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.
The AFL quickly aborted the deployment of Behavioural Awareness Officers to monitor unruly fans. But who should be making sure spectators don’t get out of control?
Rob Blakers/AAP
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.
Junior sports clubs in Australia have policies in place for handling racial taunting and vilification, but punishments are rarely enforced.
David Crosling/AAP
New research has found that racial vilification is a common occurrence in junior sport in Australia – and is rarely punished when it happens.
The Lake Tyers football team in the late 1930s. The club was incredibly successful, winning the East Gippsland League in 1934, 1938 and 1939.
Colin and Paul Tatz, Black Pearls: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Hall of Fame
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.
West Coast Eagles forward Liam Ryan copped racist abuse online after the opening round of the AFL season.
Darren England/AAP
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.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is on the cusp of becoming the player with the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history. Tens of millions of viewers around the the world will be watching.
Larry W. Smith/EPA
Ever wonder where the words ‘sport’, ‘umpire’ and ‘drubbing’ come from? Here’s a short primer of sporting lingo ahead of the AFL and NRL Grand Finals.
While watching this weekend’s AFL Grand Final between West Coast and Collingwood, listen out for ‘action’ and ‘digression’ in the commentary.
RICHARD WAINWRIGHT
Sport has a history of providing opportunities for détente, or at least discussion - and there’s every chance the AFL’s latest venture to China could do just that.
Indigenous Australians – just on 3% of the population – comprise at least 10%, and generally 12%, of elite footballers.
AAP/Julian Smith
While PPS is approved in oral capsule form to treat bladder inflammation, it is not yet approved as in injection for knee and bone problems. But AFL players have been given special access.
Former Brisbane Lions footballer Michael Close suffered a serious knee injury during a game at Etihad Stadium.
AAP/Hamish Blair
Elite female athletes are leaving their chosen sport to pursue a career in AFLW. But what skills do they possess that allow them to be successful footballers with limited AFL experience?
The English Premier League is still popular despite being lopsided.
AAP
Research shows that a few AFL teams have had much more success at drafting players than others. Richmond’s recent premiership was in part build on good draft choices.
Eight teams will take to the field for the second AFLW season – but transgender woman Hannah Mouncey will not be among them.
AAP/Dan Peled
The decision to exclude transgender woman Hannah Mouncey from the AFLW may breach anti-discrimination law, and contradicts the AFL’s public position of embracing diversity and inclusivity.
Robbie ‘Bones’ McGhie after playing in the 1973 Grand Final, in which his team, Richmond, won.
Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive
Football has changed dramatically in the 35 years since Richmond last had a chance at the Grand Final. But while footy is now ‘an industry’, the arrival of the first women’s league is to be celebrated.
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