US newbie

[Strigoi]

And...since you're into footy fantasy...
There is the SFA league on Big Footy. It's a computer simulated games league. You should check it out and consider joining. The weekly match threads are a hoot - lots of mud-slinging between the two sides, interaction with others, and lots of fun. It's a great way to meet like-minded folk and relax.

The Dragons are a good team to consider. We are the reigning premiers and going for a repeat. The playoffs are about to start.
You might find it enjoyable! Pop in and have a look around. We'd be happy to add another Dragon to our roster.

 

[Strigoi]

Loved visiting Pittsburgh, one of my favourites.

Glad to hear! We are proud of our little city.

 

[ClarkeM]

Glad to hear! We are proud of our little city.

More bridges than Venice, or so I was told. I have family friends in Greensburg.

 

[ClarkeM]

Also a Pens fan now because of it

I went to this game:

 

[Strigoi]

More bridges than Venice, or so I was told. I have family friends in Greensburg.

Yep, more bridges than Venice. Three rivers, and the only city with an entrance. (coming from the airport)
OMG, Greensburg? I lived about half-way between Pittsburgh and Greensburg. Small world, eh? I love the hills that are Greensburg. haha Not pleasant in the snow...but...oh well.

 

[Strigoi]

That goal by Malkin...poetry in motion!
A few years ago now, but I was at this game.


How often do you get to see a goalie fight!

 

[magpie_marty]

Hello, and welcome! Nice to see another from the USA on here. I'm originally from Pittsburgh, PA. Met an Australian guy and moved here to be with him. And...there are kangaroos! LOL

I fell in love with the game years ago one night when I couldn't sleep. Found this odd game on TV that looked like it had no rules! I've been hooked ever since. It is an utterly fascinating game. To me, the other sports pale in comparison for stamina and athleticism (besides hockey), not to mention the skill.

You're into SuperCoach! My husband is crazy with it - he has so many teams. LOL

I'm glad the AFL is going to be starting soon. I've missed it so much!

Brilliant post and welcome.
Sure is an odd game that's for sure.
I try to follow your NFL and get so lost in the rules maybe the same applies there re AFL.

 

[Wosh]

Hi Everyone,
I'm an American who is obsessed with Aussie footy and consider this to be a dreamlife community- footy chat 24/7! This was the season I was making my debut with SuperCoach and am hopeful to still learn and grow with all of that. Couldn't be more excited that footy will be back in 25 days and am so ready to catch more games!

Wandering around the site and I saw this, welcome! I have a few friends in the USA who love footy and it‘s always great to see how enthusiastic Americans get about our game. There was some terrific chat on twitter a few months back when you only had AFL to watch over there and people were going insane haha.
I’ll give you a shout out when The Eagles play the Bombers, we generally have a banter thread on the board.
There’s pretty much a board on every topic here, the main footy chat will fire up on the AFL board soon when we get the game back
Enjoy the whole site, you’ll learn more about footy here than anywhere else!

 

[Strigoi]

I try to follow your NFL and get so lost in the rules maybe the same applies there re AFL.

That is the case. I still have a bit of trouble with some of the calls in a game...even when they get explained to me. LOL

 

[kober3742]

That is the case. I still have a bit of trouble with some of the calls in a game...even when they get explained to me. LOL

I am from IA myself, close to Des Moines. AFL is a terrific sport. It is my third favorite behind NFL and NBA. When watching AFL I find myself thinking that there are fouls given that should not have been given and vice versa. I am usually good at figuring that out for NFL, but AFL I find the refereeing puzzling.

 

[AFL Obsessed]

Hello, and welcome! Nice to see another from the USA on here. I'm originally from Pittsburgh, PA. Met an Australian guy and moved here to be with him. And...there are kangaroos! LOL

I fell in love with the game years ago one night when I couldn't sleep. Found this odd game on TV that looked like it had no rules! I've been hooked ever since. It is an utterly fascinating game. To me, the other sports pale in comparison for stamina and athleticism (besides hockey), not to mention the skill.

