FOR AN activity that involves grown men chasing an inflated pigskin around a large oval, Australian Rules football has sparked the most remarkable scrutiny. And not just from the sporting media and day-to-day fans.
Over the years some of Australia’s finest academics have turned their attention to our indigenous game, examining it from a multitude of historical, cultural, sociological, psychological and metaphorical perspectives.
Each of these fields of academia got a guernsey at this week’s 150 Years of Australian Football Conference. Around 100 delegates listened to speakers presenting a kaleidoscope of theories on footy from a dissection of the nature of barracking to the pros and cons of a national league. Footy’s representation in art also got a look in.
Victoria University joined forces with the University of Melbourne, the Australian Society for Sports History and the AFL to put on the conference. Each attendee had strong views about the game. Many had their own special interest – and in some cases, their own barrow to push – and debate throughout the day was robust, and at times heated.
Speakers presented their cases and then the audience was granted the option of asking questions. Some agreed with the points of view offered by the speakers, while others took the speakers to task.
Vic Uni’s Associate Professor Bob Stewart opened proceedings with a keynote address that set the tone for the day. In a wide ranging talk he argued that the VFL’s transformation to the AFL had been good for the game – although he acknowledged that there had been some losers in this process, including country footy (although Professor Stewart also pointed to the influence of socio-economic and demographic factors in reducing the number of community clubs and leagues)
Some agreed with his points, some didn’t: issues raised by the audience after Professor Stewart’s paper illustrated the wide range of views held by various stakeholders at the Conference. With the Conference opened and passions appropriately aroused, delegates headed off to a series of different seminars.
Highlights during the day included Phillip Dimitriadis’ paper on the parallels between footballers taking a high mark and Icarus (he of Greek fable) flying too close to the sun; Robert Pascoe’s complex argument that the Melbourne Football Club should be granted World Heritage status because a concept is just as worthy for this status as is a geographical location; Tony Birch’s lament to his lost Fitzroy; and Matthew Klugman’s examination of the nature of tragedy using the pain of footy fans after a loss as illustration.
The Conference finished with a robust panel discussion on how the game of football has changed in 150 years. David Parkin, Steven Alessio and two eminent football historians – Dr June Senyard and Associate Professor Lionel Frost – aired their views, while moderator Gerard Whateley from ABC Radio asked questions and handled queries from the floor.
In all, it was a good day, demonstrating that football is – and has always been - a game that appeals to all types. And that even the most learned scholar can be as one-eyed and passionate as the average guy or gal off the street.
The image on the right is from Nick Howson's painting Roy Boy (2007) and can be viewed in full at: www.australiangalleries.com.au/ag/artist/nick_howson/
