AFL and all its glory - a post for Ranger

The Playing Field & positions

Quick facts:

The ball is an oval shaped leather ball

The AFL has 16 Teams, the play 8 games drawn at the start of the season in a fixture of 22 rounds in total before the final series. there are 10 victorian teams, 2 from WA, 2 from adelaide, one from sydney and one from brisbane.

Each team has a squad of about 30 active players per year however each team can only play 18 players on the field and are only allowed 4 interchange players on the bench (sideline). These players can be changed whenever the coach wants to or to replace an injured player should this occur.

The positions for each player is listed above, each team has a player for each position with of course their backs depending against the other teams forward etc etc.

To start the match a field umpire bounces the ball in the centre of the field (this is not always a straight bounce but it is accepted as part of the game) and the 2 rucks jump at the ball and attempt to deflect the ball to one of their team mates, usually a rover or centre.

The players must either kick or handpass the ball to another player and can at no stage be seen to drop or throw the ball as this will result as a penalty.

If a penalty is awarded then the closest player to the penalty or the tackler is awarded a free kick.

A handpass is where the ball is held in the palm of one hand and punched with the other. This cannot be done as open handed or it will be called a throw.

A player can run with the ball but must bounce the ball every 10 meters or he will be penalised as “holding the ball”

The ball can be passed or kicked forward or backwards.

If a player catches the ball when it is kicked by another player of either side this is called a mark (sometimes referred to as a speckie if the player jumps high to grab the ball). If the ball is touched by another player before being marked then the umpire will call play on and the ball will be openly contested by each team.

Players do not always have to stay in their positions.

If a player has the ball and another player grabs them or tackles them they must legally dispose of the ball through a kick or a handpass otherwise this is a penalty for “holding the ball” or “dropping the ball”

Tackles cannot be “too high” (above the shoulder). A player cannot be tripped or legged. A player cannot be pushed in the back in an attempt to make them lose balance.

The field has a boundary line the full length either side of play. If the ball rolls out or bounces out of play then a boundary umpire will throw the ball in over his head and the rucks will again contest the ball. If the ball is kicked out of bounds on the full then a free kick is awarded to the other team.

SCORING

If the ball is kicked through the centre of the goal posts (marked G above) then this is a goal and is awarded 6 points. To be a goal it must be kicked by the player going for goal and cannot be touched by another player on the field.

If the ball is kicked between the goal post and the behind post (marked B above) then this is a behind, 1 point is awarded.

If the ball is touched by another player or is rushed through the goals or behinds by another player then a point is also awarded

This is the best I can do at 3:30 in the morning Ranger… I decided you were definately right and that i had to make an attempt to please all people who may read :) ... If you want to know more you will have to have a look at the website and the official rules and download the PDF file

The final series explained

The top 8 teams have made the finals. the top 4 teams will have 2 chances at making the grand final.

week 1 Teams 1-4 (qualifying finals) teams 4-8 (elimination finals)

team 1 (West Coast) plays team 4 (Sydney) - Winner gets a weeks rest/Loser plays next round
team 2 (Adelaide) plays team 3 (Fremantle) - Winner gets a weeks rest/Loser plays next round
team 5 (Collingwood) plays team 8 (Western Bulldogs) - Winner plays next round/Loser is out
team 6 (St Kilda) plays team 7 (Melbourne) - Winner plays next round/ Loser is out

Week 2 (semi finals) (this weekend 15th/16th september)

Sydney (Rest)
Adelaide (Rest)
Western Bulldogs play West Coast in WA - winner plays Adelaide next round/ loser out
Melbourne Play Fremantle in WA - winner plays Sydney next round/ loser out

Edited 17/9 : NEWS FLASH: Dissapointed to say the least... Fremantle thrashed Melbourne and the Doggies were thrashed by West Coast, they were 2 points away from scoring the lowest score ever in a semi final...

GO SYDNEY!!!!

Week 3 (Preliminary Finals)

Adelaide play West Coast - Winner through to Grand Final / Loser, oh so close
Sydney play Fremantle - Winner through to the Grand Final/ Loser, maybe next year

30th of september the 2 top teams battle it out for the premiership flag/cup. The winning team gets pissed from drinking champaign directly from the cup and the losing team gets pissed down their local pub, this ritual is a well known aussie ritual called "drowning the sorrows"

We all get pissed watching it either at a friendly BBQ or down the local pub.

then we all wait for next year when it starts all over again only this time we all hope that the freckin bombers actually win some games hehehe

another reason to watch AFL... The hot guys who play the game :)

Matty Maguire (StKilda)