Canadian Reacts to What is AFL? Aussie Rules Explained

Here is my reaction and commentary to What is AFL? Aussie Rules Explained

[JB-zsoq]

It is probably quite fair to say that for many Aussies, other football codes appear a little boring after watching Aussie rules.

[bfudvtb]

Aussie Rules was created in Melbourne in the 1850s. Yes, there are 18 players per side on the field, so 36 on the ground in total. The game is essentially played on cricket grounds, so the field is huge. Rugby is a completely different game which is far more similar to American football than anything Aussie Rules.

[petercampbell]

As an expat Canadian (who played baseball and gridiron) I can tell you that the playing field is enormous...the first time I went to a ground I couldn't believe it...I figured you'd need pack a lunch and take plenty of water just to get from one end to the other!!!

[megbond]

I live about 5kms from the great MCG, and when there's a crowd of 100, 000 fans, I can sometimes hear their roar from my house. Being in a crowd that big is awesome - your chest rattles with the massive roars. There's nothing like a nail biting AFL game.

[Ian-hggx]

hi just subbed from australia, welcome to the greatest game in the world, the current season is about two thirds through, there are plenty of highlight videos to watch on biggest hits, best goals, and best marks, or individual player highlights as well as highlights of the greatest games through history, the choice is up to you, enjoy

[stevepark]

If you get the chance, check out these 3 videos
1 - " A beginner's guide to Australian football | AFL Explained " ( the newest version from the AFL ) ( 4:56 mins long )
2 - Mason Cox : " Don't believe in never " Mason is an American playing AFL. Mason journey from the U.S. to the AFL. ( 7:22 mins long )
3 - " The 50 AFL Marks Of All Time " ( 15:24 mins long )
Enjoy cheers thanks🤠

[matthewwatts]

Hey mate.Comparing Aussie rules to any other game on the planet is madness. Footy is much like hockey in that stoppages are minimal and the game moves on at all costs.

[clarissarwilliams_]

There is a lot of great info already but just came to add that I am a Melbourne girl, born and bred and the basis of its history is in Victoria. Western Australia and South Australia also played it but the reason the Grand final and most of the games are played in Melbourne, as well as majority of the teams is because the history of it is largely Victorian. It was known as the VFL up until I started high school in fact.

I want to also say that I am a fan, have my team and to watch it LIVE, is the best way to go. Nothing beats a live match at the MCG. My team is one of the oldest and most successful (and if not yours, also most hated LOL).

BUT, I want to say that outside of a grand final, the most exciting, hair raising and best games to watch is that of the ANZAC day match between Collingwood (my team) and Essendon.

Anzac Day matches are historically always played between these two rivals dating back to the late 1800's and its the day we pay respect to our past & present soldiers who have defended our country.

Every year, it draw a crowd of 95, 000-100, 000 people and at the beginning of the match, an ARMY member plays "The last Post" and there is a one minute silence to pay respect. I've had the honour of going to one of these and you can hear a pin drop.

Once done, the roar of the crowd is like nothing else. Its a phenomenal game to watch live, especially when close between the two teams til the end.

[ronaldchristie]

Watch (Beginners Guide to Australian Football League)AFL, AFLW League.
Codified in 1859 . 175 years old

[adamparker]

There was actually a fallow Canuck that played AFL for the Sydney Swans . He was really tall and came from a rugby background . The endurance, speed and unique skill sets combined with full contact make this a hard sport for people who haven't grown up playing it, to play at the top levels. That's why there are so few international players making the switch Mason Cox is an American that's done it and there is a video of his journey called Don't believe in never.
There are however hundreds of teams all over the world playing the game at amature level, including Canada, and many women are also now playing .

[shmick]

They play on cricket fields, hence the massive playing arena. Originally created 150+ years ago to keep cricketers fit in the winter.

[jayweb]

I would recommend reacting to the AFL companion video "A Beginners Guide to Australian Rules Football", this may help to clear any confusion; they are a pigeon pair of videos.

