An explanation of Aussie Rules football

I found this blog on another site (the author is credited at the end) and thought I'd pass it along. I've had many client requests for information on Aussie Rules, but not being an Aussie, I don't know the rules! The following was written by an Aussie who knows the rules.

When landing in Australia, most travellers will be told to see a game of “Aussie Rules,” or AFL. And the first thing you’ll probably think after being here for awhile is, “Hey, there’s no rules in this country!"

Well AFL is the Australian Football League and Aussie Rules is the slang term for it. It’s our own football code that differs vastly from soccer, rugby league, rugby union and American football.

It can certainly appear to anyone who is watching it live for the first time that there are no rules. It looks like a rough game and no players wear any padding, although most wear mouth guards at least. And their bodies get crunched. But there are, in fact, many rules that are constantly being changed every season.

Players kick the oval ball to teammates, but can also handball it to each other. A handball is basically holding the ball in one hand and punching it on its point. You can run with the ball as far as you want, but have to bounce it or touch it on the ground about every 15 steps. And when one player kicks it to another at least 15 metres and catches it, this is called a mark and play stops. He then has to kick or handball over the opposing player at the spot where he marked the ball.

That’s the basics, but the main thing you need to know is the scoring system. Kick it through the two big sticks in the middle and that’s six points. Kick it between the big stick and the little one next to it (on either side) and that’s one point. And the team with the highest score at the end of the four quarters played is the winner; unless scores are tied when the final siren sounds, in which case the result is called a draw.

Each state of Australia has its own league, some for over 100 years. In 1987,however, the VFL (Victorian Football League) expanded to include one team from Western Australia and one from Queensland. Shortly thereafter, the VFL changed to the AFL and it became a national competition, with teams from all over Australia that have joined, merged or relocated. And more are about to join.

Particularly if you’re visiting Melbourne in the autumn or winter, you cannot escape Aussie Rules. It will be plastered all over the newspapers and will consume discussion topics. So go along and watch a game, if only to see the great stadium called the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). It’s a cricket ground they play football on, but that’s another story.


Written and contributed by John Spirov

The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive

Being an Aussie Specialist, you can understand my interest in everything Australia. Living in the Southwest, you can understand my interest in The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, an adventure that takes place every two years in South Australia.

For those who would like to experience “City Slickers”, they have the opportunity to join this fascinating group of drovers on a cattle drive of a lifetime. The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive celebrates the history of legendary Australian cattle drives. The aim of droving cattle was to take cattle from one point to another and have them arrive in better - or at least the same - condition as they were at the beginning of the drive. Maintaining the health of the horses was also an important aim of any drive. For these reasons, stock were always walked.

Past journeys along the Birdsville Track in 2005 and Oodnadatta Track in 2007 were led by some of Australia's most famous and experienced drovers and involved 500 head of cattle and 120 horses, with participants living and breathing the Outback experience each day.

Now, the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive continues to showcase the wonder and beauty of the Outback. It is the holiday of a lifetime. It’s a chance to ride with some of Australia’s finest drovers, to see inspiring Outback landscapes and to make firm new friends. At the end, there will be unforgettable adventure stories to take home. The riders don’t have to be experienced to take part. New riders and riders at all levels enjoy the friendship and adventure of the Cattle Drive.

For those wondering how it works, Each Cattle Drive tour has its own highlights and each is five days and four nights. As you set off on your day's adventure, a support crew tends camp. The camp is a village of superior tent accommodation with facilities including hot showers, flushing toilets, bar, library and a kitchen of top caterers specializing in Australian cuisine.

Every tour is based at a central camp - a vibrant and comfortable environment where you can unwind and share stories with other riders.Enjoy superb catering and unwind beside a roaring campfire under a canopy of stars.

I’d love to join the 2012 Cattle drive so I’d better get out there and start practicing “sitting in the saddle”. Where is the nearest Merry-go-Round?