I work for a company based in Australia. When I opened the “employee home page” today, the following message was right there on top:
“Online AFL Footy Tipping! We are proud to bring you AFL Footy Tipping for 2001! The Competition is free, and there will be a range of prizes for the top tippers of the season!”
There was no explanation of what Footy Tipping is, and a web search only turned up similar announcements–with no explanations.
Will one of you nice Aussies help a hapless American out?
No need to go all the way Down Under for the answer to this one. As a bona fide member of AFANA (The Austrailian Rules Football Association of North America) I can tell you that “footy” is slang for Austrailian Rules Football, the incredible fast-moving game that makes US football look slow and clumsy, IMHO.
(They play on an oval field 180 meters long, have 16 men on a side, play continuously with a ball somewhat larger than the American football and wear no pads)
“Tipping” , I believe, refers to wagering on the outcomes with a sense of picking the winners or correctly calculating the odds.
This is the official footy website: http://www.afl.com.au (There’s a tipping link there, as well as Fantasy Footy)
Thankfully, I live in Melbourne, the heart of Aussie Rules. Sometimes the AFL (Australian Football League) has exhibition matches in England, China, etc. If they ever do one in America, I’d recommend you going to see it. 
There are 16 teams, and there are 8 matches every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday where the teams play each other. The winners receive 8 points, the losers 0, and those who draw, 4 each. You tip which team will win, and by what margin. At the end, your tips are compared to everybody elses, and the person with the most correct tips at the end of the season wins. (Note: this person is usually not Kayeby)
Thank you both very much!
I obviously know nothing about footy, but perhaps I might participate in the Footy Tipping competition. Would it be a breach of Footy Tipping etiquette for a complete novice to take a stab at it?
Just thought I’d add that ‘footy’ can also refer Rugby League here in Aus. Footy tipping competitions usually involve weekly bets about which teams are going to win that weekend.
Green Bean, check out an Australian newspaper and have a look at the articles and tips by the ‘experts’ in the sports sections - might save you doing your dough early on 
As for the breach of etiquette bit, seeing as this is betting, I don’t imagine anyone would mind someone with no idea losing their money every week big grin Especially if you’re using American dollars!
Snaf
Ah, but you see, the Footy Tipping competition is free. If we win, we get prizes.
(I don’t want to be put in the position that my mom was in at her office: she participated in the office football pool just to be a good sport and accidentally won. Everybody was mad at her!)
I wonder who I should root for? My company is based in Adelaide, but I have king of a fondness for Melbourne (just having read On the Beach)
What is the Australian equivalent of New Jersey?
You’d be advised to stick to your SO in the rooting department (yes, like many common words, this means sex). Here we barrack for a team. I’d say St Kilda, but we haven’t won in my lifetime (I’m 32). Essendon were premiers last year and look a fair bet to win again. Other Melbourne teams are Melbourne, Nth Melbourne, Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs (the rough team sponsored by the chemical companies, if that’s what you’re after).
BTW, it’s 18 a side and winning teams receive 4 points.
While we’re on the subject of Australian Words An English-Speaker From Another Country Might Not Necessarily Know, what the heck is a “rort”? I’ve seen this in headlines on the online Sydney Morning Herald, in the context of some sort of political scandal, but no other explanation of the word itself is given.
Is there an online Australian dictionary anywhere?
A ‘rort’ is where someone (usually a politician) is abusing their position – e.g. using official benefits for personal use (esp. travel).
Based on my experience in NCAA basketball pools in the USA I’d say that a complete novice has a great chance. I’ve seen many folks who know nothing of basketball win the office pool.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by picmr *
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Sorry! I was the one who said 8 points - it’s been awhile since the last footy season and I can’t believe I let that one slide! :eek:
And an amateur would probably have more luck than I do; my heart just keeps telling me to tip Collingwood. (Believe me, my feet kick me long and hard after the Pies lose - again). I’d say that Hawthorn[sub]and Shane Crawford[/sub]are looking good this year, but I think that Brisbane might be the one to take the Premiership. 
Some additional questions:
Do players beat each other up?
Can you see the AFL games in the U.S.? If so, where?
Are the Western Bulldogs supposed to represent the western part of the country? If so, where do they play? Where do the West Coast Eagles play?
Are Adelaide and Port Adelaide two different places?
Where is St. Kilda?
What’s with the black armbands?
I notice some players pull their socks up to their knees and some don’t. Is this just a matter of personal preference?
