Australian Rules/AFL - what's in a name?

[Bloods05]

I must say I don't think a few staged head highs by the smalls in the comp are that big a deal.

In comparison to all the other crazy ways players on the field aim to gain an advantage grappling holding blocking every two seconds of the game.

Those situations happen a bazillion times a game and some lead direct to 6pts vs the odd staged head high.

I mean being shorter myself playing AFL the amount of hits to the head you receive that are not paid vs what are paid is so out of proportion........ it is completely insane that this is never talked about!!!!!

You played AFL??? Who for?

[goswannies]

You played AFL??? Who for?

AuntieG could potentially just mean Aussie Rules as opposed to at the AFL level. Sometimes people will refer to it as AFL to distinguish it from other football codes.

[Bloods05]

AuntieG could potentially just mean Aussie Rules as opposed to at the AFL level. Sometimes people will refer to it as AFL to distinguish it from other football codes.

"Aussie Rules" distinguishes it from other football codes.

[sharp9]

"Aussie Rules" distinguishes it from other football codes.

Sorry - can’t agree there. We had this discussion a decade ago. Plenty of people refer to the sport of Australian Rules Football as “AFL.” Horse. Bolted. Sorry

[goswannies]

"Aussie Rules" distinguishes it from other football codes.

I’m not saying it doesn’t. I was offering an explanation re: AuntieG. For all I know AuntieG is a triple Brownlow medalist and did play AFL (although that would have been VFL )

Sorry - can’t agree there. We had this discussion a decade ago. Plenty of people refer to the sport of Australian Rules Football as “AFL.” Horse. Bolted. Sorry

Thank you

[i'm-uninformed2]

I thought i knew everything until i had grandkids . Now im learning half the words in the Merriam Webster were invented after they were born ! What hope do we have !

Did you find Bangalore in your wanderings?

[Bloods05]

Sorry - can’t agree there. We had this discussion a decade ago. Plenty of people refer to the sport of Australian Rules Football as “AFL.” Horse. Bolted. Sorry

I'm still chasing that horse. Can't stand it. I put it in the same category as "naming rights" for grounds. The AFL corporate types can call it what they like. We don't have to slavishly follow suit.

[Auntie.Gerald]

yep sorry

Forest > 89 onwards Wing
NorthShore > 93 onwards Wing, small forward or run with...............awesome years of my life and to train with Chris Langford in his last year of AFL when he was still playing for the Hawks but training at Northshore was a treat

NOT AFL lol.............ive had covid19 and seriously my brain has been upside down and back to front last few weeks

[stevoswan]

Sorry - can’t agree there. We had this discussion a decade ago. Plenty of people refer to the sport of Australian Rules Football as “AFL.” Horse. Bolted. Sorry

Nah, that horse is lame.....so it can't even bolt. It must have been an interesting but ultimately flawed discussion a decade ago. The official title of our game is Australian Rules Football. AFL is just an Australian Rules Football league.

[RogueSwan]

So do you "google" or "search the internet"?

[Maltopia]

Agreed. However, it is interesting to note that because it has been traditionally a male dominated sport with male dominated leagues, it is even more important to differentiate the sport 'Aussie Rules' from the annual competition/league which is the AFL.

Compare this:

- Man says I played AFL.
- Woman says I played AFL.

The first statement could be true, or it could mean to some that they played Aussie rules.

The second wouldn't statement couldn't be true. A woman would say I played in the AFLW or I played Aussie Rules. Women are not allowed to play in the AFL.

Just because plenty of people refer to the sport as AFL, doesn't make it correct.

[liz]

Agreed. However, it is interesting to note that because it has been traditionally a male dominated sport with male dominated leagues, it is even more important to differentiate the sport 'Aussie Rules' from the annual competition/league which is the AFL.

Compare this:

- Man says I played AFL.
- Woman says I played AFL.

The first statement could be true, or it could mean to some that they played Aussie rules.

The second wouldn't statement couldn't be true. A woman would say I played in the AFLW or I played Aussie Rules. Women are not allowed to play in the AFL.

Just because plenty of people refer to the sport as AFL, doesn't make it correct.

That's not logically coherent. If the man's statement has a second meaning, then that meaning can surely apply to a woman who makes the same statement. Indeed, in her case, you might argue there is no ambiguity (because she can't have played in the AFL*).

This might distress our brethen (or indeed, sistren) from the southern states, but some decades ago, the AFL (being the organisation that runs the Australian Football League, but also has influence over all levels of the sport played in this country) decided to market the sport in NSW and Queensland as "AFL". So many of us easily slip into using that term to describe the sport as well as the league.

*Unless she's Dani Laidley