Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 12 of 26

Thread: The Game Is NOT AFL Football it IS Australian Rules Football

  1. #1
    Veterans List wolftone57's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Lilyfield
    Posts
    5,788

    The Game Is NOT AFL Football it IS Australian Rules Football

    The AFL has been good at promoting themselves as the saviour of the game but what game? They say AFL football is theirs, they promote it, run it and finance it. But what do they finance? AFL Football? There is no such thing as AFL football. The Australian Football league is the body that runs all professional and semi professional Australian Rules football in Australia. Yes, Australian Rules Football, that is actually the name of the game.

    I am against AFL, media or any other body calling the game AFL Football. Not just because the true name of the game is Australian Rules Football, or Aussie Rules for for short, but because it insinuates we are playing a game of their invention and that they can stop people playing the game unofficially if they want. In other words if a competition is not registered with the AFL that competition has to cease. Another scenario is that game every kid plays with their mates at the local park can be stopped by the AFL if they don't adhere to AFL rules, far fetched I know. Most of the independent competitions have indeed been either closed down or subsumed by the AFL who got them by stealth. The scenario is of the greedy corporate pig gobbling up all in it's path.

    I just wish the game could be known by it's original name or just Aussie Rules. I grew up playing this game. It is the game I love, not the AFL. I couldn't give jack @@@@ for the corporate pirates that run the game, I only care deeply about the game itself. I fell in love with the game at about three years of age. Ever since Aussie rules has had a deep attachment from within my soul. My passion for the game is undying. But I would love the people running the professional game to have some respect for the game itself. I feel they don't respect the game, the supporters or the culture that has been built around the game since the first associations, the South Australian football Association and the Victorian Football Association, were formed in 1877.

    Australian Rules where I come from, Broken Hill, is indented on every boy's soul. The game is a part of the culture of the bush. The kids play on the roads and sidings strewn with mica, bromide, silver, lead, zinc and many other metals and rocks mostly barefoot. Some of the ovals and park lands are similar. But our official ovals are pristine, lush if not green, playing surfaces. I'm not just talking about the surfaces played on by the seniors, this happens right down to juniors. This is because we love, protect and honour culture and the great Aussie game.

    Some of the recent changes to the rules have made the game worse not better. Today the AFL have a chance to create the best game in the world by planning, preservation and fore-thinking. But the problem with the corporate pirates is they are more reactionary than visionary. Sure you can say AFLX was a visionary exercise. But how well thought out was it? Just look at the way it was formulated, most likely after a big dinner with lots of red at Gil's place. The first we hear of this is late last year. Then it is suddenly in the mix for this pre-season. It took the television stations by surprise, shock more like, and the AFL was desperately negotiating with 7, FOX etc for the televising of the product. After all 7 was in the midst of the Winter Olympics. Not really good planning AFL. Then there was the format. Having only seven players on the field at one time was a huge mistake. If they had looked at other games on this size surface they would have known that. There were few highlights because the most exciting parts of the game, the high mark, the run down tackle, the impossible goal just weren't there, because there were too few players on the field. Most of the goals were so called Zoopers, a 40 metre kick that any AFL player should easily make and if he can't he would not be playing AFL. Basically AFLX was badly thought out tripe.

    Yes the format of AFLX might work overseas BUT there has to be far more work than this last minute tripe the AFL served up. If the AFL had looked closely at similar versions that are already being played elsewhere, Asia has a lightning carnival comp on short grounds which would have been a good example, they might just have had a winner. But of course the corporate pirates knew better and this ill feted version got the nod. Other problems with the game have been ongoing. Umpire interpretation is one. I now examine the most troublesome;

    1. Holding the Ball; This is a real problem and a troublesome area for any umpire. But the interpretation in the AFL is just staggeringly bad. The umpires coach, not the Umpires director, is truly negligent in not pointing out that the current interpretation actually breaks the rules. If a player is caught with the ball and the tackling player holds the ball in on the player who was tackled then according to the rules the tackling player is actually in possession not the tackled player. How then could the tackled player be deemed to be holding the ball when he is no loner in possession of the ball. What if a teammate of the tackled player now tackles the tackling player and asks for holding the ball? He would actually be in the right because the player with control of the ball is the original tackling player. that means the tackler is in possession. The current interpretation is breaks the rules of the game.