You're into SuperCoach! My husband is crazy with it - he has so many teams. LOL

I'm glad the AFL is going to be starting soon. I've missed it so much!

AH I love this so much! You're living my dreamlife in footy homeland. LOVE reading your story.

Agreed that all other sports pale in comparison, the dimension and fluidity/continuity of the game...there really isn't anything like it...and the athleticism! Such an intelligent game. Just a tad obsessed

I only just started SuperCoach this season so I'm learning more about it. Currently counting down the days until footy is back!

 

[AFL Obsessed]

And...since you're into footy fantasy...
There is the SFA league on Big Footy. It's a computer simulated games league. You should check it out and consider joining. The weekly match threads are a hoot - lots of mud-slinging between the two sides, interaction with others, and lots of fun. It's a great way to meet like-minded folk and relax.

The Dragons are a good team to consider. We are the reigning premiers and going for a repeat. The playoffs are about to start.
You might find it enjoyable! Pop in and have a look around. We'd be happy to add another Dragon to our roster.

Thanks- I've received some invitations to join the SFA league. Checking things out and the teams too, definitely sounds like fun!

Wandering around the site and I saw this, welcome! I have a few friends in the USA who love footy and it‘s always great to see how enthusiastic Americans get about our game. There was some terrific chat on twitter a few months back when you only had AFL to watch over there and people were going insane haha.
I’ll give you a shout out when The Eagles play the Bombers, we generally have a banter thread on the board.
There’s pretty much a board on every topic here, the main footy chat will fire up on the AFL board soon when we get the game back
Enjoy the whole site, you’ll learn more about footy here than anywhere else!

I know that was an amazing time- Twitter was on fire! I know Pat McAfee's name gets thrown around a lot with this discussion but his reactions, visibility and passion about what he saw helped other Americans check it out, too. Hoping footy will have the spotlight when it returns without much interruption from other sports.

Those of us that are fans will be doing our best to shout from the rooftops about our fave game!

 

[AFL Obsessed]

I am from IA myself, close to Des Moines. AFL is a terrific sport. It is my third favorite behind NFL and NBA. When watching AFL I find myself thinking that there are fouls given that should not have been given and vice versa. I am usually good at figuring that out for NFL, but AFL I find the refereeing puzzling.

I love that you discovered the game also! Would love to know your story, given where you live and the team you barrack for.

AFL is still at the top of my list and NBA & NFL, College bball & football are like collectively distant 2nd and 3rd.

 

[Strigoi]

I love that you discovered the game also! Would love to know your story, given where you live and the team you barrack for.

AFL is still at the top of my list and NBA & NFL, College bball & football are like collectively distant 2nd and 3rd.

Yes, kober3742, tell us how you got to know footy. We all have our little introduction to it. When you grow up with something, it is always so interesting to see things from another's perspective. The first time I visited here I just had to go to a game the night I arrived. I was so excited to see it in person that I didn't care about jet lag or anything. I wasn't disappointed!

Isn't it funny, AFL Obsessed, that besides your next favorite sport the rest become distant seconds? I know exactly what you mean.
I remember thinking, and saying, "They just don't stop! They keep going the entire game!"

I'm really getting up for the season to resume now!

 

[AFL Obsessed]

Yes, kober3742, tell us how you got to know footy. We all have our little introduction to it. When you grow up with something, it is always so interesting to see things from another's perspective. The first time I visited here I just had to go to a game the night I arrived. I was so excited to see it in person that I didn't care about jet lag or anything. I wasn't disappointed!

Isn't it funny, AFL Obsessed, that besides your next favorite sport the rest become distant seconds? I know exactly what you mean.
I remember thinking, and saying, "They just don't stop! They keep going the entire game!"

I'm really getting up for the season to resume now!

