An Englishman's introduction to Aussie Rules Football.

As some of you may know, me and my girlfriend Clare have been down under for the past three months enjoying the Australian lifestyle. Since leaving the UK on the 3rd January, we have been fortunate enough to have seen a number of incredible sights and already have enough memories and photos to fill a gazillion albums! However, me and Clare are huge sports buffs, so our obsession for all things sporty has led us to attending several sporting events, something the Australians seem to do on a grand scale! So far we have been lucky enough to watch Sydney FC vs Adelaide United in the A League where Alessandro Del Piero still looked a class above despite being close to retirement.Then we headed to Melbourne, where the petrol head side of us led us to impulse buying a set of tickets to the F1 Melbourne Grand Prix (another blog on this to come). On top of all that, we decided we would check out a sport we knew next to nothing about which was the Australian Football League or 'the AFL'.

When we were in Melbourne, we walked down to the Ethihad Stadium (almost a near carbon copy of the one in East Manchester!) and saw that there were tickets to a NAB Cup game (pre season tournament) between Brisbane Lions and Collingwood. We quickly snapped up tickets and after a few minutes of wondering what the hell we had come to watch, we quickly grasped the rules and fell in love with the game! We loved it so much we went and bought tickets to the final of the NAB Cup for the following Friday night in which Brisbane had progressed to face another Melbourne team; Carlton. Thanks to our first game, we are now big supporters of the teams and own replica jerseys with Clare supporting Collingwood and myself supporting the Brisbane Lions.

You are probably still wondering what exactly AFL is all about.Well, Aussie Rules is a quick paced game and this is why it is a nation's favourite. The sport was created when cricketers were required to keep up with their fitness during the winter months and has evolved astronomically ever since. It is now the forth most attended sports league in the entire world, which speaks volumes on its popularity amongst Australians. As previously stated, we found it hard to follow at first due to the large number of players each team has, however fundamentally the game is quite simple and good to follow. There are 18 teams in the league spread across five states in Australia, although 10 teams are based in Melbourne and around Victoria as this is where the sport was born. Each game is split into four twenty minute quarters. It is a game where the marks and catches matter as they will lead to an almost inevitable chance of scoring a goal, much like being awarded a penalty in football. The pitch is oval shaped with four posts at each end. If a player shoots for goal and the ball flies though the gaps between the posts either side of the middle posts they will receive one point. However, if they shoot the ball between the middles posts this is a goal and is worth 6 points. If a team  wins a game they are awarded four points. After the end of the regulation season, the top eight teams in the league qualify for the play offs and the final two square off in the glitz and glamour of the AFL Grand Final,which is always at the home of AFL, The Melbourne Cricket Ground or 'MCG'. Sydney Swans are the current winners of the Grand Final after seeing off Hawthorn last season.

I'll admit it does sound very confusing but once you see it in the flesh it makes total sense and the different points on offer make the game interesting and goals are not hard to come by, which makes almost every game entertaining as opposed to the chance of seeing a bore draw in football. I would describe it as almost a good middle ground between Football and Rugby. The game flows more than rugby and is played with a much quicker pace to it. Football wise, obviously there is a big emphasis on kicking goals where the similar aspects can be seen. So it combines the kicking and fast paced elements of football whilst utilising the the hard tackling and no nonsense side of rugby.

So why is it so popular amongst Australians? They certainly love the goals galore aspect of the game and the way momentum can shift so easily between teams. I witnessed this myself last night in a match between Carlton and Richmond, where both teams were dominant and went on long scoring runs throughout the game which left the tie closely balanced towards the end. I was on the edge of my seat and I don't support either of these sides, so I cant imagine what the excitement and tension must of been like in the MCG and this was only the first game of the season, I can not comprehend how good the atmosphere must be at the Grand Final game. Games are also reasonably priced which allows whole families to attend games.

AFL fans seem the ideal bunch as they have heaps of passion, much like football fans, but do not seem to exceed the threshold that leads to violence. Therefore, the atmosphere is great and you will often see families of both sets of supporters sat in the same areas of the stadium without any trouble and the passion and noise is not affected, I am yet to see any evidence of a prawn sandwich brigade ruining the atmosphere at a game. Also, there are so many players sporting wacky hairstyles. There are several players who think the 'business at the front, party at the back' mullet haircut is still in fashion and there are a few out of control beards. With enough mullets to start an 80's tribute band and some fast paced football on show, what could be better!?

