Aussie Rules Football: Everything you need to know from the AFL!
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G’day! The AFL season is back and we’re ready to go Down Under andtell you what all the fuss is about as we start a new season in Australia.
For Aussies the ‘footy’ season is their equivalent of the PremierLeague. It’s the most popular sport in the country and attracts hundreds ofthousands of fans week in, week out. Australians love their sport but nothingquite matches their passion for Australian Rules Football.
Originating in Victoria, Melbourne, the sport has spread acrossthe country over the last hundred years, with teams from Western Australia,Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria, making up thepremier competition — the AustralianFootball League (AFL).
With all of that in mind, let’s tell you a bit more about thegame!
How does it work?
The 2020 AFL season is still going ahead despite the ongoingcoronavirus epidemic with matches currently taking place behind closed doors.The campaign will run as usual from mid-March through until September, but theseason will be reduced from 23 rounds to a maximum of 17, with clubs to faceeach other once.
The game is 18-a-side played between two teams on a giganticoval-shaped pitch with goal posts at each end of the field.
The ball is moved around the field by a combination of kicking,handballing and running and is a physical mix of endurance and skill.
Each AFL game consists of four 20-minute periods (reduced to 16minutes for 2020) and the umpire starts each quarter by bouncing the ball inthe centre circle.
A player can score either a goal or a behind, with six points andone point awarded respectively. To score a goal, a player must kick the ballbetween the two middle posts, without it being ‘touched’ by another player. Abehind is awarded if the ball is kicked between the inside and outside posts,hits the two taller posts, or is carried behind or handballed across the goalline by a player, between any of the posts.
The top eight teams in the table go on to play finals, before thefinal two remaining teams compete in the AFL Grand Final at thebeginning of October.
Who are the 2020 Grand Final favourites?
Richmond Tigers are the defending champions and they will belooking to defend their AFL title crown in 2020. Richmond are pretty muchunchanged from last season’s championship winning squad and got off to awinning start against Carlton in Week 1.
Four-time Premiership winners West Coast Eagles are also beingwidely tipped to be title contents this time out having finally addedmidfielder Tim Kelly from Geelong to their squad as well as welcoming starplayer Nic Naitanui back to full fitness.
Where can I watch it?
Footy fans can watch live Aussie Rules on BT Sport 2 with sometasty match ups to look forward to in the AFL with matches from each weeklyround including all Play-Offs and Finals for the 2020 season.
The season opens on Friday morningwith a cracker between WesternBulldogs and Collingwood Magpies who are both 10/11to win the match. A close game is expected and this one could go eitherway. A draw is priced at 40/1.
League challengers West Coast Eagles get their season underway atthe weekend against Melbourne Demons. The Eagles are 4/11favourites to get off to a winning start with the visitors 11/5underdogs.
At the weekend, BT Sport will be showing Essendon Bombers vFremantle Dockers and Greater Western Sydney Giants v Geelong Cats. Let’splay footy!