Oh completely! Yes the endurance alone...I remember thinking this must be a group of Olympians! And being so confused like how is this not everywhere on ESPN all the time! I love that Strigoi went to a game as soon as you could and didn't even care about jetlag

 

[kober3742]

Hi Strigoi and Obsessed

About 20 years ago, I lived at home while in college. My folks had cable at their house and for a few weeks we had free access to a channel called Fox Sports World. They had all kinds of sports like soccer, Gaelic Football, Rugby and Australian Rules Football. I remember watching Australian Rules and thought it was an interesting sport. Alas, the time came when the free time ended and the channel went with it. Then a while ago, here in the US, on ESPN the website, there was a channel called ESPN3. It seemed like once a month or so they had a game on. Then it was more frequent. ESPN 3 dropped it after a while and I could not watch it again.

I then found a website where you could watch all of the games live and on-demand a few years back. I can watch all games for about 150.00 US dollars a year. There are very few people in the US that watch it and I personally dont know anyone else that watches it. I think that more people around here should as it is better than some US sports. For sure,Australians know more about US sports then vice versa from looking at the message boards.

As for why I picked the team I did, when I started watching it frequently a few years ago, Melbourne was so bad that I felt bad for them. That is the reason since I do not have a reason for any other affiliation.

I still love the NFL and NBA significantly more, but that does not mean that AFL is not a great sport. It certainly is and fits a nice niche between NBA season and NFL. How did you two pick your teams? Have a great day!

 

[AFL Obsessed]

Hi Strigoi and Obsessed

About 20 years ago, I lived at home while in college. My folks had cable at their house and for a few weeks we had free access to a channel called Fox Sports World. They had all kinds of sports like soccer, Gaelic Football, Rugby and Australian Rules Football. I remember watching Australian Rules and thought it was an interesting sport. Alas, the time came when the free time ended and the channel went with it. Then a while ago, here in the US, on ESPN the website, there was a channel called ESPN3. It seemed like once a month or so they had a game on. Then it was more frequent. ESPN 3 dropped it after a while and I could not watch it again.

I then found a website where you could watch all of the games live and on-demand a few years back. I can watch all games for about 150.00 US dollars a year. There are very few people in the US that watch it and I personally dont know anyone else that watches it. I think that more people around here should as it is better than some US sports. For sure,Australians know more about US sports then vice versa from looking at the message boards.

As for why I picked the team I did, when I started watching it frequently a few years ago, Melbourne was so bad that I felt bad for them. That is the reason since I do not have a reason for any other affiliation.

I still love the NFL and NBA significantly more, but that does not mean that AFL is not a great sport. It certainly is and fits a nice niche between NBA season and NFL. How did you two pick your teams? Have a great day!

Love this story! Hope ESPN and FS1 and FS2 will pick up some games going forward.

I was shown a snippet of the game in 2016 (like 20 minutes), and started actually following in late May 2017. I always say it was like an Alice in Wonderland glimpse where I fell down the rabbit hole and am now a complete convert. I have never been more attuned to any sport and am fascinated by all games/footy chat and can't get enough of either! I became so obsessed with footy that I started a podcast about it; still incredulous that footy turned someone who was only semi-interested in sports into a sports podcaster Just more of the magic of the game. So ready for Round 2!

 

[Strigoi]

I try to follow your NFL and get so lost in the rules maybe the same applies there re AFL.

I still get lost in AFL rules and it's been quite a few years now. LOL
The few things that really are so very different to me...
* A whistle blows and everyone keeps running around - play continues. In US sports, we are trained from birth that a whistle blowing means that you are to stop dead in your tracks or you will suffer the consequences (add'l penalties and such).
* Grabbing someone's jersey and flinging them to the ground is an acceptable tackle. Not so acceptable in US sports.
* The umpires point in the opposite direction when someone gets a free kick. ?? I'm ok with that now, but it was very confusing at first.
* And the goal umpires just make me smile. When they wore the white lab coats and fedoras...I couldn't figure out what they were doing. They pull out their imaginary six-guns and shoot. What?

