I have a confession to make. Although I was born in Nowra, NSW, I grew up in Adelaide, South Australia and consider myself a proud South Australian by upbringing.
That is not my confession though; my confession comes later after a bit of back story regarding my upbringing. Please bear with me, I’ll get there.
Even though I consider myself a sports fan, these days I am more of a sport(singular) fan and that sport is association football – maybe you call it ‘soccer’?
This leaves me with little time for other sports but, on a cold winter’s day, I might still occasionally turn on an AFL game (and, very rarely, some American sports on ESPN if the time-zones are kind). But overwhelmingly these days I find myself frequently bored with the home-grown game and the over-bearing hype and hyperbole that accompany it.
To combat this I tried stepping away from the self-sustaining insular bubble that is the AFL-world and returned to my childhood roots on the terraces of the Parade Oval to follow SANFL (one tier down from the AFL in SA) faded power Norwood.
This helped by removing a lot of the superfluous hype and quasi-nationalistic garbage that seems to follow the AFL world, but I love my round ball game and crave more and more football so inevitably my mind wanders during winter to how long it is until the A-League season starts anew?
“But what about rugby?” some of the north-eastern staters might be asking?
Perhaps it was the fact that nobody had pay TV in the 80s and 90s, but when I read about rugby in the newspaper it developed in my mind that all rugby was just rugby. It wasn’t until I left home and the state of SA at 20 to find my fortune in NSW that I discovered that there were two forms of rugby; the professional code of rugby league and the shamateur (at the time) code of rugby union.
Lord knows what I was thinking but that’s how it was for me as a young adult. I hate to pee-pee on the parade of those rabid expansionists who follow the NRL and see Adelaide as an untapped market, but I dare say I am not the only South Australian who grew up not knowing the difference or even understanding that using ‘rugby’ alone often necessitates a qualifier to determine which game is being discussed, lest some be confused – even these days, with the prevalence of Foxtel.
I’m willing to bet body parts that were I to conduct a random vox pop in Rundle Mall on any given week day, I would struggle to find 50 people who could differentiate between league and union.
I learnt in the military you should never ask others to do what you are not prepared to do yourself – an important consideration to keep in mind when issuing orders to your troops. Do you believe in your own orders before giving them?
As a football fan I frequently shake my head at the ignorance displayed by other sports fans with regard to the world game. Thus I was impressed by the recent efforts made by Roar Expert Andrew Sutherland to attend the Melbourne derby and witness for himself its power and passion.
It actually inspired me to go about removing some of the sporting ignorance in my life.
My first flatmate after leaving home was a Queenslander who played union and so, naturally, when talk over beers would turn to sport the Wallabies would be a topic. I had to scramble to get my bearings and learn more about the game – I distinctly remember thinking that State of Origin was the series that helped the selectors to pick the Wallabies. Face palm!
Having a larger international scene probably helped sway my preference towards the 15-man game over its professional cousin, but lately the predominance of kicking for penalty goals over running rugby has caused me much consternation. I don’t find rugby as interesting as it used to be.
Now for the confession: I have never once sat down as an adult and watched from opening whistle to final siren a complete game of rugby league.
I recognise this is a significant deficit in my sporting knowledge – and I have already stated I dislike ignorance – so this year I am going to do something about it.
By virtue of birth I am a NSW Blue so I intend to fly to Sydney this June to tick off an item on my sporting bucket list – attend a State of Origin game. Problem is, I don’t know enough about the game to fully participate in the fan experience.
I know some of the basics and of course the stereotypes fed to me by the southern media.
I know that, as in the NFL who have four downs to get 10 yards, in league you have a set of six tackles to score a try worth four points, a conversion is then attempted and if successful it gains a further two points.
I know when a player with the ball is tackled he must regain his feet and roll the ball backwards – or ‘play the ball’ – to a team mate, who then will pass left or right.
I know the defending team must be 10 metres back at the play the ball or they could get called offside.
But I don’t know what the penalty for offside is when the ref blows it?
In fact, what I’ve listed above is pretty much all that I know – that and team with the most points after 80 minutes wins.
I won’t bother with the degrading stereotypes that are perpetuated by the southern media and fans of other codes, we all know what they are and it isn’t too helpful to list them here.
So, after the A-League season wraps up, I am going to make an effort to watch some NRL games on TV and learn more about this game before Origin.
