Australian Rules Football

Question: True or False: When a football hits a player in the face or head, he or she is said to have had a “bad case of leather poisoning.”

Answer: Being hit by the ball in the face or head is known as a “falcon.” Having “leather poisoning” is a complimentary colloquialism for a player who has had lots of kicks, marks, and hand passes during a match. Such players are also called “ball magnets.”

Question: True or False: The highest number of NFL (American gridiron football) games played by a former AFL player is 159.

Answer: Former AFL player Darren Bennet played in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers and the Minnesota Vikings.

Question: A catch that is taken after the football has been kicked at least 15 meters is known as a ____.

Answer: In Australian rules football a mark is a skill in which a player cleanly catches and securely holds on to a kicked ball that has traveled at least 15 meters without anyone else having touched it and without the ball having hit the ground. Along with kicking the ball, marking is one of the most prevalent and spectacular skills in Australian football.

Question: True or False: Two current VFL/AFL teams were once known respectively as the Fuchsias and the Mayblooms.

Answer: The Melbourne Football Club, now known as the Demons, was once called the Fuchsias. The Hawthorn Hawks, a modern-day powerhouse of the competition, were originally known as the Mayblooms.

Question: A “worm burner” is a kick that ____.

Answer: This type of kick is also known as a “daisy cutter” or a “grubber.”

Question: What is the highest number of goals scored by a player in a single VFL/AFL match?

Answer: Melbourne Football Club’s Fred Fanning kicked 18 goals against the Saint Kilda Saints in 1947.

Question: There are two large and two smaller posts at either end of a football field. How many points are scored if the ball is kicked and hits one of the smaller posts on the full?

Answer: No points are scored, and the ball is given to the opposing team to kick back into play.

Question: True or False: Every Australian state and territory has a representative team in the AFL.

Answer: Despite having supplied countless champion footballers over the years, neither Tasmania nor the Northern Territory nor the Australian Capital Territory has its own AFL team yet.

Question: Which of the following is a nickname for the ball in an Aussie rules match?

Answer: Also known as the “pill” or “nut,” an Aussie rules football is made from cowhide and is machine-stitched. It is believed that the first Aussie rules football was invented by Thomas Sherrin in 1880. The balls used in AFL matches are still handcrafted.

Question: What is the derogatory term regularly used by Aussie rules supporters when describing the umpires?

Answer: As in many other sports, Aussie rules umpires are held in low regard by many supporters. The nickname “maggot” came about because umpires traditionally wore an all-white uniform. Umpires now wear a range of colored uniforms, but the nickname remains very popular.

Question: An Aussie rules fan or supporter is also known as a ____.

Answer: While there is still disagreement over the origin of the term, a “barracker” is one who cheers or shouts encouragement for one’s team.

Question: True or False: The highest attendance ever recorded at a VFL/AFL Grand Final was 121,696.

Answer: The 1970 VFL Grand Final was played between Carlton and Collingwood at the world-famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This record can no longer be broken, as the stadium’s capacity has been reduced owing to occupational health and safety regulations.

Question: Which legendary singer received universal condemnation for his performance as the headliner at the 2011 AFL Grand Final?

Answer: Said to have received about $500,000 for a 12-minute show, Meat Loaf later apologized to his fans for his performance.

Question: The Brownlow Medal is annually awarded to the AFL player who is deemed to be the “fairest and best” in any given season. Whose votes decide who wins the award?

Answer: Named after a former VFL player and longtime administrator, the Brownlow Medal is the highest individual accolade an AFL player can receive.