I urge anybody who has never seen AFL to give it a watch. I went to my first game very sceptical and without the foggiest idea of what to expect, and I came out of the stadium hooked and wanting more. If you love football, rubgy or even both, I'm sure you enjoy the fast paced, momentum swinging ride that is the AFL!

My World XI for 2012.

With 2012 about to end, it is that time of year where we reflect on the past football events of the last 12 months. We have seen new Premier League Champions in the form of Manchester City, witnessed the heroics of Chelsea's Champion's League winning side and saw Spain prove once again why they are the most dominant international side of the modern era. These events have shown us that there are many contenders for a place in Fifa's best XI of the year.Therefore, Fifa are giving us fans of football a chance to vote for the best XI in World Football in 2012. I thought I would have a go myself it wasn't something I found easy, especially the defence. I went for players who I felt made the biggest contribution to their teams performance this season rather than picking the usual star names. However I have managed to whittle down 11 Players who I believe have had an incredible 2012 and deserve a position in my FIFA/FIFPro World XI for this year.

So here is My 2012 FIFProWorld XI:

GOALKEEPER: IKER CASILLAS. (REAL MADRID & SPAIN). Iker Casillas is arguably the best goalkeeper in world football at present and has been for some time. Being an Englishman myself, I wanted to nominate Joe Hart for this position as I feel he was fantastic in Manchester City's title winning season and showed why he is quickly becoming one of the World's best goalkeepers.However, Since the beginning of the 2012/13 season he has suffered from a few gaffs and has not looked as outstanding as he did last season, although time is on side side. Back to Casillas, he deserves his place in Fifa's World XI because he is the most consistent keeper on the planet and played a crucial role in securing Real Madrid the La Liga title and helping Spain their second consecutive European Championship.

RIGHT BACK: PHILIPP LAHM. (BAYERN MUNICH & GERMANY). It is Philipp Lahm's versatility that made him stand out to me this year. Lahm consistently showed us that he was very capable of producing match winning performances in both both full back positions this year. His drive and influence as captain of both Bayern Munich and Germany lead them to having successful years as Bayern reached the final of the Champions League in their home stadium, only to narrowly lose out to Chelsea and also Germany reached the semi finals of the European Championships.

CENTRE BACK: VINCENT KOMPANY (MANCHESTER CITY & BELGIUM). Kompany arrived at City just before their takeover by Sheikh Mansour, he has since seen many players come and go of the highest standard and transfer fees to match, yet he has been the consistent backbone in the City defence throughout and had an incredible 2011/12 season which ended with him guiding his side to their first Premier League title. The Man City fans acknowledged Kompany's outstanding performances throughout 2012 by voting him as the Fans Player of the Season.

CENTR BACK: GIORGIO CHIELLINI (JUVENTUS & ITALY). Chiellini has been named Serie A Defender of the Season in 2008, 2009, 2010 and looks nailed on to receive the award for 2012. He was arguably one of the main reasons why Juventus did not suffer a single loss in the 2011 with some stellar performances in the heart of their defence.

LEFT BACK: JORDI ALBA (BARCELONA & SPAIN). We have seen a meteoric rise in Jordi Alba throughout 2012. Although he only made his début for the Spanish national side in late 2011, he looked like he has played their for years. His performances a left-back have been outstanding, even netting a goal in the European Championships final. This led to Barcelona signing him from Valencia following the Euro's, paying a fairly modest €14 Million for his services.He looks nailed on already to be the long-term successor to Joan Capdevila as the regular left back for Spain. 

MIDFIELD: YAYA TOURE (MANCHESTER CITY & IVORY COAST). Yaya Toure was one of the catalysts behind Manchester City's title winning season. He totally dominated the midfield throughout and wore down the opposition with his box to box play. He made the Manchester City team tick and they looked a weakened team when he left for the African Cup of Nations which shows that he is a valuable asset to Roberto Mancini's side.

