Week 491 – Aussie Rules Football & St. Kilda

On my first Saturday night, we decided to go to an Australian Rules Football game — "footie." All I remember from when it was on ESPN in the 1980s is the signal for a goal by a guy in a white outfit. It seems many people have the same, and only, recollection.

Richmond vs St. Kilda — MCG

We picked Richmond vs St. Kilda as a) it was the game being played and b) it was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which is one of the most famous stadiums in the world. It was a home game for Richmond which is located nearby but St. Kilda is also in Melbourne so it was a derby. Great, family-friendly atmosphere. Good seats were affordable, beer was $6, and fans from both teams sat together — no separation (like the EPL) nor fights (like the NFL). Stadium was only about 60% full — but capacity is 100,000.

The game has a lot of action and the field is huge — a 150-yard oval (like cricket) and they have 18 playing per side at a time. St. Kilda was up 24–1 (you get 6 points for a goal, 1 point for just missing in the side uprights) before Richmond mounted a comeback to eventually win. Right before halftime it started to pour and unfortunately we were in a space where we weren't covered. We made a quick escape to an Uber and were back to the hotel within 15 minutes.

Background — Australian Rules Football

Australian Rules Football (AFL) is played on an oval field typically 135–185 metres long — the largest playing field of any football code in the world. Teams of 18 players on each side score by kicking the ball through the tall central posts (6 points) or the shorter outer posts (1 point, called a "behind"). The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) holds 100,024 people, making it the 11th largest stadium in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The AFL Grand Final, held at the MCG each September, consistently draws near-capacity crowds and is the highest-rated annual TV event in Australia. Shane Warne — whose statue stands outside the MCG — was considered the greatest spin bowler in cricket history and died in March 2022.

AFL standings — St. Kilda ahead at time of game

Shane Warne — I met him in the late 1990s, had no idea he was the "Michael Jordan of cricket." Sadly, he died a couple of years ago. · Standings at the time — St. Kilda ahead

Iconic goal signal AFL — guy in white outfit

We were between two sections — when it rained we were going to get drenched

Iconic goal signal · We were between two sections of the stadium — when it rained we were going to get drenched

Melbourne Park — home of the Australian Open, next to the MCG · The field is huge

AFL field — huge — note the seagulls on the field, hundreds of them

Field is huge — note the seagulls on the field. Hundreds of them.

Picking an AFL Team — Criteria

1 — Are they any good? Richmond traditionally better, but St. Kilda ahead in the standings.

2 — Local connection. Richmond closer to where I will be working.

3 — Colours. Richmond was the bumble bee motif like the Pittsburgh Steelers (a big negative) and St. Kilda was traditional red, black, and white.

4 — Of course, there are several other Melbourne teams I need to consider — such as the North Melbourne Shinboners.

Port Melbourne to St. Kilda — On Foot

I was encouraged to check out the "suburbs" which are only about 5 miles from the CBD and Port Melbourne was mentioned. So I jumped on a tram and headed in that direction. I got off at the end of the tram and was on the beach of Port Phillip Bay in a residential area — so I started a walk on the bay path and saw signs for St. Kilda — so I started the 3-mile walk there. Very nice, a bit of a combination of Bournemouth and La Jolla. I then took the tram back and it looks like 20–25 minutes door-to-door to the office from St. Kilda — so St. Kilda could be a potential as a place to live when Sharon arrives as well as being the footie club of choice.