American REACTS to Australian Football Rules - FIRST TIME WATCHING

[@user-bf8ud9vt5b]

Welcome to Aussie Rules footy, which has been around since the 1850s! :) 🇦🇺 3:39 Technically speaking, the rule is you can't run *further than* 15 metres without having bounced the ball (or otherwise touch the ball to the ground), which the umpires judge by eye. In reality, players bounce the ball every few strides to make sure and rarely run too far. 5:43 He said "take a mark". A 'mark' is a catch from a kick that's travelled at least 15 metres (approx. 16 yards), which the umpires judge by eye. The catcher can then choose either to take a free kick from where he caught ('marked') the ball, or he can chose to 'play on', if that's to his team's advantage, but he then loses immunity from being tackled. 7:59 The MCG holds 100k spectators. India is playing a cricket Test series vs Australia at the moment. The combined attendance over the course of the five days of the most recent match at the MCG (the 'Boxing Day' test which commenced the day after Christmas) was over 370k.

[@Chaddington98]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@drunkpaulocosta]

​@@Chaddington98 just think how much they make selling drinks and beer and then adjust that for the fact its 12-15 dollars a beer. Haha

[@janedoe4471]

@@drunkpaulocosta and it’s been 40 degrees centigrade here the last few days.

[@Rob_D74]

If you look at the football field from a wide shot you will see that the grass is mown in different directions, causing it to look light or dark coloured. Each coloured band is 10 metres wide. This is how the umpires and players can judge distance. In addition, most players have played the game since they were 5 or 6 years old, so it has become instinct to know how far they can run Running at full speed most players will cover 15 metres in 10 steps, I used to umpire state league football and as an umpire you would count the players steps, and you would give the players 12 steps and at 13 steps with bouncing the ball, you'd blow the wistle.

[@jakeaustin4]

@@Rob_D74 players judge based off 15 steps not the grounds grass cuttings. Were taught from juniors 15 steps.

[@Richard-darixdax]

Afl is older than every American sport.

[@MrByrdbath]

so why then is it only played in Aust-speaks volumes

[@fillinblankspace]

@@MrByrdbath Gridiron, baseball and basketball are fringe sports in Australia. The AFL Grand Final crowd in 100,000 and has no half-time entertainment, because it isn't deemed necessary.

[@steve8510]

@@MrByrdbath It's played at an amateur level in Japan and a few other countries, but sadly no other countries seem able to run all day, jump on opponents shoulders and smash guys twice their size into next week.

[@KathrynHolland-g3s]

​@MrByrdbath because it's Australian. Just like American football isn't played around the world. There are some Aussie Rule competitions in other countries, including in the US. There are also some American football competitions in other countries, including Australia. Both are not overly popular though in our respective countries.

[@MrByrdbath]

@@fillinblankspace entertainment is pre match-which it seems is deemed necessary

[@ayatollahofarocknrolla403]

It's the greatest game on planet earth and hardly anyone outside of Australia knows about it. It's been played for over 150 years and we have some of the oldest football clubs in the world. Aussie rules football isn't life or death....It's far more serious than that

[@horatiomh]

The ground is so big that the players look normal sized but when you stand amongst them you realize they're huge

[@Eyclonus]

Yeah, there are a few guys who are average size, but understand that 6' is on the short side for them

[@stevepark1123]

If you get the chance, check out these two videos - 1 - Mason Cox : "Don't believe in never" Mason Cox is an American playing AFL. Mason journey from the U.S. to the AFL. ( Running time 7:22 sec ) 2 - " Top 50 AFL Marks of all time " ( running time 15:24 sec ) Enjoy cheers thanks 🤠🪃

[@anthony-po4ho]

don't introduce the poor guy to Collingwood

[@WaDarkPhoenix]

@@anthony-po4ho Or Mason Cox. It's easy going OH THE AMERICAN WILL WANT TO WATCH AMERICANS. But Cox is a wanker.

[@stevepark1123]

@ Oh ok 😂😅 but it's a good video. And good story. Go the Bombers !!

[@spinkscapes775]

That Gary Ablett non-mark at no. 2 on the "greatest marks" video always makes me angry.

[@gamortie]

Anything with Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is worth a look

[@andrewhazlewood4569]

The claims about the player’s strength and fitness is not exaggeration. Players run further in a game than any of the other football codes and it has a lot of physical contact.

[@Ken-f1q]

A friendly soccer match between Liverpool and Melbourne Victory at the Melbourne cricket Ground was attended by over 95,000 fans.

[@laurawallis7093]

The 'you'll never walk alone' from that is a great video to watch.

[@Ken-f1q]

@@laurawallis7093 Agree. Very moving.

[@sunisbest1234]

I never realised it was from that match. 😮

[@steve8510]

Per head of Capita Aussie Rules has the highest attendances in the world

[@MikeyIsSoGreen]

Statistical fact.

