Footy!!!!

I agree that football, or gridiron as it is called here, is the best sport around, but there is a distinct lack of interest in it here. Which, I might add, is great when your team loses the Superbowl and you don't have to hear about if for days on TV, radio, etc. It is easy to take the big losses, but you do not get to watch it. Or sportscenter for that matter.

However, there is plenty of football here. And it comes in all forms. And it hard to know what anyone is talking about when someone says the word "Footy". Footy can mean any of four things. Soccer, Rugbee Union, Rugbee League, and Australian Rules Football. However, if you listen more closely, Soccer = 'football', Rugbee Union = 'Rugbee', Rugbee League is 'NRL' or 'League', and Australian Rules Football is AFL. That is, of course, until you head to Melboure or WA, where they are mostly obsessed with AFL and so that is what footy referrs to. I have now had a chance to go to several different events. I will put a few photos of each if i can in this and the next few posts.

First of is AFL, as seen above. This is the Sydney Swans vs the West Coast Eagles, a rematch of the final the last two years. This team has played 4 or 5 consecutive times with each match being decided by only one point. Anyway, great fun, fast paced, and remarkable how accurately and far these guys can drop kick on the run. I would not be suprised to see a few of the punting in the NFL at some point. The Telstra dome (in the Olympic Park) was a solid venue. However, due to population differences and what not, an 80,000 person stadium is rare and rarely filled. When I try to explain that there are university girdiron matches with over 100,000 people, it is hard for people to picture here, especially since they sell out, too. The match I saw was exciting, and again, sydney only lost by one point after a great comeback.

Most importantly, though, is the picture of the crowd. Most of you probably recognize the wave trying to be started. This proves there are dumb fans everywhere. The wave is waving goodbye in blowout as I know it, but low and behold, midway through the first half with the opponent doubling up the swans score, these people spent alot of time trying to get it started. Good fun, though.