As 30 of us International students, mainly from the United States, made our way down to the Melbourne Cricket Ground we walked with a reporter we had met on the tram, writing a column about the game, and he kindly showed us the way to the stadium. People were swarming the sidewalks, trams, and roadways. So this was how serious the game of footy really was, everyone comes out to support their team, and they do it without holding back.

The lights were big and bright on a Friday evening and the lines long, but we got through the gates with no problem thanks to the tickets we had been given from the Carlton Football Club. Without their generosity, we might not have been able to experience the heart and soul of Australian sports.

When we made it to the entrance of the arena, we couldn’t believe the enormous size of the stadium and field. The stands filled quickly with fans and extremely enthused cheering sections just through the goal posts on both sides of the field. Before the start of the game, each team burst through their respective signs, and they were off!

The rules were crazy and like none we had ever experienced or heard of before. The game was a cross between soccer and football, but without the pads, more flying through the air, and on a MUCH larger field.

During the breaks between quarters, we enjoyed the Australian classic foods such as meat pies, chips, and the foot long hot dogs, and let us say they were not a centimeter short of a foot. We all thoroughly enjoyed watching the game, and experiencing the atmosphere that the hype of footy provides. We can now go back and tell our families and friends our Australian adventure has been complete, footy game and all