You will find an easy way to understand the iconic Australian Football League (AFL), also known as Aussie Rules from the perspective of a non-Australian bloke.
13/07/2020
For the first time in seven years, Essendon (4), Collingwood (5), Richmond (6) and Carlton (8), are within the top eight. Port Adelaide remains as the unbeaten team with five wins in this AFL messy season.
A mark is when a player kicks the ball over 15 meters to another player and it is successfully caught, and which has not touched the ground or been touched by another player during the period from when the football was kicked until it was caught or controlled by the player. The player who caught the ball is then awarded space and time for making the next play without pressure.
For a long time, the call "mark" didn't make any sense to me, since I called this the action catching the ball, e.g. "Davante Adams catches 40-yard touchdown". However, the use the term "mark" in the Aussie Rules has indigenous influence according to records in the State Library of Victoria some tribes called this action "mumark" then the call transitioned to what we know nowadays. Others say this action is called on this way due to the action to mark on the ground the exact place were the player caught the football.
Friday night is a rematch of last year's thrilling preliminary final. Collingwood is probably the in-form team of the competition, but this is their biggest test so far. But a draw with the out-of-form Tigers they weren't overly impressive and the win over St Kilda isn't an indicator that they are competition's pacesetters.
The Giants have an excellent recent record against the Pies and were beaten and written off ahead of both wins in 2019. However, GWS side who have had a poor fortnight, facing an undefeated Collingwood side is the last thing the Giants would want as they attempt to even up their season record and force their way back into the eight.
Port Adelaide and West Coast will be fascinating on Saturday afternoon, as the Power are the only 3-0 team with a 240-plus percentage in AFL history capable of losing to anyone by six goals.
The Eagles' struggles in the Gold Coast hub continued as they were beaten by five goals by the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba last Saturday night. The Eagles started luminously and kept the Lions honest in the first half before falling away in the second half to crash to their third straight loss in Queensland.
Reigning premiers Richmond have struggled since the resumption of the season, particularly Round 3. The Saints have been very average on their own behalf. Richmond, looking to bounce back, and the Saints, looking for a big scalp, will make this one entertaining.
22/06/2020
After three rounds, the ladder has significant changes. Port Adelaide stands as the undefeated team three weeks, three wins. Before the wet conditions in the ground, Adelaide allowed Freemantle to have a good start, and then Port took control of the game, securing the win by 29 points.
Collingwood continues in good shape, on Saturday the Magpies took over St Kilda, the Saints couldn't manage the pressure in the front and backline, surrendering to the Magpies by 44 points.
Sydney Swans showed class on the ground defeating North Melbourne, causing the Kangaroos ended 6th in the ladder. In a game without the Swans' stars Buddy Franklin and Sam Reid, Issac Heeney was the key in the win creating space in the forwards line broken the Kangaroos defence to end in 11 points win.
Scoring, any player on the field can attempt to score by kicking the ball through the goal posts. There are four posts positioned at either end of the field; the taller posts are goal posts, which are flanked by two shorter posts called behind posts. A Goal, equivalent to six points, is awarded when the ball is kicked through the two middle posts, while a single point, or Behind, is awarded when the ball goes between an outside and middle post. However, if the football has been touched by any player (it includes teammates) before passing over the goal line it worth it by a point, and usually, it’s called by the goal umpire as touch. Likewise, if the football touches the padding or any other attachment to the goal posts, it will be awarded by a single point.
This week the Round 3 starts on Thursday 18th Hawthorn will face Richmond, two teams with a geographical history within the League.
The highlights this weekend are the two games on Saturday 20th, firstly North Melbourne (Kangaroos) and Sydney (Swans) the main attraction to this game is the 2012 premiership winning Swan Rhyce Shaw will go head to head against his former coach, John Longmire, in the coaches’ box. Last week the Kangaroos finished second on the ladder with an impressive performance beaten the GWS by 20 in Sydney.
The second game is Collingwood (Magpies) vs. St Kilda (Saints) at the MCG. The Magpies had a great start last week against the Tigers; unfortunately, they couldn’t complete the job to record a draw. This weekend Collingwood is to face a young and motivated Saints that coming from 39 points win against the Western Bulldogs.
Stay tuned
15/06/2020
The footy is back, it has been twelve weeks since the ball stopped, and the boys stayed at home. The activities in the grounds resumed last Thursday, and the round two brought astonishing results such as the big four Collinwood, Richmond, West Coast and GWS failed to get four premier points. This weekend St. Kilda had a stunning performance beaten the Western Bulldogs by 39 points, the Saints' recruits performance was the key in the win on the second game of the 2020 AFL season.
In the tone of the Black Live Matter, the AFL players and Umpires showed their solidarity for indigenous Australians and the worldwide movement against racism. The players stated why they decided to kneel.
"The players want us to understand why they have chosen to do this, tonight's gesture is one of support, unity and respect driven by the playing group," the statement read.
"We stand in solidarity with our indigenous brothers and sisters for all people of colour. There is no place for racism.
"The knee is an expression of that support, we see strength in diversity, it makes us better as a football club and as a community.
"We will be there for each other always, especially at a time when many are impacted by what is going on around the world. We will continue to learn and walk this journey together."
Thanks, and stay tuned for more to come.
The game commences with a Centre Bounce also it's done to restart play after a goal has been kicked. Just to clarify this happens within the area marked with big circles inside the centre square.
The Umpire shows his bounce skills or just throw-up the footy, as in basketball, then one player of each team known as Ruck contests to get the football's possession. The Ruck's duties are performed by the tallest players.
I believe on the re-opener game Ivan Soldo (2.04m) from the Tigers, and Brodie Grundy (2.03 m) on the Collinwood side will carry out this assignment.
20/03/2020
The siren’s gone!!!!! But this time followed by the first bounce was a deaf pounce from those 95K plus empty sits. For the first time in the new era of the game, the gates at the G showed a bright but disappointing message to the most passionate fans "THIS GAME IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC".
Inside, an odd scenario welcomed the traditional first-round openers Richmond and Carlton. How strange was to watch on telly a football between the rows waiting for a cameraman to stop his regular duties to return the ball, rather than a bunch of excited kids waiting to return the footy to the ground after one of their heroes put six points on the scoreboard.
Yes, how different is this game, even more, when you weren’t born in Australia!
Stay tuned for the next delivery; I'll promise you it's going to be exciting 17 rounds along the grounds.
Siren’s gone
20/05/2019
There’s always a spot for . Forever Tiger 🐯 / Shaun anunció su retiro de las canchas y el equipo lo integró para cantar una vez más después de la victoria va Hawthorn