But could I ask a favour of my fellow Roarers?
If you could offer one piece of advice to a rugby league (relative) newbie, what would you say?
It could be something ‘to look for’. For example, in Aussie Rules, the goal umpire must see the ball pass over his/her head, so if you’re not directly behind the player kicking for goal, by watching the goal umpires left and right movements you can quickly gauge how close to the target a shot on goal is.
Or it could be something about the culture of the game. For example in SA we have a deep cultural distrust for most things Victorian and consider them to be about as arrogant a group of people as you will find. My grandfather used to say you could always tell a Victorian, problem is you can’t tell them much because they always think they already know it all.
Being born on the NSW south coast helps in choosing a team to follow for season 2013, too bad the Illawarra Steelers no longer exist in their own right, but St George-Illawarra are close enough for my liking so I’ll be looking out for Dragons games on Television.
I am looking forward to trying something different and expanding my sporting knowledge and I hope I learn enough to really enjoy my first Origin experience in June.
But in the meantime, help educate me. What are the things you just expect a league fan to know – stuff your dads taught you from a young age?
I hope I learn enough to really enjoy my first Origin experience in June. Over to you, Roarers!
dubbo teacher
Guest
Hi Kasey We have a bit in common. I an a NSW raised ex-soldier who served 6 years in Adelaide (Keswick Bks) and am also a returned serviceman - Timor Leste. I played league in Adelaide, as well as NT, country NSW, and Sydney park football (Campbelltown Warriors). Yes you can follow league in SA. What I loved about playing there was that because you are a minority it is like a big family. Melbourne Storm players would know what I mean... I also served in Vic for many years and gotta say both states (media/general public) were anti-rugby league. They consider ignorance a virtue by purpetuating the 'rugby' label but if their lives depended on it most/many could readily distinguish league from union. Admittedly croweaters are not as parochial as Vics who, in general, suffer from an inferiority complex towards NSW/Sydney. So I've spent 13+ years in V/AFL states but never developed an affinity. As you say it is over-hyped in Vic. I have been to games in the SANFL - watched at Norwood (my 'defacto' team because i played for their RL team) Sturt and Glenelg at their home grounds. I saw Glenelg before their 19 year old rising star went to Melbourne and became a long-term captain for Carlton. So I know the game a bit but it never moved me. Nor does RU mind you. Nor soccer although I played it as a kid. Why the violence among soccer crowds? I think it's because it's so frustrating waiting for a goal, and probably the tribal nature of many of the fans, along ethnic lines. Good luck to the new comp though, it's a good game to play and is afterall the world game. But in Australia we will never get used to the girlie antics and diving that is so much a part of the game everywhere it is played. A country with a convict heritage and proud Anzac spirit will never admire the prima-donna pussies who fall over feigning injury at the drop of a hat and showboat around like madmen after kicking a goal. And don't start me on union.
Nate Hornblower
Guest
If you can one day, get to a Sydney suburban ground for a big game. That atmosphere will be great, maybe even better than you have experienced before. Manly vs Melbourne or Bulldogs at Brookvale Tigers vs Souths at Leichhardt Oval The ANZAC day game at the SFS is quality too, Souths and the Roosters is always a good one too. Newcastle vs Manly or Brisbane at Newcastle is always big too
Kasey
Guest
It sounds like you're suggesting I jump right in at the deep end, remember I am only new to League. The equivalent to what you're suggesting would be me convincing a person new to football to join me on a trip over the border to take in an AU away to MV game..holy Hell, the atmosphere is insane, but people that jump in without testing the water first have a way of getting injured. I think I'll dip my toes into the Origin waters first and watch game 2 from Brisvegas down at my local pub assuming he can get ImparjaTV on his satellite. :) cheers.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Kasey, now obviously you are going to be a roach and that's fine but passion comes no closer than being inside the 'Cauldren' i.e. Suncorp stadium home of Brisbane Broncos, Queensland reds, Brisbane Roar and other numerous musical and sporting events. If one day the opportunity presents itself, purchase your self an origin ticket and pitch yourself against the craziest, one-eyed, slang slurring, red neck queenslanders and then you'll hopefully grasp all forms of passion from both blues and maroons. Have fun supporting dragons this year as well, go Broncos!
