What the Australian rules football devotee saw at a match

Australian rules football for newcomers is a bit of a mystery because it is so different to any other code of football. There is no offside and the players from both sides are spread out around the oval-shaped pitch.

The average person with some 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 observes many other parts of the game. This is the essence of this article.

When I grew up, other followers of the code of football called our national game “Aerial Ping Pong” mainly because of the high number of kicks and few vigorous tackles. Today the game is full of vigorous 360-degree swerves and has become extremely fast with the constant running of all the players.

Devotees to the game will tell you that to appreciate the game more fully; must be positioned in front of the center circle at least halfway down a grandstand. There you can see the movement of the players, the high ratings and the big tickets.

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 that involve tackling, hitting and passing, often followed by a second and third effort to win the ball.

Then you will be delighted by the spectacular high marking with defensive players trying to mess up these marks. Often the player marking the ball is given a “ride” over the shoulders of a defending player to take what is called a “Little”.

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 open spaces, dribbling the ball in front of them every fifteen meters until they see a target player that they can kick or hand shoot.

Sitting high up in the stands allows you to not only see the movement of the ball, but you can also see 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 goal line will amaze the new viewer. Then there is the oft-scored goal on the run from over fifty yards that brings the crowd to its feet. It’s even more exciting when the player kicks a long torpedo clearance after the siren to kick the 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 opposition players. The game can go through many sequences where each team has a “run”, kicking off multiple 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 game of our national soccer code live, and would like to, find a devotee to sit with on a field like the MCG; the Adelaide Oval or the “Gabba”. That’s the best way to gain an appreciation for our great national game of soccer.