Ogopogo
All Australian
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2013
- Posts
- 942
- Reaction score
- 1,322
- Location
- Edmonton, Canada
- AFL Club
- Gold Coast
- Other Teams
- Oilers, Mariners, Clippers
Hello folks. I am from Canada and am relatively new around here and to the AFL but, I thought I would share a few thoughts that I wrote about Australia's game. Hopefully, you won't consider it a wasted 5 minutes if you read through to the end.
The AFL: A Foreign Perspective
Growing up in Canada, I have had a great deal of exposure to what Canadians refer to as “the big four” sports: ice hockey, American football, basketball and baseball. These are the most popular sports in the country and they receive significantly more media coverage here than any other sports. Canada and North America have their sporting passions and have had them for many decades.
Although it is played by millions of kids, soccer has languished in the #5 slot in popularity; other sports like auto racing, MMA and golf are also in the mix. It is a pretty diverse sporting landscape but, rarely will you ever hear a Canadian speak of the Australian Football League.
Aussie rules is something so foreign to Canadians that most know virtually nothing about it. As kids, we saw Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson on Energizer commercials acting all crazy but, we really didn’t know a lot about what he did for a living. A childhood friend of mine once told me that Aussie rules football is insane, people jump on each other and bite their ears off! Although I had never actually seen the game, Jacko and my friend had me convinced that Aussie rules was little more than a blood sport where the ball was a mere detail.
Fast forward 25 years: I find myself working for a company that decided to open a small Australian office in Melbourne. As with any of our American, English and now Australian co-workers, I always told them that they needed to become hockey fans as they are now working for a Canadian company. My Australian friend took an interest in hockey but, he also happens to be a big Australian footy fan – no wonder, living in the center of the Aussie football universe. As much as I like to spread the gospel of hockey, he likes to spread the gospel of footy.
So, I decided to comply and check this game out. I went to YouTube and hit a few websites to see just what the deal is on this sport I knew so little about. Is it really UFC with a ball as I was led to believe as a kid? An interesting thing happened as I watched the videos and started to understand the sport – I liked what I saw. An obscure game, played on the other side of the world that I never took seriously was now looking very appealing. I found myself thirsting for information – what is a mark? What is a ruck? What is a disposal? The game was fascinating and I was embracing the fascination.
Now, we are at the midway point of the 2013 season and, I can honestly say, I am hooked. Canadian TV shows one or two games per week so I record them and watch the next day as the time zone difference puts AFL games on in the middle of the Canadian night. On weekends, I check my phone when I awaken to see the results of the previous night’s games and I am battling for the lead in my AFL Fantasy Elite league with my Australian co-worker. I proudly wear my Gold Coast Suns polo – despite the fact that nobody here knows who the Gold Coast Suns actually are.
As a newbie to this great game, I have learned so much during my first half-season. The name Ablett is a holy word and the MCG is holy ground. Travis Cloke would have made a great power forward in the National Hockey League and ‘taking the piss’ isn’t nearly as vulgar as I had thought.
Most importantly, what I have learned is that Australian rules football is a fantastic sport. The game is non-stop action and the athletes are incredibly skilled. The accuracy players have while kicking on the run is amazing and watching players fly through the air to take a contested mark is one of the greatest spectacles in athletics. I would suggest that running for 80 minutes on the biggest playing surface in football, while tackling and being tackled - AFL players might very well be the most fit athletes in the world.
From my vantage point, 14,000 kilometres away and 16 hours behind, Australia has something very special. For some people in Canada the tendency is to look to our American neighbours and wish we could be more like them; wish our sports could be more like theirs. I suspect some Australians may feel that way about America as well but, there is no need. In my humble opinion, Aussie rules is the best football code on the planet. The entertainment value is so much greater than that of American football, I only hope the sport doesn’t get tainted too much by the American influence. America is the incredible hype machine and, most people tend to be attracted by the loudest noise and shiniest box. The NFL is that loud noise and shiny box; far more style than substance. I have always held the belief that their championship game should be renamed the “Hyperbole”.
There is so much to love about the AFL – it reminds me of the National Hockey League back in the 70s and 80s. I consider that era the golden age of hockey, when the game was pure and entertaining and the business-side of the sport had not yet become the most important part. Players hadn’t yet started to care more about their bank accounts than the game that makes those bank accounts possible. Australia’s game has such rich history and is still tremendously exciting and relevant today. The game is a perfect blend of action, physicality, skill and entertainment – the AFL is the full package.
When I started my AFL journey less than four months ago, I saw the sport in black and white with a lot of question marks attached. Today, there are still a few question marks but, I now see the sport in high definition with vivid colors. I am starting to understand why Mike Brady calls it “The Game of the Gods”.
