AFL - Iconic status?

[MagpieGirl_13]

(NB: Mods, if you feel this should be moved to the nest, please feel free to do so.)

I thought I'd post this here as I'm hoping to get some sensible answers from the posters here, most of us being the intelligent type, instead of on the AFL board. I thought it would be worthwhile to post it here as we are all here for the one cause, which happens to be what this is about.
(I'm not trying to get you to do this for me, I'm just after some ideas because I'm a bit stumped as to where to begin etc.)

For my English assessment this term I have to write an editorial exam about an Australian peronality/object/event.
"We are to reflect the worthiness of an Australian personality/object/event as having iconic status. The arguement will be based on the comparison of the ideologies which underpin its construction and their correlation to the ideologies of mainstream Australia."
So we basically have to show why our chosen personality/object/event should be given iconic status in Australia.

I've chosen to do mine on AFL as I know a lot about it & I will probably be able to write an exam without to much drama.
I'm after some other people's input about wether you think the Australian sport of AFL should be given iconic status in Australia over other sports (ie NRL, soccer, cricket etc.)??? and why you think that?
Also, as AFL supporters, what do you believe are some ideologies (values, beliefs) that would be associated with the sport???

I'd like to here as many different opinions on this as possible so if there is anything constructive/productive that you can add, please do so!

(If you have any link that could help or you got your information from a site, please post the link ).

Hope that made some sense, if not, ask. Thanks

 

[popathon]

(NB: Mods, if you feel this should be moved to the nest, please feel free to do so.)

I thought I'd post this here as I'm hoping to get some sensible answers from the posters here, most of us being the intelligent type, instead of on the AFL board. I thought it would be worthwhile to post it here as we are all here for the one cause, which happens to be what this is about.
(I'm not trying to get you to do this for me, I'm just after some ideas because I'm a bit stumped as to where to begin etc.)

For my English assessment this term I have to write an editorial exam about an Australian peronality/object/event.
"We are to reflect the worthiness of an Australian personality/object/event as having iconic status. The arguement will be based on the comparison of the ideologies which underpin its construction and their correlation to the ideologies of mainstream Australia."
So we basically have to show why our chosen personality/object/event should be given iconic status in Australia.

I've chosen to do mine on AFL as I know a lot about it & I will probably be able to write an exam without to much drama.
I'm after some other people's input about wether you think the Australian sport of AFL should be given iconic status in Australia over other sports (ie NRL, soccer, cricket etc.)??? and why you think that?
Also, as AFL supporters, what do you believe are some ideologies (values, beliefs) that would be associated with the sport???

I'd like to here as many different opinions on this as possible so if there is anything constructive/productive that you can add, please do so!

(If you have any link that could help or you got your information from a site, please post the link ).

Hope that made some sense, if not, ask. Thanks

You could write a fair bit on this and link it with the ANZAC's. values of Strength, Mateship, Honour, Pride. Sounds like a good topic and i think you could write a lot about it. Although you are in QLd yeah? If your teacher is a massive NRL fan he/she may not share your views.

 

[jerry springer]

you could do it on eddie and link in the collingwood football club

his is a good story and it gives you a few options.

 

[MagpieGirl_13]

Cheers guys!

You could write a fair bit on this and link it with the ANZAC's. values of Strength, Mateship, Honour, Pride. Sounds like a good topic and i think you could write a lot about it. Although you are in QLd yeah? If your teacher is a massive NRL fan he/she may not share your views.

I'm not really sure if my teacher is an NRL fan or what, all I know is he isn't an AFL fan (there's only about 3 AFL supporters in our class) & gives me weird looks when I mention AFL . I think that even though he probably wont share my views, I should probably try to convince him, through this editorial (arguement).


