Australian Rules Football

The Australian Football League (AFL) was first developed in 1897. It has 16 teams currently entering the competition and these teams come from all over Australia. The AFL competition is comprised of a pre-season match known as the Ansett Cup, this starts in February but the actual competition season begins in March. The Grand final takes place at in the last week of September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

This game is played on an oval pitch whose diameters are about 200 metres long and about 150 metres wide. However, this varies depending on the location in which the ground is played at.

There are four posts at both ends of the oval. the two centre poles (the goal posts) are slightly longer

than the two outer poles (the point posts). Both teams have 18 players .

Positions within the game are Forward and Back Pocket, Full Forward and Back, Forward and Back Flank, Centre Half Forward and Back, Centre, Centre Wing, Ruck, Ruck Rover and Follower. The latter three of this list can go anywhere on the pitch as they have no set position.

The ball is passed through Handballing, Kicking or Running down the pitch to the goal posts. Scoring depends on how the ball passes through the posts. The game is played in 4 x 20 minute quarters and the object of the game is to get the highest number of points by the end of the game.