footy

So today I went to an Adelaide Crows vs Brisbane Lions footy match. It was unlike any other sporting event I've gone to. Today was family day (1 of 4 for the season). There were all these activities for little kids such as face painting, bouncy castle jumpy things, vertical tests, and kicking competitions. The stadium itself held maybe 10-12 thousand people, or well that's my guess. The size of the stadium, however, was much smaller than the intensity levels from all of the fans. People of all ages gathered to cheer on their hometown Crows--some people were much more serious than others. Seas of blue, red, and yellow undulated throughout the stadium; anyone sporting purple and gold stuck out like a sore thumb. AFL football is much different than American, gridiron football. Men sprint with an over-pumped pigskin, kicking it or hand-balling it from player to player. They also completely deck each other (with no pads). There are practically no penalties. The point of this running and hitting is to kick the ball through the two tallest poles--that's worth 6 points and is a goal. If the ball is kicked through a small pole and a tall one, it's only 1 point. When I was doing the vertical testing, a man told me that he's been to Tennessee and actually played AFL football in the south. Turns out there are 46 AFL teams in America, some of which just happen to be in Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolinas, Florida, and other southern states. I guess you learn something new everyday. After 4 quarters of tackling and running, the game ended with defeat for the Crows. According to the hardcore fans, the team played terrible; to me, I had no clue what was going on so I was still impressed. I'll have to keep up with the Crows when I'm back home, and I'll definitely have to search the American AFL teams.