Aussie Rules For Dummies E-Book

Jim Maine

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 496

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Created especially for the Australian customer! Facts, tips and stats for players, spectators and coaches! Fully updated with all the latest rule changes and including expanded skills, coaching and training chapters, Aussie Rules For Dummies, 2nd Edition takes you from getting a grip on the basics to more advanced aspects of playing, watching and coaching Australia's national game. Packed with practical information and fascinating anecdotes, this is the simplest, clearest and most detailed guide to AFL available. Discover how to: * Understand positions, umpires and scoring * Gear up correctly, and avoid and treat injuries * Improve your playing skills and coach effectively * Appreciate the clubs, competitions and awards

Leseprobe

Aussie Rules For Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Why You Need This Book

How This Book is Organised

Part I: Before the First Bounce

Part II: Playing the Game

Part III: Taking Your Game to the Next Level

Part IV: The Australian Football League

Part V: The Spectator Sport

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Part VII: Appendixes

Icons Used in This Book

Part I: Before the First Bounce

Chapter 1: Australia’s Greatest Game

The Object of the Game — Simplified

Why Aussie Rules Is the Best

Having heaps of fun

Finding fitness and health

Enjoying the passion and challenge

Don’t Just Be a Television Fan

Chapter 2: Getting a Grip on the Basics

Four Quarters Make a Whole

Counting Time On

The Men Who Call the Shots

Field umpires

Boundary and goal umpires

Umpiring Signals

General signals during play

Goal signals

Boundary signals

Aussie Rules, Okay!

Size Doesn’t Necessarily Matter

Seasons that Make Sense

Home and away

Kick-off time

Table talk

Finals Fever

At the MCG — Grand Final Mania

Filling the stands

Flying the flag

Chapter 3: Settling the Score

Scores of Ways to Make a Point

Scoring a goal for 6

Kicking a behind is not a bummer

Discovering draw-backs

The Ladder to Success

Compiling the ladder

Understanding the ladder

Studying the ladder

Chapter 4: Gearing Up for the Game

Wearing the Whole Kit and Caboodle

These boots are made for kicking . . .

Field fashions and top dressing

The low-down on shorts

Put a sock in it . . .

Jocks and other jazz

Being on the Ball

Size counts

Ball brands

Finding Where to Get in Gear

Part II: Playing the Game

Chapter 5: The Positions

Making Up the Numbers

Lining Up the Team

Taking Your Position

The ruckmen

Rovers and midfielders

Defenders

Forwards

Chapter 6: Skills of the Game: Kicking and Marking

Getting a Kick Out of Football

The punt

The drop punt

The torpedo

The banana kick

Kicks gone the way of the dodo

Practising your skills

The Mark of a Footballer

Chapter 7: Skills of the Game: Passing, Running and Tackling

Pass Me the Ball, Would You?