[@MrByrdbath]

and funnily enough is only played in Aust

[@MikeyIsSoGreen]

@MrByrdbath Yes mate. Only played in Australia. Unlike all your colonist sports you introduced to the countries you colonised, and all the colonies are better than you at said sports 🤣

[@MikeyIsSoGreen]

@MrByrdbath or put another way. I'm sorry that we, Australia, have our own sport. And are still better at yours! Losers! 🤣

[@MrByrdbath]

@@MikeyIsSoGreen still a rubbish game-can't wait for a Pride round

[@AussieTVMusic]

Catching the ball from a kick is called a "Mark". Mostly because in the old days they'd put their caps on the ground to mark the spot where they caught it.

[@brettbridger362]

The ball just has to travel 15 meters or more.

[@Davo-i1s]

The just completed Australia V India test cricket match at that ground (MCG) had a total attendance of 375,000 over the 5 day match and a television audience of 8.6 million. Yes there are a few cricket fans around the world around 2.5 billion its the second most followed sport behind 1) football (soccer) 3.5 billion . To put that into perspective for Americans the number of fans worldwide who follow the sports of 7) Baseball 500 milion 8) Golf 450 million =9) NFL 400 million =9) Basketball 400 million.

[@ElGordo1959]

8:10 the 5 test match cricket series each match scheduled over 5 days (yes 5 days!) between Australia and India finished today at the Sydney Cricket Ground (where footy is also played in Winter) but the Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or MCG or just The G (4th in the series) attracted a record total of 370,000 plus over the 5 days. It was probably one of the best tests that I've seen, equal to that of Headingly Leeds England in 1981 in The Ashes series between England and Australia. Good luck with your journey 😊

[@BeatWittwer-x8p]

The "guy that went down" in the tackle is penalised ( his tackler gets the ball to kck, play on, hand pass etc.). UNLESS he disposes the ball legally ie: via a kick or hand pass as he is tackled. It's called "holding the ball" and tackling is a key way for your opposition to gain possession ( and your team to lose it) .

[@steve8510]

The record at the MCG is 121,696 people for the 1970 Grand Final, since then a lot of standing room has been replaced with seating and it only holds 100,000 now.

[@Ragnarokex2]

to clarify.. little kids (6+) play this game in a modified format.. so learning when to bounce or touch on the ground is trained very early on - very easy to tell when a player doesnt do this in a pro game. mark is when you catch the ball before it has touched the ground after it is kicked after it had travelled more than 15metres in the air. you can keep going (play on.. by running, kicking or handballing straight away, also known as moving or travelling away from where the ball was marked) the umpire will also point the marker (person who caught the ball) on a straight line backwards from where they marked/caught the ball where they can't deviate then its play on when and if they deviate/handball, run off, kick.. etc an opposition player is standing on the spot where the player caught the ball, the other guy must kick over or around that player or even turn in an opposite direction and choose what to do. the guy standing on that spot can only stand still and wave their arms only in an attempt to block the kick for eg. mcg full capacity seating is at 100,026 right now.. but highest crowd back in the day was standing room included which was like 120k+~ (check wikipedia for that one)

[@bigpuppy9923]

A 'mark' is a 'catch'. You can either keep running or you can stop, let your team mates catch up, then kick the ball without the other team trying to stop you. As for the scoring: Collingwood - 20 & 10 = 130 .. 20 goals at 6 points each plus 10 behinds at 1 point each equals 130 points.

[@PNGIslandVIBES]

Bold claims being made... yes. But honestly, they're all true. AFL is insane and takes special athletes at the professional level.

[@zatgeye7320]

sort of. yes afl players are very fast and extremely fit. But NFL WR/DB'S are all faster then AFL players. Very different skillsets. One is a long distance runner the other a 100m sprinter. Before any AFL homer tries to argue there is endless amounts of data to prove that. I just assume that data wont change your mind.

[@Cliffy1616]

@zatgeye7320 I’d agree on Average NFL WR/DB are gonna be faster than most AFL players. But there’s still incredibly quick speedsters in AFL teams that would be just as fast. But as you said AFL players are built for endurance and long distance, but there’s still players who lean more towards sprinters and burst running. During 2024 afl grand final sprint Beau McCreery ran a 10.18 second 100m dash. That’s just for last year, I haven’t looked up who’s got the fastest 100m dash of all time from the afl. But Looking up the fastest NFL players 100m dash 1968 Jim Hines ran a 9.95. And more recently Trindon Holliday ran a 10 seconds flat. So yeah I’d say it’s very fair to say SOME AFL players are just as fast. So I dunno about your “endless amount of data” when we’re talking mere tenths of seconds being the difference. And I’d be willing to bet Bea McCreery’s probably got a larger tank when it comes to stamina and endurance running as well.

[@zatgeye7320]

@ I agree with the majority of what you speak. But it’s all arbitrary and bit pointless. We are talking about the .1% of professional athletes, trained do quite different things athletically.

[@Cliffy1616]

@@zatgeye7320 I mean that’s true. But you made the claim the NFL players were quicker than AFL players, when in reality the quickest from each sport are more or less in the same ballpark. Hand waving it off as “pointless” now that your “data” shows them being fairly comparable is a bit laughable.

[@zatgeye7320]

@ not what I said at all. Your interpretation is laughable.

