Watched my first 'footy' game in a decade yesterday. A preseason game. Richmond Tigers v ____ Hawks at Hobart. Observations:
1) Love the constant bellowing roar of the hooters at the start of each quarter. Or were ships passing by every twenty minutes?
2) Only netball has more whistle than 'footy'.
3) When the commentators said it's "congested in the mid-field" they weren't bloody wrong. Fair dinkum. It's like watching a half-cut, dinky di, bewdy bar room brawl during a piss up!
4) Which brings us to point four. How many players are there in a 'footy' game? f**king heaps!
5) The umpire bounce thing after a goal. I didn't realise they could do another one if they f**ked it up.
6) Umpire throw-ins are probably the most halirious thing in all of sports.
7) A point for a miss. Even if it goes in off the post.
8) 50 metre advantage penalties. That hurts.
9) The "mark" is pretty cool. But not the mark 'whistle'.
10) It is frantic.
11) But is it "dynamic" as my 'footy' mates have constantly told me?
12) "In the pocket"?
13) It is watchable.
14) Though the 80,000, week-in and week-out, sell outs at the 'G' seems extremely odd.
15) By crickey - is 'footy' a shambles?
Stevo2010-02-14 18:32:04
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When I lived in Aussie a bit I really enjoyed watching a bit of Aussie Rules. Good fun. And some good observations there. Gaelic Football is better though.
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Great game to watch live, and great to watch when teams are playing on and not taking forever with their marks. can watch a quarter go without a goal, and then four or five of them inside a handful of minutes.
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Also so if you've been watching this season you would have seen Vince Lia hand-balling aussie rules style when passing the ball back to the opposition...he's done it several times...
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Hawthorn Hawks......I freaking love Aussie Rules. My missus and I lived for two years in Melbourne and ended up buying seasn tickets for St Kilda. Takes a while to get used to it though.
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There's already a thread somwhere.
Go the kitties.
Go the kitties.
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5) The umpire bounce thing after a goal. I didn't realise they could do another one if they f**ked it up.
How can they tell if they f*cked it up ?
I went to an exhibition 'road' match , years ago at the Caketin (wasn't called ROF in those days) between Wotist Thingamees and Some Other C*nts. The first 5 minutes was mildly entertaining , then it got boring, then we found out there was another 3 quarters to go !
Biggest cheer of the night was when the Fat Kid finished the lap of the stadium (kids were jogging round at half-time to promote Health & Fitness), a full 5 minutes after everyone else. It was brill, the crowd got right behind him and cheered him on..... then the footy started again
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..minde you tho' I guess it as it was an exhibition match promoting Health and Fitness and all that good stuff, there was a noticeable lack of biff
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see my comment in red to assist.
Hope that helps you.
DS
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Watched my first 'footy' game in a decade yesterday. A preseason game. Richmond Tigers v Hawthorn Hawks at Hobart. Observations:
1) Love the constant bellowing roar of the hooters at the start of each quarter. Or were ships passing by every twenty minutes? Siren goes at start and end of each quarter. Independent timekeeper blows siren to start or end quarter. Umpire hears it, and calls time on the current play.
2) Only netball has more whistle than 'footy'. Don't watch enough netball to compare, probably a fair call though.
3) When the commentators said it's "congested in the mid-field" they weren't bloody wrong. Fair dinkum. It's like watching a half-cut, dinky di, bewdy bar room brawl during a piss up!. AFL has been copying soccer tactics of late, such as zone defences and so on, congested midfield is a copy from soccer as well.
4) Which brings us to point four. How many players are there in a 'footy' game? f**king heaps! 18 players per team on field at any one time. 4 players on interchange bench during game, no limit on changes allowed per game. AFL teams have 38 players on roster, and a rookie list.
5) The umpire bounce thing after a goal. I didn't realise they could do another one if they f**ked it up. Sadly yes, but when the ground is wet, the umpire can throw the ball up instead to ensure the players have a better chance of getting it.
6) Umpire throw-ins are probably the most halirious thing in all of sports. They are funny, we're used to it, kind of similar to the throw in used in rugby when you team 'lifts' you to catch the ball I suppose.
7) A point for a miss. Even if it goes in off the post. True, but the 'outer' post now don't count if you hit them. Ball is deemed out of play if it hits the little outer posts.
