result to restart play. If the ball carrier, who had prior opportunity before the tackle, was swung off balance while attempting to dispose the ball but not making contact, a holding the ball decision would be awarded against the ball carrier on the basis of the ball not being legally disposed of whilst tackled. Where there is no prior opportunity, the umpire will call "play on". In a recent effort to reduce the amount of unnecessary stoppages, the interpretation of the prior opportunity has widened to include any player who grabs hold of the ball during a ball-up or throw-in situation instead of knocking it away. In this instance, if the player is then tackled and could not dispose of the ball legally, a holding the ball penalty would be paid against him. Scoring Australian Rules football goal posts - the two tall central posts are the goal posts, and the two shorter outer posts are the behind posts. Like many other codes of football, the way to score points is to score goals. In Australian Football, there are two types of scores: a goal, and a behind. There are four posts at each end of the ground; the two middle (and taller) posts are the goal posts, and the two outer (and shorter) posts are the behind posts. The area between the goal posts is the goal: kicking the ball between these posts scores a goal which is worth six points. Kicking the ball between a goal and a behind post scores a behind, which constitutes a single point. A behind is also scored if the ball passes between the goal posts, but is not kicked by the attacking team (e.g., it comes off the hands of either team, or is kicked by the defending team), or if the ball hits the goal post. (If the ball hits the behind post, the ball is considered to have gone out of bounds.) A rushed behind (also worth one point) is scored when the defending team deliberately forces the ball between any of the posts. This may occur in pressure situations where a defender decides that it is safer to concede one point to the opposing team rather than risk a goal being scored. A goal umpire judges whether a goal or behind is scored. The goal umpire shows that a goal has been scored by pointing both index fingers in front of him and then waving two flags above his or her head to indicate the score to the other goal umpire. A behind is signalled by pointing one finger, and waving one flag. As an example, consider a match between the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle. West Coast scores 15 goals and 10 behinds which equate to 100 points. Fremantle on the other hand manage 10 goals and 6 behinds, totalling 66 points. West Coast Eagles wins the match by 33 points, and the result would usually appear like this: West Coast Eagles 15.10 (100) def. Fremantle 10.6 (66) And reads: West Coast fifteen, ten, one-hundred, defeated Fremantle ten, six, sixty-six. The first number is the number of goals (six points) scored; the second number is the number of behinds (one point) scored, and the third number in the brackets is the total score. The final result is decided on the total score only; there is no 'countback rule' in which the team with the most goals wins. Umpires The game is controlled by a number of field umpires (at elite level, three), two boundary umpires whose main job is to conduct throw-ins when the ball leaves the field of play and two goal umpires who judge which scores are recorded, and are the official score-keepers of the game. In addition, there is an emergency umpire, who can replace any field umpire who becomes injured. Each of the eight umpires may report players, but only field umpires may pay free kicks. Historically, all umpires have worn white, but most competitions have changed this now to ensure that umpire uniforms do not clash with team uniforms. Historically, the field umpires and boundary umpires have worn white short-sleeved shirts and white shorts, while goal umpires wore a white coat, white broad-brimmed hat and black trousers. Today, goal umpires wear the same short-sleeved shirts as the other umpires and a peaked cap, but retain the black trousers. Goal umpires also have white flags which are waved to signal scores. Length of the Game The length of a game of Australian Football can vary from league to league, but is generally around 15 to 25 minutes per quarter. In the AFL, each quarter runs for 20 minutes excluding stoppage time (also known as time on). The clock is stopped on occasions such as the ball going out of bounds, injuries, goals (or behinds) being kicked, or when the umpire is setting the angle of a free kick on goal. Time is kept by two off-field officials, known as timekeepers, who sound the siren at the start and end of each quarter. A typical AFL quarter might run from 27 to 33 minutes, but might run to 35 minutes if, say, a stretcher injury causes undue delay. In the AFL, the four quarters are each 20 minutes, with the clock stopping when the ball is out of play. This clock is seen by the coaches and on TV. However, the clock at the ground counts up from 0, and does not stop. Therefore, spectators and players never know exactly how much time is left in the game. AFL breaks after the first and third quarters are six minutes, with a 20-minute break at halftime. Thus a match whose quarters averaged 30 minutes would last about two and a half hours. Structure and competitions The football season, proper, is from March to August (early autumn to late winter in Australia) with finals being held in September and October. For almost all Australian rules club competitions the aim is to win the Premiership. The premiership is always decided by a finals series. The teams that occupy the highest positions on the ladder play off in a “semi-knockout” finals series. The AFL finals system is contested by the top 8 teams. List Of AFL teams Adelaide Crows (Founded: 1990, Joined VFL/AFL: 1991, Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Premierships won: 2) Brisbane Lions* (Founded: 1996, Joined VFL/AFL: 1997, Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Premierships won: 3) * Brisbane Lions was a merger between 2 clubs: Fitzroy Lions and Brisbane Bears. Fitzroy Lions was founded in 1883 and joined the VFL in 1884, while the Brisbane Bears was founded in 1986 and joined the VFL in 1987. Carlton Blues (Founded: 1864, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 16) Collingwood Magpies (Founded: 1892, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 15) Essendon Bombers (Founded: 1872, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 16) Fremantle Dockers (Founded: 1994, Joined VFL/AFL: 1995, Location: Perth, Western Australia, Premierships won: 0) Geelong Cats (Founded: 1859, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Geelong, Victoria, Premierships won: 8) Gold Coast Suns (Founded: 2008, Joined VFL/AFL: 2011, Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Premierships won: 0) Greater Western Sydney Giants (Founded: 2010, Joined VFL/AFL: 2012, Location: Sydney, New South Wales) Hawthorn Hawks (Founded: 1902, Joined VFL/AFL: 1925, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 10) Melbourne Demons (Founded: 1859, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 12) North Melbourne Kangaroos (Founded: 1869, Joined VFL/AFL: 1925, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 4) Port Adelaide Power (Founded: 1870^, Joined VFL/AFL: 1997, Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Premierships won: 1) ^ Port Adelaide originally played in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), known as the Magpies. The Magpies continue to play in the SANFL, while the Power plays in the AFL. Richmond Tigers (Founded: 1885, Joined VFL/AFL: 1908, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 10) St. Kilda Saints (Founded: 1873, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 1) Sydney Swans+ (Founded: 1874, Joined VFL/AFL: 1897, Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Premierships won: 4) + Sydney was originally known as South Melbourne when founded in 1874, until they relocated to Sydney in 1982. West Coast Eagles (Founded: 1986, Joined VFL/AFL: 1987, Location: Perth, Western Australia, Premierships won: 3) Western Bulldogs† (Founded: 1877, Joined VFL/AFL: 1925, Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Premierships won: 1) † Western Bulldogs were originally known as Footscray Bulldogs, until they changed their name in 1997. __________________ "Metal brothers raise your hands, together we are strong Spread the Metal through the world, we will carry on Never do what they say, walk against the wind Heavy Metal never dies"