Handpasses in the run of play

Drilling up for handballing

Following the Leader

Running with the Ball

Bouncing the ball

Baulking at danger

The Good Shepherd

Tackling the Basics

Part III: Taking Your Game to the Next Level

Chapter 8: It’s a Big Football World

Where It All Begins: Under-Age Football

AFL Auskick: A good springboard

Joining the junior ranks

Heading off to camp

Camps for the gifted junior

Joining the Senior Ranks

Super-Rules

Women’s rules

The State of Play

Victoria

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Western Australia

Australian Football Around the World

Denmark

Ireland

New Zealand

South Africa

United Kingdom

United States

Moving to International Status

Chapter 9: From the Bush to the Big Time: Moving through the Levels of Play

Ovals All Over

Rural rivalry

City kickers

Class acts

Draft Craft

Swap till you drop

Trade till you fade

Freshen up for the new season

Rookies and Crookies

Chapter 10: Training: The Ins and Outs

Getting Physical for Footy

Warming up and cooling down

Practising drills

Watching what you eat

Staying hydrated

Grasping How the AFL Footballers Train

Working out pre-season

Warming up pre-match

Cooling down post-match

Chapter 11: Injuries and How to Deal with Them

Common Types of Injuries

Zing went my hamstrings

Breaks of an unlucky kind

A nose for trouble

Nothing soft about these injuries

Keeping your knee out of it

Going, going, groin

The new football injury swear words

Back to basics

Avoiding Injuries

Always warm up and cool down

Taping where need be

Getting into the right gear

Treating Injuries: RICER

Handling Common Injuries

Chapter 12: So, You Want to Coach

Licensed to Coach

Keys to Successful Coaching

Know the game inside and out

Know your players

Know the drills

The Role of the Coach

Coaching at AFL level

Devising and conveying tactics

Part IV: The Australian Football League

Chapter 13: Club Cultures and Stars

Adelaide

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Collingwood

Essendon

Fremantle

Geelong

Hawthorn

Kangaroos

Melbourne

Port Adelaide

Richmond

St Kilda

Sydney Swans

West Coast Eagles

Western Bulldogs

Chapter 14: The Origin and Structure of the League

Creating the Code

Outback origins

The Gaelic ingredient

The English element

Organising the League

The VFL: In a league of their own

The AFL: A larger league

People Who Make the Rules

Commission possible

Meet the commish

The decision makers

Big Business

Taking care of the details

Taking it from the top

Chapter 15: Roll Out the Honours

Flagging the Premiers

Taking Home the Charlie: The Brownlow

Kicking Up a Storm: The John Coleman

Voting for the Grandest Player: The Norm Smith

Getting a Nip and Tuck: The Michael Tuck

Awarding the Best and Fairest

Saluting the Sandover in the west

Granting the Magarey down south

Chapter 16: Grounds for Greatness

Venues to View the Game

AAMI Stadium

Aurora Stadium

Carrara Oval

The ’Gabba

Manuka Oval

Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

Skilled Stadium

Subiaco

Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)

Telstra Dome

Telstra Stadium

TIO Stadium

Venerable Venues

Part V: The Spectator Sport

Chapter 17: The Fanfare of the AFL

Joining the Member Ranks

What’s in it for you?

Membership packages on offer

Deciding which club to join

Cheering with the Squad

Contributing to your team’s entry

Showing your support with a group

Sitting Happily on the Sidelines

Chapter 18: Running a Tipping Competition

Diving into the Tipping Pool

Creating a Tipping Chart

Casting votes

Keeping tabs

Allocating prizes

Joining an Organised Competition

Becoming a Football Expert

It’s in the book

Newspaper guides

Information at your fingertips

Assessing the footy form guide

Chapter 19: The Football Media

The Newspaper and Magazine World

Read all about it — in B and W

The magazine world

Television and Radio Programs

Switching on to the telly

Tuning into radio rules

Casting the Net

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 20: Ten Great Players

Determined Demon — Ron Barassi

The Maroons’ Maestro — Haydn Bunton

King of the Kangaroos — Wayne Carey

Ace Bomber — John Coleman

Polly Good Show — Graham Farmer

In the Lethal League — Leigh Matthews

Royal Rover — Dick Reynolds

Skill by the Tonne — Bob Skilton

Centre of Activity — Ian Stewart

Football’s Mr Football — Ted Whitten

And Another Ten I Couldn’t Leave Out!

Chapter 21: The Top Ten Teams

Carlton 1906–1908

Collingwood 1927–1930

South Melbourne 1933–1936

Melbourne 1939–1941

Essendon 1946–1951

Geelong 1951–1953

Melbourne 1954–1964

North Melbourne 1974–1978

Hawthorn 1983–1989

Brisbane Lions 2001–2003

Chapter 22: The Ten Best True-Boot Artists

The Ten Most Prolific Goal Scorers

The Ten Greatest Goal Kickers

Gary Ablett

John Coleman

Gordon Coventry

Jason Dunstall

Peter Hudson

Dick Lee

Tony Lockett

Peter McKenna

Bob Pratt

Doug Wade

Chapter 23: Ten Men Earn Top Marks

Trevor Barker

John Coleman

Gordon Coventry

Alex Duncan

Jason Dunstall

Royce Hart

Alex Jesaulenko

Tony Lockett

Bob Pratt

Graham Teasdale

Chapter 24: The Best Aussie Rules Games

South Melbourne v Collingwood — 1918

St Kilda v North Melbourne — 1933

Geelong v Collingwood — 1937

Carlton v Essendon — 1947

Collingwood v Melbourne — 1958

Carlton v Collingwood — 1970

Carlton v Collingwood — 1979

Sydney v St Kilda — 1994

Sydney v Essendon — 1996

Essendon v Kangaroos — 2001

Sydney v West Coast — 2005

Chapter 25: Ten Fantastic Footy Facts

What a Wally!