8) 50 metre advantage penalties. That hurts. Used to be 15 metres, it's an unpopular rule, 30 metres is good enough.
9) The "mark" is pretty cool. But not the mark 'whistle'. Umpire blows whistle to say 'mark is allowed'. Bit g@y I know, but I get your point.
10) It is frantic. AFL is an athletic game no doubt.
11) But is it "dynamic" as my 'footy' mates have constantly told me? Is good to watch live, they are good athletes no doubt.
12) "In the pocket"? Can be used in the teams forward line or backline. The 'pocket' is the corner of the ground as such, you have to kick for goal on an angle or get the ball away from the other teams' goal if you are in the 'pocket'. Think of it as a confined space.
13) It is watchable. Better live these days than on TV, can be entertaining.
14) Though the 80,000, week-in and week-out, sell outs at the 'G' seems extremely odd. Hence the reason we are busting our guts tooth and nail to improve soccer in the part of the world. Media is strongly behind AFL as well. Hard battle I tell you.
15) By crickey - is 'footy' a shambles? Can be if you want it to be. A shambles is a farce. NZ Knights were a farce (or a shambles) for example. Brisbane Roar are pretty much a shambles now.
Hope that helps you.
DS
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All you need to know about AFL is that Collingwood are c**ts.
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AFL is a great game, have had the chance to go to a couple of live games and thoroughly enjoyed both of them! It is a wonderful spectacle to watch at the ground, especially from on high at the G where you realise how athletic they must be to run around that massive field for that length of time.
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
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see my comment in red to assist.
Hope that helps you.
DS
< id="gwProxy" =""><!--Session -->< ="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" ="">
Watched my first 'footy' game in a decade yesterday. A preseason game. Richmond Tigers v Hawthorn Hawks at Hobart. Observations:
1) Love the constant bellowing roar of the hooters at the start of each quarter. Or were ships passing by every twenty minutes? Siren goes at start and end of each quarter. Independent timekeeper blows siren to start or end quarter. Umpire hears it, and calls time on the current play.
2) Only netball has more whistle than 'footy'. Don't watch enough netball to compare, probably a fair call though.
3) When the commentators said it's "congested in the mid-field" they weren't bloody wrong. Fair dinkum. It's like watching a half-cut, dinky di, bewdy bar room brawl during a piss up!. AFL has been copying soccer tactics of late, such as zone defences and so on, congested midfield is a copy from soccer as well.
4) Which brings us to point four. How many players are there in a 'footy' game? f**king heaps! 18 players per team on field at any one time. 4 players on interchange bench during game, no limit on changes allowed per game. AFL teams have 38 players on roster, and a rookie list.
5) The umpire bounce thing after a goal. I didn't realise they could do another one if they f**ked it up. Sadly yes, but when the ground is wet, the umpire can throw the ball up instead to ensure the players have a better chance of getting it.
6) Umpire throw-ins are probably the most halirious thing in all of sports. They are funny, we're used to it, kind of similar to the throw in used in rugby when you team 'lifts' you to catch the ball I suppose.
7) A point for a miss. Even if it goes in off the post. True, but the 'outer' post now don't count if you hit them. Ball is deemed out of play if it hits the little outer posts.
8) 50 metre advantage penalties. That hurts. Used to be 15 metres, it's an unpopular rule, 30 metres is good enough.
9) The "mark" is pretty cool. But not the mark 'whistle'. Umpire blows whistle to say 'mark is allowed'. Bit g@y I know, but I get your point.
10) It is frantic. AFL is an athletic game no doubt.
11) But is it "dynamic" as my 'footy' mates have constantly told me? Is good to watch live, they are good athletes no doubt.
12) "In the pocket"? Can be used in the teams forward line or backline. The 'pocket' is the corner of the ground as such, you have to kick for goal on an angle or get the ball away from the other teams' goal if you are in the 'pocket'. Think of it as a confined space.
13) It is watchable. Better live these days than on TV, can be entertaining.
14) Though the 80,000, week-in and week-out, sell outs at the 'G' seems extremely odd. Hence the reason we are busting our guts tooth and nail to improve soccer in the part of the world. Media is strongly behind AFL as well. Hard battle I tell you.
15) By crickey - is 'footy' a shambles? Can be if you want it to be. A shambles is a farce. NZ Knights were a farce (or a shambles) for example. Brisbane Roar are pretty much a shambles now.
