Australian rules football

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Australian Rules Football, sometimes called Aussie Rules or AFL, is a sport which differs from most types of football in that it is played on an oval field instead of the usual rectangular field, as used by rugby and soccer. As the name suggests, AFL is most popular in Australia, although the sport does have a limited following in numerous other countries. At its highest level, the game is overseen by the Australian Football League (AFL),^[1] which gives its name to a national competition of Australia's top 18 teams.

The Game[edit]

Each Aussie Rules team consists of 18 players who remain on the field for the entirety of the game (with some interchange and injury times). The aim of the game is to kick a ball, shaped somewhat like a rugby ball, through two upright posts at either end of the oval. Each "goal" is worth six points. A miss of a "goal" is called a "behind" and is worth one point. If the ball is touched by any part of the body beyond the leg then one point is scored. A new rule was introduced in 2009, wherby if a team rushes the ball through the opposition's goals, the opposition is awarded a free kick directly in front of the goals. Previously, it had been registered as one point. This leads to score lines which indicate goals, points and totals such as 11.15 (81). The game consists of large kicks (often over 60 metres) and spectacular jumps^[2] to catch the ball, resulting in a free kick (called a mark).

Popularity[edit]

Aussie Rules is one of Australia's most popular sports, especially AFL as a spectator sport. The Grand Final can attract up to 100,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground^[3] each September. Australian rules football is the sport most attended by Australians; in 2006 2.5 million people had attended at least one Aussie Rules game in the preceding 12 months.^[4]

The reigning premiers of the AFL are the Western Bulldogs.

Current Teams[edit]

Teams for the 2016 season were as follows:

Club	Team Name	State
Adelaide	Crows	South Australia
Brisbane	Lions	Queensland
Carlton	Blues	Victoria
Collingwood	Magpies	Victoria
Essendon	Bombers	Victoria
Fremantle	Dockers	Western Australia
Geelong	Cats	Victoria
Gold Coast	Suns	Queensland
Greater Western Sydney	Giants	New South Wales
Hawthorn	Hawks	Victoria
Melbourne	Demons	Victoria
North Melbourne	Kangaroos	Victoria
Port Adelaide	Power	South Australia
Richmond	Tigers	Victoria
St Kilda	Saints	Victoria
Sydney	Swans	New South Wales
West Coast	Eagles	Western Australia
Western Bulldogs	Bulldogs	Victoria

References[edit]

1. ↑ http://www.afl.com.au
2. ↑ http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/the_big_men_fly.htm
3. ↑ http://www.mcg.org.au/
4. ↑ http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyCatalogue/1F8FAC9C2C7B1623CA2568A900139417

External links[edit]

• History of the game
• Another site dedicated to the history