Well, I guess we all know how that last experiment turned out, don't we?
I can remember being in junior high in the 1980s and being able to watch Australian Rules Football on ESPN, via a one-hour TV program sent to the states from our friends Down Under. Stephen Quartermain was the studio host, and they'd show standings (the ladder) and game highlights from the previous week in what was then the Victorian Football League. My recollection is that Hawthorn and Carlton were two of the better sides in those days, and that Richmond was always a doormat.
I don't remember a whole lot from those days, but I do recall the old Fitzroy Lions and Footscray Bulldogs, who now exist as the Brisbane Lions (nee Bears) and Western Bulldogs. Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, and Fremantle are the squads that are still pretty new to me. I even bought a preview magazine plus a West Coast and St. Kilda t-shirt when my ship pulled into Cairns, Australia in 1993. I paid too much for them, but I was 21 and didn't care.
Unfortunately, these days, I've been unable to find any game to watch-- even the Grand Final, their Super Bowl. St. Kilda and Collingwood played two Grand Finals a couple years back (first one, remarkably, ended in a tie), and ESPN3 streamed it, but nothing since then. But through the magic of Twitter, I've rekindled my interest by following the AFL feed. I have no real rooting interest in any of the teams, but I enjoy getting the tweets, even if they play mainly during the overnight hours on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I can catch a little before I go to bed and the tail end when I'm having my first cup of coffee the next morning. Video highlights are even available on YouTube.
I don't pretend to know much about tactics-- to me it all seems like a big free for all. It's definitely not a sport for the faint of heart. But I've secured a promise from the First Lady that I'll be able to attend an AFL match should we ever travel to Australia during the season.
I just wouldn't know whose colors to wear. I'd probably just wear K-State purple to be safe.