    2. Incorrect Disposal; This is the most contentious of all rules simply because the umpires DO NOT pay it as often as they should. They allow players to throw the ball, drop the ball, hand the ball off to a teammate. If the umpire paid every throw then the throws would stop. But the AFL for some reason is hell bent of the throws staying. This is against all the culture, history and the game itself. This is a mortal sin that is ruining Australian Rules football and turning it into a faster version of Rugby.

    3. The designated ruckman rule. This is the crappiest rule ever invented. A stupid knee jerk rule. If there is a scrimmage then the umpires should whistle play up immediately a scrimmage starts not 3 minutes after it starts. Then he/she should ball up if the players are ready or not. No designated ruckman, no bull@@@@ waiting for players to be ready, just get on with it. This would mean less stoppages as the players would be less inclined to pull the ball into a scrimmage. It would also mean the play flows more.

    4. Head high; Again the AFL astounds me. More knee jerking. Some head highs are head highs and some aren't. Sorry but every head high, whether a player draws it or not, are head high. If they really want to protect player's heads like they say they do then ALL head high are head high, not just some. This seems to me to be a rule invented on the Animal Farm principle, all animals are equal except pigs who are more equal.

    On that not I hope you enjoy my pigs.


    Greedy Pig too.jpgcorporate Pig.jpg

  2. #2
    Carpe Noctem CureTheSane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Knoxfield, Victoria
    Posts
    5,032
    Does it really matter that much?
    AFL, Aussie rules, etc. If you ever use the term it's to describe the type of footy and that is achieved with any term.
    The difference between insanity and genius is measured only in success.

  3. #3
    Veterans List wolftone57's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Lilyfield
    Posts
    5,788
    Quote Originally Posted by CureTheSane View Post
    Does it really matter that much?
    AFL, Aussie rules, etc. If you ever use the term it's to describe the type of footy and that is achieved with any term.
    No it isn't. AFL is just a brand name like Meadow Lea or Mortien. You don't call all margarine Meadow Lea or all fly sprays Mortien. What's more the AFL is really the VFL under a different name. AFL is the brand they are selling. Australian Football or Aussie Rules is the product

  4. #4
    Go Swannies! Site Admin Meg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    In the Brewongle
    Posts
    4,717

    The Game Is NOT AFL Football it IS Australian Rules Football

    Quote Originally Posted by CureTheSane View Post
    Does it really matter that much?
    AFL, Aussie rules, etc. If you ever use the term it's to describe the type of footy and that is achieved with any term.
    No, it doesn�t matter. In fact living in Sydney it is very useful. If I say I follow �football� most people think of soccer, or rugby (union or league). If I say �Aussie Rules� they don�t know what I am referring to. But when I say �AFL� they do know what I mean (thanks to the influence and success of the Swans over the years). And then they are curious to know how I came to be an �AFL� supporter.

    Sorry Wolfie, you are pedantically correct but it is time to let go your objection.

  5. #5
    Carpe Noctem CureTheSane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Knoxfield, Victoria
    Posts
    5,032
    Quote Originally Posted by wolftone57 View Post
    No it isn't. AFL is just a brand name like Meadow Lea or Mortien. You don't call all margarine Meadow Lea or all fly sprays Mortien. What's more the AFL is really the VFL under a different name. AFL is the brand they are selling. Australian Football or Aussie Rules is the product
    It may have started as a brand, but after a while it becomes part of the language. Urban dictionary if you like to start with and then indoctrinated into our language.
    Sometimes this is annoying eg: "Kleenex" means the same thing as tissue. "Brooming" and sweeping are both used equally as much. "Myers" etc
    I like that you are making a stand though.
    These days all the moral outrage is about politically correct stuff.
    Only today I saw a clip of some girl being interviewed in America where she wanted all words with the consecutive letters 'm a n' in them deleted from all reference.
    No more Humans, no more mandates and manipulation etc etc
    Your argument has way more merit than many out there
    The difference between insanity and genius is measured only in success.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Meg View Post
    No, it doesn�t matter. In fact living in Sydney it is very useful. If I say I follow �football� most people think of soccer, or rugby (union or league). If I say �Aussie Rules� they don�t know what I am referring to. But when I say �AFL� they do know what I mean (thanks to the influence and success of the Swans over the years). And then they are curious to know how I came to be an �AFL� supporter.

