Return to site

Australian Rules Football

Tim Hornibrook, Australia

Based in Sydney, Australia, financier Tim Hornibrook directed agricultural funds for a large brokerage firm. In their leisure time, Tim Hornibrook and his family enjoy Australian rules football, developed in 1859.

Also known as "footy," Australian football, or Aussie rules, the sport owes its popularity to high scoring, rapid plays, frequent physical contact, and good "marking," which occurs when a player catches a kicked ball and wins possession. More Australians attend footy matches than any other sport. the Australian Football League (AFL) is the game’s sanctioning body, and hosts championship matches each year.
A footy team is composed of 18 men. Players may go anywhere on the field and use any part of the body to contact and move the ball, which resembles the American football. The size of the field varies in different locations.
Players must advance the ball by running, kicking, and "handballing," or holding the ball with one hand and punching it with the other. Running players must bounce or touch it to the ground from time to time; holding or throwing the ball is prohibited. The most common way to score points is to kick the ball between the goal posts at the end of the field.
The rules permit players to tackle an opponent with either their hands or their entire bodies. Referees can call penalties for pushing a player in the back, delaying play, or interfering with marking. Sanctions vary from free kicks to suspending a player, depending on the severity of the infraction.