Fly Ted Down Under Journeys through the land of Oz

Marvelous Melbourne

AUSTRALIA | Saturday, 4 June 2011 | Views [1122]

Before each AFL match, a banner is made with a club slogan or some kind of motivational speech to the players, who then run onto the field and smash through the banner. It is a classic Aussie Rules tradition.

I was keen to see this game for three reasons: it featured Collingwood vs. Carlton, one of the bitterest rivalries in the league, Collingwood were the defending league champions and were raising their championship flag before the match, and it was expected to be a sell-out: what would a stadium full of 90,000 people be like? Here are Collingwood members lining up as the championship pennant is brought on to the pitch. They last won the title in 1990.

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So this is it, just over 88,000 people in one place, the largest crowd I've ever seen. It was fairly evenly split between Carlton and Collingwood fans, although Collingwood is known for having the largest fan support in the league. The essence of the game is to kick a rugby/football-type ball through the opposing team's goal posts: a kick through the middle is a goal, worth 6 points, and to kick the ball through either of the shorter posts is known as a “behind,” worth 1 point. Players try to catch the ball within the opponents' 50 metre line, which is where you see the dramatic leaping into the air to bring it down. If successful they get a free kick at the goal.

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Fly Ted Down Under Journeys through the land of Oz

Marvelous Melbourne

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