MIDFIELD: DAVID SILVA (MANCHESTER CITY & SPAIN). David Silva showed this year why he should be considered as one of the World's elite footballers. He added class and creative spark to the Manchester City side, achieving the most assists in the Premier League in the 2011/12 season. Silva also proved his worth in the Spanish national side this year at Euro 2012, where he provided 3 assists for his team mates and scored two goals in the process. 

MIDFIELD: ANDRES INIESTA (BARCELONA & SPAIN). Despite not winning any domestic silverware in the 2011/12 season, Andres Iniesta still proved why he is such a class act and important figure in the Barcelona and Spanish midfield. He is arguably the best midfield player in the world. He demonstrated that he can consistently perform at the highest level on the biggest stages by being named not just Man of the Match in the European Championship Final but also the Player of the Tournament.

FORWARD: RADAMEL FALCAO (ATLETICO MADRID & COLUMBIA). For this forward slot, it was close between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Falcao. However, I think the manner in which Falcao moved to Atletico Madrid under the pressure of an enormous price tag and went on to score 36 goals in the 2011/12 season sells him to me. Falcao also has to be one of the main reasons why Atletico Madrid currently sit 2nd in the 2012/13 La Liga table ahead of arch rivals Real Madrid. So far, he has scored 20 goals in 16 games. 5 of those goals came in one game against Deportivo de La Coruna. Therefore, I think Falcao more than merits a place amongst this year's footballing elite.

FORWARD: CRISTIANO RONALDO (REAL MADRID & SPAIN). It is fairly common knowledge that both Ronaldo and Messi are in a league of their own when it comes to talent. This past year they both continued the trend. Ronaldo smacked home 46 goals in the 2011/12 season to secure Real Madrid their first La Liga title since 2008 and also played a key role in the run to the Champions League Semi-Finals. 

FORWARD: LIONEL MESSI (BARCELONA & ARGENTINA). Lionel Messi has been named the World Footballer of Year in 2009,2010 and 2011, it is looking pretty nailed on that he will secure the award this year too as his efforts on the pitch this year have been extraordinary. This year he achieved the incredible feat of beating Gerd Muller's record of 85 goals in a calender year. He is currently on 90 goals and the year is not even over yet. It is certain that Messi will always be remembered as one of the all time greats, if not the all time great.


So that is my team of the year. If you disagree with my selection or have an idea of what 2012 World XI you will pick let me know by posting a comment below or tweeting me at @Lewisv1. I would love to hear your teams and who you would pick. To pick your own team like I did based on the list of candidates selected by Fifa, click here. It will take you to the Fifa website.

The Redditch Round Up: 18/12/2012

New Signing: Polish Striker Patryk Sikora

Redditch United are about to begin a crucial run of fixtures over the festive period, starting with Hitchin Town this Saturday. Four of the games to be played in the next month are against sides that are all within 2 points of Redditch, so this could well be a defining moment in the club's season. Redditch did not play this past weekend due to Arlesey's involvement in the F.A Trophy. Fortunately, Hitchin were thumped 8-2 by league leaders Hemel Hempstead, so they did not jump above the Reds and they stay in the drop zone.

As the first team have not played for over a week, there is now a friendly match Tuesday night (18th) at the Valley where the first team will be taking on the reserves. This will serve as good preparation for Saturday's game against Hitchin. Admission is free  and Kick Off is at 7:30PM.

Redditch have moved to bolster their attack for these coming games with new signing Patryk Sikora from Polish 2nd tier side KS Cracovia. Sikora has not played for 6 weeks so don't expect to see him immediately make his first team début. However, Sikora did get a run out for the U21 side on Saturday and bagged himself a goal in the process. 

Finally, the Bashley home fixture that was postponed for a second time last week has now been rescheduled for Tuesday 15th January. 

2012-13 Season statistics.



