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Is it really Australian football? "Air Ping Pong"?

Growing up in Queensland after WWII, I only became aware of the “Australian Rules” when I was in grade school in fourth grade. My school offered both the Rugby League and the Australian Rules as winter sports. I chose to play our Australian game. I soon learned that fans of the other game called it “Air Ping Pong,” which was by far the most popular soccer played in the state.

In retrospect, in the mid-20th century, I can see the justification for this belief. The ball was often kicked high in the air to catch it overhead or away from the scoring player. Each mark or free throw often resulted in a save in which the attacking player kicked the ball from behind a mark indicated by the referee. So the game was somewhat static.

After each hit / stop, the ball bounced in the air for a rucking competition like a kick in basketball. The soccer ball can be hit with the hand or thrown forward; he kicked the ground and the team scored by kicking the ball through all four goal posts. There were tackles but within certain rules. All in all, football spent a lot of time in the air.

However, the term “Ping Pong” implies a soft game. This is where our national game’s nickname was so misleading. Australian football is a 360 degree game. There is no offside. Players can be tackled, pushed, or hit from any direction. In those other soccer games, the tackler is in front of the player. Then the players see the tackler coming. Added to that point, there are 18 opposition players ready to tackle, push or hit instead of 13 or 15 in those Rugby games.

The modern game of Australian football ridicules that nickname.

It’s the game you have

  • The largest oval;

  • Has the most players involved of any soccer game in the oval game;

  • It is played for longer.

The modern version sees players constantly running from one end of the field to the other. (The oval is an ellipse about 160 meters long with a width of 120 meters in the center of the oval. Rugby ovals are rectangular and only 100 meters long).

Tackling has become a feature of the game. The tackle seen in the game is as strong as it is seen in Rugby games, except it tends to be one-on-one. The goal of the tackler is to strip the soccer player and put him on the ground.

Because the game is so fast with lots of fierce runs and tackles as well as high scoring, the number of injuries has risen from basically soft tissue injuries to knee reconstructions, concussion, broken bones, to name just a few injuries.

The game has become so fast that it is now refereed by two or three or even four field referees, depending on the particular competition at the open level.

A player in our Australian game must master many more skills than in Rugby games. The player must be able to kick both feet with a variety of kicking styles; handball in different ways with both hands; spoil a brand; be able to hit and shepherd an opponent; dodge the players; runs quickly bouncing a ball; lift a ball off the ground running at a good pace and kick goals from all angles.

Finally, the game at the highest level has turned professional with almost daily training and play occupying all but 4 weeks of the year.

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