Kasey
Guest
2 things Oikee: 1 the phrase 'road to Damascus' implies a journey of enlightenment, rather than a physical journey to the middle East;) 2 I am ready to embrace my inner Kakkerlak(Cockroach) and try to find something Sky Blue in my wardrobe...that could be difficult, but crikey, the price the NRL charges for jerseys is criminal!
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Well, fair play to you Kasey.You're obviously fair dinkum about your standpoint, and I can't criticize that. I don't consider you a traitor at all. I grew up in Victoria, about 2km from NSW, & about 100 km from SA. So I lived in this evil 'bubble' you speak of. But, are you seriously telling me that great players like Riccuito suffered badly from his time with the AFL Crows? The exposure on the big stage, the money, the adulation? Or the Cornes brothers, or Tony Modra? Ask Darren Jarman whether he'd like to play at the MCG with the Hawks and Crows, or just go through the motions at a suburban ground in Adelaide? It's not as bad as you make out. You are entitled to your opinion however.
Kasey
Guest
Yeah, I'm well 'ard..not!! Just a football fan sick of my brothers being treated like dirt for things that would barely raise an eyebrow at the cricket.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
I'm sure you're right at the top of the Weslo trouble-makers list :)
Kasey
Guest
Steady on Nathan mate, there's still a good 3 months of A-League left to play - including finals! I'm just getting psyched up for the United v Glory game tonight with pre-game protest ready to go:) I wonder if Weslo will try to kick me out for tying a gag across my mouth..might obscure part of my face ya know...and be considered anti-social rather than a physical demonstration of feeling that the club is ignoring our voice:(
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Kasey, I'm looking forward to the first Rabbitohs-St George game now! We'll have to give each other holy hell in the live thread for the game. May the best troll win :) Up the Bunnies!
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Probably didn't find them quite as offensive as the Penrith supporters found their description though :)
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Oh my god, now look what you've done, you've gotten that can of worms absolutely everywhere!
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Classic.
oikee
Guest
Just dont forget Kasey, you are a cockroach, let go and become the cockroach. :) My very best friends are canetoads.
oikee
Guest
No it is not Damascus, Uzbekistan or Oman. You dont have to travel that far to enjoy a rivalry right here, very real, very much on par with other great rivalries. I have taken this report from another footy follower. ‘Tis the season of one of the hottest sporting showdowns in the World - as local as it gets, as raw as it gets and as brutal as it gets. The State of Origin. I struggle to believe there to be a series of fixtures which defines the very pinnacle of a player’s Rugby League career without even being an international event. Not anyone can aspire to represent their team, as the basis of selection comes down broadly to grass roots, then ability. For all the use of forefathers to represent a particular country, it is as refreshing as it is exceptional that these mighty doors remain open only to those that qualify in these very simple terms. Speaking out of turn, achieving selection to play for either New South Wales or Queensland means more to many of the lucky few than it does to play for their country in a World Cup, highlighting the sheer scale of the series. The All Star games in the USA are an exhibition of talent and skill and the Ryder Cup, invariably, is a showcase of the finest golfers on the planet; but neither can be viewed as genuine, physical battles of such epic proportions as Origin. Joining the fraternity of ‘Origin Players’ means stepping into the melting pot of the most fierce of arenas. I am a devout believer in all of the main rivalries in world football (Rangers & Celtic, Boca & River, Real & Barça) and the Origin series sits, literally, shoulder to shoulder with the very best of them. The passion in the stands for all the finest rivalries is well-documented however, in this sport, it is the players who must not take a step back. This most physical of team sports, pitting reams of forceful pride against one another, delivers a sporting legend. Every tackle is made with the weight of a State heavily behind it; every kick is delivered with the pressure of a million prayers; every punch is thrown with the vitriol of a stadium’s desire. The State of Origin series transforms a boyhood dream into a man’s honour.