When you grow up with something, you see it as normal, usual, every day things. To another's eyes, it's a curiosity.
I found a gem in Aussie. Absolutely love it.

 

[Strigoi]

Hi Strigoi and Obsessed

About 20 years ago, I lived at home while in college. My folks had cable at their house and for a few weeks we had free access to a channel called Fox Sports World. They had all kinds of sports like soccer, Gaelic Football, Rugby and Australian Rules Football. I remember watching Australian Rules and thought it was an interesting sport. Alas, the time came when the free time ended and the channel went with it. Then a while ago, here in the US, on ESPN the website, there was a channel called ESPN3. It seemed like once a month or so they had a game on. Then it was more frequent. ESPN 3 dropped it after a while and I could not watch it again.

I then found a website where you could watch all of the games live and on-demand a few years back. I can watch all games for about 150.00 US dollars a year. There are very few people in the US that watch it and I personally dont know anyone else that watches it. I think that more people around here should as it is better than some US sports. For sure,Australians know more about US sports then vice versa from looking at the message boards.

As for why I picked the team I did, when I started watching it frequently a few years ago, Melbourne was so bad that I felt bad for them. That is the reason since I do not have a reason for any other affiliation.

I still love the NFL and NBA significantly more, but that does not mean that AFL is not a great sport. It certainly is and fits a nice niche between NBA season and NFL. How did you two pick your teams? Have a great day!

The first time I saw the AFL was when the Hawthorn Hawks were tearing it up in like 1989/early 1990's. Very hard-hitting (and some would say thuggery) and tough were the players back then. All of them. I saw the hard hits, the guys just get right back up or absorb them and continue on and take the mark or score a goal. Very impressive. And maybe since the Hawks were successful, they chose to televise those games in the USA for us to get a glimpse of. I lost a lot of sleep watching those games in the middle of the night. haha

I've always loved defensive-minded/hard-hitting players - no matter the sport. They have the grit and determination to be successful in anything they do. Naturally, most of my favorite players are defenders, and not the prolific scorers. Their ability to run at full speed and basically punt a ball in one fluid motion is amazing.

I'm still learning, but at least now I have my husband to explain everything to me - even when I think it doesn't make sense. LOL

You should consider joining the SFA here on Big Footy as well. The computer simulated games are a lot of fun and it's a good way to learn a bit through stats and the breakdown. Good fun. Could you imagine if there were three USA people on one team?

 

[kober3742]

The first time I saw the AFL was when the Hawthorn Hawks were tearing it up in like 1989/early 1990's. Very hard-hitting (and some would say thuggery) and tough were the players back then. All of them. I saw the hard hits, the guys just get right back up or absorb them and continue on and take the mark or score a goal. Very impressive. And maybe since the Hawks were successful, they chose to televise those games in the USA for us to get a glimpse of. I lost a lot of sleep watching those games in the middle of the night. haha

I've always loved defensive-minded/hard-hitting players - no matter the sport. They have the grit and determination to be successful in anything they do. Naturally, most of my favorite players are defenders, and not the prolific scorers. Their ability to run at full speed and basically punt a ball in one fluid motion is amazing.

I'm still learning, but at least now I have my husband to explain everything to me - even when I think it doesn't make sense. LOL

You should consider joining the SFA here on Big Footy as well. The computer simulated games are a lot of fun and it's a good way to learn a bit through stats and the breakdown. Good fun. Could you imagine if there were three USA people on one team?

That all makes sense. It is an impressive sport. I have been watching some historical matches and they seemed to move faster than the sport today. If anyone can tell me if I am right or wrong or what caused the slower style, please let me know.

 

[Strigoi]

That all makes sense. It is an impressive sport. I have been watching some historical matches and they seemed to move faster than the sport today. If anyone can tell me if I am right or wrong or what caused the slower style, please let me know.