[@shauncudjoe1669]

He had the same reaction to the sight of the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the cricket video..."Woah, that is a big stadium!" 😂😂😂

[@Chaddington98]

Haha I’m always surprised that sports I’m unfamiliar with can fill a stadium like that. Especially cricket. I imagined it just being played in a field somewhere 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Channelhandle519]

@@Chaddington98in India the narendra modi stadium has 132,000 seats (cricket)

[@stevenboyne8023]

​@@Chaddington98the MCG as it is known as seats 100,000.

[@drunkpaulocosta]

​@@Channelhandle519 yeah tbh the only ground in India that's on par. I still prefer the Australian design for their stadiums. Especially for shade on the crowd. But it is definitely impressive. And I don't doubt for a second they can fill it. They could probably fill it every week

[@Bucketcity126]

​@@Channelhandle519yeh that stadium is great. Nothing better than seeing 132000 Indians all crying at the same time in 2023

[@andrewhazlewood4569]

Mark was explained as catching a kick (over 15 yards) on the full. You can play on or stop and kick over an opponent on the mark position. This includes Buddy Franklin’s mark (the guy you asked about who went down) but he plays as a forward and most of the time if he takes a mark he will kick for goal.

[@demondave6256]

Aussie Rules Football was initially created for cricket players to play a sport during the offseason back in the 1850's and was played outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Since the shape of the ground is the same, most teams play their games at cricket grounds such as Sydney Cricket Ground, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Brisbane Cricket Ground also known as the Gabba.

[@mddawson1]

The oldest football code in the world. The original rules written in 1859, four years before the first rules for Association Football (soccer) were written. As for highlights to watch, look for The best goals of Eddie Betts

[@jimgrayden4801]

Nic Natanui highlight reel.

[@gregself6203]

Grand final tickets are like gold. Because the ball can cover big distances quickly and so much strategy goes on away from the ball, the game is definitely better watched live. The girls are pretty good too but have only been playing at the top level for a few years.

[@jessicaprofitt6983]

What’s really interesting about Australian stadiums in comparison to American grounds is that Aussie grounds have limited parking. They are primarily accessed by public transport. We have a very extensive transport network

[@Lifeoutback220]

1. NFL American football USA 2. Bundesliga Soccer/Football Germany 3. Premier League Soccer/Football England and Wales 4. Australian Football League Australian football Australia 5. Nippon Professional Baseball Baseball Japan

[@peelapotata4001]

what about basketball

[@DoubleDummy]

@@peelapotata4001 8th with an average of 29,000. taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attendance_figures_at_domestic_professional_sports_leagues

[@Anthony-z5i]

The ‘mark’ is the AFL term used for catching the ball on the full plucking it from the air. It cannot touch the ground first. the ‘mark’ would be because you can stop and where you caught it ‘marks’ the spot where you can stop. Either you ‘play on’ and keep running, or you are allowed to stop, go back and line up your kick to wherever you want. Forward, back, aim for a goal etc..

[@jessicaprofitt6983]

What’s really interesting about Australian stadiums in comparison to American grounds is that Aussie grounds have limited parking. They are primarily accessed by public transport. We have a very extensive transport network. Also AFL players are very popular in NFL as kickers because of their kicking skills

[@michaelgrantham125]

Good on you mate. For taking an interest in the sport my Pop my Dad my brother my mates and me played every winter. I'm a fan of the mighty Adelaide Crows. A suggestion would be to watch Eddy Betts highlights. He was an amazing Indigenous Australian player that won Goal of the Year 4 times. A record that will never be broken. No one did it better than him.

[@judileeming1589]

Firstly, to explain the score 20. 10. 130 shown … the 20 is goals and are x by 6 = 120 + 10 points (behinds) = 130 (NB: Goals are always worth 6 points) sorry for edits, recovering from eye surgery. The AFL supporter base is mainly in the Southern States, Western Australia and the Northern Territory with a small footprint in New South Wales and Queensland and vice versa for Rugby in Victoria. However, attendance for AFL was over 8 Million compared to around half that for Rugby in 2024. A NRL fan may be able to confirm this, (sorry, I m an AFL supporter) but I believe the NRL consists of 16 Australian teams and one New Zealand team with the PNG joining the NRL at some future date. I have attended NRL games (my husband follows both codes and my brother played Rugby as a school boy) and I held an NRL club membership when we were in Townsville, but AFL will always be my favourite code. Oh, and coincidentally, there is a gridiron club and field n the suburb over from me in Melbourne. You should look into the USAFL which has a couple of thousand players.

[@peterflynn2111]

That is 10 added mins PER Quarter

[@adaptivelogic1354]

A mark is when you catch the ball after it has been kicked!! When you mark you can play on ... or yu can settle yourself and take an unimpeded kick ... which is what you would do if you are within reach of the goals!!

[@johnthring3437]

Cricket is Australia's main summer sport 90,000 + at a match between aust v England also against India. There called test matches

[@LJSpit]

In actual fact the first Australian Rules Football game was played in the 1860s (as a way of keeping fit during the Cricket off season). This means that all the sports you mentioned except Soccer came after Aussie Rules.

[@michaelflanagan6583]

1850s.

[@WraithReaper09]

Aussie Rules is the oldest, codified (1859), football game in the world. Association Football (soccer) wasn't codified till after (1863).