Kasey
Guest
Floyd ANZAC Day for me is at Adelaide Oval after I have completed the march as an ex-serviceman(Peacekeeping). featuring the traditional re-run of the previous season's GF..Oh what's that? Its only a ' tradition' if its a Victorian one:) I'm really looking forward to the 2014 season when local footy returns to the city:)
Kasey
Guest
I’m not turning off Aussie Rules altogether. I do resent the way the game appears to be heading which mercifully hasn’t yet occurred in the SANFL. I swear though, the day the SANFL sells out and becomes AFL-SA is the day I vow never to let another cent of mine enter the AFL system at any level. Amongst the things that have me dissatisfied include relentless tinkering of the rules of a game I grew up watching that left me feeling like a newly landed immigrant at the start of every AFL season, the whitewashing of non-Victorian footy history that has occurred since the advent of the AFL in 1991 not to mention the complete disrespect given to the history of the game outside Victoria. Even with the supposed old Soccer/New football divide in the modern A-League at least one commentator, Simon Hill, makes frequent references to the long history that game has at a National League level(obviously having done his research). As far as Victorians are concerned, the attitude seems to be ‘if it didn’t happen in the VFL’ it isn’t worthy of a mention in the modern game to. For a game that likes to style itself as the Australian game, you might want to be a bit more inclusive in your outlook towards supposed heartland states like SA, WA and TAS. Like it or not Floyd in sport feelings are important and the prevailing feeling in SA these days seems to be one of distrust with the way the game is being managed by those under. Even if you once loved somebody or something, there's only so often you can be left feeling disappointed before you wake up to yourself. I 'woke up’ when I left Melbourne after uni in 2006, it’s been an interesting experience viewing the AFL bubble from an external viewpoint ever since. Perhaps you ought to try it ;) Your 1st sentence reads like I'm some sort of ' code traitor' for thinking for myself and not blindly just eating the propaganda fed to me by the mighty AFL media machine - that the game is perfect and that their version of events is the only 'truth' in existence..... In reality I'm trying to broaden my experiences by sampling the differences on offer. I too would love to visit 'new' Wembley to witness an FA Cup final. I have seen a World cup with my country in it, but I'll leave those to a forthcoming article on Sporting bucket lists that I'm working on. Docklands Stadium….money always seems available for North Melbourne’s frequent troubles, but Port get told: your problem, you fix it. If it were otherwise, why after 10+ years of profits and ST waiting lists do the Crows now have to actually advertise for members?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
'The Victorian version' of the game they established is so abhorrent to you Kasey?! Watching Norwood is preferable to the ANZAC Day clash at the MCG perhaps? I don't begrudge you, or anyone, following any football code that takes their fancy, but I'm a bit dubious about your appreciation of the game in the first place. Why else would you so readily dismiss one code in favor of all the others? It doesn't add up. But, it's a free country, and you can support whichever sport you like. Just don't push this sudden enlightenment thing too hard, it's a bit shaky to be honest. And before anyone starts shooting from the hip in anger, I'd sincerely like to attend a State Of Origin too, and an FA Cup Final as well.
Kasey
Guest
Thanks Peter, The only thing I hate more than a one-eyed zealot(in any field***), is a one eyed zealot attacking something I love like football. I recognise that football fans have a bit of an image problem in that we can come across at times to be very intolerant of other sports, but I think that’s more to do with frustration at football’s traditional lot in life in Australia than an accurate reflection of the type of mind of a person who is a football fan - most football fans I know seem very open minded about the world and even on social/political issues. I think I will always be a football fan, it ticks all the boxes for me, it is sport crossed with art, a powerful reflection of life, a pathway to the incredible highs and the crushing lows that come along to balance everything out. For me I’ve always been a fan of the adventure of life. Football gives me that in spades, away trip to Uzbekistan or Oman? Sure..why not? I’ve approached this experience in much the same way.. planning 2 trips to Sydney to see State of Origin is hardly much of a Road to Damascus, but knowledge is light, ignorance is darkness and I’m hoping to learn something and enjoy myself over the next 6 months or so. *** google “tea party American Taliban” for an interesting youtube clip from TV show The Newsroom(Jeff Daniels stars, Steven Bochco writes ) commenting on far Right ideology and pathological hatred for the US government from within.
Peter
Guest
Bravo Kasey. I have always read your comments on the Roar. The evolution of my thought pattern regarding your commentary has been: (a) Wow, a chick comments on Roar articles; (b) Ah, it's actually a bloke; (c) Wow, this bloke is almost as one-eyed about soccer as that gronk 'Fussball'; Having read today's piece I am completely turned around. I am impressed that you are willing to learn more about Rugby League, even to the point of travelling to attend a game. I hope you have a great time and that the Blues are able to break the streak. Peter P.S. 2 things to know about league 1. The most successful side of the so-called 'modern era' (i.e. when tackles became limited to 6, rather than unlimited) is the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles; and 2. No NRL player has ever been convicted of sexual assault