Our National Game, Grass Roots Level.
Australia is good at a lot of sports.
World champions quite often in the two codes of Rugby, three forms of Cricket, Hockey, Netball and a ton of others, as well as strong enough to be taken seriously in many other world sports (Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Rowing, Sailing, Cycling, snow sports etc), it is a surprise to many, that the most popular Australian winter sport is ours alone.
Australian rules “footy” is however, a game that is hard to describe.
Possibly a case of two merging into one,
No offside, no padding or protection, few limits on tackling (no blatant punching, strangling, pushing, tripping or kicking, but most else goes), it is seemingly formless until you get your eye in. It is suited to any body type, the tall, strong and fast, but mostly the brave.
or growing some more arms,
One of the very few games with two scoring grades* (6 pt goals and 1 point '“behinds”), it often bamboozles new watchers, but it can also mesmerise.
or maybe helping a friend perform a needed face plant,
Deceptively simple, the game is rough, tough and fast. At the top level, players can run a marathon in a game, criss-crossing the huge field multiple times each quarter.
but at the end of the day, the ball is all important. So they say.
At grass roots level, the game lacks some of the “aerial ping-pong” label the higher version is often tagged with, becoming more mud and guts.
few come away unscathed (yes, that is a boot mark on his face and no officer, he did not get the number plate),
No matter the level, the passion is the same, in fact there is a special place in sporting heaven for these local games where sons, daughters, mothers and fathers are on the field as their loved ones stoically watch on or join them on the field.
Taking a “mark” gives the taker a free kick, so great lengths are gone to and the results can be game changing.
This was the mark that led to the goal that tired the game and led to the home team winning. Even after the siren, the kick can be taken making for some famous moments.
Just confirming also, women and girls play with every bit as much passion.
With a recent surge in popularity, womens football has grown and grown.
Personally, I am not a huge fan, which makes me a bit of a pariah in my family as several relatives including a quite famous grand father played as high as state level (1937 best on ground vs Victoria and we won), but I have to admit it is the best sport to photograph.
*Its closest relative and sometimes representative teams play against each other in a hybrid version of both games, is Gaelic football, which also has a dual scoring system.