Lousy Shot

Champion-Ship

Unlucky Break

Cop That!

Going Nuts

Swan Dive

She’ll Be Apples

Flood of Tears

Dark Horse

Part VII: Appendixes

Appendix A: Premiership and Medal Winners

Appendix B: Off-field Footy Language

Appendix C: Other Useful Books

Aussie Rules For Dummies

by Jim Main

Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd

Aussie Rules For Dummies®

2nd edition published by Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd 42 McDougall Street Milton, Qld 4064 www.dummies.com

Copyright © 2003, 2008 Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data

Main, Jim, 1943– .

Aussie rules for dummies. 2nd ed.

Includes index. ISBN 978 0 7314 0595 4 (pbk.).

1. Australian Football League. 2. Australian football. I. Title.

796.336

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Cover image: GSP Images/AFL Photos

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About the Author

Jim Main is one of Australia’s best-known sports writers and is a noted football historian. He abandoned a law degree course at the University of Melbourne for his preferred career of journalism, but later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in history) from La Trobe University.

Although Jim spent his formative years in journalism as a general reporter and subeditor, he eventually gravitated to sports writing. After working on the Melbourne Herald, he moved to England and worked on London’s Daily Express from 1970 to 1971. During this time he was granted leave of absence to cover the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh for the News Limited group. Soon after his return to Australia, Jim won a Walkley Award (Australian journalism’s most prestigious award) and moved to sports writing in general, and the Aussie Rules scene in particular.

Jim went on to serve as Melbourne sports editor of the Australian for more than a decade, while simultaneously pursuing a freelance career, producing more than 60 books and regularly contributing articles to the Australian and Inside Football.

His sports-writing career includes covering three Commonwealth Games (Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986, and Brisbane in 1982), the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and various assignments in England, Ireland, the United States and Japan.

Jim’s published books include two Australian murder anthologies, a travel guide to Europe, and numerous Aussie Rules, tennis and cricket titles. His football books include The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers and This Football Century (both with Russell Holmesby), Whatever It Takes (with Jim Stynes), Fallen: The Ultimate Heroes (with David Allen) and Pants: The Darren Millane Story (with Eddie McGuire). In 2003, he was inducted into the Melbourne Cricket Ground Media Hall of Fame for his contribution to the coverage of sports at the MCG.

Dedication

To all those who have been part of my life in Aussie Rules, and especially to my wife, Libby, for her unswerving loyalty and patience.

Author’s Acknowledgments

To Richard Smart for introducing me to this wonderful project, to Kristen Hammond for her incredible enthusiasm in guiding me through the For Dummies style, to acquisitions editors Jane Ogilvie and Charlotte Duff for their thoughtful and invaluable advice, to editors Nicole McKenzie and Carolyn Beaumont for their patience, persistence and skill and, in this second edition, Kerry Davies for her marvellous editing skills and unlimited patience. Thanks also to the rest of the editorial team, and to those who helped with information and suggestions. These include fellow football historian Russell Holmesby and the AFL’s walking, talking football encyclopedia, Col Hutchinson. Special thanks also to the AFL’s Lawrie Woodman for his invaluable contribution in checking material.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial and Media Development

Project Editor: Kerry Davies

Acquisitions Editor: Charlotte Duff

Technical Reviewer: Lawrie Woodman

Editorial Manager: Gabrielle Packman

The author and publisher would like to thank the following copyright holders, organisations and individuals for their permission to reproduce copyright material in this book.

© AFL Auskick: pages 103–4 (code of conduct)

© John Wiley & Sons Australia: page 155, photos by Sandra Jane

© Inside Football online: page 264.