09-01-2011, 07:21 PM	#5
Dogphins Moderator Blue Chipper Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 2,284 Reputation: 203 My Mood: : $24599	Questions? Comments? Will also put some videos up soon of the game __________________ "Metal brothers raise your hands, together we are strong Spread the Metal through the world, we will carry on Never do what they say, walk against the wind Heavy Metal never dies"

09-01-2011, 07:28 PM	#6
Reg Ray's #2 Hero/Gramps HOF'er (retired jersey) Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pontiac,MI Posts: 39,316 Reputation: 1285 My Mood: : $303068	Keep it coming while I (and hopefully) others absorb some of this. It's totally new to me, but I wanna learn. I will tweet & Facebook this thread to see if others "out there" either follow or wanna learn about this sport. __________________

09-02-2011, 01:11 AM	#7
Reveryroadie Roadie/NFL Swami/Co-Owner All Pro Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: virginia Beach, VA Posts: 9,538 Reputation: 1744 My Mood: : $84244	gonna take a few reads/re-reads to get even a simple grasp of the game. maybe re-editing the post to include video's that explain each point would be helpful. but it is obvious you put a lot of effort into it, and it is definitely appreciated __________________

09-02-2011, 08:23 AM	#8
Dogphins Moderator Blue Chipper Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 2,284 Reputation: 203 My Mood: : $24599	What is Aussie Rules Football This video will help explain Sav Rocca, punter for the Philadelphia Eagles, this is why he left for the NFL Ben Graham, punter for the Arizona Cardinals, kicks the ball 85 meters (93 yards) A nice highlight package Highlights of the 2011 season Collingwood Magpies - 2010 Premiers - Highlights of the 2010 Grand Final Replay against St. Kilda Saints (after the first game ended in a draw and there is no extra time in Grand Finals __________________ "Metal brothers raise your hands, together we are strong Spread the Metal through the world, we will carry on Never do what they say, walk against the wind Heavy Metal never dies"

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