A Dutch Life

This weekend was the biggest weekend of the year for the best sport on the planet, Australian Rules Football (AFL or Aussie Rules). Grand Final Weekend. After 26 weeks of football it all comes down to one weekend, and two teams, this year the Geelong Cats and the Port Adelaide Power face off in front of over 110,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). It ended up being a record breaking win for the Cats (even making the BBC), their first grand final victory in 44 years, smashing Port by a record 119 points. That is a massive victory at any time of the year let alone a game meant to be between the best and second best in the competition.

I remember watching the Cats play in 4 grand finals and loose every one of them, so I’m actually really pleased to see them come through, congrats.

Now, about the game. I talk to quite a few people over here about the sport. Holland, like England, is Soccer (or football) mad, and so people often ask if I like it and ever played it. It’s one sport I haven’t played, though I would probably like it, particularly being a goalie. When I mention I played Aussie Rules I always get a “What is that?”. Let me tell you, there a very few questions as difficult as explaining to a Dutchman exactly what Australian Rules Football is. People inevitably think you are talking about Rugby, then when you explain it’s not, they move on to American Grid Iron. Then you say its not, they just stand there looking puzzled. A couple of times I have tried, “Well, its a little like the Gaelic Football they play in Ireland”, after which I’m faced with two problems. Explaining Aussie Rules AND Gaelic Football.

Perhaps the best way to describe it is with some of the years highlights, check this out!

In a future post I’m might take some time to rant about how and why soccer is so terrible by comparison, I’ve really tried to get into it, even if only to get my monies worth from newspapers by being able to read the sports pages, but after a few years I gave up. Yawn!

P.S. Note carefully, after an AFL player gets hit, he gets up as quickly as he can smiling. Contrast that to the laws of physics defying soccer players who roll around on the ground in agony for minutes if someone even accidentally step on their shoelace!