Back in Melbourne and back to the footy. Aussie Rules Football is one of those sports that to the first timer looks mad. Two teams of 18 running around an oval pitch after an oval ball. Some call it Aussie No-Rules Football. There only seems to be one objective. Kick said ball through a pair of very tall posts. Except there's 4 posts.

Once you start breaking the game down a bit and know that kicking the ball between the two inner, taller posts gives 6 points (a goal) and getting it between the shorter ones gets 1 point (a behind) things begin to make more sense. Then there's the kicking. A ball kicked far enough and caught being a mark. A player cannot then be tackled following a mark. The best marks are caught just nicely in front of the goal posts. A ball cannot be thrown either, instead it is punched to a fellow player. The timing comes around 4 quarters (or periods).  

Aussie Rules is Victoria's sport. It is loved by Melbournians. Since it's iinception the game has branched out into more of Australia. Although most teams are based in Melbourne there are additional teams in Western Australia, 2 in Adelaide, 1 in Sydney and 1 in Brisbane.

Yesterday I was at the St KIlda Saints vs Carlton Blues at the Telstradome. Having been to one game last year, watched a load more games on tv and had instructions from my brother and a few Aussies I sort of know what's going on most of the time. I'm also a paid up member of St Kilda. A signed and sealed Sainter.

What a fun game it was too. The weather improved, the rain held off and a first quarter saw the Saints take a 14 point lead before the Blues pulled it level. This season the Saints have blown a bit hot and cold having won 7 and lost 7 games. Without captain and usual inspiration Nick Riewoldt the Saints tend not to play so well. He's out with a broken collarbone. The second quarter saw the Saints pull ahead in the game. I was nicely positioned behnd the goal posts having a good clear view of proceedings.

Half time and the obligatory pie. Called by the makers Four'n'Twenty, commonly known as rat coffins. They're not the world's best pies but they are edible. Available at all good sporting events and 7-Elevens.

Back to the game and despite playing with a broken thumb the Saints best (the AFL's best) forward Fraser Gehrig was having a good game. The Blues fell apart. It wasn't a question of who would win, more about how many points the Saints were going to win by. At three-quarter time the Blues fans left in large numbers. As the final quarter progressed they left as Saints goals went it, although with the result decided the Blues did stage a minor revival. The final score St Kilda 23.15 (153), Carlton 11.7 (73).

The score meaning the Saints scored 23 goals, 15 behinds, totalling 153 points.

AFL website

Photos from the game

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