I went to an Aussie Rules Football match today.
It would be very easy to take the piss out of this game, in a "What's all that about?" kind of a way (although any such observation would have to ignore the fact that any game which you are not familiar with seems bizarre compared to the ones you are familiar with. And that in fact most sports are pretty weird if you can stop and look at them with fresh eyes), but once you get the hang of the rules it is actually a pretty good sport.
The most impressive thing about the experience though was what a great time the crowd had. It was an entirely mixed audiences with all generations happily attending and what seemed strange (but again with a bit of consideration actually makes the UK seem strange and fucked up) was that the fans of the opposing teams were not segregated. They sat alongside each other and though there was a little good natured barracking (as they call it here), there was no trouble.
The Australians have realised that sport is essentially an entertainment. That if your side beats another, it gives you an opportunity to feel superior, but that in your heart you know that their victory is nothing to do with you and is not important enough to hurt anyone over. Perhaps in the UK we have so little in our lives that the fate of a game involving 22 men kicking a ball about is worth smashing someone's face in for. But in Melbourne they have things in perspective.
It was simply marvellous to see a sporting event where women and children made up a significant proportion of the crowd. The game was close until the last quarter. We all enjoyed it. Then one of the teams of men won (I was pleased because I preferred the colour of their jerkins). Some of the crowd cheered, others sort of screwed up their faces, tutted and said "Ah well. Never mind."
Then we all walked out of the stadium in an orderly and trouble-free manner.
Maybe the autumn sunshine that we basked in as we left was enough for us all to know we didn't have to take the game seriously.
But the pitch was circular and it was a bit like rugby but different, what's that all about?
