INTRO TO

THE AFL
CONTENTS
WHAT IS THE AFL? Pg.4
WHO ARE THE WESTERN BULLDOGS? Pg.5
THE BASICS Pg.6
FIELD POSITIONS Pg.7
RULES OF THE GAME Pg.8
HOW TO PLAY AFL Pg.10
KEY PLAYERS - AFL Pg.12
KEY PLAYERS - AFLW Pg.13
WESTERN BULLDOGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Pg.14
CLUB SONGS Pg.16
GETTING TO THE GAME - MARVEL STADIUM Pg.18

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3
WHAT IS THE AFL?
The Australian Football League (AFL) is a uniquely Australian game with
a rich history, supreme athletes and a nation of passionate fans.
Played by two competing teams on an oval-shaped field, the aim is to score
points by kicking the oval-shaped football through goalposts at each end of
the ground.
A regular game is divided into four quarters, consisting of 20 minutes of play.
The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

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WHO ARE THE
WESTERN BULLDOGS?
The Western Bulldogs Football Club is one of 18 teams competing in the
Australian Football League (AFL) competition.
The Club was founded in the 1880s, and won nine premierships in the VFA
competition before officially entering the Victorian Football League (VFL)
competition in 1925.
The Bulldogs won their first VFL premiership in 1954, and their second
premiership 62 years later, in 2016 (after the competition became known
as the AFL).
The Club has been a pioneer of women’s football, and helped with the
establishment of the AFLW competition in 2017. The following year,
the Bulldogs won their first AFLW premiership.
The Club currently operates four elite football teams, including a VFL
team (known as Footscray) and a VFL Women’s team.
The Bulldogs’ playing guernsey is red, white and blue, and their home
base is VU Whitten Oval (formerly known as the Western Oval), which is
located in West Footscray.

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THE BASICS
TEAMS 2 TEAMS
There are 22 players on each team,
with 18 on the field and four on the
interchange bench. There is no V
off-side rule in Australian Football,
so players can move from position
to position constantly.
GETTING STARTED X18 X22
ON THE FIELD ON A TEAM
A siren at the beginning of each
quarter signals the start of play, which
commences with the umpire blowing
a whistle and bouncing the ball in X4
ON THE BENCH
the centre. Another siren signals the
end of the quarter.
PLAYING THE GAME X4 QUARTERS
20 MINUTES EACH
Both teams try to win possession of
the football. The team with the ball
aims to move it forward to their goal
by kicking, handballing or running
and bouncing.
SCORING GOAL
TALL POSTS = GOAL POSTS
Teams are awarded six points for a
goal and one point for a behind.
Goals are scored when the ball is +6
POINTS
kicked through the middle goalposts.
A behind is scored when the ball is
touched before it crosses the goal BEHIND
line, when it goes between the goal SMALL POSTS = BEHIND POSTS

post and one of the smaller behind

posts, or if the ball hits a goal post.
+1
POINT

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FIELD POSITIONS

BP FB BP

HB CB HB

RR
R
W W
C RV

HF CF HF

FP FF FP

BACKS MIDFIELDERS FORWARDS

FB - Full Back R - Ruck FF - Full Forward
BP - Back Pocket C - Centre FP - Forward Pocket
CB - Centre Half-Back RR - Ruck Rover CF - Centre Half-Forward
HB - Half-Back Flank RV - Rover HF - Half-Forward Flank
W - Wing

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RULES OF
THE GAME
THROW
Players can only kick, handball, or punch the ball. If a player
throws the ball or drops it when being tackled, a free kick is
given to the other team.
HOLDING THE BALL
If a player is tackled and the umpire thinks there was an
opportunity for them to pass the ball before they were tackled,
then the other team is given a free kick. This is called ‘holding
the ball’.
TACKLING
Players can only be tackled between the shoulder and knees.
Any contact above the shoulder is a ‘high tackle’ and contact
below the knee is a ‘trip’ and both result in a free kick being
given to the player with the ball.

OUT ON THE FULL

If a player kicks the ball over the boundary line on the full,
a free kick is given to the other team. If the ball is touched
or bounces before it crosses the line, then the umpire throws
the ball back into play. A player cannot deliberately take
the ball out of bounds.
HOLDING THE MAN
A player can only be tackled or held if they have
possession of the ball. It is a free kick to the opposing
team if you drag or hold a player when they are not
holding the football. This makes for very nervous
times for defenders!

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HOW TO PLAY AFL

KICK
Kicking is one way to pass the ball
and the only way to score a goal.
There are a range of kicking styles
used in the AFL.

HANDBALL
Handballing is another way to
pass the ball.
To handball, players balance the
ball in one hand, make a fist with
the other, and punch the ball to
their teammate.

