I attended an Australian Football League (AFL) game in Melbourne, Australia! It was a game where Richmond faced off against Carlton, two of the league's oldest and most passionate teams. During the game, I discovered the fans' fun traditions and learned about the differences between Australian football and American football. Unsurprisingly, there are quite a few differences!
Australian football, or footy, is almost like a hybrid of soccer and rugby. You can kick the ball, pick it up, carry it, pass it and even bounce it! The aim is to kick the ball between four evenly spaced posts 6.4 meters apart at each end of the ground. Six points are earned when the ball is kicked between the center posts without coming into contact with any player.
Throughout the game, I saw thousands of people wearing their team jerseys. Yellow and black represented Carlton, while navy blue was for Richmond. People waved flags and clapped together in excitement. One of the most amazing traditions was the chant between Richmond and Carlton supporters. Whenever Richmond had the ball, fans sang in unison, "Oh, we are from Tigerland", while Carlton supporters responded with a loud "woof." It was pretty amazing!
