AFL Coverage in North America

[Guest Nanks]

I have learned that the AFL Finals Series is being broadcast into North America and I would strongly recommend to any of you that enjoy fast paced, physical sports to tune in and check out at least this year's Grand Final.

 

Apparently it is being carried by Fox Sports World and Fox Sports World Canada.

 

Here is a schedule

 

I took the time when in Canada to learn NFL just prior to the Playoffs and ended up enjoying it, I feel you all can do the same with Australian Rules Football.

 

Give it a shot.

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle 0]

I second this call

[Agent_Bond34 0]

As do I. (I'm American too, mind you)

 

I watched an AFL match a while back, last year I believe it was, and, ended up enjoying it, despite not understanding the rules and that sort of thing.

[Guest Nanks]

Huzzah!! We have 1 convert. Only several hundred million to go....

[Ced 0]

I watched a game during an overseas trip a few years ago. It's an entertaining watch, but there's something about Aussie Rules that I don't particularly like, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the 10 yard rules.

[Guest Nanks]

You mean that you have to kick it 10 metres for a mark to be paid?? That rule has been changed this year. Now it has to travel 15 metres. Why exactly does that make the game unappealing??

 

I am genuinely interested, it's part of a Marketing assignment.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Can you give me a brief summary of Australian Rules and how it differs from our football? I've heard nothing but good stuff about AFL.

[razazteca 0]

Its RUGBY with ref in nice white suits giving the double finger point from the hip "your cool" signal everytime somebody scores a touch.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Its RUGBY with ref in nice white suits giving the double finger point from the hip "your cool" signal everytime somebody scores a touch.

I'm there

[KingPK 0]

That used to be on ESPN all the time, back when they still struggled to fill programming hours. It was insanely fun to watch, as I recall.

[Guest Nanks]

Its RUGBY with ref in nice white suits giving the double finger point from the hip "your cool" signal everytime somebody scores a touch.

That is brutally inaccurate. I don't know where the comparisons to rugby come from, it's baffling. For starters you're not allowed to throw the ball, passing can only be done by kicking or handpassing, which is essentially punching the ball out of your hand.

 

Secondly, scoring is not done by getting the ball into an endzone or touch. At either end of the ground there are 2 large posts with 2 smaller posts either side. The ball must be kicked between the middle posts for a goal (6 points) if the ball goes between one of the middle posts and one of the outside posts it is a point. The ball must not be touched on the way through.

 

There aren't specific teams that swap on and off the ground throughout the game like in gridiron. 18 Players from either side take the field at one time with 4 interchange players per team. Some players will run up to 12km per game.

 

Players wear no padding or armour, only the player with the ball may be tackled but bumping is allowed when the ball is within 10 metres.

 

That's very rudimentary, obviously, there are lots of other rules but it's complicated to explain without watching a game.

[razazteca 0]

Whats next are going to tell me that there are no team huddles with players fighting over the ball.........I think it is called scrum or something.

 

The differences between Rugby and AFL are as moot as the differences between NFL and Canadian Football.

[Guest Nanks]

Having trouble gauging your sarcasm. Rugby and AFL are completely different games. I really can't think of any similarities between the games to be honest.

 

Just in case you're really that confused, no, there are no scrums in AFL when the progress of the ball is stopped there is a "ball-up". Similar to a jumpball in basketball.

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle 0]

It is much more free flowing, with stoppages occuring when the bal goes over the boundry line, when a score is kicked, or when the ball is held up in a tackle. It is also played on a round oval, and I agree with Nanks that there is almost no comaprions between Rugby and AFL. Its like comapring American Football to Soccer

[Ced 0]

You mean that you have to kick it 10 metres for a mark to be paid?? That rule has been changed this year. Now it has to travel 15 metres. Why exactly does that make the game unappealing??

 

I am genuinely interested, it's part of a Marketing assignment.

I think it's boils down to the fact that you can't throw the ball that turns me off a bit, but I attribute that to my years of exposure to American Football. I assure you that I'd appreciate Aussie Rules alot more if I could only get more TV coverage of it here in the United States.

 

By the way, Nanks, is increasing it to 15 meters for a mark meant to lower the number of free kicks? I'm way too hazy on Aussie Rules to know better.

[Guest Nanks]

It was a measure put in place to make marks more difficult to come by, in a way. A time wasting tactic of short kicks to run down the clock and control play was creeping into the game and increasing the distance to 15 metres just made that tactic a little more difficult. The rule change wasn't a big deal.

