So what's your excuse today?

[fish]

Yesterday I went to Adelaide Oval to watch the Adelaide Crows women's Australian Football League team play in the grand final against the Melbourne team Carlton.



View from my vantage point.



They expected around 25-30,000 people to attend so the upper levels weren't originally opened up.
Then it became obvious they had it wrong.



Magnificent game.
Fast, physical and highly skilled.
Adelaide had been the best team all season and won comfortably in the end, but there were several serious injuries.

Erin Phillips left the ground in the third quarter following a serious knee injury.
As she left virtually all players from both teams came over to give her their love and respect.
A class act by Carlton players in particular.
Erin enhanced her reputation as the greatest women's player of all time by winning the award for Player of the Match despite playing less than three quarters.

[Santi]

It seems that we all go to the time same. Because in my country the same thing happened 2 weeks ago with the women's soccer team.

[Eldsjäl]

Nice! I know very little about Australian football but it looks like it was a fun experience! :-)

[fish]

...2 weeks ago with the women's soccer team...

I love women's sports.
Apart from the aesthetics of course I think they mostly play in the "right" spirit of the game.

...I know very little about Australian football...

It's very much a contact sport, and there is no off-side rule.
Mainly played by the male of the species with minor leagues here and there for women.
The AFLW has only existed for three years to give women and girls a pathway to elite sports.

Here's a little sample of things that happen.
Adelaide in the Red, Yellow and Blue.
If you're into sports and ever get the chance....



As a postscript, last night Erin Phillips was awarded the League's Most Valuable Player trophy for the second time in the three years that the AFLW has existed.
And, she has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament and may miss part, or all, of next season.
Erin, her wife Tracey and their two children live part of the year in Dallas where Erin is an assistant coach of the Dallas Wings WNBA team.
I hope she copes with her injury.

[Santi]

In Australia all it very rare in everything.
A round football field? wow

[fish]

...A round football field?..

All Aussie rules ovals are actually "oval" in shape.
As is the ball.
The Adelaide Oval playing surface is about 170 metres long by about 125 metres wide.

[Santi]

A friend tells me it's a mix of football and rugby

[fish]

...a mix of football and rugby

More like rugby than football (soccer) but much more emphasis on kicking the ball.

Here's a couple of YT clips which might show it a bit better than I can explain.

The first https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoGoIuUcfao is a highlights package from the women's grand final last Sunday.

The second by contrast, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9mLPmmr8sY is a highlights package from the men's match Adelaide v Sydney last Friday night in Sydney.

[fish]

Things have been happening these last couple of days but I should be here for a proper visit tomorrow.


Meanwhile, is this Fish, out with his latest squeeze?

[Ian]

I shan't respond to that.

I was just getting worried and getting ready to send out the search party.

[fish]

...getting ready to send out the search party...

Didn't you spot my excellent disguise?

[Santi]

[The Adelaide Oval playing surface is about 170 metres long by about 125 metres wide.

You must talk about Oval ass playing sur-face Australian??

[fish]

...ass playing sur-face...

Very brave of you making jokes about a woman carrying a big stick.

[Santi]

ups, stick

[fish]

Not well today I'm afraid.

Hope to be better tomorrow.