So we've been to see our first Aussie Rules game. Caitlin was ecstatic as her team (not exactly a top rank team) have won yet again and are the unlikely leaders of the ladder at this early stage in the season.
I think everyone enjoyed it, despite it lasting over 2.5 hours. Its 4, 20 minute sessions, but with 20 mins at half time, and each quarter lasting in reality about 25-30 minutes the overall time soon racks up. The discrepancy between 20 mins and 25-30 is time out while the ball isn't in play. The game is so fluid and the ball in play so regularly its actually hard to spot the "dead" 5-10 mins. Clearly a key feature of the game is to reduce audience dead time, and any attempt to rub your eyes, never mind go to the loo means there is a chance you've missed something.
The game is odd in the sense that its called Aussie Rules, but its sold very much on its brutal go for it, no rules attitude, yet it needs no less than 9 (yup 9!) officiators for want of a better word. That's one ref, 2 linesman, 2 goal refs (there are 4 goal posts each side and a complex set of rules governing what points you get), and 4 supporting refs wandering the field. Remember with a pitch about 30% bigger than a soccer pitch, no offside rule, and long range kicking being a key skill, the ball can have travelled 150 metres in a few seconds.
The Ethiad Stadium we went to is seen as an "intimate" close to the action kind of place, and we certainly enjoyed. The fans are also generally good natured if a little animated, and typically Aussie blunt at times. The reasonably strict controls on alchohol at matches, and the real family atmosphere (a good 20-30% of fans must be under 12 but are no less fervent) explaining some of this. It'll be interesting in 2 weeks when we go to the MCG. The stadium is twice as big and has 2 big league teams who are both a little on the ropes at the moment.
Finally, and if anyone is interested, Caitlin's team gave the other lot a good drubbing, and the score (which is difficult to follow) was St Kilda Saints 17.9 (111), Fremantle Dockers 4.4 (28).
I think everyone enjoyed it, despite it lasting over 2.5 hours. Its 4, 20 minute sessions, but with 20 mins at half time, and each quarter lasting in reality about 25-30 minutes the overall time soon racks up. The discrepancy between 20 mins and 25-30 is time out while the ball isn't in play. The game is so fluid and the ball in play so regularly its actually hard to spot the "dead" 5-10 mins. Clearly a key feature of the game is to reduce audience dead time, and any attempt to rub your eyes, never mind go to the loo means there is a chance you've missed something.
The game is odd in the sense that its called Aussie Rules, but its sold very much on its brutal go for it, no rules attitude, yet it needs no less than 9 (yup 9!) officiators for want of a better word. That's one ref, 2 linesman, 2 goal refs (there are 4 goal posts each side and a complex set of rules governing what points you get), and 4 supporting refs wandering the field. Remember with a pitch about 30% bigger than a soccer pitch, no offside rule, and long range kicking being a key skill, the ball can have travelled 150 metres in a few seconds.
The Ethiad Stadium we went to is seen as an "intimate" close to the action kind of place, and we certainly enjoyed. The fans are also generally good natured if a little animated, and typically Aussie blunt at times. The reasonably strict controls on alchohol at matches, and the real family atmosphere (a good 20-30% of fans must be under 12 but are no less fervent) explaining some of this. It'll be interesting in 2 weeks when we go to the MCG. The stadium is twice as big and has 2 big league teams who are both a little on the ropes at the moment.
Finally, and if anyone is interested, Caitlin's team gave the other lot a good drubbing, and the score (which is difficult to follow) was St Kilda Saints 17.9 (111), Fremantle Dockers 4.4 (28).
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