I still love hockey and enjoy baseball but, Australian footy now has a prominent place in my sporting landscape. What a great game!
The AFL: A Foreign Perspective
Growing up in Canada, I have had a great deal of exposure to what Canadians refer to as “the big four” sports: ice hockey, American football, basketball and baseball. These are the most popular sports in the country and they receive significantly more media coverage here than any other sports. Canada and North America have their sporting passions and have had them for many decades.
Although it is played by millions of kids, soccer has languished in the #5 slot in popularity; other sports like auto racing, MMA and golf are also in the mix. It is a pretty diverse sporting landscape but, rarely will you ever hear a Canadian speak of the Australian Football League.
Aussie rules is something so foreign to Canadians that most know virtually nothing about it. As kids, we saw Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson on Energizer commercials acting all crazy but, we really didn’t know a lot about what he did for a living. A childhood friend of mine once told me that Aussie rules football is insane, people jump on each other and bite their ears off! Although I had never actually seen the game, Jacko and my friend had me convinced that Aussie rules was little more than a blood sport where the ball was a mere detail.
Fast forward 25 years: I find myself working for a company that decided to open a small Australian office in Melbourne. As with any of our American, English and now Australian co-workers, I always told them that they needed to become hockey fans as they are now working for a Canadian company. My Australian friend took an interest in hockey but, he also happens to be a big Australian footy fan – no wonder, living in the center of the Aussie football universe. As much as I like to spread the gospel of hockey, he likes to spread the gospel of footy.
So, I decided to comply and check this game out. I went to YouTube and hit a few websites to see just what the deal is on this sport I knew so little about. Is it really UFC with a ball as I was led to believe as a kid? An interesting thing happened as I watched the videos and started to understand the sport – I liked what I saw. An obscure game, played on the other side of the world that I never took seriously was now looking very appealing. I found myself thirsting for information – what is a mark? What is a ruck? What is a disposal? The game was fascinating and I was embracing the fascination.
Now, we are at the midway point of the 2013 season and, I can honestly say, I am hooked. Canadian TV shows one or two games per week so I record them and watch the next day as the time zone difference puts AFL games on in the middle of the Canadian night. On weekends, I check my phone when I awaken to see the results of the previous night’s games and I am battling for the lead in my AFL Fantasy Elite league with my Australian co-worker. I proudly wear my Gold Coast Suns polo – despite the fact that nobody here knows who the Gold Coast Suns actually are.
As a newbie to this great game, I have learned so much during my first half-season. The name Ablett is a holy word and the MCG is holy ground. Travis Cloke would have made a great power forward in the National Hockey League and ‘taking the piss’ isn’t nearly as vulgar as I had thought.
Most importantly, what I have learned is that Australian rules football is a fantastic sport. The game is non-stop action and the athletes are incredibly skilled. The accuracy players have while kicking on the run is amazing and watching players fly through the air to take a contested mark is one of the greatest spectacles in athletics. I would suggest that running for 80 minutes on the biggest playing surface in football, while tackling and being tackled - AFL players might very well be the most fit athletes in the world.
From my vantage point, 14,000 kilometres away and 16 hours behind, Australia has something very special. For some people in Canada the tendency is to look to our American neighbours and wish we could be more like them; wish our sports could be more like theirs. I suspect some Australians may feel that way about America as well but, there is no need. In my humble opinion, Aussie rules is the best football code on the planet. The entertainment value is so much greater than that of American football, I only hope the sport doesn’t get tainted too much by the American influence. America is the incredible hype machine and, most people tend to be attracted by the loudest noise and shiniest box. The NFL is that loud noise and shiny box; far more style than substance. I have always held the belief that their championship game should be renamed the “Hyperbole”.
There is so much to love about the AFL – it reminds me of the National Hockey League back in the 70s and 80s. I consider that era the golden age of hockey, when the game was pure and entertaining and the business-side of the sport had not yet become the most important part. Players hadn’t yet started to care more about their bank accounts than the game that makes those bank accounts possible. Australia’s game has such rich history and is still tremendously exciting and relevant today. The game is a perfect blend of action, physicality, skill and entertainment – the AFL is the full package.
When I started my AFL journey less than four months ago, I saw the sport in black and white with a lot of question marks attached. Today, there are still a few question marks but, I now see the sport in high definition with vivid colors. I am starting to understand why Mike Brady calls it “The Game of the Gods”.
I still love hockey and enjoy baseball but, Australian footy now has a prominent place in my sporting landscape. What a great game!
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I have always maintained it is the best spectator sport in the world but I realise I am biased. It's nice to hear that a foreigner rates it so highly.