 

I know what you mean with the no throwing thing by the way, I often catch myself telling QB's to just fucking kick the ball into the endzone.

[Guest croweater]

The 15 meter rule wasn't enforced very well last night and kinda stuffed up Essendon (an AFL team) last night.

 

If you're looking for a comparison for anything with AFL, Gailic (I don't know how to spell it but you all know what I mean) football would be best. Except it's with an oval ball and much more physical and awesome. Rugby and AFL are completely different as is AFL and NFL.

[Guest Nanks]

Gaelic more physical than AFL??? Back away from the crackpipe fool.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I'd check this out. Give me a violence factor on a scale of 1-10, 1 being Ice Dancing and 10 being Underground Muay Thai.

 

Violent physicality is what draws me to a sport most, followed by weirdness.

[Guest Nanks]

Well probably about 6. It's a tad unfair to compare a ball sport to a bloodsport though. Violence wise it's probably on a par with or marginally below NFL or hockey, except there's no padding or armour whatsoever.

[Positively Kanyon 0]

Well probably about 6.

It's about a 8 or 9 if Jonathan Brown is playing!

[Guest Nanks]

Typically the Grand Final is a very physical encounter. There have been some famous hits in Grand Finals throughout the years, if you're going to give Aussie Rules a chance, there's no better place to start than a Grand Final.

[Guest croweater]

Gaelic more physical than AFL???  Back away from the crackpipe fool.

no no, that's just poor gramma on my behalf. I meant AFL is more physical and awesome.

 

 

Oh, and AFL is more physical than NFL by far. NFL is just a bunch of pulling and pushing with the occasional big hit, with AFL all you're doing is getting hit without any protection also. It's much more fluent than NFL and rugby and even soccer.

 

As far as ball sports go I'd give it a 9 where rugby would be a 10 and netball would be a 1.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

NFL is just a bunch of pulling and pushing with the occasional big hit

 

Are you kidding? These guys are monstrous. They beat the shit out of each other. The pads and helmets allow each them to mash each other at that velocity and still SURVIVE, but there's dozens of players who get injured so bad they're out for the season. Definitely more than pushing/pulling.

[iggymcfly 0]

There's one thing that people who follow mainly rugby or AFL miss about American football. Yes, they have big helmets to protect their heads. But the reason they need all those other pads is because of the helmets. Hitting someone with a helmet on is basically like throwing a twenty pound rock at their body. It really makes for a lot more violent contact than would be there otherwise.

[Guest Evolution]

When I had digital cable, I watched a little bit on Fox Sports World, but alas, no more digital cable, otherwise I'd definitely check this out. I'm always on the look out at places like SuprNova for any uploads of stuff of that nature.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

For starters you're not allowed to throw the ball, passing can only be done by kicking or handpassing, which is essentially punching the ball out of your hand.

I'll pass. The appeal for me to football of any kind (not soccer) is the passing.

[Guest Nanks]

There is still plenty of passing, but it's just by foot rather than by hand. They pass the ball further by foot than what QB's do by hand. I just wish I was capable of putting together some kind of highlights package for everyone so people could get an idea of what I'm talking about.

 

Disclaimer: Croweater's "pushing and pulling" comments do not reflect the beliefs or attitudes of the Watch AFL Campaign.

 

Is there anybody so far that actually has access to Fox Sports World who is intending to check this out??

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

There is still plenty of passing, but it's just by foot rather than by hand. They pass the ball further by foot than what QB's do by hand. I just wish I was capable of putting together some kind of highlights package for everyone so people could get an idea of what I'm talking about.

 

Disclaimer: Croweater's "pushing and pulling" comments do not reflect the beliefs or attitudes of the Watch AFL Campaign.

 

Is there anybody so far that actually has access to Fox Sports World who is intending to check this out??

So they punt instead of passing to move the ball?

[Guest Nanks]

In a manner of speaking, yeah, but it's not exactly like punting in NFL, it's a lot more precise and the ball moves faster. An AFL ball isn't as small and pointy as an NFL ball so it is easier to kick.

 

It is totally different to the way the players set up in NFL, there's no offside or any of that garbage. Players set up at stoppages and throughout the game wherever they want so when the ball is kicked they're not relying on somebody running downfield to where the ball is going to end up, the pass is typically directed at somebody in space downfield or a player leading up the field towards the kicker. When a receive is made (a mark) that player is then free to pass the ball from behind that point without being tackled. Somewhat like a down a guess, but there is no limit to the number of downs in a passage of play.