Aussie Rules Grand Final now being played

[21C]

I don't know if this is being shown in the States at all - live or on delay - but the 2004 Grand Final is currently being played.

The major competition in Australia started life as a state-based league with almost all of the teams from Melbourne - where the game is played every year. The VFL ( Victorian Football League ) became the AFL ( Australian Football League ) as the league became national. This is the first year that both teams in the GF are not from the original state of Victoria.

The two teams are the Brisbane Lions ( winners of the last 3 straight GFs ) and the Port Power from Adelaide.

It is now half time and it's been a cracker of a game so far.

[sabotai]

I wished they did, but sadly basic cable sprts networks don't really play any international sprting events here in the States. Occasionally they'll show something...every now and then...but Aussie Rules Football has not been shown here AFAIK in quite awhile.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Now that you mention it the last time I saw Aussie rules was late at night on The Old ESPN 2 about 6 years ago.

[Mac Howard]

Watching it as I type :)

[SirFozzie]

It was on Fox Sports World I believe.. which pisses me off I have to work today.

But, I like the fact the AFL website offers a subscription to watch the game replays online :D

[Dawgfan1980]

Fox Sports World has Aussie Football on Wednesday nights (at least they did) at 8 P.M. Pacific, fwiw. Now, I don't know if it is on right now. I'm working right now... Grr!

[SirFozzie]

The game finished a while ago, Dawg (won't spoil it for ya)

[Dawgfan1980]

D'oh! Stupid work! Its okay, I have to crash when I go home, got a full day of watching Notre D'oh get waxed. (If there is a god, that is) But, for next year, Go Geelong! (What a name!)

[SirFozzie]

Maybe we should go in as a group and purchase an annual subscription to the AFL Match replay service.. be nice to watch all of this years games ;)
It would cost about $40 or so American

[Ajaxab]

The Grand Final was on FoxSports World here last night at 12:30 am EST. Games have also been on FSW every Thursday night at 11:00 pm EST this year. Last night, we also got the one hour match run up which was somewhat interesting to say the least. What is up with those two older women dressed up like prostitutes surrounded by a bunch of men dancing effeminately? What was also up with the 10 Tenors singing songs about what they love about foot-ball?

Anyways, I was only able to watch the first quarter before being too tired to stay up any longer, but the game was excellent to that point. I think I understand most of the rules, but what I can't figure out is why players are allowed to brawl and fight away from the ball without any intervention from the referees. Not to say it isn't entertaining because it's great to see that intensity. I got the impression from the commentary that the players who fight get suspended, but face no in match discipline. Can you Aussies or Aussie Rules afficianados fill me in on how the league deals with violence? Also, is there more tolerance of violence for cultural reasons having to do with Australia's past as the dumping ground for British criminals?

[SirFozzie]

Well, I'm not an Aussie.. but.. there's just so much going on in the game, and the refs try not to stop the game for much. So they may report it to a tribunal for suspensions etcetera (for striking) but they don't stop the games..

There was a funny (well, not so funny if you think about it) clip I saw recently where a player went up for a catch, a real flyer (where you basically leap up the back of the player in front of you, putting your knee up near the top of his back), where the player jumped a bit too high, and ended up falling OVER the player.. thudding to the ground.. a real hit that would make you go ooooooooooooh and call for the trainer, and the trainers come rushing out onto the field, and the game just continues, the ball bouncing near the trainers who were making sure this poor schlub hadn't just killed himself!

[terpkristin]

Here in the Washington, DC area the MHz network shows AFL highlights on Monday nights and shows games 1-3 times per week.

That said, I haven't seen the final yet. Looking forward to the broadcast. :D

~tk

[fantastic flying froggies]

I remember watching Aussie rule football on ESPN when I was in the States back in the mid-eighties...It was a lotta fun to watch...

Man, that makes me feel so old...

[Mac Howard]

>Can you Aussies or Aussie Rules afficianados fill me in on how the league deals with violence?

I'm not an expert by any means but I get to watch the game each week since arriving here. You seldom see a player disciplined in the match itself though I think it can happen in the most extreme circumstances though you can see from the brawls in this match "extreme" really does mean EXTREME!

A league tribunal is held a couple of days after a round of matches and players have to appear here if reported by the officials. Punishment is seldom severe - a match ban or a fine that would cripple you and me but means little to these guys.

There's little to discourage the sort of brawl you saw.

>Also, is there more tolerance of violence for cultural reasons having to do with Australia's past as the dumping ground for British criminals?

As a pom it would be more than my life's worth to say that :) But two of the other football codes (rugby union and rugby league) are equally violent here. Soccer is the "sissie's" game precisely because violence is so severely punished.

As for crminals. Are you aware that twice as many criminals were shipped out to the USA as Australia? ;) In fact the British only diverted them to Australia when the American colonists refused to take any more.

Interesting comment on this: Western Australia refused to take them when set up in 1828. But by 1852 they begged Britain to send them - they desperately needed someone to build the roads, government buildings etc ie like every western society they needed a source of cheap labour to do the dirty work :)

[SunDancer]

It is now half time and it's been a cracker of a game so far.

A cracker of a game? Never heard that before.

[soapy]

Basically, players get reported and appear before a tribunal, who can suspend players, fine them etc. Brawls of multiple players usually see all the players fined and those who throw punches on top of the grappling, wrestling et cetera get suspended. Suspensions are usually relative to the severity of the incident, but the sytem is wracked with inconsistency and other flaws. There is little the umpires can do on the field as there is no card or ejection system and as both teams are usually culpable, no much can really be done. Interesting side story to the game, that fight involving involving Alastair Lynch, who threw multiple punches was interesting as it was going his last game and therefore he had carte blanche under our system to do whatever he liked. Thankfully for his opponent, Darryl Wakelin, he didn't connect.

[finkenst]

Well, that was a great match. I just finished watching my TiVo'd copy. It will be replayed Thursday at 10 pm Central Time