New Fan From USA

[freobacker]

Real Name: Steve

Age: 25

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Occupation: Music

Transport: My feet and public transportation

Team: Fremantle Dockers

Other Sports: American Football and baseball

Favourite Foods: Tacos

Favourite Drinks: IPA's

Best/Worst Radio Stations: Baseball announcers

TV Shows I'd Never Miss: Breaking Bad

Best Holiday Spot: San Francisco

Favourite Cartoon Character: Hank Hill

Biggest Fear/Phobia: Heights

Have You Any Piercings Or Tattoos? A few tattoos

Hobbies: Guitar, running and record collecting

3 Famous People I've Met: (Outside Football...)

Dream Job: Music Supervisor

So, I saw my first AFL game about two years ago playing on some obscure ESPN channel and was instantly intrigued. I had never heard of the sport before and knew absolutely nothing about it. Fast forward, about a month ago I started reading more about the sport and found out that the season had just begun. I found a way to watch the games and just needed to choose a team to follow. I wrote down all the teams on pieces of paper and pulled one out of a hat, figuring this would be the easiest way to pick a team. Out came the Fremantle Dockers. I did a little reading on my new team and found out that their history and the recent history of my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, are very similar, which made me feel right at home. I just found this board, wanted to say hello and I am really excited to start understanding the game more.

 

[Deaneus!]

Real Name: Steve

Age: 25
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Occupation: Music
Transport: My feet and public transportation
Team: Fremantle Dockers
Other Sports: American Football and baseball
Favourite Foods: Tacos
Favourite Drinks: IPA's
Best/Worst Radio Stations: Baseball announcers
TV Shows I'd Never Miss: Breaking Bad
Best Holiday Spot: San Francisco
Favourite Cartoon Character: Hank Hill
Biggest Fear/Phobia: Heights
Have You Any Piercings Or Tattoos? A few tattoos
Hobbies: Guitar, running and record collecting
3 Famous People I've Met: (Outside Football...)
Dream Job: Music Supervisor

So, I saw my first AFL game about two years ago playing on some obscure ESPN channel and was instantly intrigued. I had never heard of the sport before and knew absolutely nothing about it. Fast forward, about a month ago I started reading more about the sport and found out that the season had just begun. I found a way to watch the games and just needed to choose a team to follow. I wrote down all the teams on pieces of paper and pulled one out of a hat, figuring this would be the easiest way to pick a team. Out came the Fremantle Dockers. I did a little reading on my new team and found out that their history and the recent history of my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, are very similar, which made me feel right at home. I just found this board, wanted to say hello and I am really excited to start understanding the game more.

Welcome aboard Steve. Hope you turn into an active poster here and enjoy the game. I've not been to Chicago but I love the Blues Brothers movie and Breaking Bad, greatest TV show of all time.

Also, burn your hat. Failmantle, wow, but hey look on the bright side, it could have been Melbourne.

 

[DontArgue4]

Real Name: Steve

Age: 25

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Occupation: Music

Transport: My feet and public transportation

Team: Fremantle Dockers

Other Sports: American Football and baseball

Favourite Foods: Tacos

Favourite Drinks: IPA's

Best/Worst Radio Stations: Baseball announcers

TV Shows I'd Never Miss: Breaking Bad

Best Holiday Spot: San Francisco

Favourite Cartoon Character: Hank Hill

Biggest Fear/Phobia: Heights

Have You Any Piercings Or Tattoos? A few tattoos

Hobbies: Guitar, running and record collecting

3 Famous People I've Met: (Outside Football...)

Dream Job: Music Supervisor

So, I saw my first AFL game about two years ago playing on some obscure ESPN channel and was instantly intrigued. I had never heard of the sport before and knew absolutely nothing about it. Fast forward, about a month ago I started reading more about the sport and found out that the season had just begun. I found a way to watch the games and just needed to choose a team to follow. I wrote down all the teams on pieces of paper and pulled one out of a hat, figuring this would be the easiest way to pick a team. Out came the Fremantle Dockers. I did a little reading on my new team and found out that their history and the recent history of my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, are very similar, which made me feel right at home. I just found this board, wanted to say hello and I am really excited to start understanding the game more.

Welcome! always good to get some overseas viewers, i watch a lot of american sport, mostly basketball. Freo is doing well at the moment so contrary to some peoples views, i think your hat has done you proud haha you should pop onto the freo board and say a hello, im sure they would love to hear they've got some support from the states

 

[Damp Squarie]

Welcome aboard Steve. Hope you turn into an active poster here and enjoy the game. I've not been to Chicago but I love the Blues Brothers movie and Breaking Bad, greatest TV show of all time.

Also, burn your hat. Failmantle, wow, but hey look on the bright side, it could have been Melbourne.

Bit harsh deanus given that they towelled us on the weekend.
Welcome Freobacker....Ive visited San Francisco - loved the place too....biked it to Sausilto across the bridge.
Gooooo Crows!

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Welcome freobacker

I am sure you will like the American Football and Baseball boards.

