For the States United

I have always thought that Australian Rules Football would appeal to Americans. Here's why:


- It is extremely athletic, even more so than basketball.
- It has some of the stop-start, chess-like nature of American football, but in a more open way.
- It is hard as nails.
- It makes for extremely passionate fans.
- It is incredibly team oriented, as well as providing a platform for individual brilliance.
- It is stat driven.

Collingwood, my team, have signed American Shae McNamara on an international rookie contract. He has played professional basketball in Europe, college-level soccer, and a bit of almost every other sport. He's 6'8" and very athletic. Unlike basketball, he will use all of his athletic abilities when he plays AFL. I really hope he succeeds.

He's done a couple of interviews. I liked this quote:

"Once I got here in Melbourne in November, I had to not only soak up the footy culture and know what I'm doing on the field, but learn and know how these Aussies tick! They are very similar to us, but with the "tall poppy syndrome" you have to watch what you say and do, so you don't come off as a you-know-what. It's very different from the American culture where they hype you up and over feed your ego as opposed to here where you have to earn your stripes before you can have a swagger and even after all that they will still put you in your place if you think you're bigger or better then the rest, and rightly so. To be quite honest, no one likes a jerk."

This one:

“When I discovered footy it was the ball movement and control that drew me to the game. No set plays. Reverse psychology, make opponents think you are going to do one thing, but do something completely different, reminded me a lot of soccer. I saw the toughness of (American) football, the jumping and catching like a wide receiver, the basketball vision, defense and the footwork. It’s all accumulated into one and I absolutely fell in love with the game and knew I could do well.”

And this one:

What do you want American fans to understand about the AFL?
“The beauty of the game, it is a hard hitting game, but there is a tremendous amount of skill required. Every player on the ground has to be able to run, kick, jump, handball and defend. In baseball, it takes hand-eye coordination, but this game requires hand-eye-foot coordination. These are some of the finest athletes in the world!”

It might look like a confusing game, but so does the NFL. So does basketball sometimes. So does rugby union (I'm certain there are international players who don't fully understand all the penalties in union). I think Aussie Rules Football is a sport that could really appeal to Americans.