[@peterhoz]

Combination of many sports yet older than most of them. Rules first written in 1858, not long after Melbourne was first settled by Europeans. MCG now holds just over 100,000 following some redevelopment. Yes you can punch the ball from your hand forward sideways or backwards, but you cannot "toss" or throw it. And no not the same as volleyball, they don't hold it in their hand when serving. Now watch the other video I mentioned, beginner's guide to Australian Football which covers most of the questions you had 😊 Welcome to the best sport you've never heard of!

[@Michael-r1x5h]

"Rules first written in 1858" The earliest (hand) written 'Laws' date from 1859 and can be in the museum at the MCG.

[@djgrant8761]

A mark is awarded when you catch the ball on the full and is signalled by the whistle being blown. When you say Rugby most people think of Rugby Union. In Australia we have two forms of Rugby (Rugby Union and Rugby League). Rugby League is the game closest to American Football. Rugby Union and Rugby League look very similar but there are slight variations in the way each game is restarted after the ball goes out if bounds, the scoring and the tackling setup.

[@gregoryjohn4]

Last week, Australia played India in a cricket test match at the MCG. The total attendance over the five days of the match exceeded 373,000.

[@d.o.m.494]

373,691 people just watched a cricket match over 5 days at the MCG.

[@practicalnottactical]

Almost every American asks the same question about the travelling rule "bounce the ball every 16 yards". It's not "every 16 yards" , it's "at least every 16 yards". Or more correctly, at least every 15 metres.

[@Chaddington98]

Yeah it makes more sense that the players do it every few steps haha

[@EmbraceThePing]

As I understand it umpires count the steps taken by the player holding the ball to help judge the 15m rule.

[@stabsfeldwebela4178]

When you play, you have an awareness of how far you run as part of it being ingrained like any other sport. It’s mostly a rhythm you develop when young, very rarely will a player get pinged for running too far, the times it does happen is when they have been pressured defensively without a passing option. Regardless it’s an unforced error when it happens.

[@janmeyer3129]

Think about it the other way around. Rather than being a combination of other sports (it predates most of them and may be the descendant of an aboriginal game called Marngrook), think of it as the primeval game from which other varieties arose. It does have a companion game in Gaelic Football & internationals, with a blend of rules, are played from time to time.

[@InfinitePlain]

Marngrook is an invention of 1970s left wing academics. The game closest in rules played overseas is Harrow School football.

[@themoonisaharshmistress4847]

The very first and greatest difference that makes Aussie rules unique is there is no off side rule.

[@katherineschmidt2075]

If he's " run down" that means " holding the ball". This then means his opponent gets the ball because he didn't dispose of the ball correctly by kicking or handballing. A "mark" is catching the ball from a kick. A handball is generally used when they don't have enough space to kick as their opponents are too close, so they can't be pinned for " holding the ball". Next watch a full game, so you can get the grasp of it properly. Most are on " Fox Footy".

[@stevep2430]

You do have an Aussie rules competition in America, I think they celebrated 20 or 25 years existence not so long ago.

[@TheKira699]

There is no offside for one, they said clearly that catching the ball is called a mark catch/mark. If you catch the ball (called taking a speccy which is slang for taking a great Mark) and fall on the ground, you can get up and Play On if you wish, or take a set kick . Forget any rules of NFL. Now the USA does have some AFK clubs and teams so enquire where you can go see a local game.

[@sockpuppetbitme]

Of all the many sports I've ever played, AFL is easily the most fun and exciting time you can have out on a field.

[@kayelle8005]

If you are serious about coming to watch a game of Aussie Rules then I highly recommend the Anzac Day match on 25 April 2025 between Essendon and Collingwood. It will be a capacity crowd so you’ll get the full experience.

[@jamesszabadics5911]

True but on the downside you'll have to watch Collingwood

[@EarlJohn61]

@@jamesszabadics5911 and Essendon, which while not worse than Collingwood, is dam close!

[@PeterSimmons-ss6yj]

@@jamesszabadics5911 You are just jealous because Collingwood and Essendon get the day game on ANZAC Day.

[@greggliddon9677]

Come on, we all know the best game of the year is Geelong v Hawthorn on Easter Monday....especially when both are near the top of the ladder, failing that 'Big Freeze' is a great game too...although, the whole having to watch Collngwood thing comes up again

[@martinwhite3559]

Funnuest thing ever as I am a Bombers fan from way back.

[@andrewhazlewood4569]

AFL was invented as a sport to keep cricket players fit. It may have been based on marn grook which is a game that was played by aboriginal Australians (who are highly represented among the best AFL players of all time).

[@krazywog]

You need to watch the updated version

[@mattd6593]

At the end where you were asking about the guy who went down and what happens. There is a rule called "holding the ball" where basically when tackled you have a few seconds to dispose of the ball with either a handball or kick else a "free kick" is awarded to the opponent who is then allowed an unimpeded kick. Usually, the supporters of the team will scream "BALL" appealing to the umpire for a free kick, quite intimidating when you have 70 000 people all yell this at once. Also, much like the NFL, the AFL has cracked down a lot in the last few years on head contact due to CTE lawsuits. The game used to be very brutal, if you want to see look up AFL hits from the 1970s or 80s, what those guys did then would see you suspended for 6 to 12 games now,

[@JustSomebody-e9h]

Every time I watch this video I’m annoyed at how they introduce “marks” when showing a “specky”. They make people think that only a specky can be a mark. Such a core concept which they’ve butchered.

