Swans -v- Demons

We had a great day at the AFL today. We picked up Bo & Claire and got to the SCG at 1pm to watch the Sydney Swans versus the Melbourne Demons.

AFL is truly a sight to behold when watching it live. Going to see a game, it makes me think of what it would've been like to see a soccer game in the UK in the 1950s, with eveyone in their striped scarfs!

You simply cannot grasp the scale of the pitch and just how much ground 44 (!) players can cover over 4 quarters of play on TV. Each quarter is supposed to be 25 minutes, but they routinely go for over 30 minutes meaning a game of Aussie Rules usually turns out to be a 3 hour epic.

Sydney are the reigning AFL champions after winning the Premiership last season after a 72 year wait. It turned out to be a very close game, the two teams swopping goal for goal in each quarter. In the 32nd minute in the 4th quarter the teams were level at 92 points each before Melbourne snatched the final goal a minute ahead of the final siren.

Final score - Sydney: 13.14.92 :: Melbourne: 15.7.97

I really enjoy watching AFL live, especially as the SCG is a great ground but also for the fantastic tradition of 'Kick to Kick' which takes place after the game has finished. This basically means, after the 2nd siren has sounded everyone can take their Sherrin (afl ball) onto the pitch and have a kick around. The pitch is full of Mum's and Dad's with their kids and teenagers booting the ball from 80 metres trying to emulate the great Barry Hall. I just can't imagine this happening in the UK after a footy game, I'm sure the Old Trafford pitch would turn into the world's largest boxing ring!