 

[OrdinaryJoel]

Welcome freobacker!

Hope you enjoy learning about this wonderful sport of AFL!

 

[TradeDraft]

Welcome to the Best Sport in the World

 

[Ogopogo]

Welcome, Steve. Another North American like myself (Canadian) that has fallen in love with Australian footy - good to see.

In Canada, we get a game per week on TV so I record them and watch them when I can as they are on live in the middle of the night here. How are you watching the games? Any additional games I can watch would be great.

I am a huge hockey and baseball fan but, I have found myself watching more AFL than either of those two sports lately.

 

[freobacker]

Welcome, Steve. Another North American like myself (Canadian) that has fallen in love with Australian footy - good to see.

In Canada, we get a game per week on TV so I record them and watch them when I can as they are on live in the middle of the night here. How are you watching the games? Any additional games I can watch would be great.

I am a huge hockey and baseball fan but, I have found myself watching more AFL than either of those two sports lately.

I have to watch the games live, which are in the middle of my Friday night. They probably don't want me telling you, on the board, how I watch the games but I am happy to share it with you via message or email. I wish they broadcasted games here but I know they do show the Grand Final on one of the ESPN's.

 

[freobacker]

I just have a few questions about the AFL- help this newb out.

1) How are the players developed? Through university programs, junior levels, high schools? Are there feeder leagues/minor leagues teams for each AFL club?

2) What is the average career length for the players?

3) What's the base salary for the league? What do the stars make?

4) What are some of the common types of injuries that occur?

5) Who are the perennial powerhouses?

6) Is there a salary cap? If so, what is it?

7) Tell me about penalties... I understand the rules for tackling.

8) Anything else you think I should know about the game, rules, AFL in general.

Just trying to get a better understanding of the game and league.

 

[MSG77]

I just have a few questions about the AFL- help this newb out.

7) Tell me about penalties... I understand the rules for tackling.

You do? By all means, please explain them to the rest of us.











Sorry, that was a bit of a joke. Saying that is a newb thing to say. I'm a Yank too, although you can see I've been around for a while.

The longer you watch, the more you realize you have no idea what the rules are. They get chopped and changed and interpreted different ways each week it seems. In fact, sometimes they are different on either end of the ground depending on the controlling ump.

Every time I watch the game with someone new and try to explain the rules to them it seems like the calls make no sense. They ask me "what was that?" or "I thought you said ..." and I just have to say "Yeah, I have no idea". The whistle blows, take a guess which way the free will go. Sometimes it makes sense, a lot of times it doesn't.

If you do want to actually learn the rules you can read the laws of the game (I know, its boring as hell but you will learn them) or try to find some youtubes or other videos showing them. Its not really a complicated game. In fact, its probably the "purest" of all the field/ball sports where the rules are only designed to protect players and keep the ball moving. Its just there is a ton of gray area.

Still doesn't take away that it is a fantastic game. In fact, the code is so good it survives all the ineptness from the admin side. I am a huge fan even if I don't like a lot of the way the game is being run.

Get involved locally as well - there is a footy club in Chicago so look them up.

 

[Jimmybob]

Hey mate, welcome some of the more common injuries are to the knees and shoulders, and concussions are quite frequent too. I'm not sure what the exact average career length is, but most players are recruited at around the age of 18 and can play all the way through to their mid 30s if they're lucky!

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I just have a few questions about the AFL- help this newb out.

1) How are the players developed? Through university programs, junior levels, high schools? Are there feeder leagues/minor leagues teams for each AFL club?

2) What is the average career length for the players?

3) What's the base salary for the league? What do the stars make?

4) What are some of the common types of injuries that occur?

5) Who are the perennial powerhouses?

6) Is there a salary cap? If so, what is it?

7) Tell me about penalties... I understand the rules for tackling.

8) Anything else you think I should know about the game, rules, AFL in general.

Just trying to get a better understanding of the game and league.

1. In Victoria, most players get recruited into zone-based U/18 Teams - Eastern, Northern, Western, Gippsland etc. Most players get from victoria get drafted from here. In All other states, they play for local clubs, such ad the WAFL in Western Australia and the NEAFL in Queensland and New South Wales. Late in draft, occasionaly, mature-aged players get drafted. These players also play in the state leagues, such as the VFL in Victoria.

In terms of feeder clubs, the AFL scrapped reserves teams in 1999 - most clubs have an arrangement with existing clubs already. In Victoria, 7 of the 10 clubs share a team with a VFL club (which as a competition has been around longer than the AFL and exists since 1877). 3 teams field their own reserves in the VFL, and 2 more will in 2014.

In NSW and Queensland, all 4 teams field their own reserves team in the NEAFL.
WEstern Australia and South Australia is strange. Because there are only two teams in each state, this year they share reserves with the entire SANFL or WAFL league - this is going to change next year I'm pretty sure.

2. Any gun player who gets to retire on their terms usually retires in the early 30's, meaning of they get about a 15 year career. 300 games is the generally accepted number for a legend of the game.

