TOPIC:

I am an American who has enjoyed AFL for years, and the game seems different and I'm confused about a couple of minor points.
Do the refs often let players get away with not making a proper handball? Or am I just not seeing that it was batted? It seems sometimes they just fling it, but today watching a game the refs called it and I never noticed them calling it before!
Why would a player who has huge amount of open space just kick it toward the boundary? Why do they flirt with the boundary at all, I would think they would want to keep it as much in the middle of the oval as possible?
It seems like players really don't like to run and bounce the footy no matter how much room they have, I seem to remember times long ago where a guy would run and bounce it 4 or 5 times and they never seem to do that now.
What is the reason a player would not back up after a mark? I understand they might want to proceed if they see an opportunity but it often looks like they could take their time and get a better chance to do something. And why do the refs tell them to play on?
Those might seem like stupid questions, but I don't have a lifetime of being saturated with this sport like you lucky people do! It occurs to me that my confusion is probably because it is not convienient to watch many many games.
I tell everybody that this might be the coolest team sport and that no it is not like rugby!
They have a few amateur games in the states, I don't understand how they can have a final score of 19-0!!!!! It doesn't seem easy but it seems that a team would stumble into more point scoring than that.
Anyway, what a great sport.

Christdy1963 wrote:

I am an American who has enjoyed AFL for years, and the game seems different and I'm confused about a couple of minor points.
Do the refs often let players get away with not making a proper handball? Or am I just not seeing that it was batted? It seems sometimes they just fling it, but today watching a game the refs called it and I never noticed them calling it before!
Why would a player who has huge amount of open space just kick it toward the boundary? Why do they flirt with the boundary at all, I would think they would want to keep it as much in the middle of the oval as possible?
It seems like players really don't like to run and bounce the footy no matter how much room they have, I seem to remember times long ago where a guy would run and bounce it 4 or 5 times and they never seem to do that now.
What is the reason a player would not back up after a mark? I understand they might want to proceed if they see an opportunity but it often looks like they could take their time and get a better chance to do something. And why do the refs tell them to play on?
Those might seem like stupid questions, but I don't have a lifetime of being saturated with this sport like you lucky people do! It occurs to me that my confusion is probably because it is not convienient to watch many many games.
I tell everybody that this might be the coolest team sport and that no it is not like rugby!
They have a few amateur games in the states, I don't understand how they can have a final score of 19-0!!!!! It doesn't seem easy but it seems that a team would stumble into more point scoring than that.
Anyway, what a great sport.

Welcome Christdy1963.  The first thing is to ask whether you have adopted a WAFL club yet?  If you haven't let me suggest the mighty black and whites, Swan Districts.

We call them umpires rather than refs and from a personal point of view call it Aussie Rules rather than AFL.  Yes most handpasses these days would have been called as throws in years gone by.  Many supporters wonder why players choose to go sideways and backwards.  In terms of the umpire calling "play on",  players only have a certain amount of time after a free kick or mark to move the ball on.

Unfortunately for us who would like to see more attacking footy and more goals, coaches and players have a far more defensive mindset these days.

Don't worry about asking questions, I am sure you will get a reasonable answer.
 

Yes, thanks. I can see how a lot of it is coaches having a defensive mindset.
I really appreciate you confirming that the umpires give them leniency with the throws.
For many years we only got one match a week, late night on ESPN2, and then it got worse and they only had a 1 hour highlight show; for some reason the sports networks have tried to push rugby, thinking that they can increase its popularity, but I think they would be much better off exposing more people to Aussie Rules.
I'll try to check out some more WAFL!

Christdy1963 wrote:

Yes, thanks. I can see how a lot of it is coaches having a defensive mindset.
I really appreciate you confirming that the umpires give them leniency with the throws.
For many years we only got one match a week, late night on ESPN2, and then it got worse and they only had a 1 hour highlight show; for some reason the sports networks have tried to push rugby, thinking that they can increase its popularity, but I think they would be much better off exposing more people to Aussie Rules.
I'll try to check out some more WAFL!

 

I am not sure whether you were referring to rugby union or rugby league.  The easiest way to distinguish between the two rugby codes is what happens when a player is tackled.  If the player is allowed to get up and play the ball that is rugby league. If play continues that it is rugby union.  One possible reason for ESPN's decision may be that both are international sports whereas Aussie Rules is basically a domestic sport like your national footy.

From memory the USA won the bronze medal in rugby union at the Olympics in either the 1920s or 1930s.
 

Hi Christdy
Great to hear from a Aussie Rules fan from the northern hemisphere.Maby try the official AFL app on Google Play.It might give you some access to highlights and radio coverage of matches.
At the end of last season.The AFL was so conserned about the defensive mindset of the coaches.That they changed the rules.All players before the centre bounce at the reset after a goal.Or the start of a quarter have to line up in there position.To stop the defensive flood.Also a 50 metre penelty is paid if you over step the mark.
Attacking down the center of the ground is called (going down the corridor).
We don't see a lot of run and carry in the AFL (bouncing the ball).Still do see line breaking runs in tier 2:AFL .
Incorrect disposal ie handballs.There is 3 umpires out there + boundry and goal umpires.I would say it's the position of the umpire.Not having a correct view of the disposal.They also like to keep the game moving.