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 MARK
A mark is taken when a player
catches the ball directly from a kick.
If a player takes a mark they earn a
free kick, which means play pauses
and the player can move the ball
on without being tackled.

BOUNCE
If a player wants to run with the
ball, they need to bounce it every
15 metres. This can be a tricky
skill to master and adds to the
exciting pace of the game.

TACKLE
Once a player has the ball,
they must pass it off before they
are tackled by a player on the
other team.

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KEY PLAYERS
AFL

39
JASON
JOHANNISEN

46
LIN
JONG

24
BUKU
KHAMIS

4 MARCUS
BONTEMPELLI
AFL Captain
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 KEY PLAYERS
AFLW

27
KIRSTY
LAMB

1
BROOKE
LOCHLAND

8
BONNIE
TOOGOOD

2 ELLIE
BLACKBURN
AFLW Captain
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WESTERN BULLDOGS
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
WHO ARE WE?
The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation (WBCF) provides people living
in the western suburbs of Melbourne and the western region of Victoria with
the tools to succeed within their community. We have a long, proud history
as the community club of the AFL, delivering capacity building programs with
real outcomes. The Foundation plays a pivotal role in helping our people reach
their full potential, ensuring they are accepted regardless of their background,
gender, race or faith.
WHAT DO WE DO?
We deliver innovative and engaging community services for individuals and
families who live and work in the west. Like our players, our community is
courageous, strong and resilient, but some just need a hand up to take the
next step. That’s where we come in.

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HOW DO WE DO IT?
We work in partnership with government, corporate and community
companies to deliver services and programs to over 3100 people
annually through four streams:
• Health & Wellbeing:
Our Health & Wellbeing stream
aims to empower men and women
in the west to lead healthier lives
by providing education, supported
physical activity opportunities and
creating supportive social networks
through the Sons and Daughters of
the West programs.
• Diversity & Social Inclusion:
Our Social Inclusion & Diversity
stream is focused on building
self-reliant and connected
communities that participate in
and contribute to our diverse
society, through our CALDplay
and GOAL programs
• Youth Leadership & Development:
Our Youth Leadership &
Development stream provides
young people with hands on
opportunities to become engaged
in a learning pathway and grow
as social leaders. This is achieved
through the Nallei Jerring Program,
Leaders of the Pack and our Youth
Leadership Project
• Community Advocacy:
We believe in, stand for, and work to
promote community harmony and
integrate with the entire community
to promote inclusiveness and
equality for all, regardless of race,
faith, gender or disability.
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CHEER FOR THE
RED, WHITE & BLUE!
The club song is played throughout the stadium after every Western Bulldogs
victory. We have a club song for our AFL and AFLW teams and here are the
song lyrics so you can join in with the rest of the crowd!
“SONS OF THE WEST” “DAUGHTERS OF THE WEST”
AFL CLUB SONG AFLW CLUB SONG
Sons of the West, Daughters of the West,
Red, White and Blue. Red, White and Blue.
We come out snarling We come out snarling
Bulldogs through and through. Bulldogs through and through.
Bulldogs bite and Bulldogs roar, Bulldogs bite and Bulldogs roar,
We give our very best. We give our very best.
But you can’t beat the boys of the But you can’t beat the girls of the
Bulldogs breed, Bulldogs breed,
We’re the team of the mighty West We’re the team of the mighty West

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GETTING TO THE GAME
MARVEL STADIUM
Marvel Stadium is located at 740 Bourke Street, Docklands.
HOW TO ARRIVE BY TRAIN:
Southern Cross Station is located adjacent to Marvel Stadium. It is a short walk
across the Bourke Street pedestrian footbridge.
HOW TO ARRIVE BY TRAM:
City trams run to Marvel Stadium from La Trobe Street and Harbour Esplanade.
Trams also stop in the CBD on Spencer Street, Bourke Street and Collins Street
and all are a short walk to Marvel Stadium.
Bourke Street / Spencer Street footbridge entrance:
112 St Kilda Fitzroy St to West Preston
31 Victoria Harbour Docklands to Hoddle Street
11 Victoria Harbour Docklands to West Preston
48 Victoria Harbour Docklands to North Balwyn
La Trobe Street entrance:
30 Marvel Stadium Docklands to St Vincent’s Plaza
86 Waterfront City Docklands to Bundoora RMIT
35 Waterfront City Docklands / City Circle
HOW TO ARRIVE BY BUS:
The bus terminus is at Southern Cross Train Station and services airport
transfers as well as routes across country Victoria. Marvel Stadium is a short
walk across the Bourke Street pedestrian footbridge from the bus terminus.
For up to date public transport information in Victoria including timetables,
service disruption information, ticketing or special event services visit
ptv.vic.gov.au or download the PTV App.
HOW TO ARRIVE BY CAR:
Paid parking available please book online: parking.marvelstadium.com.au/

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