[@danjam888]

Or how they show the scores which look confusing to a newcomer and the narration is suspiciously silent for just that crucial part of the video.

[@JustSomebody-e9h]

@ 100%. I think I’ve got too much time on my hands, I’ve watched 10+ people watch this video and only 1 has worked out what the numbers mean.

[@Chaddington98]

Haha! That’s why I didn’t say anything about the scores because I was sitting there like “he’s going to explain that, right?”

[@danjam888]

@@Chaddington98 first number is amount of goals, second number is amount of “behinds” or singular points. So you times the goals by 6, and add the second number (singular points/behinds) and that gives you the total. For example if it looked like {10} {7} {67} that’s {10x6}+{7}={67}

[@EmbraceThePing]

I've always hated this video for that reason as well. There was that other one made by the fan that copied this one (and just got it right) but I can't remember what it was called. Maybe someone can help me out.

[@TheRubeeRose]

Just watched this. Yes, the AFL is always played on cricket grounds. Cricket is played in summer (now) while AFL is played in winter. Australia has just won the test cricket series with India.

[@mato5758]

There's been a few Aussie rules players that have gone onto NFL teams as punt kickers, over the years, due to the unique way they kick.

[@ImagineMySurprise510]

Knowing when to bounce the ball comes with lots and lots of lovely practice.

[@projectone9928]

Mark is when the ball travels a minimum of 15 metres and a player catches it from a kick without being touched by a player or hits the ground.

[@davidhandson2429]

A Mark is when the player catches the ball after another player kicks it. Like in the video where the players were jumping on the shoulders of the opponent and taking the mark (catching the ball).

[@kcobley]

AFL commenced as organized competition with a codified set of rules in 1859 played in Melbourne by a number of teams, it is the second oldest organized team sport in the world. Cricket is the oldest with competitions between English counties in its modern form in the late 1700's, cricket was present in America in pre civil war society as an upper class sport in the New England states. Baseball was established in 1867 popularized during the civil war not requiring expensive equipment or maniquired fields like cricket. Soccer was formally established in 1886, prior to that local areas had differing rules team sizes and ground shapes included rugby style games.

[@JPate33]

Always blows my mind of people who havnt seen this sport before. We play this in the backyard by the time we can walk and all of it just natural so we dont even think about it

[@zwieseler]

The video mentioned a mark is basically a catch of the ball in flight. Watch a video about Mason Cox called Don’t Believe in Never. He’s the second(?) American to play AFL. There’s also an updated What Is AFL video on the AFL channel which might clarify some rules for you.

[@AnneMorley-up1qv]

Football is our winter sport and is most popular in the states of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. It is also played in Queensland and New South Wales but rugby would be their #1 sporting code. So if you want to see a match with great crowd interaction, best to visit one of the states where AFL is the top winter sport. And of course cricket is our summer sport. In fact Aussie Rules Football was invented in the 1850s to keep cricketers fit over the winter months!

[@Dr_KAP]

Rugby League is the most popular code of NSW and Queensland, Rugby means Rugby Union. More popular in NZ, UK.

[@michaelfink64]

Nice reaction again, Chaddington. In terms of how the player or umpire (= referee) knows when the ball should be bounced, it is pretty much intuitive. These guys have grown up with the game. It is usually pretty obvious to the crowd when the player has held the ball for too long without bouncing it and the crowd supporting the opposing team will yell "too far" when this happens. It is not a very common reason for a free kick because the players know when to bounce without having to count steps or anything. No, a mark is not a mark on the ground. It is a catch taken from a kick (form a team mate or an opponent) that travels at least 15 m without bouncing or being touched by another player. When this happens, it is indicated by the umpire who blows his whistle. The players who has taken the mark can choose to play on, in which case he either immediately kicks or handballs it or runs and then disposes of it. In this case, he is fair game and can be tackled. The other choice is to go back behind the mark (the place where he took the mark). An opponent is allowed too "stand the mark" (stand on the spot where the mark was taken) and the player who took the mark has 15 seconds to kick, handball or run on. If the umpire judges that the player is within scoring distance of goal, the player has 30 seconds. Whether the player played on or stops to take a controlled kick depends a lot on where the mark is taken and where his team mates and opponents are. If a mark is taken in general play, away from the goals and there are team mates free within kicking distance of the player with the ball and there is no opponent nearby who might tackle him, he will usually play on. If he takes a mark in the forward line, he will often stop to take a shot on goal. Yes, both cricket and Aussie rules are popular in Australia. Aussie rules was invented in 1858 as a way of keeping cricketers fit in winter. That is why it is played on the same shaped ground, and often the very same grounds, as cricket. More people attend Aussie rules games than cricket. As was mentioned in this video, AFL has the fourth highest average attendance (37.683) of any domestic competition in the world. NFL is first (67,100), Bundesliga is second (39,490) and English Premier League is third (38,390). The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has the highest average attendance (including AFL and cricket) of any stadium in the world (54,128). The nearest is Dodger Stadium at 45,719. The attendance of the 2024 AFL Grand Final at the MCG was 100,013. The Australia-India cricket test match played at the MCG from 26-30 Dec 2024 had a total attendance over 5 days of 373,691, a record for any test match in Australia (and the second highest of all time). The biggest crowd was on day 1, at 87,242. Not sure I entirely understand your interpretation of the guy on the ground not being allowed to kick the ball. I think you were referring to the guy who was tackled to the ground. He was penalised for holding the ball and a free kick was awarded to the opposition. This aspect of the game was not explained at all in the video (there is a more recent video which I recommended in my comment on your cricket reaction video which I think does a better job of explaining the rules around tackling and disposal of the ball), so it is not surprising that you found this unclear. The player with the ball, when tackled, must immediately dispose of the ball legally (by a kick or handball, not dropping or throwing the ball). If he doesn't and he has had an opportunity to do so, either before or during the tackle, this is holding the ball and the opposition gets a free kick. If the player has not been tackled, they can run, kick or handball. Unlike Gaelic football, there is no rule saying this can't be done from the ground. It is common for people watching the sport for the first time to notice that it combines a lot of aspects of different sports, such as soccer/football, American football, rugby and basketball, but, having been invented in 1858 and codified in 1859, it predates a lot of these sports. Good idea to come down here and watch a game. I would be happy to take you along.

