Aussie football rules!

Kenyans are mad for football. A place to watch the game seems a given no matter where one finds himself; similarly as likely is a pitch to play a game of your own. Nothing quite says Kenya like watching some young football enthusiasts playing a game in the shadow of the centuries-old Fort Jesus in Mombasa’s Old Town. Football is a great way of promoting fitness and teamwork, as well as just having a good time. The only problem is that what Kenyans are playing isn’t really football; it’s soccer. Don’t get me wrong – soccer is a good game and requires great skill and athleticism – but it’s nothing compared to Australian football. With this in mind, we set about teaching the students of Olive’s Standard 4 what they were missing out on.



With a rugby ball as a substitute for a real leather footy, we began by teaching the students how to handball and kick. We ran a small practice clinic for about 20 minutes, but the students were beginning to get bored and trickle off to pursue other activities. They quickly changed their minds when we announced a game of AFL would be had; nothing grabs the attention of kids more than the opportunity to compete against their friends. The students insisted on playing boys versus girls; and while back in Australia this would quickly descend into a farce, the girls of Standard 4 were no push-overs. We bounced the ball in the centre of the ‘field’ – a bare paddock riddled with bushes and stones – and the last 20 minutes of training went flying out the window. What followed was an unusual game which saw the students switching between skillsets at will; throw passes straight out of a netball game, coupled with kicking along the ground like in soccer, and just flat out running the ball to the other end as if they were playing rugby. The only recognisable rule from AFL was that they had to kick the ball through the goals – untouched – to score a goal; they had little choice but to follow this one as we disallowed any goals that didn’t follow it.



Needless to say, the students had a great time. The students of Standard 4 are a remarkably athletic and coordinated group, and - despite the field being a veritable minefield – they had no trouble tackling and going to ground. Most of the play and scoring took place at the boy’s end, until Bertil intervened on the side of the girls and got them back in the game. I jumped into the fray to give the girls a fighting chance too, and we weren’t shown any mercy. Bertil barely escaped in one piece after a gang tackle saw him buried by a pile of boys. We attempted to end the game in time to return for break, but the students wouldn’t have it, so we kept playing until the next goal was scored. And then the next one. And again. After another 15 minutes of play the students became noticeably tired and thirsty, and – despite further protests to keep playing - we finally brought the game to an end. Going by the students enthusiasm to play again next week, I think our AFL clinic was a success.

by Aussie Matt

Aussie football rules!