& Jerry, I did think about just Collingwood & Eddie but I thought that that was to limited. & my friend will think I'm way beyond obsesed with the B&W if I do something to connected with Collingwood...... (does that make sense??? )

 

[RRRooocccaaa]

I'm after some other people's input about wether you think the Australian sport of AFL should be given iconic status in Australia over other sports (ie NRL, soccer, cricket etc.)??? and why you think that?
Also, as AFL supporters, what do you believe are some ideologies (values, beliefs) that would be associated with the sport???

Any cultural event that can draw crowds of 60K+ on a regular basis in the freezing cold or steaming hot has definitely reached icon status.

This is all off the top of my head (you may want to heavily reference the recently-released 150 year AFL book for good quotes and facts)...

What is an icon anyway? It's something you see that stimulates an emotional response. It's really representative of a wider range of promises, beliefs and deeds. You see all these on display at an AFL game, more so than any other sport.

For starters, it's Australian rules! It was born out of a need and fulfilled a specific purpose to help cricketers get fit during the colder months. In a truly Australian way, the English game of Rugby was used as a prototype but in no time at all it was bastardised and shaped to our own purpose. An oval instead of a rectangle pitch. Round peg, square hole - very Oz

As it was picked up by working-class sections of society, the meaning of football galvanised the 'us-vs-them' mentality. Each club became an icon of its grassroots - Blue collar Collingwood (who used the pub as a changing room and stomped their way across to the oval to play) vs the Melbourne Ra-ra-ra brigade. Gentile Hawthorn vs the Footscray battlers. During times of intense economic hardship, you could exact revenge on your perceived 'enemy' through the battleground of sport and declare your allegiance with your tribes' colours.

This isn't an AFL-only trait, however the way this rivalry is handled is 'iconic' - we have one of the few contact games in the world where fans of both sides co-exist and can even drink together during the game (although I wouldn't be brave enough to do that at a Port Adelaide match...)

The pack mark, handball and bounce are peculiarities that couldn't exist in any other sport. The over-the-top demands of the footballer are more extensive than in other sports - NRL needs big, beefy blokes that can run and take massive hits. AFL requires nearly the same physicality but an more refined disposal technique that is shared by all team members, not just nominated kickers, etc. Jezza's speccie encapsulates the excitement, spontaneity and bravery of the game.

Jeez, I reckon you're going to have a lot of fun with this assignment

 

[MagpieGirl_13]

THANKS Rocca!!!!!
Appreciate that help, I think I'm getting some ideas flowing......

 

[pongo_3931]

I always associated an icon as an icon of something.

The AFL is an icon of Aussie sport
Hubbert is an icon of Scientology etc...

If you're arguing iconic status of the AFL within Australian sport, why not consider doing so by comparing (juxtaposing) it with the NRL?

Would certainly get your teachers attention.

What makes it bigger and better than the rest?

I would go on to look at the smaller iconography within the AFL, the MCG being the icon of sporting grounds, aboriginal development being the icon of political transcendence as footy achieves what politics cannot etc... You could in fact argue that the AFL if the apparatus upon which many icons are derived. It does not need to be matched with culture as it itself creates culture and interns sets the standards for sporting iconography..er.. and so on.

Yeah can you tell I'm doing sociology?

 

[Bloben]

Bloody hell Pongo!!!

I was going to say that the argument should be... "because it's good and shit!" but I guess that one would work too!

 

[Pie eyed]

Great idea for a project.


Depending on how keen a reader you are try a few of these for some inspiration:

100 Years of Australian Football. (also on DVD if your feeling a bit slack, definitely worth watching just for the slo-mo bit of Dermie at the start.)

Kill for Collingwood. by Richard Stremski.

The Official Centenary History of the Collingwood Football Club 1892-1992. by Brian Hansen

Captain Blood.

100 Years of Football, The History of the Melbourne Football Club

All should be available from any decent library.


Also try this site it has a lot of interesting info and links:
http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/collingwood.htm

 

[beez]

Maybe if you mention something about pre and post game rituals that involve copius amounts of drinking. That might get your teacher on side

 

[rickyp]

One thing if you bring up eddie, is there was an anecdote i heard him tell a while ago about the first time he realised he was a collingwood supporter.

