I have been a bit lax with posting to my blog recently. Hopefully things will improve!!
Last weekend we went to watch my AFL team, Port Power take on Brisbane Lions at the newly redeveloped Adelaide Oval. As most of my followers are not from Australia, I will try and explain some of the intricacies of Australian Rules Football as we go along.
Brisbane Lions won the toss and elected to kick right to left in the first quarter.
To begin the game, the umpire bounces the ball, and two players jump to pass the ball to a team mate. Also, during the game the ball is tossed up to restart play.
Players can pass the ball by a "handball", they can carry the ball up to 15 metres, and they can kick the ball to a team mate.
There are 4 posts at each end of the oval, and you score a goal (worth 6 points) if you kick the ball between the middle posts and a behind (worth 1 point) if it goes between the outer posts
During the fourth quarter, Port passed the hundred point lead to eventually win by 113 points, which really got the crowd going!
Australian Rules Football, AFL or footy is the most popular spectator sport in South Australia, and twice a season the two local teams, Port Power (Hooray!!) and Adelaide Crows (Boooo!!) play in a derby match called "The Showdown. This causes much local excitement, and is akin to the big local derbys in the EPL like Manchester United and City, or Liverpool and Everton.
During the season, "The Footy Show" is on TV on a Thursday and the hosts all give their tips for the following weekend's games. These tips include a "certainty" which, if they tip incorrectly, means they have to pay a "penalty". Two weeks ago was the first showdown for 2013 and one of the hosts, Gary Lyon, chose Adelaide Crows as his certainty. Well, I am happy to say that Port Power won handsomely, and the following photos show Gary, paying his penalty.
Firstly, Warren Tredrae, a previous captain of Port Power introduced some of the young Port players to the crowd, followed by John "Sam" Newman another of the shows hosts, and finally Gary Lyon.
Gary was strapped in the wheel, ready for his penalty, until David "Kochie" Koch, the president of the club pointed out that he was still wearing a Port guernsey.
"Off! Off! Off!" shouted the crowd, and off it came!! Then strapped to the wheel again, round it span, as Port supporters pelted him with another South Australian favourite, Balfours meat pies!! "What goes with pies?" asks "Sam" Newman - "Tomato Sauce of course!!"
Debt paid!!
