INTRO TO THE AFL CONTENTS

WHAT IS THE AFL? Pg.4 WHO ARE THE ? 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

2 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 -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.

4 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 (formerly known as the Western Oval), which is located in West Footscray.

5 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 the centre. Another siren signals the ON THE BENCH end of the quarter. PLAYING THE GAME X4 QUARTERS Both teams try to win possession of 20 MINUTES EACH the football. The team with the ball aims to move it forward to their goal by kicking, handballing or running and bouncing. GOAL SCORING 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 kicked through the middle goalposts. POINTS 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 6 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 7 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 ’ 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!

8 9 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.

10 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.

11 KEY PLAYERS AFL

39

46

24

4 AFL Captain 12 KEY PLAYERS AFLW

27

1 BROOKE LOCHLAND

8 BONNIE TOOGOOD

2 AFLW Captain 13 WESTERN BULLDOGS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

WHO ARE WE? The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation (WBCF) provides people living in the western suburbs of and the western region of 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.

14 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: • Youth Leadership & Development: Our Health & Wellbeing stream Our Youth Leadership & aims to empower men and women Development stream provides in the west to lead healthier lives young people with hands on by providing education, supported opportunities to become engaged physical activity opportunities and in a learning pathway and grow creating supportive social networks as social leaders. This is achieved through the Sons and Daughters of through the Nallei Jerring Program, the West programs. Leaders of the Pack and our Youth • Diversity & Social Inclusion: Leadership Project Our Social Inclusion & Diversity • Community Advocacy: stream is focused on building We believe in, stand for, and work to self-reliant and connected promote community harmony and communities that participate in integrate with the entire community and contribute to our diverse to promote inclusiveness and society, through our CALDplay equality for all, regardless of race, and GOAL programs faith, gender or disability.

15 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

16 17 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/

18 WURUNDJERI WAY GATE 5

GATE 4

GATE 6

GATE 3 BOURKE STREET EXTENSION Coventry End GATE 2 GATE 7 GATE

LA TROBE STREET LA TROBE Footscray End Footscray 1 GATE

GATE 8

GATE 9

HARBOUR ESPLANADE

La Trobe St

Harbour Esplanade Wirundjeri Way

MARVEL STADIUM Spencer St

SOUTHERN Bourke St CROSS Wilson STATION Parking

Secure Parking Collins St

19