From how it looks to me, every player follows the ball around the field now; where in past years, the game was played more by position. One older great Hawks player, Jason Dunstall, a full forward, would stay in or around the goal square and wait for his team to get the ball up field to him and he would make the mark against his opponent then have a kick for goal. He barely ran around the field, but now most players run a half marathon per game. It’s more defensive, and everyone is around the ball trying to get it. They are in a clump. I call it clumpy football.

 

[magpie_marty]

I still get lost in AFL rules and it's been quite a few years now. LOL
The few things that really are so very different to me...
* A whistle blows and everyone keeps running around - play continues. In US sports, we are trained from birth that a whistle blowing means that you are to stop dead in your tracks or you will suffer the consequences (add'l penalties and such).
* Grabbing someone's jersey and flinging them to the ground is an acceptable tackle. Not so acceptable in US sports.
* The umpires point in the opposite direction when someone gets a free kick. ?? I'm ok with that now, but it was very confusing at first.
* And the goal umpires just make me smile. When they wore the white lab coats and fedoras...I couldn't figure out what they were doing. They pull out their imaginary six-guns and shoot. What?

When you grow up with something, you see it as normal, usual, every day things. To another's eyes, it's a curiosity.
I found a gem in Aussie. Absolutely love it.

Same I am so intrigued when i see is a towel thrown on the ground,During a NFL Game.
I have started to understand the sack thing as in that is the 1/4 back being caught,which boggles my mind why not pass the ball to another player I see it happen at some times tho and I scream just throw the ball to some one close.

Oh then the 2 min warning these games go for 10 mins after the warning.

Glad you love the game and take your time to watch as i do with your football.
Marty

 

[magpie_marty]

From how it looks to me, every player follows the ball around the field now; where in past years, the game was played more by position. One older great Hawks player, Jason Dunstall, a full forward, would stay in or around the goal square and wait for his team to get the ball up field to him and he would make the mark against his opponent then have a kick for goal. He barely ran around the field, but now most players run a half marathon per game. It’s more defensive, and everyone is around the ball trying to get it. They are in a clump. I call it clumpy football.

Game was different back then and now players are better athletes taught to protect a zone,
Was a better more free flowing game back then.
Now its its a a scrum of players ughh

 

[Strigoi]

Same I am so intrigued when i see is a towel thrown on the ground,During a NFL Game.
I have started to understand the sack thing as in that is the 1/4 back being caught,which boggles my mind why not pass the ball to another player I see it happen at some times tho and I scream just throw the ball to some one close.

Oh then the 2 min warning these games go for 10 mins after the warning.

Glad you love the game and take your time to watch as i do with your football.
Marty

A towel on the field in the NFL? Do you mean the yellow flag thrown by the referee? He sees a penalty and when play ends they will sort through everything and dish out the penalty. There is also a red flag thrown by a team's coach when he wants to challenge a play/call. Sometimes the referee(s) will throw their little white towel to mark a spot on the field for their own umpiring/refereeing marker.

Not every player is allowed to take the ball from the quarterback or allowed to catch a pass from him. If they do touch it, their team will get a penalty. Sometimes you'll see a penalty call for 'ineligible receiver downfield', as well. Everyone yells 'throw it!' but it's not always in the best interest to do so. The quarterback has the whole field in front of him and he can see the play develop or see which opposition player is coming in to close a pocket he was sending his receiver to. The play cannot be made because it might get intercepted. Then you hope his alternate receiver is open.

LOL - the two minute warning. The longest part of the game! Every single person feels the same about that. Too funny to be so noticed by all.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Hi Everyone,
I'm an American who is obsessed with Aussie footy and consider this to be a dreamlife community- footy chat 24/7! This was the season I was making my debut with SuperCoach and am hopeful to still learn and grow with all of that. Couldn't be more excited that footy will be back in 25 days and am so ready to catch more games!

Welcome aboard to our great game.

Pat Mcafee is super happy that the AFL is returning fell in love with the game after watching Essendon vs Fremantle in rd 1 and was shattered when the season stopped but now he's back on board and encouraging Americans to watch the game.