Hope that helps you.
DS
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Thx 4 that KP.
You're obviously a hard-core 'footy' fan with 'footy' as a significant part of your kulture.
Good news and bad news.
Good news: watched another 1/4 of 'footy' at the water logged Manuka(?) Oval yesterday.
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lol t'wasn't me, t'was Diego's Son.
Footy is a big part of my culture, it's my winter distraction of choice. I wouldn't bother watching the pre-season tourney if you're new to the game, wait for the real stuff to begin...
Footy is a big part of my culture, it's my winter distraction of choice. I wouldn't bother watching the pre-season tourney if you're new to the game, wait for the real stuff to begin...
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Will be there to see the Lions smash the Blues in Round One... can't wait to see Fev smash his old (well, young) mates!!!
E + R + O
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I've attempted to watch it a few times, and even been to a game at Etihad (then Telstra Dome)...but I just can't get into it really. FAR too many points scored, I mean teams ending games on 3 figures regularly?! Jesus! There doesn't seem that much to it really...punt - catch - run a bit - punt through the massive goals - goal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
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Steve-O you will want to get along to watch the Sainters play the Pies. Luke Ball our former courageous Captain has joined the Pies and there appears to be some bad blood. Will be a good game between two great teams..........Pies fans are all bogans too 
Tyler2010-02-16 11:48:28
Tyler2010-02-16 11:48:28
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Steve-O you will want to get along to watch the Sainters play the Pies. Luke Ball our former courageous Captain has joined the Pies and there appears to be some bad blood. Will be a good game between two great teams..........Pies fans are all bogans too
Thats a gross overstatement Stevo!... you'll have seriously upset some bogans with that one
SurgeQld2010-02-16 13:22:18
E + R + O
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I know Kiwi Pie will not be loving this!
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lol that dude! He's a psycho from the cheer squad...when we beat Port Adelaide in an elimination final in 2002, I hugged that bloke after the siren sounded. I hugged a lot of bogans than night, was awesome (the win, not the bogan hugging, that was just scary)
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What's the gold jacket guy? Joffa!! When I went to Collingwood vs Sainters in 2007 with 80,000 people I feared for my life. Although I do love the passion of the Collingwood fans
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lol t'wasn't me, t'was Diego's Son.
Footy is a big part of my culture, it's my winter distraction of choice. I wouldn't bother watching the pre-season tourney if you're new to the game, wait for the real stuff to begin...
Footy is a big part of my culture, it's my winter distraction of choice. I wouldn't bother watching the pre-season tourney if you're new to the game, wait for the real stuff to begin...
Just take the credit anyway Pie, that's fine by me!
< id="gwProxy" =""><!--Session -->< ="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" ="">diego's son2010-02-17 00:23:11
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***Stevo deleted this***
Stevo2010-02-17 01:16:33
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***Stevo deleted this***
We OK then?
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****Issues cleared up with PMs*****
Stevo2010-02-17 22:30:09
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Meanwhile...
Strewth!!!! Ain't it gonna be a fair dinkum 'footy' season!!????!!
Who's gonna be strongest "in the pocket" this year?
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Swans FTW
Smartest thing you've ever said, Stefan!!!
"Ive just re-visited this and once again realised that C-Diddy is a genius - a drunk, Newcastle bred disgrace - but a genius." - Hard News, 11:39am 4th June 2009
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Meanwhile...
Strewth!!!! Ain't it gonna be a fair dinkum 'footy' season!!????!!
Who's gonna be strongest "in the pocket" this year?
Mate my tip for the AFL title this year is Brisbane Lions. They have in the forward line Jonathon Brown (probably the best all round forward in the game) and this year they also got Brendan Fevola, who was 'moved on' by Carlton for being drunk at last years' Brownlow (AFL players') medal.
Brisbane Lions are the tip for this year.
For the record, I lean on Carlton these days, but was originally a supporter of Fitzroy, who were taken over by Brisbane in 1996 at the AFL's insistance.
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Meanwhile...
Strewth!!!!� Ain't it gonna be a fair dinkum 'footy' season!!????!!
�
Who's gonna be strongest "in the pocket" this year?
Well said DS... if you go up for the R1 game I'll buy you a beer!!!