Every effort has been made to trace the ownership of copyright material. Information that will enable the publisher to rectify any error or omission in subsequent editions will be welcome. In such cases, please contact the Permissions Section of John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd, who will arrange for the payment of the usual fee.

Production

Layout and Graphics: Wiley Composition Services, Paul Lennon and the Wiley Art Studio

Cartoons: Glenn Lumsden

Proofreader: Joy Montgomery

Indexer: Karen Gillen

Introduction

Welcome to the second edition of Aussie Rules For Dummies, your handy guide to a uniquely Australian form of football, officially known as Australian Rules Football and affectionately called Aussie Rules.

Aussie Rules may be the most popular sport in Australia today, but that’s not because it’s an easy game to play or follow. You have to understand quite a lot about the rules, the plays and even the history of the game just to carry on a polite social conversation, let alone start kicking goals. No worries!

Aussie Rules For Dummies guides you through the ins and outs and behind posts of the entire sport from the viewing stands to the grounds and even behind the scenes. Whether you’re fully acquainted with this exciting game or a beginner keen to understand what on earth its devoted fans are shouting about, this book introduces you to all the details and nuances of Aussie Rules.

About This Book

This book helps you find out just what you want to know about Aussie Rules in general, and the AFL (Australian Football League) in particular. However, it’s not a book to read from start to finish, from page to page, although you can do this if you want. Rather, the book has been written and designed so that you can pick it up to find out about any aspect of Aussie Rules at any given time. Say, for example, you’re watching an AFL game on television and something happens to make you think, ‘Why is that?’ This book can help you discover the answer.

If you prefer, you can skip around first and learn the rules, and then go to where I explain how to develop the skills of the great Australian football code. Feel free to flip from page to page and absorb the information in your own time.

Whether you’re an established AFL star or a newcomer to the game doesn’t matter — there’s something for you in this book.

Why You Need This Book

This friendly yet comprehensive guide to Australia’s most loved code of football provides a detailed explanation in plain English of the rules of Aussie Rules and how they came into being, techniques and strategies for actually playing the game, and key facts and figures to back you up in any game debate.

If you attend a lot of Aussie Rules games or watch them on television and ask everyone around you a lot of questions, you may eventually get a fair understanding of the rules and history of the game. But when one fan tells you one thing and another gives you a slightly different answer, sooner or later you want to know the right answer from a reliable authority. Aussie Rules For Dummies can help you discover information about Aussie Rules that many diehard fans are yet to learn.

If you’re eager to start playing, or already play but want to improve your form, this book is full of tips and tricks of the game to help you become a well-rounded player. I also provide lists of great players, past and present, who can serve as inspiring role models for players at every skill level.

Archaeologists centuries from now may come across weird and wonderful figures such as 15.10 (100) d. 15.8 (98) and scratch their heads. Unless, of course, they happen to unearth a copy of this book; then they’ll be able to decipher what a score in Aussie Rules actually means. Even if you already know how Aussie Rules scoring works, you may find some other aspects of the game as puzzling as 40th-century archaeologists may find them.

How This Book is Organised

This book is divided into sections called, cleverly enough, parts. These parts are divided into chapters. Each part covers a different aspect of the game. I start with the basics in Part I and build from there, making this your easy-to-follow guide to Aussie Rules. The following list explains what’s in each part.

Part I: Before the First Bounce

If you’re a newcomer to Aussie Rules, this part is the place to start — right at the beginning of the book. In this part, I explain the many benefits of following or playing Aussie Rules, as well as the basics of the game — the rules, the scoring system. You find information on what equipment you’ll need to play the game and how to read, rather than climb, a ladder.

Part II: Playing the Game

Now, I really get down and dirty by explaining the nitty-gritty of the game. The part starts off with a chapter on the various playing positions. The terms ‘centre half-back’ and ‘ruckman’ will soon make sense and you’ll be able to identify those players when watching a game. Thinking of becoming an Aussie Rules champion? In this part, you’ll also find chapters covering the skills involved — kicking, and marking, handballing, bouncing and running, baulking and defending, and tackling — and routines for you to practise each.

