Melbourne: Day 2

Not a whole lot of sight-seeing done today. After a quick breakfast it was back down to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch the Carlton Blues take on my now beloved Essendon Bombers.

This was also a rivalry week in the AFL, so I expected a good game. The teams didn't disappoint. On top of that, I thought I was in the front row on level two. Instead, I was right on the fence, first row. Not bad for thirty bucks. Got some great shots of the action and of the stadium.

Aussie Rules Football isn't hard to pick up on. If you catch the ball off of a kick, you get a free kick (called a mark). Any ball kicked between the two uprights is worth six points (called a goal) and if its between one of those posts and another to the outside of the main goal its worth one point (called a behind). Other then that, I honestly believe anything goes.

Essendon put on a display in the first quarter, scoring 55 points. It was an absolute joy to watch. They ended up taking a thirty point lead into halftime. (Quarters in the AFL are 30 minutes long)

However, Carlton came back, thanks to a third period where they kicked seven goals. They ended up taking the lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth was up and down action. Just when the Blues seemed to put it away, Essendon would answer. Once Essendon got within a few points, Carlton kicked a goal. It was thrilling, an emotional roller coaster...and I didn't know the rules that well. You can just feel the excitement.

In the end though, the Blues would win it by a few points, 124-121. The 64,000 plus in attendence were thoroughly entertained.

The Australian Football is unlike anything I've ever seen. It'll warrant its own post (with pictures even) once I get back to Canberra. Lots of tradition in the game, and the atmosphere was like that of a college game. Great times.

Its also possible that the MGC itself earns its own post. This coming week could be busy on the blog, so watch this space.

Tomorrow its up to Port Phillip Bay and exploring some of Melbourne I haven't seen yet. Until then...

Alan