[@Chaddington98]

Thank you!

[@RachelDavies-wn7ir]

Fun fact - a GPS tracker on an AFL player recorded 20 kilometres travelled in one match.

[@bernardspence5294]

First time on this channel. It is really hard to believe that a grown man in 2025 has not seen Aussie Rules.

[@adaptivelogic1354]

The Melbourne Cricket Ground can hold 110,000 people and does this for most grand finals!!

[@debkendall]

Its nothing like basketball. It was codified in 1850'2 so it was an original before the other games you mentioned. Each player runs about 15kms per game. The USA has an AFL League. If you grab the ball its called a mark. The score is 20 goals x 6 points - 120points plus the behinds of 10 points = total 130points. MCG seats 100thousand. You should look for Mason Cox- dont believe in never.

[@suemoore984]

You can handball, but you cannot throw the ball. If you do, you will be penalised and your opponent will be awarded possession of the ball. Scoring is poorly explained in this video for most Americans. When the final score was shown, the first figure was the number of goals. Multiply that by 6 to convert to points (remember that a goal is worth 6 points), then add the middle figure, which is the number of behinds (non-goals) kicked, then the final figure is that total. It is possible, in a low scoring game, for one team to kick lots of behinds that will win the game against a team that doesn't kick many goals.

[@Chaddington98]

I was wondering about the scoring haha it made no sense in the video but I forgot to comment on it. Thanks!

[@iliasmastoris529]

For your interest - there are two rugby codes - Rugby (sometimes known as Rugby Union), and Rugby League - both played in Australia. The latter most resembles NFL.

[@n_mckean]

A week ago 373,000 people (total) watched a 5 day cricket match at the MCG. Over 70,000 a day.

[@RickyisSwan]

Hey mate, first of all a "mark,"means catching the ball after it's been kicked at least 15 m. So taking a mark is taking a catch. Mark also describes the spot where the player took the mark. Opposing players may not encroach over the mark. Badly explained video because the 16 yards , (15 metres in Oz) means the player must not run MORE than 15 metres without bouncing otherwise of free kick is awarded against. Players and umpires are good at gauging this, and most players bounce after just a few steps to avoid running too far. The other wrong info is the handball. You don't have to handball it forward, you can handball in any direction, because as they said there's no offside rule. Recent grand finals have been to capacity of the MCG which is a tad over 100,000 fans. The score line of 20.-10-130 means 20 goals times six points each equals 120 points, plus the 10 behinds (pts) is a total of 130 points. Total points, not goals is the winner. Codified in 1879 was before soccer, NFL, rugby, basketball etc. You can play it yourself if you want. America has the USAFL. (for more than 25 years) that comprises 40 different leagues including a women's league. Because it's amateur, it is nowhere near as brutal as our game and it's more a social game with beers and barbecues afterwards. Aside from fourth highest attendance, it has the highest weekly attendance of any sport in the world, per capita. Search for another video called, "a beginners guide to Australian rules football." This one explains some other features. Welcome to the best game in the world. Cheers mate. 🦘🇦🇺

[@guyfaux3978]

Many NCAA and NFL punters are former Aussie rules players. There are videos discussing this fact.

[@WaDarkPhoenix]

Aspects of every game - but older than most if not all of them

[@stevemurrell6167]

The bouncing bit just means that you have to bounce the ball at least once before you have run 15m (or 16 yards) or you will get penalised for 'running too far'.....so you can bounce it every 10m if you want. A 'mark' is a catch.

[@allanhindmarch7323]

A mark is when you catch the ball after it's been kicked. If it's been handballed, it's not a mark and you have to play on.

[@nancyleo3987]

The Melbourne Cricket Ground was built for the 1056 summer Olympic games. Afterwards, it became the cricket field and the home of Melbourne's footy team. I was in Australia in the summer of 1999. My sister and brother-in-law lived there for four years and i went for a 6 week visit. My brother-in-law's friend, an Aussie he met at Cambridge while getting his masters of law, had seasons tickets to the footy. We went to a game. it was crazy.

