Australian Rules Football in Bristol
Posted on: 21 Feb 2020Ever fancied a go at Aussie Rules Football but thought heading from Bristol over to Perth or Melbourne to try it out might be a bit of a trek? No need now, just head up to The Downs on Sunday 23rd February for a taster session with Bristol Dockers AFL.
Bristol Dockers are a friendly international club always looking for new players to join. No knowledge of the sport is required, and all ages and abilities are welcome to join. Pop up to The Downs at 1pm on Sunday 23rd February - training will be taking place opposite the water tower - or if you need more information get in touch with Bristol Dockers through Facebook or email celinagratton@hotmail.com.
What you need to know about Australian Rules Football
The playing sides
The field is huge - about the size of two football or rugby pitches and each team has 18 players at a time.
The match
Each Aussie Rules game consists of four 20 minute periods and the umpire starts each quarter by bouncing the ball in the centre circle. Once the ball is bounced, the game is live!
Scoring
A player can score a goal in between the two middle sticks, or a behind, to the left or right of the middle sticks, but inside the outer sticks! 6 points are awarded for a goal and 1 point for a behind. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
General play
The ball is moved around the field by a combination of kicking, hand-balling and running. When the ball is kicked, the players contest the ball in the air and if it is caught cleanly by a player on the same team as the kicker, it is called a mark and that player gets to take a kick without interference from the opposition. They can kick to another player who may be in a better position to score or take a shot at goal.
in "live play" when running with the ball, the player must bounce and catch it every 15 metres or so to avoid being penalised, or can pass the ball either through kicking or hand balling it to a teammate. A hand ball is performed by punching the ball in the desired direction.
That's probably all you need to know - go and join in with Bristol Dockers to find out more. You can find them on Facebook here.
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Bristol born and bred despite the name, Brendan has been working in the digital media sector for the last 10 years and advertising for the last 20 years. A wealth of knowledge about the city and more importantly at how to help businesses get as much online exposure as possible. Call Brendan on 07876 735153 or email Brendan@365bristol.com.