[michaelfink]

No, it's not rugby. There are actually many differences. The main difference is the pattern of play. In rugby, the teams line up opposing one another (like American football) and the player with the ball generally passes the ball sideways (and slightly backwards) to his team mate. In Aussie rules, the players of opposing teams are distributed all over the ground (field) and you can pass in any direction. The player is responsible for the opponent he is "manning". There is also a vertical component, since the ball if often kicked relatively high and this leads to one of the most iconic aspects of the game, that distinguishes it from other codes: the mark. Because you have the opportunity to take an unimpeded kick after a mark (a catch taken on the full from a kick of at least 15 m from a player of either team), the mark is incentivised. This can lead to spectacular marks, as shown in the video. Other differences include the shape of the ground (Aussie rules is played on an oval, often one that is used for cricket in the opposite season), the size of the ground (an Aussie rules ground is usually around 170 m x 150 m, so much larger), the method of disposal (no throwing in Aussie rules, no hand ball in rugby, kicking is much more common in Aussie rules), method of scoring (kicking through the goals rather than scoring a try), higher scoring in Aussie rules, the Aussie rules ball is a bit smaller, etc etc.

Yes, Aussie rules was invented by Australians. It was designed to keep cricketers fit in winter (the off season for cricket). The first game was played in 1858 in Melbourne and the game was codified in 1859, making it one of the oldest football codes in the world.

Yes, 18 players on the ground per team, so 36 total. This is necessary because of the size of the ground. Midfielders (the ones who follow the ball) can run up to almost 20 km per game, so if the teams were any smaller, they would probably die of exhaustion before the game was over. As they mentioned in the video, there are four on the bench who can be rotated during the game and one emergency in case of injury or just to inject "fresh legs" towards the end of the game.


Yes, serious injuries do occur. The commonest injury to keep a player out for many games is a knee injury. Concussions also occur. The rules have been tweaked to try to minimise the risk of contact to the head but these still occur.

Yes, rugby is a separate sport. In fact, there are two versions of rugby: rugby union (also, confusingly, called "rugby") and rugby league. Rugby union is the more popular version around the world and is very popular in New Zealand. It is played in Australia, especially in schools, but the national competition is not so popular. Rugby League is popular in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra). The national competition is the NRL. Aussie rules is more popular in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory (as well as southern New South Wales).

[jayweb]

Working out the score can be confusing to start with, the first number(20) is the number of Goals scored(20×6=120pts); the second number(10) is the number of Behinds scored(10×1=10), and the third number(130) is the Total Points scored(120+10=130).

[zgane]

If you want to watch a game, I recommend the 2023 grand final. I’m probably biased because my favourite team won but it was a great match in my opinion

[stephenhoward]

I've tried to watch American football and it stops way to often for my liking. I was very lucky to Grow up watching and playing Aussie rules

[AngeSca]

each quarter goes for 20 minutes but with extra time they add up to about 30 minutes each. its actually quite rare to see a quarter so go less than about 28 minutes, So technically the game time adds up to about 2 hours or just under for your average game

[bumble-gj]

The rules maximise fast play.
No throwing, no hunkering over the ball, you've got to dispose of the ball legally if an opposition player catches up to you.
It leads to kicking being the most efficient way of moving the ball over distance.
It may appear chaotic at times but once resolved flows into beautiful sequences of play.
20 minutes per quarter but the 10 minutes can lead to 2 hours of play not counting the breaks.

[ozzietad]

There’s some debate about its origins- it’s a bit of a mix of Gaelic football and there was an aboriginal game called Mark Grook which is similar too.
I suggest you find yourself a whole grand final to watch- including the half time show.
2022 was pretty decent if you can find it

[pricklyprospector]

Played 20 years of country footy, (ovens and king league Victoria) and loved every minute I spent on the ground.
The Spectacular marks were still a regular feature, (though not by myself ) as these were the leagues the younger blokes came up through, to be picked up by the equivalent of talent scouts. It's a tough game on any level, but was a great way to blow of steam. Most of my teammates were farmers or shift workers, whose opportunity for hobbies and fitness were limited due to work constraints. Our footy teams also contribute socially to community projects and issues. As well as maintain a junior league, and these days thankfully, catering for both boys and girls. Female adult teams have been growing since the advent of the AWFL, and similar to women's basketball, at times offers better competition to view than the men. It's a great sport requiring much athleticism and strategy, a good coach and game plan can outmanoeuvre and work around a skilled player, or nullify their influence with a skilled tagger.. I hope you get half the enjoyment I do as an Aussie, as anymore and I think you'd move here..lol.
Ps, Most footy clubs (footy being a winter sport.) have a fellow or conjoined cricket club that uses the same ground in the summer. So most footy players used to play cricket and vice versa.
These days with professionals in both competitions, this is only occuring in the "minor" leagues so to speak. You may have noted that tha AFL Grand Final is always played on the MCG< Melbourne Cricket Ground. A clear reference to the crossover use of the field.