[@JOHNSMITH-if9jr]

i think you meant summer Olympic games in 1956. and no it was cricket ground and football ground and it was built in 1853 way before summer Olympic games in 1956 . and yes it has had a lot of upgrades

[@Sherro1901]

re the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). They just set the cricket attendance record for a test match (5 days between Christmas and New Years) 373,691 fans. Day 1. 87,242 and Day 2 85,147 .. Day 3-5 averaged 67,000 fans . AFL Grand final in September 2024 had 100,013 fans (both were interstate teams Sydney vs Brisbane)

[@virginiasmith2982]

Check out the 2023 Grand Final. One of the best fought over the years. It was so special. Go Pies !!! 😘🤩

[@Prsboy78]

AFL was introduced in 1858 to keep cricket players fit in the offseason. A cricket coach saw kids playing a game of Marn grook (an indigenous game of football) and came up with rules and a scoring system........... Thus the beginning of the best game ever. Aussie kids would play cricket for half the year (during the hotter month) and AFL for the other.

[@Prsboy78]

There is a better explanation videos of the game that will give you a better understanding of the game. Players can run up to 25km in a game. When you catch a ball that has been kicked over 15 metres on the full it is called a mark. When marking a ball yes you can use another player but you can't use your arms to climb them.

[@user-bf8ud9vt5b]

What rot. How does thus ridiculous myth persist?

[@Michael-r1x5h]

@@user-bf8ud9vt5b Marngrook has been given official recognition by the AFL but there is as yet NO documentary evidence to verify any direct connection. It fair to say that in the late 1850s and early 1860s that people playing 'football' in Melbourne considered it to be a modification of 'rugby'.

[@user-bf8ud9vt5b]

@@Michael-r1x5h There's no documentary or any other evidence that marngrook had anything to do with AFL whatsoever. The early game mostly resembled other ball games played in England. The SOLE theorised connection is Wills - who did not do much more than suggest that the various ball games being played in Melbourne be codefied into a single set of rules - just because he once lived where marngrook had been played. Wills own rule suggestions favoured making the game more like rugby, which he had played when he himself was at Rugby School as a kid. The only possible similarity with marngrook - uber tenuously connected to Aussie Rules via Wills - is reportedly the jumping up to catch the ball... which didn't enter into Aussie Rules for decades after it was first codified in the 1850s, long after any Wills contribution. It's actually ridiculous that marngrook is even slightly considered to have been part of the invention of the game, yet ridiculous myths persist.

[@antonycole3239]

AFL is the name of the top league. The sport is called Australian Rules Football.

[@laurenolney3969]

Like other sports it evolved from Mangarook (an Aboriginal game), Celtic Football and English ‘kick-about’ games, in the mid 19th Century in Melbourne, and was used by cricketers as a winter fitness game. Then games started to be played by more people but often with different rules, so a list of rules were drawn up, then teams started to be formed. The Victorian Football Association was established in 1877, which eventually morphed into VFL and then the AFL was established. But there are still hundreds of smaller local teams, regional teams and state/territory teams around the country in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania. It is a very ground up sports, with little kids, juniors and adults playing, and feeding up into the State teams and AFL. There is also now a AFLW for women to play - before they often could not play past junior level. It is a very inclusive sport and loved by millions. I also support my State Rugby team, but being brought up with footy since birth it is a sport I love. It is a sport where I can go to a game with some work mates who support Carlton (my team) and Collingwood, who are arch rival teams, and no matter who wins have a great night. Except if Collingwood lose then they get a bit sooky 😂

[@markkaminski4343]

The umpire counts the player steps when he runs with the ball. 15 steps if a player hasnt bounced it. it's a free. 18.9 km is the record a player has run in a game 11.744 miles in the modern era, but the record is 24km 14.913 miles

[@iDanPrakash]

Oh cool you saw my request 👍😊

[@kipnorris33]

If you search for AFLs greatest hits, you'll get a list of tackling compilations. Some hard hits in those videos.

[@spinkscapes775]

Your should react to Nic Nat is BACK! Naitanui's insane highlights reel. This was released in 2019 upon Naitanui's return from a second ACL injury. He then went on to be the best ruckman during the 2020 and 2021 seasons before succumbing to more injuries leading to his retirement in 2023 (spanning 2009-2023). But possibly the most athletically gifted player to have ever played the game and the video doesn't even show his incredible tap work which was almost certainly without peer in the last 50 years.

[@peterflynn2111]

A mark s when you catch the ball the term originated from marking the spot in the 1860`s

[@michaelmcgovern3769]

Each player learns in training how many running steps they can take before getting up to 15 metres.

[@brettcoster4781]

Or as school kids they learn it pretty damn quickly. Plus there's a touch of learning all about how a ball that shape bounces, too.

[@LesGray-i9p]

Best of Cyril Rioli and best of Eddie Betts. 2 brilliant goal sneaks. Unbelievable talent. 2 clips.

[@cokeglas]

Nice! Hope you get into some classic games too. As far as bouncing the ball goes, it's more of a feeling than a calculation. The crowd is the sign that someone has run too long without bouncing the ball as thousands of people will politely tell the umpire to blow his whistle.

