A word or a few notes can bring to mind a song you know well. And a song can stir up memories and emotions from your past. In this case, it was the month of September that gets Stewart singing a little tune. He told me about the song, ‘One Day in September’ and the ad that came around each September when the footy final was on.

“I was apparently born on a glorious day in September. I knew I was special but having a song written for me was more than I had expected. Not only that but the song was on TV in an ad for the Footy Final!

The ad shows the passion and grit involved in the game with many hits, tackles and kicks with teams running onto the field and some celebrating victory with an enormous trophy. It was pretty powerful stuff to watch. And being mad about sport and being born in September, I really felt like that song was for me!”

Aussie Rules has become a very popular sport. Sometimes it reminds me of the American NFL. With it’s big budgets, big crowds, big entertainment and the increased professionalism of the training and game play, Aussie Rules has come a long way since the 1980’s.

What began as the Victorian Football league as a primarily Victorian competition, it is now a national league with member-owned but sometimes privately owned teams. The sport not only spread out to Melbourne and Sydney into a truly national team, but women have their own league as well. It is a sport that these days, draws international attention.

There have also been changes to the game which was once considered to be a brutal game with a strategy of ‘flooding’ into a section of the field that was often left unchecked. Thus the 6-6-6 rule was implemented to keep game play more evenly spaced with a focus on skillfully playing the game. Other strategies have evolved due to advancements in sports science and technology. The biggest changes can be found with looking at the athletes themselves.

Individualised training, advanced coaching, technology and data analytics has developed these players into highly skilled, strong and fit athletes. The selection of the players are more detailed presently. It looks more at the whole athlete rather than their brute strength and toughness.

AFL broadcasting of today is wide and exclusive with replays, real-time analysis and professional referees. The half time entertainment of the final match is a stark contrast drawing talent from all over the globe.

Like Stewart, Aussie Rules was a great thing from the 1980’s. It has evolved into the big league it is today because of advancements in technology, athlete performance enhancements, changes to the rules and enduring fans/supporters that love of the sport. It’s a bloody good game!

written by Vicki Briggs, Acceleration Australia