Australian Football

Sports are an important part of the culture of the United States and Australia. Today we got to meet with the director of exercise science, the head of development, the sports manager, and the coach of the Western Sydney Giants to learn about Australian football. The Giants are a new football league in the AFL and are only in their fifth year of development. The goal of the Giants’ athletes and trainers are to produce elite sportsman who perform at an elite level.

Australian football is a mix of rugby, soccer, and basketball. It is played on an oval fiend with 360 degree action with 38 players on the field at one time. The only protection Australian football players wear is mouth guards. The average length that a player runs in one game is half of a marathon!

Unlike American football athletes, Australian football athletes are drafted right out of high school. The average age of a player on the Giants is only 19 years. The players on the Giants are not treated as “untouchable” like athletes in America. They are treated very well and closely monitored. Their housing and food are all paid for. On top of that, they make anywhere from 100,000 to one million dollars per year for playing. 

The fans have accessibility to professional leagues practices which is very different than in America. Today we got observe a full Giants’ practice and even meet some of the players! Below is a picture of some of the players lifting in the training room. One of the challenges for Giants football is the development of supporters and fans. Since they are a new team, it will take about 20 years to create the fan base of 80,000 per match that they are hoping for.

The teams in Australia are not privately owned like some of the teams in America. Sponsors play a huge role in supporting Australian sports. They are especially important when starting up a new organization, such as the Western Sydney Giants. Skoda and Life broker are two of the big sponsors for the Giants.

Fun Fact: “Dodgey” is an Australian term for “sketchy” or “janky”