As I was looking through the photos on the AFL pages, I found myself thinking impure thoughts. Is this normal?
As far as the last, impure thoughts come to some of us no matter what we’re doing, so I can’t comment.
Watching the games in the US has been friggin’ difficult these past few years. Many moons ago it was carried on ESPN where I discovered it (circa 1985). Then it went through various other cable channels, including the Fox regional sports channel.
In a memorable display of contemptuous indifference a couple of years ago, the bozos at the Fox regional channel decided at the last minute to **cancel the broadcast of the Grand Final **. ARRRGH! This decision was made too late to pass on to the TV Guide or local newspaper program guides, so we fans sat around our TV sets (in my case with invited guests) and at the appointed hour were “treated” to some junksport nonsense instead of our footy Grand Final.
Let me back up a bit. For most of the years that footy was aired here in the US, it’s been in the form of a one hour recorded highlights program that would show perhaps a third of an actual match plus highlights of the other games in the league, spectacular plays, short news bits about the teams, a bio of a featured player and a wrapup of the standings. While fascinating, it is the equivalent of watching some of the NFL Films work. Excellent stuff, but you know it’s all been edited and past.
The Grand Final was the only time we would ever get to see footy live. Due to the time difference, the game played at 1 pm Saturday Melbourne time would air 9 pm Friday night Pacific Time. That added its own fascination as you could look both into the future (in one sense) and across the
Pacific to see bright sunshine when it was dark at your house.
So to have that jerked unceremoniously from us was an insult to all of us who had followed the games all season. (It’s a loooong season, BTW, lasting 26 weeks from start through the finals)
The next year, coverage went to the Fox Sport Network, which is a premium cable channel costing extra, like HBO. Unfortunately, it’s not available in our area on cable, and my sweet wife is not interested in a dish, so we are out in the cold.
Yes, I’m working on her. In the meantime, she got me a tape of the previous year’s Grand Final for my birthday last year and paid for my AFANA membership, so she’s not entirely unsympathetic.
I will have to relate my one moment of footy glory. Over a decade ago (October, 1990) there was a three-game Foster’s Cup series played in London, someplace in Canada and Portland, Oregon, just 90 freeway mintues away from where I live. As an employee of a small town newspaper, I even wangled a press pass and got to sit in the press box with the big boys and a few players who weren’t suited up. One of them even got me a Foster’s. Ahhh, what a time.
The overly loquacious Hometownboy
I hope no genuine Aussies mind a former traveller replying.
Not really. There’s a sin bin, but it’s not really any more violent than most sports.
Don’t know. They’re on Sky Sports 3 in the UK, though.
The Bulldogs are based in West Melbourne (according to my sources, they used to be Footscray – but I may be wrong on this one). The West Coast Eagles are based in Perth.
Both part of Adelaide (the city).
Nice beachy/alternative suburb in South Melbourne.
Don’t know. The only thing I can think of is that someone famous connected with the club died.
Yep, personal preference, as with long and short sleeved shirts.
Um…that depends. If it was me, I’d be seeking help.
Greenbean, you asked about the black armbands - Sir Donald Bradman has just died. He was a legendary cricketer (regarded by many as the best there was or ever will be), and very popular in Australia. His passing was acknowledged by players of numerous sports by the wearing of black armbands.
As for players beating each other up, that’s more of a rugby thing, AFAIK
Snaf
Right here, Sunny.
and this one too.
Most of these words aren’t used in everyday language, although they do slip in from time to time.
And you can root for a team, at least in Sydney. Although if you’re not a native speaker, I would suggest that you stick with ‘barracking’ to avoid making a dick of yourself.
Mate, I’d normally forgive you for the superfluous “i” in “Australian”, but if you’re a member of that footy club, well… 
Actually when Aussies say footy they can mean one of FOUR football codes (Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union or soccer).
The word rort is a reflection of our english roots and not Australian per se.
Rooting does indeed have a completely different meaning down under.
Probably won’t help much but an online Oz slang dictionary can be foundhere.
You’re quite right there BYK, in fact many would believe that believe that Rupert Murdoch rooted the whole League.
You’re obviously a literate soul with no sense of self preservation
Pick either the Crows or Port and insanely scream your heart out … then you’ll go places.
Damn! Mea maxima culpa and apologies to all in Oz, It’s that stupid hand-eye-brain thing again. Have to engage them * in sequence. *