International footy shapes the Australian Football future

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International footy shapes the Australian Football future

Authored by: Sean Finlayson
on Wednesday, January 28 2009 @ 03:59 pm ACDT

In Brisbane over a decade ago for the players who missed out on the seniors we had no choice but to form teams of nines or sometimes twelves and play on sometimes less than half the oval. There simply weren't the numbers otherwise. Most of the rugby and soccer converts came through the nines squads and quite a few graduated to higher grades. My junior side used to field teams of 12 against full strength sides of 22, stacked the backline and lost by cricket scores just to avoid forfeiting games and folding as a club. Now the same clubs have complete seconds and thirds squads and remaining competitive. Had they not done this then players would be forced to travel many kilometres across town to play.

We played the same rules in every other respect but Nines was never officially recognised and unfortunately you'd never find scores published by the league or even in the smallest local rag. Those attitudes need to change as 9-a-side comps, volunteers and grassroots amateur players are the unsung hero of footy - not the professional glory boys with the shot clocks ice vests and buckets of balls.

Variations have helped just as much the code to grow in non-traditional markets closer to home. You just don't hear about it because it doesn't receive the same publicity. Though I'm still not sold on Rec Footy, which is in my opinion a complete bastardisation of the game, and is not going anywhere fast.

International footy shapes the Australian Football future

Authored by: Aaron Richard
on Wednesday, January 28 2009 @ 08:02 pm ACDT

I know I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again as it's relevant -

There are at least two leagues I know of that play reduced numbers footy so they can still have a game - first the Omeo District FL in the mountains in Victoria, they have no reserves, and they play seniors 15-a-side. The clubs all come from towns with populations of a couple of hundred.

The other in the Sapphire Coast FL on the southern coast of NSW. Their reserves play 9-a-side. A guy I used to know who played ressies for Merimbula said the only probably was as it was played on a full-sized ground it would sometimes turn into kick and chase.

I'm guessing there's probably more, particularly as Sean said in NSW and Queensland.

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