Not sure I expect the Lions to go the whole way but certainly be closer to first than eighth... some of the younger cubs are now around the 50-100 game mark and that'll make a big difference... as long as the big guns stay reasonable fit (Black) and don't get too suspended (Brown) and the new bloke wearing the great mans (White) number 44 again will be great to see!!!
I still feel Jared Brennan will pull out a big year or two and show some consistency to go with the huge amount of skill we've seen for the last 5 yrs or so... strong midfield and probably the best forward line in the game... should score a sh*t load of points if they get a share of the ball (and we will).
Actually you're right DS, might have to see what the odds are
E + R + O
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Well said DS... if you go up for the R1 game I'll buy you a beer!!!
Not sure I expect the Lions to go the whole way but certainly be closer to first than eighth... some of the younger cubs are now around the 50-100 game mark and that'll make a big difference... as long as the big guns stay reasonable fit (Black) and don't get too suspended (Brown) and the new bloke wearing the great mans (White) number 44 again will be great to see!!!
I still feel Jared Brennan will pull out a big year or two and show some consistency to go with the huge amount of skill we've seen for the last 5 yrs or so... strong midfield and probably the best forward line in the game... should score a sh*t load of points if they get a share of the ball (and we will).
Actually you're right DS, might have to see what the odds are
Brisbane are a good bet, a top 4 team at the very least.
I usually am up in Queensland for my annual 'leave Melbourne for winter' run around July/August, keep the drink cool until then.
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Well said DS... if you go up for the R1 game I'll buy you a beer!!!
Not sure I expect the Lions to go the whole way but certainly be closer to first than eighth... some of the younger cubs are now around the 50-100 game mark and that'll make a big difference... as long as the big guns stay reasonable fit (Black) and don't get too suspended (Brown) and the new bloke wearing the great mans (White) number 44 again will be great to see!!!
I still feel Jared Brennan will pull out a big year or two and show some consistency to go with the huge amount of skill we've seen for the last 5 yrs or so... strong midfield and probably the best forward line in the game... should score a sh*t load of points if they get a share of the ball (and we will).
Actually you're right DS, might have to see what the odds are
Brisbane are a good bet, a top 4 team at the very least.I usually am up in Queensland for my annual 'leave Melbourne for winter' run around July/August, keep the drink cool until then. Not sure I expect the Lions to go the whole way but certainly be closer to first than eighth... some of the younger cubs are now around the 50-100 game mark and that'll make a big difference... as long as the big guns stay reasonable fit (Black) and don't get too suspended (Brown) and the new bloke wearing the great mans (White) number 44 again will be great to see!!!
I still feel Jared Brennan will pull out a big year or two and show some consistency to go with the huge amount of skill we've seen for the last 5 yrs or so... strong midfield and probably the best forward line in the game... should score a sh*t load of points if they get a share of the ball (and we will).
Actually you're right DS, might have to see what the odds are
lol... could be back there for good by then... next month is just a well timed (Warriors v Broncos at Sunny also) ten day visit... will be awesome
E + R + O
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the passion DS.Yeah. We're ok. BTW. I did appriciate the AFL reply.
Even if the last quarter I watched was complete arse.
But dude.
For many of us - the Nix and the sparse moments like the "miracle of Nov 14" are all we've got.
Thus we need you guys with us.
I know this may seem too much.
But if the FFA buckles. We're f**ked.
And I'm not ready to start following AFL just yet.
I hope the last couple months have proven this and that we're worthwhile enough.
Long live Australian Football (i.e., soccer - not 'footy').
And long live Kiwi professional football and the All Whites.
Stevo
PS: Sorry if my post before was below the belt.
Well said. And even though you say that post was under the belt (I was sort of 
as well as 
when I read it) your fit of bad temper exemplifies the kind of emotion many - most - of us feel when NZ's football aspirations are belittled. Thankfully the huge amount of work put in by so many people involved in the game in NZ seems to be paying off with the result that the Nix and AWs are continuing to gain respect in Australia, because in Oz they respect nothing so much as success.
as well as when I read it) your fit of bad temper exemplifies the kind of emotion many - most - of us feel when NZ's football aspirations are belittled. Thankfully the huge amount of work put in by so many people involved in the game in NZ seems to be paying off with the result that the Nix and AWs are continuing to gain respect in Australia, because in Oz they respect nothing so much as success.I reckon DS's regular posts on YF are just one little sign of this.
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