Current form (Last 6 games):

 Win: 2   Draw: 0   Loss: 4

Next 3 fixtures:

H: Hitchin Town.       Sat 22 December
A: Stourbridge.         Wed 26 December
H Gosport Borough   Sat 29 December 

League Table at a glance

Pos	TEAM	Pld	Pts
18	Gosport Borough	17	19
19	Frome Town	17	19
20	REDDITCH	18	19
21	Hitchin Town	16	17
22	Kettering Town	16	-2

Top Scorers (League Goals)

Connor Deards	3 goals
Mark Danks	3 goals
Jack Cresswell	2 goals
Will Richards	2 goals

MATCH REPORT: 06/11/2012 Redditch United 0-2 St Albans City

Veteran Hayles bags two to defeat ten man Redditch

Redditch United's losing streak has now been extended to three games after losing 2-0 to North London side St Albans City at the Valley Stadium. Asa Charlton's 2nd half straight red gave St Albans an advantage. Substitute and ex-Fulham legend Barry Hayles benefited from two goalkeeping errors to score a brace and ensure his team travel back to North London tonight with the three points.

Experienced forward Hayles in action.

Redditch will be disappointed as they controlled large periods of the match despite being a man down. However, they barely tested Nick Jupp in the St Albans goal which indicates they are still certainly missing a out and out striker, despite valiant displays from Connor Deards and Joel Grandison.

They was little to shout about in the opening stages of the contest with both sides having an even share of possession  St Albans players berated the referee after 2 minutes when they felt they should have been given a penalty after a shot in hit Flanagan's arm. However, the referee waved away any protests and was never going to give them the decision as Flanagan's arms were tucked in.

St Albans were dealt an early blow when top scorer Lewis Toomey was forced to come off after only 15 mins with a suspected hamstring injury. 40 year old Barry Hayles who signed for St Albans at the beginning of the season from Truro City replaced Toomey and quickly began to make his mark on the game.

Hayles was constantly a danger and comfortable in possession. After 25 minutes he made some space for himself by passing his man on the edge of the box only to see his curling effort narrowly whistle over the bar.

 finally started to mark their mark on the match after 30 mins when good work after some good quick passing found make shift striker Joel Grandison on the edge of the box. Under pressure from St Albans defenders, Grandison quickly takes a low shot off balance which forces Jupp to make a save on his left hand side. This led to a spell of dominance for Redditch with St Albans barely testing them before the half time interval, sadly they could not convert this decent spell into a goal.

Redditch started the 2nd half the brighter side when Joel Grandison beat a couple of players but powered his shot well over the bar.

However, Redditch were dealt a huge blow on 54 minutes when Assistant Player-Manager Asa Charlton was given a straight red card. Charlton had made a charging run with the ball from left back but had unfortunately over ran it. In an attempted to hook the ball away from the opposing player, Charlton had his studs up and high which left the referee with no choice but to send him off and reduce Redditch to ten men.

Despite the disadvantage Redditch showed great character for the final half hour of the match, they counter attacked well and created the better opportunities whilst Hickman and Flanagan remained solid at the back.However, a lack of creativity bullishness in front of goal and around the area meant they did not test Jupp and St Albans capitalised.

Asa Charlton sent off for high challange

The away side open the scoring after 65 minutes. A St Albans corner was met with a low header from one of their defenders which Wren could not smoother which led to the ball fumbling loose away from the keeper  which gave Barry Hayles the simple job of tapping the ball into the net on the goal line.

Redditch continued to fight back and were determined to get a goal. Their best chance of the second half came when some trickery from Stuart Hendrie on the left wing allowed him to wriggle free of the St Albans right back and fizz a low cross across the box, only to for substitute Simon Johnson to see the ball late and fluff the chance.

St Albans killed off the match on 87 minutes after another goalkeeping mistake from James Wren. Redditch had a free kick on the edge of the box which Joel Grandison tamely hit into the wall. St Albans then cleared the ball which found its way to Flanagan in the Redditch half. Flanagan then passed the ball back to Wren who nervously booted the ball first time. his kick was poor and was driven low and into the path of the countering Barry Hayles who showed why he was once a Premier League striker with an experienced cool finish one on one to slot it past Wren and seal the points for St Albans.

The result leaves Redditch 17th in the Southern Premier division  However, they have played 3 more games than many sides around them so they will be vary that they may be in a relegation battle if they are not careful. They can take heart from their battling performance and were certainly good for a draw for most of the game. However, the lack of goals and the need for a proven striker is a huge concern and something that must be rectified by Redditch Manager Simon Redhead in the coming weeks if Redditch want to steer themselves away from another relegation battle.