In the more than four decades that Motive Travel have been organising tours to the AFL Grand Final, and countless other games in between, you’d think that George and his fellow footy enthusiasts had seen just about everything play out on the field. From last-gasp victories, through to stunning fightbacks and unbelievable collapses, the AFL rarely disappoints when it comes to pure entertainment. Even so, there are still plenty of madcap happenings and crazy facts that you may not have heard of. Let’s take a look at three of the best!
Way back in 1858, when Aussie Rules was but a fledgling sport, the game would not stop until two goals were scored.
No time limit!
As any AFL fan will tell you, games last for around two hours, but these can sometimes stretch out for a little longer – a game between Gold Coast and Brisbane lasted for a lung-busting 138 minutes. Even so, that’s a mere nanosecond when compared to how long matches used to last – as they never had a time limit! Way back in 1858, when Aussie Rules was but a fledgling sport, the game would not stop until two goals were scored, and not a second sooner. The only way play would be stopped without a winner being confirmed would be if it got too dark to see, or the ball burst.
Lights alive!
Talking of a lack of light, a 1996 match between St Kilda and Essendon was abandoned after Waverley Park’s lights failed. The lights didn’t respond to emergency fixes, leaving the stadium drenched in darkness. As time wore on, it was apparent that the game could not be restarted, and so it was rescheduled for the next week. This time, the lights came on without a hitch and to this day, the match is the only one in AFL history to have been played across two separate days.
Piggy in the middle!
As a supporter, what do you typically bring to the stadium to support your team? Maybe you’ll wear a replica singlet, or perhaps a scarf in your team’s colours. You may choose to wear a novelty hat, or don fancy dress. What you probably won’t bring, though, is a pig, but that’s precisely what one Sydney Swans fan did during a match in 1993.
The fan let the porky, pesky pig loose on the hallowed turf of the SCG, and players of both sides attempting to catch the speedy swine. After three full minutes, a Swans player managed to apprehend the hog, and the match could finally restart. It’s unconfirmed whether the post-match meal involved copious amounts of bacon sandwiches…
Be sure to get in touch with our helpful team to find out more about our AFL packages – but be sure not to bring a pig!
