Local Aussie Rules team The Geckos recently trounced their arch rivals The Jakarta Bintangs for the first time. On June 11 they return to Jakarta in an attempt to win back the Bali/Java Cup. For non-Aussies wondering what the hell it’s all about, we asked the Gecko’s captain and coach about the game…

Aim of the Game?
Outscore the opponent by kicking the ball between the big sticks. You get six points for each goal, but if you kick it on either side you still get one point. So there’re four goals really.

Why is the playing field the size of a cricket pitch?
Aussie Rules is often actually played on cricket ovals, averaging 170 metres in length. There’s no designated size though. Here in Bali, we play on a soccer pitch so there’s only 10 players on each side, not the usual 18. (Cricket was played in the summer and Aussie Rules in the winter so it made sense to use the same field. ED)

What skills make a good player?
Speed, good aerobic capacity, muscular power & strength, agility and good hand eye co-ordination – the odd shape of the ball adds a degree of difficulty.

If the quarterback is the hero of American Football, who’s the hero of Aussie Rules?
The full forward is held in high esteem because he’s the one that can take a high mark and score off it. You can run up your opponent to catch the ball in Aussie Rules, you see guys jumping six feet off the ground.

How far does a Rover run in an average game?
In the AFL (Australian Football League) anywhere between 12 – 20km. The Geckos average for 1km to 1.5km.

What is a Rover???
Usually the smallest guy on the field – the runt of the litter who’s always at the bottom of the packs scrabbling for the ball. It’s his job to deal with the ball when it’s on the ground

Most frequent injuries?
The serious stuff is ligament damage to knees and ankles. Bruises, cuts and abrasions are common. In The Geckos, we’ve had broken legs, cuts abrasions torn ligaments and dislocated shoulders but its all good fun!

Why is Aussie Rules fun?
It’s the only ball sport in the world that requires equal foot and hand skill and complete physical aptitude, Also, it’s just a spectacular game to watch and play. (It’s the greatest game in the world! ED)

For more information about how you can risk life and limb playing Aussie Rules:
www.baligeckos.com coach@baligeckos.com or call Peter on 0818563474
Come down – the team motto is play hard, party hard.
You can watch Aussie Rules on the weekends at most sports bars and on the TV through Indovision.