3. Base is around $60,000, stars make upward of $1,000,000 and if you have more than $500,000 you're a top player in the league.

4. Soft tissue injuries are common - hamstring, calfs, thighs. ACL tears are also very common due to the jumping and 360 nature of the game. Now that I think about it it is a very injury prone sport.

5. In Melbourne we have the "big 4" who are the biggest clubs in Melbourne respectively - Collingwood who is the biggest club in Australia, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond. None have had a whole heap of recent on field success. Geelong, have won the premiership 3 times in the last 5 years and they have had the most success. West Coast and Adleaide were the first AFL clubs in their respective and also have a large support.

6. Yes, there is a salary cap, can't remeber ehat it is at the top of my head (6. Something million?) and the salary floor is 95%

7. Many of us don't understand the rules either.

8. What probably needs to be understood is transition of the AFL from reigonal competition to National co peyition.

Up until the 80's the VFL (later to become the AFL and the VFA later became the VFL), the SANFL and the WAFL were all
Equal competitions. However the VFL kept recruiting players from the other two leagues because it was a bigger (but not necissarily better quality competition). The first step in a national competition was the relocating of onr of the Victorian teams, South Melbourne, to Sydney (rugby heartland). In 1987, two more teams were introduced - A WAFL team called thr West Coast Eagled, and a Brisbane team (also Rugby heartland). In 1990 the VFL renamed to become the AFL. The SANFL were still against the idea of putting a team into the VFL/AFL but that idea was turned on it's head when the SANFL's strongest club, Port Adelaide, applied to enter the AFL so the SANFL did a 180 and put in a team of their own, the Adelaide Crows.

Fremantle entered in 1995 and Port Adelaide later entered in 1997.

In 1996, Fitzroy, one of the 12 traditional Victorian teams, was debt ridden so the supporters and board agreed with a merger with North Melbourne, another Victorian club. However thr administratersdisagreed and "merged" Fitzroy with Brisbane. This is still a very touchy issue with Fitzroy supporters.

In 2011 and 2012 two more clubs were introduced in Rugby heartland.

 

[fleabitten]

I just have a few questions about the AFL- help this newb out.

1) How are the players developed? Through university programs, junior levels, high schools? Are there feeder leagues/minor leagues teams for each AFL club?

The next level below AFL are the main state leagues, the VFL, SANFL, WAFL and NEAFL (covering 2 states with a conference for each). The AFL's 10 Victorian teams each have an affiliation with a VFL team (there are VFL teams with no AFL affiliate), where the AFL team uses their affiliate for developing players and as a place for players to regain fitness or find form. Three of the teams control their own reserve team, the other seven work closely with their VFL team but don't have direct control (like a D-League team to the NBA).

In Victoria, there is also an elite under eighteens only competition that provides most of the future AFL stars from that state. In the other states, most players come up through the state leagues from juniors until they can be drafted into the AFL at 18. Some players play at state level for years without getting onto an AFL roster before being drafted in their mid or even late 20s.

2) What is the average career length for the players?

I think it's around 6 years, but it can be much longer. The record is 20 years and 10-15 isn't uncommon. The average is lowered because a lot of guys just don't make it at the highest level, not necessarily because the average body can only take 6 years of punishment. If you're good enough and are not unlucky with injuries, 10-15 years is probably what you'd expect.

 

[Ed_Gein]

What a way to pick a team! Could of been a hell of a lot worse than picking out Fremantle. Imagine he picked Melbourne. I don't think he'd be following the sport much longer if he had.

 

[STP18]

Hi Steve, where is Alan?

 

[peter_07]

Hi

 

[ScottishRoos]

Real Name: Steve

Age: 25

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Occupation: Music

Transport: My feet and public transportation

Team: Fremantle Dockers

Other Sports: American Football and baseball

Favourite Foods: Tacos

Favourite Drinks: IPA's

Best/Worst Radio Stations: Baseball announcers

TV Shows I'd Never Miss: Breaking Bad

Best Holiday Spot: San Francisco

Favourite Cartoon Character: Hank Hill

Biggest Fear/Phobia: Heights

Have You Any Piercings Or Tattoos? A few tattoos

Hobbies: Guitar, running and record collecting

3 Famous People I've Met: (Outside Football...)

Dream Job: Music Supervisor

So, I saw my first AFL game about two years ago playing on some obscure ESPN channel and was instantly intrigued. I had never heard of the sport before and knew absolutely nothing about it. Fast forward, about a month ago I started reading more about the sport and found out that the season had just begun. I found a way to watch the games and just needed to choose a team to follow. I wrote down all the teams on pieces of paper and pulled one out of a hat, figuring this would be the easiest way to pick a team. Out came the Fremantle Dockers. I did a little reading on my new team and found out that their history and the recent history of my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, are very similar, which made me feel right at home. I just found this board, wanted to say hello and I am really excited to start understanding the game more.

Welcome Friend

 

[CLFC23]

hey mate