    Sorry Wolfie, you are pedantically correct but it is time to let go your objection.
    They DON'T KNOW what Aussie Rules means? What???

  7. #7
    Senior Player sharp9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Cust, New Zealand
    Posts
    2,500
    Completely wrong Wolftone - it's 2017 and in colloquial conversation Australian Rules Football is known as AFL...people play AFL and they are AFL supporters. Yes it's technically incorrect...but please direct to the Soccer supporters who follow Association Football??? There are none - it's soccer or Football depending on the context. BTW "Soccer" is an ancient and correct term...it comes form the SOC in "Association" football...distinguishing if from, for example, "Rugby Football" I'm a proud AFL supporter born and bred in New Zealand...they show the AFL on free to air here (Duke TV) and occasionally I do have to clarify that AFL is Aussie Rules (never Australian Rules Football). I don't like the world changing too much either...but unfortunately it is a fact that teams now "verse" each other *sigh* haven't read the rest of your long post...but I'm sure I'll argue with everything else soon ????
    Last edited by sharp9; 4th March 2018 at 02:00 PM. Reason: Mistake

  8. #8
    Go Swannies! Site Admin Meg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    In the Brewongle
    Posts
    4,717

    The Game Is NOT AFL Football it IS Australian Rules Football

    Quote Originally Posted by sharp9 View Post
    teams now "verse" each other *sigh*
    Oh NO! I can�t cope with that - *shudder* .

  9. #9
    Senior Player
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Close to the old Lake Oval
    Posts
    3,891
    Everyone used to know what 'Aussie Rules' was and surely still would. Doesn't occupy my thinking but your point is very valid, WT. Too much commercialisation of language. Will try and 'de program ' and revert to using term Aussie Rules.
    Last edited by liz; 4th March 2018 at 03:12 PM. Reason: Please don't quote long posts in their entirety. It makes threads hard to read for those on phones or tablets

  10. #10
    Veterans List Ludwig's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Chiang Mai
    Posts
    9,310
    I always thought 'Aussie Rules' meant the Australian Constitution.

  11. #11
    pr. dim-melb; m not f
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Central Coast NSW, Costa Lantana
    Posts
    6,889
    Quote Originally Posted by sharp9 View Post
    ... unfortunately it is a fact that teams now "verse" each other *sigh* ????
    Although I'd like to see and hear the players versing each other - "Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more", "Alas, poor Ablett, I knew him well" etc - in fact it is already being done by the banner makers. The Bulldogs have a local versifier who seems to spurn political correctness.

    And I do sympathise with Wolfie on this one. I wonder what would happen if some enterprising people started arranging Australian Rules matches, and whether the AFL has grounds to interfere.
    He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)

  12. #12
    Go Swannies! Site Admin Meg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    In the Brewongle
    Posts
    4,717
    Quote Originally Posted by Blood Fever View Post
    Everyone used to know what 'Aussie Rules' was and surely still would.
    I have an eclectic set of interests and hence a broad range of friends & companions, many of whom don�t follow sport. So no, not everyone in Sydney necessarily knows what �Aussie Rules� is (unlike Melbourne or Sydney where Aussie Rules is a quasi religion).

    As I said earlier though, they do seem to understand when I say �AFL� and certainly when I mention the Swans. The Swans have strong brand recognition in Sydney even amongst non sports lovers.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO