Gday Guys

[Cully]

Nother west aussie here.. Cant wait til the force start for real Just waiting on the tickets now

Been involved in sports around WA since about 2000, however I play Gridiron (dont hold that against me to much ;P )... However I went to the first SA vs Aus game played in Subi and haven't looked back since...


See ya round the forums and great site..

[Chief]

Welcome to the site Cully! Enjoy yourself!

Hey, nothing wrong with gridiron although I don't agree with them wearing pads and helmets (bit soft the Americans)!

[Cully]

hehe we could argue about that all day thats for sure.. but never make the mistake of thinkin the helmet is for DEFENCE

[Redbull]

Hey Bronco 78

Another dual rugby/gridiron player.

We get lots of rugby boys come down thinking its all beer and skittles because of the pads.

Err... they're on your head and shoulders and they're great for smashing the living s#@t out of running backs.

I reckon for every ten we bring down to try, two would stay. You get to learn real soon who will put it on the line and who will hide in the pack.

Anybody interested in having a crack should go to www.thebear.com.au and go into the forum for gridiron west. Most the clubs have guys who read it, so if you are looking for a club have a post and you can be put in contact with an outfit near by.

Go the Saints!!!

[Darren]

Welcome aboard Cully! It's not about how long you've been in the game - it's the fact that you *are* i the game. Hell, we'll even take ex AFL supporters here

[Cully]

Lol.. hey Redbull.. see you on the other side of the field on Sat ... Thanks to the others for the warm welcome

[LarryNJ]

Hi Cully and welcome! Gridiron looks like American football. Is it the same rules?

[Darren]

Yep - same game! (well, untill I actaully answered this question, I would have said I was 100% sure, now I'm not so sure.... RedBull?)

[Burgs]

In my understanding American Football is called Gridiron outside of the US (except for Canada where it is Canadian Football and has a couple of rule variations I believe) so as not to be confused with round ball Football. Same as Soccer in Australia versus Australian Rules or Rugby League depending on which State you live in. Unfortunately for the followers of "the World Game" in Australia, despite renaming their code Football recently, they are kidding themselves if they think the percentage of Australians who follow football in NSW and Qld (League) or football in the southern states (Australian Rules) are going to start calling soccer football! Sorry Les Murray etal...

[GirlsDigDirtyRugbyPlayers]

Cully!

[.X.]

I have been watching American Football for a very long time now - I can remember sitting up on a tuesday night watching the highlights on the ABC with the show being hosted by Don Lane.

I have never understood why people call the game Gridiron. I could be wrong but as i understand it the Gridiron is the name for field they play on. You dont see Australian Rules Football called oval, or Tennis called Court.

Maybe someone can explain it for me.

Just to make sure this fits in to the forum topic of Rugby. American Football is based on Rugby.

here endeth the lesson

[Redbull]

Gridiron refers to the strips going across the field. Similar to an american gridiron that is a cooking implement.

Anyway if everything was called football there would be no soccer in Australia.

American Football (Gridiron) evolved from attempts to reduce the number of injuries that were occuring in the early rugby games in the american ivy league universities. Don't forget that AFL also traces its roots back to the early days of rugby.

Bearing in mind that rugby in these days were limited to as many players as you could get (often involving villages against each other) and the method of play was rather "vigorous".

The late 19th century saw the development of rules and the spread of the game into the "empire".

Back then, as with today, coaches and players look at any change in the rules, equipment modifications etc to develop superior tactics and techniques.

Just an interesting point is that the USA is the current reigning gold medallist (they've won it twice) for rugby union.

[no.8]

Don't forget that AFL also traces its roots back to the early days of rugby.

Quite true Redbull - infact Rugby started in Perth in 1867 the WA 14th Foot defeated a visiting Melbourne team (Thank God, some thing don't change) and 2 games against a Perth colony team (results not recorded). 1868 the Perth Garrison played against visiting ships.

From 1868 Perth Boys School played Fremantle Boys School on an irregular basis up until the early 1900 when that Fremantle Boys School closed. 1877 saw the formation of the Perth Rugby Football club and in 1878 the formation of a rival club Bishops Hale (eventually to become Hale School).

1881 saw the formation of a Town XV as laws began to be formed.
1882 saw other clubs springing up left, right and centre - Along with Town, Perth and Bishops Hale, came Rover's, Fremantle, Unions and Fearnoughts.

In 1885 Fremantle Football club led a revolt that Rugby never quite recovered from and almost died altogether. The "Victorian game" was born.

Odd uncompetative games we're played until 1892 when James Wilkinson of the Weld Club formed a XV, along with the English Association and the Perth Rugby Club came out of mothballs to compete again. Half way through the season there was a breakaway from Fremantle Football club and the Swans were formed and in Perth, the Pirates were formed by Welsh settlers, led by Earnest Rhys Tobias.

These men helped form the WARU on 30th May 1893 and the very first competition match was played between Swans and Pirates on the Esplanade on 10th June, which the Swans win 11-5 and as the saying goes "the rest is History"

[Burgs]

Nice work no.8!
Is there are book or the like been put out on WA Rugby history that you would have got that from?
I would be interested to hunt down a copy if it exists.

[Redbull]

Excellent work

Maybe we should start another thread about rugby and rugby clubs development in WA. Contributions from every club and member appreciated