wrote this article awhile back targeting an audience that knew very little of our sport. dont feel insulted if ya know it all already. but hopefully ya learn a thing or two or ten.
To some it’s a religion, to some its an interest and to others it’s merely a disdain acknowledgement of the sport. The sport has been around for over a century with a formidable liaison amongst the males however females have begun to assert their authority within the game. It is the unique sport that is the pride of this country which is the Australian Football League (AFL). It features predominantly during the winter months with the season lasting 26 weeks beginning in the middle of March and it ceases on the last Saturday of September. The final day, which is known as the Grand Final, is the biggest event on Australia’s sporting calendar.
The AFL began in 1897 with 8 Victorian teams. Back then it was known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) as the competition was made up entirely of teams in Victoria alone. These teams were Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne, and St Kilda. Richmond and University entered in 1908, but University folded in 1915. In 1925, Footscray (later known as the Western Bulldogs), Hawthorn and North Melbourne entered the competition. It remained in this 12 team single-state format until 1982 when South Melbourne relocated to Sydney to become the Sydney Swans. In 1987, the national expansion continued with the introduction of the West Coast Eagles from Western Australia and the Brisbane Bears in Queensland. In 1990, the league name changed to the Australian Football League to signify the incorporation of the interstate teams. In 1991, the introduction of the first team based out of South Australia, the Adelaide Crows, took place. The Fremantle Football Club became the second team representing WA in 1995. 1996 was a monumental year for the AFL as two teams, Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Lions, merged to form the Brisbane Lions. What made this year even more significant for the AFL was the introduction of the second team based in South Australia, Port Adelaide Power. Since 1996, the AFL has been a 16 team competition but that is set to change with the introduction of two more interstate teams over the next two years. The Gold Coast consortium will compete from next year onwards while Greater Western Sydney will have a team represented from 2012 onwards.
The scoring system is based by the amount of goals and behinds kicked by each team. A goal is worth 6 points whereas a behind registers as 1 point. These can be achieved by kicking the ball through 4 sticks located at either end of the ground. A goal is achieved by kicking the ball through the two taller sticks. A behind is kicked when the ball misses the two taller sticks but stays within two smaller sticks located on either side of the taller sticks.
Each team in the AFL is made up of 40 players and up to 10 rookies or veterans. Of these 50 players, 22 represent a team in each match week in week out. In order to seek fairness amongst teams, there is a salary cap in place in which all players bar the veterans must be paid within. In 2010, each club has a salary cap of $7.95 million. The average wage of an AFL footballer is $200,000 with rookies on a base contract of $42,000 and players in the top echelon on a wage of $750,000+. Of the 22 players that take the field each week, there are certain types of players that make up the team. 6 defenders, 6 midfielders and 6 forwards make up the team. Then there is what’s known as the bench which constitutes of 4 players which can interchange with one of the 18 players on the field at any given time.
The AFL premiership season, consisting of all 16 teams as of current, is played over 22 weeks. The ladder is then shaped by the teams with the most wins followed by greatest winning points percentage. After the 22 matches, the top 8 teams on the ladder then begin a 4 week finals series to determine the winner of the league for that season. The Grand Final is played between the 2 teams left standing after their individual matches in the finals series. This match traditionally takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Crowds in excess of 85,000 flock to this game and tickets to this solitary game are always in high demand. Prices are normally between $150-$400 for a seat at this game however ticket scalpers often price tickets at $1000 which people are happy to pay if it means they can get a prime position watching the game of the season.
The AFL has been around for some time and it has no plans on folding. Financially, it is nearing its peak. This is evident through the 2 expansion teams with thoughts of another license being created to support a team in Tasmania. The AFL hasn’t had any competitiors to dismantle it from the position as the number 1 sport in Australia. However, with the socceroos enjoying plenty of winning ways over the last 10 years and the prospect of hosting the world cup in 2022, it might be able to topple the AFL. The AFL is a passionate game followed by legions of fans so jump aboard and support a club and be apart of its rich history and tradition.
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