Basicly, it was after the first game he ever attended as a kid, Carlton v Collingwood, and he was kited out in scarf and beanie etc. The game ended up in a Collingwood win. On the way home, while the Broadmedows line door was closing, a Carlton supporter reached in and grabbed his beanie and threw it on the tracks. So as any kid would do, he began to get extremely emotional. The first thing he saw as he looked back at the Carlton supporter was a pack of Collingwood supporters beating the crap out of him.

I'm pretty sure its on the powerade sponsered behind the scenes of Collingwood FC that was aired mid last year, and it was at the pre game dinner.

I found it an interesting testament to the culture and patriotism that underlies what is commonly referred to as just a game.

 

[The Norm]

Good topic with a lot of possibilities. What year are you in?

Linking the ideologies of society to sporting icons within that society is pretty interesting ... the way the AFL is run is both representative of and responding to the demands placed on it by society. The way the AFL is run infuriates and disgusts me, but the reality is we are much better off than other sporting leagues and organisations around the world, and i guess the same could be said of our society.
I've always thought that a person's on-field persona while they are playing sport (at any level) is representative of their personality as a whole and this has often made me think about soccer and the way it is played (both played and structured) and some European cultures. Similarly, basketball is a high-flying, action packed sport dominated by individuals and is centred in America.

Maybe an interesting paralel would be to analyse and compare the governing figures of an iconic sporting organisation (AFL) with the methods used by governign figures of the society in which that sport is played.

Good luck, I am another one who ends up turning every essay into something football related

 

[MagpieGirl_13]

Thanks so much guys!!!
I'm going to take all this info & start getting some ideas together as to Ideologies and stuff. I think I'm going to enjoy writing this one!

The Norm, I'm in Grade 11.

I have to write this in-class essay next Wednesday & Thursday, so don't have a heap of time left but I'm doing better than I was before!

Cheers!

 

[MagpieGirl_13]

*bump* (sorry for bumping my own thread)
Does anyone have anything else they wish to add?
Don't have much time left to gain your opinions, but if no one else has any, that's fine.

Cheers

 

[rickyp]

happy bday?

 

[1Percenter]

One thing if you bring up eddie, is there was an anecdote i heard him tell a while ago about the first time he realised he was a collingwood supporter.

Basicly, it was after the first game he ever attended as a kid, Carlton v Collingwood, and he was kited out in scarf and beanie etc. The game ended up in a Collingwood win. On the way home, while the Broadmedows line door was closing, a Carlton supporter reached in and grabbed his beanie and threw it on the tracks. So as any kid would do, he began to get extremely emotional. The first thing he saw as he looked back at the Carlton supporter was a pack of Collingwood supporters beating the crap out of him.

I'm pretty sure its on the powerade sponsered behind the scenes of Collingwood FC that was aired mid last year, and it was at the pre game dinner.

I found it an interesting testament to the culture and patriotism that underlies what is commonly referred to as just a game.

Hahaha!!!.... yeah, that's where it's from. Gotta love that story

Here is the direct extract from that interview.

"You know, i've got fond memories of the first time, you know, i remember 1978, the first semi final. Jezza had just taken Carlton into the finals the first year when he took over. The Blues were on the march, but the Pies got up and put Carlton out of the finals and it was a great day and i went down to the Richmond station. Standing in the old silver train and i was only 12 years of age and about to catch the train out to Broady. I had my beanie, scalf and jumper on and just as the door was shutting, this Carlton bloke reached in and grabbed my beanie off my head, off a 12 year old, and he threw it under the train. The doors shut, and the train started taking off. I was... you know a tear formed in my eye, and all i saw was half a dozen black and white hooped arms belting the shit out of this bloke.

And that's when i felt whole - this is my team!"