Ok! I admit it - I'm hooked on the World Cup...

[Craig]

There are a few things I don't understand about AFL.

Why do both teams get a chance of getting the ball back when the ball goes out of bounds? That's the one I find hardest to understand.

Why if a player drops a mark can it still be claimed as a mark? Cricket would be a different sport if you could get a wicket by simply making an effort to catch the ball.

I also feel it is a sport that rewards missing. However those are the rules, so you really can't knock it, despite the ridiculousness of the idea (and my spelling).

I guess the hardest thing for rugby league fans is to understand what's happening, it just seems like the whole game is a disorganised mess without any structure. But, each to their own.

You also have teams that give away a 'behind' (now don't do that smilie) to prevent the opposition from scoring a goal, better to give away one point then six. Not surprisingly said opposition fans are not impressed by this and boo.

[Great Birtannia]

We don't have to go backwards to go forwards in our game so ner.

[Robertinho]

You also have teams that give away a 'behind' (now don't do that smilie) to prevent the opposition from scoring a goal, better to give away one point then six. Not surprisingly said opposition fans are not impressed by this and boo.

What? It's like in soccer where instead of giving the opposition a shot at goal, you concede a corner. The lesser of two evils.

[Buddhmaster]

There are a few things I don't understand about AFL.

Why do both teams get a chance of getting the ball back when the ball goes out of bounds? That's the one I find hardest to understand.

I don't know. Changing this rule would probably have too great of an effect on the game.

Why if a player drops a mark can it still be claimed as a mark? Cricket would be a different sport if you could get a wicket by simply making an effort to catch the ball.

The rule is you must hold it for 3 seconds, or have 3 decent grabs of it. The rule is obviously not followed that closely. It's just whether the umpire thinks the player has done enough to keep the ball.

I also feel it is a sport that rewards missing. However those are the rules, so you really can't knock it, despite the ridiculousness of the idea (and my spelling).

There's two scoring areas in league and union as well. Rugby players i'm sure, are always aiming for tries, but sometimes you have to settle for kicking through the field goals. I know it seems stupid to those foreign to it, but it's really not that far fetched

I guess the hardest thing for rugby league fans is to understand what's happening, it just seems like the whole game is a disorganised mess without any structure. But, each to their own.

That's exactly why you feel that way, because you watch rugby league. I don't find it hard to switch from AFL to NRL, because NRL is very simplistic and easy to watch from a casual fans perspective. But going the other way could get a bit confusing, and i'm not surprised you guys can't watch AFL.

[Craig]

What? It's like in soccer where instead of giving the opposition a shot at goal, you concede a corner. The lesser of two evils.

I forgot I'm not an expert on AFL.

This is what I have picked from going to a few AFL games in the past.

[Buddhmaster]

I forgot I'm not an expert on AFL.

This is what I have picked from going to a few AFL games in the past.

And it's a fair observation.

[howardj]

AFL - the game where they're outlawing the 'hip and shoulder' because it's too rough!

[Jono]

If an AFL player has a shot on goal and kicks the ball through the goal posts, however whilst doing so the ball has been 'touched' off the boot, or punched through the goal posts by the opposition (or even their own team mate as long as they didn't kick it) then it is only awarded one point (i.e a behind). Now why on Earth should they gain 6 points from that? That's a specific reason why a behind exists in AFL. Along with what we call 'rushed behinds' where the opposition purposely takes the ball over to concede one point in order to not allow them to kick a goal and gain six. The example of a player conceding a corner is a perfect example, however conceding a corner is seen as great defensive play in soccer whereas conceding a behind is often seen as 'weak' by the opposition's team, hence the 'boooing'. The booing is more for fun though, and is just a convention really.

[Jono]

Can't beat a CW peeing contest.

That's all you are doing, children - my sport's better than your sport.

Let me know when someone makes the air brick at the top of the wall, then we can move on.

Considering I've actually learnt something about rugby, and I'm sure guys like Brumby and Mister Wright have learnt something about AFL in this thread, its not really a peeing contest.

However, as often occurs, Scaly's input and his use of exaggerated rhetoric makes many threads in CW look like peeing contests.

[Jono]

AFL - the game where they're outlawing the 'hip and shoulder' because it's too rough!

First off, that's like insulting the game of cricket because the ICC authorities are turning it to crap with power plays and super-subs and other rule changes. Its not a blight on the game, but a blight on the authroties in charge.

Secondly, the hip and shoulder, when too high (i.e to the head) can be extremely dangerous. I'd wager to say the bumps and hits an AFL player takes would be up there with any other sport, and they don't have the luxury of helmets and shoulder pads like NFL players, yet are hit just as hard and fall from greater heights. The game being turned soft doesn't make the players soft.

[Smudge]

It's basically two groups of gigantic men getting into lines and crashing into each other (particularly in rugby league, which is the main reason I prefer union), and there seems to be virtually no strategy to it at all, aside from throwing the ball around until you find a gap in the wall of the oppostion and run through it. Never really occured to me that players having the freedom to go wherever they want would be considered a negative aspect of the game from those raised on other sports.

That's a rather simplistic view of attacking play in union and league. In union, there are a lot of one-off runners from rucks and the like, but that's all part of breaking down the defence and drawing defenders into the ruck, thus creating gaps further out.

I'm not sure if this clip will have it (and I'm on dial-up, so I'm not going to try and look), but there is a try scored by the All Blacks against the Wallabies at Wellington in 2000. If it is indeed on this clip, you'll know which one it is. It has several changes of direction, a maul set up in midfield and wonderful sleight of hand. This is what backlines are looking to create.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...1&q=All+Blacks

[Great Birtannia]

Secondly, the hip and shoulder, when too high (i.e to the head) can be extremely dangerous.

A front on hit on a player with their head over the footy would be like a spear tackle in rugby league. Perhaps we should call rugby league soft for outlawing them. Poor form.

[howardj]

A front on hit on a player with their head over the footy would be like a spear tackle in rugby league. Perhaps we should call rugby league soft for outlawing them. Poor form.

Turn it up.

The suspensions are not limited to the front-on hits.

I mean, have a look at Houlihan's hit on that West Coast player the other day.

He's facing a one week suspension for 'rough conduct'.

Get your skirts on.

[pasag]

Turn it up.

The suspensions are not limited to the front-on hits.

I mean, have a look at Houlihan's hit on that West Coast player the other day.

He's facing a one week suspension for 'rough conduct'.

Get your skirts on.

And as a Carlton supporter I think he deserved the suspension. If that sort of stuff is allowed on the field, we will have our first football death in no time.

[FaaipDeOiad]

You also have teams that give away a 'behind' (now don't do that smilie) to prevent the opposition from scoring a goal, better to give away one point then six. Not surprisingly said opposition fans are not impressed by this and boo.

As Dauth said, it's just like conceding a corner instead of a goal. You give up one point and get the ball for yourself rather than conceding 6. Makes perfect sense really.