Part III: Taking Your Game to the Next Level

This part takes you through the different levels of playing Aussie Rules, from Little League and AFL Auskick, right through to the senior ranks, as well as the great big football world of suburban and country competitions around the country and the game as it’s played around the world. I also cover how the ‘draft’ works, training, how to avoid and treat injury, and information you need if you want to coach.

Part IV: The Australian Football League

The indigenous Australian code of football is known officially around the world as Australian Rules Football, but the game’s governing body is the Australian Football League (AFL). In this part, I define the AFL and its development, including the historical influences on its formation in the late 19th century.

I also cover the people who run the game at AFL level and how they make their decisions. Aspects of each of the 16 AFL clubs — including their history and champions — are discussed at length, too, as well as the various medals they can win and the grounds they play on.

Part V: The Spectator Sport

So, you don’t want to play Aussie Rules. You just want to go to a game or even watch it on television. No worries! You can be involved in a lot of different ways. In this part, you’ll find information on how to join a club and follow the AFL competition via the various media available — newspapers, radio, television and the Internet. I show you how to get involved in tipping competitions and assess a football form — basically all the important and fun aspects of being a spectator.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

This part is my favourite, as I get to name who I believe to be the ten best players and goal kickers, and which teams and games I think are the best — ever! Writing this part was a labour of love, but it was far from being an easy task. This part is sure to stir discussion and even controversy.

See what you think.

Part VII: Appendixes

Here, you’ll find some helpful reference material. You’ll find lengthy lists of the premiership and medal winners, as well as books that I highly recommend for further reading. And, to get you in the know, I’ve included a list of the lingo used in the stands and the umpires’ signals. Enjoy!

Icons Used in This Book

You’ll find the following icons throughout the book, which signify particular information:

This icon indicates terms used in the vocabulary of the game. Master this lingo and you’ll sound like an Aussie Rules veteran in no time.

A book on Aussie Rules just wouldn’t be the same without reference to the great incidents and characters of the past. This icon flags stories about the game’s incidents and heroes, right from the birth of Aussie Rules.

Because I’ve followed the AFL competition almost from the time I could walk, and I’ve been a football writer for more than 30 years, I’ve seen and experienced many amazing incidents. When I have my own tale to tell or want to throw in my five cents worth, I mark it with this icon.

The Tech Stuff icon provides technical information that you don’t need to know but you may find interesting.

The Remember icon indicates things you shouldn’t forget, because you may find the information useful in the future. (Now, where are those car keys?)

You can find lots of helpful information and advice in paragraphs marked with the Tip icon.

This icon points you to Web sites that can help you find out more about this wonderful game.

Part I

Before the First Bounce

‘Sorry to break the news to you, but we actually play Aussie Rules up here . . . ’

Glenn Lumsden

In this part . . .

To get you started, this part provides an introduction to Aussie Rules and what the game is all about. If you’re new to the sport, you can find out what you need to know to follow a game in this part.

In Chapter 1, you discover why fans the world over believe the game is so great; you’ll also find a quick rundown on the object of the game. In Chapter 2, I introduce you to the basic rules of play, the role of each of the umpires in upholding those rules and the glory of final fever. In Chapter 3, you can find out all about the scoring system and how teams are rated, and then, in Chapter 4, I detail the gear needed to play.

Chapter 1

Australia’s Greatest Game

In This Chapter

Defining the object of the game

Discovering why Aussie Rules rules

Understanding the buzz of a live match

At first sight, Aussie Rules may look like a wild-card combination of soccer, rugby, American football, basketball and a little beach volleyball thrown in, but it’s actually a wonderful, organically home-grown game that wasn’t invented by anyone and isn’t closely related to any of those other sports. From being a hotchpotch kick with a leather ball in the mid-19th century, Aussie Rules has developed into a hugely popular game in Australia, with interest developing all around the world.

From Australian football’s humblest beginnings, just a century and a half ago, the game now attracts an aggregate attendance of more than 7 million a season (attendances for 2007, including finals matches, totalled 7,049,945). That averages out at about 38,000 fans to each AFL game! Yet, way back when the competition was founded as the Victorian Football League (VFL) in1897, the total attendance that season was just 38,000 at an average of 5,133 per game. (For more history of the game, see Chapter 14.)