A crowd can exhilarate the ephemeral power within us. Whether a packed stadium or a mosh pit, crowds brought us together in ways that were more than physical.
Why are sport broadcasters using fake crowd noise? It might be because crowd noise can help us bond with our tribe and acts as a psychological cue for when to pay attention.
The league is facing financial ruin unless it restarts play soon. Yet, even with strict biosecurity measures in place, there are significant questions as to whether it can effectively police itself.
Australian sports officials have thus far taken a wait-and-see approach to the coronavirus outbreak, leaving the impression they are on the back foot when it comes to preparedness.
Running, jumping, tackling, not to mention handling the ball, means Aussie Rules players risk injuries to their hands and wrists serious enough to send them to the emergency department.
Many believe a move to the winter would be beneficial for football, particularly as our summers grow hotter. But competing directly with AFL and NRL could pose a serious risk to the sport’s future.
The AFL and NRL have larger fan bases, and soccer more youth participants. Rugby union must find new ways to grow interest in the sport to reclaim its place in the Australian sporting landscape.
Cold fronts swept south-eastern Australia, bringing snow and freezing temperatures. While snow is expected to decrease with climate change, cold snaps are likely to keep coming.
Barracking has been a colourful and controversial part of Australian Rules football since the game’s inception. Now, the AFL is trying to maintain order – and fans are irate.
With the AFL’s indigenous round about to take place, it’s important to recognise the full history of Indigenous involvement in the sport, including the many obstacles players faced.
Online trolling is a workplace health and safety issue. The AFL must expose and sanction those responsible – anything less would not only be morally debatable, but also legally questionable.
Research Fellow, Institute for Health & Sport, member of the Community, Identity and Displacement Research Network, and Co-convenor of the Olympic Research Network, Victoria University