[@barnowl.]

What makes the game interesting is the random bounce of the oval ball. That keeps the players on high alert. The footy players are supreme athletes. The game took some inspiration from the game played by the indigenous people of the western area in the state of Victoria. They called their game 'marn grook'. Tom Wills, one of the founders of the game, watched them play it on his uncle's station/farm ( on their native 'country'). There is a monument to that at/near a town named Ararat in that area. As the aboriginal culture in Australia is the oldest living culture in the world, their game would be the oldest in the world.

[@EmbraceThePing]

The Speccy is probably Marn Grook's greatest influence. There really is nothing else like it in the world.👍

[@Whiskers74]

To give you an idea how big the MCG is, to walk a lap of the top deck is 1 mile.

[@JOHNSMITH-if9jr]

hey mate showing two fingers outwards means fu off turn your finger palms facing outwards means peace or victory

[@Chaddington98]

Well you learn something new every day 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@hanspettersson504]

wrong get the the fact straight hand signs origin & meaning look it up !❤

[@JOHNSMITH-if9jr]

@@hanspettersson504 i think you should look it up im from the UK now living in oz for 40 years and know my history. and it goes back to the english archers getting two fingers cut off by the french . the ones that still had their finger left showed the french by putting their two fingers in the in the air and basically saying get f ive still got mine.

[@shaunmcgowan-d8u]

350000 people just watched a cricket match at the MCG. India v Australia. That's in the flesh.

[@DianneBentley-dq5xz]

A unique sport, please never compare it to the NFL. These guys are real athletes.

[@Anthony-z5i]

Fun fact. Most ovals in Australia for AFL are also used for cricket. They are the same oval for both sports (oval shaped). By coincidence, it was the English cricket players in the 1800’s who invented Australian football as a means to keep fit in Australia. They saw aboriginal people kicking an ‘animal’ hide around as a ‘sport’ and they came up with a similar fun fitness activity based on that. That turned into Aussie rules footy.

[@Michael-r1x5h]

"They saw aboriginal people kicking an ‘animal’ hide around as a ‘sport’ " Unfortunately there is zero documentary evidence to support that . See: 'Genesis of Australian Football - Debt to Rugby.' trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180838827

[@thomask6681]

Welcome to the Greatest team game on Earth.

[@martinwhite3559]

If you thought cricket was complicated, then Aussie Rules is even more complicated to learn, but the skills are amazing. Aussie Rules is not like basketball at all. Just watch best Goals or best Marks videos. Rugby League is also very popular in Australia and less complicated. Rugby Union is very complicated. Don't get them confused.

[@TheKira699]

Children as young as 5 learn all the basics especially bouncing it, it is surprisingly easy and it not the same shape as an NFL ball.

[@andrewhazlewood4569]

The guy who kicked it over his head to himself stuffed up a bounce (yes it is an acquired skill) but did the flick intentionally.

[@timrozitis961]

The game has evolved a bit since that video (about 2013) and a lot of the hardest contact has been removed from the game - but it's still a great game to watch once you get the hang of it. There's loads of videos out there that you could explore (including a more recent explanation (about 2022?) that was aimed at a broader audience, and a couple of ones made independently from the AFL). There's also *loads* of highlights and "best of" that you can easily find....

[@ianharkin2691]

"Mark" refers to to a catch that a player takes off a kick that goes at least 15m. It's called a mark because where he takes the catch, that marks the spot on the field where the defender stands and then the player can go back behind that mark and kick, and he's not allowed to be tackled. As they say in the video, a player can choose to play on from a mark, but then he is allowed to be tackled.

[@karenglenn6707]

Players start in primary school and learn how many bounces they personally that can do in 16 yards, it’s just learnt from an early age usually.

[@Sisterfifi]

The MCG used to hold over 120,000 before they renovated it in the 1990’s. The venue was used for the athletics in the 1956 Olympics.

[@DonHevey]

As you brought up the subject of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, it’s a curious fact that the MCG held the world record for attendance at a baseball game for quite a long time. There was an exhibition game between a combined US armed forces team and an all Australian side for the Olympics and the crowd was estimated to be 114,000 - I’m not sure when this record was broken, but I believe it stood for many years.

[@mort8143]

When I lived in Victoria, I followed AFL, or VFL (Victorian Football League) before it became national. Now I'm in Canberra, I really like Rugby League. They make AFL players look like puny blouses. Thanks for your reaction and video mate. 🙃🇦🇺👍

[@TheRammMan]

😂🤡

[@tilly8221]

Greatest game on earth ❤

[@robby1816]

The circular line at each end of the ground is 50 metres (about 54 yards) from the goals. That gives you some idea how far they're kicking the ball. AFL was invented as a winter sport to keep cricket players fit (cricket is played in summer by mad dogs & Englishmen). That's why AFL is played on Cricket grounds.

[@xymonau2468]

They just finished telling you what a mark was and you asked what it was. It's when a player jumps on the back of another player and catches the ball.

[@Chaddington98]

@@xymonau2468 It doesn’t have anything to do with jumping on a player’s back. It’s when a player catches a ball that was kicked.