FAQ'S

FAQ’S:

General

 

Q.             Who can play?

A.             Pretty much anyone, the team currently has players ranging in age from 17-37.   If you have some basic fitness, a little hand/eye co-ordination and are not scared to run more than 20 metres at a time you are good to go.

 

Q.             Do I have to be Australian to play?

A.             Absolutely not, the Ontario Australian Football League is charged with growing the game in Canada amongst Canadians.   There are limits on the amount of Australian born players that any team can field to ensure that the majority of players on the field during game days are not Australians.   If you are Canadian or born elsewhere outside of Australia you are the target market so get your cleats ready and lace them up for a game.

 

Q.             What equipment do I need?

A.             Players wear regular soccer cleats on the field.   Most players also choose to wear a mouthguard during games, there is no head high contact allowed but mouthguards are a good precaution just in case something accidental happens.   For indoor practice all that is required is some running shoes and a bottle of water.

 

Q.             Are there any rules?

A.              Absolutely, despite how the game was promoted in the 1980’s in North America there is indeed a set of rules.   The game is fast flowing, high scoring and not very dangerous at all.   It is a contact sport but the contact is not head on like Gridiron.   Tackling is not permitted where contact is made above the shoulder or below the knee.   Most contact tends to be bumps somewhat like hockey but without the late hits and no boards to bang into.

 

Q.             Isn’t the game only for huge guys?

A.             No – the game is played by people of all shapes and sizes.   There are specific positions for smaller players where speed and agility are the main requirements.   Height can be an advantage in some positions but is not really that big a factor.   Our shortest player is 5’7” and the lightest guy on our team weighs under 150 lbs.

 

Q.             Why don’t players wear padding?

A.             The game has always been played without it.   The main driver of that is the fact that padding likely provides a false sense of security for players in attack and defense.   If contact is made between 2 players both without padding it tends to be in the flow of play and not just to smash someone to pieces.   Players rarely get hurt in the game aside from the odd little bump or bruise like you’d get playing soccer or something along that line.

 

Q.             Won’t I get hurt?

A.             In 8 seasons of playing an average of 13 games per season with an average of 22 players in a game we’ve had 2 broken bones, a couple of stitches from a cut head and the odd sprained ankle (That’s 2288 games played by players on our team).   For a supposedly brutal game it isn’t what you’d think.   Compared to games like Rugby or even Soccer the injury rates are fairly low.   Sure you might get bumped by someone and have a little bruise on your leg for a day that hurts on Sunday but it’s forgotten about on Monday.   The game has very strict rules about protecting the player with the ball so if you are playing the game and concentrating on it rather than trying to actually hurt someone during play you are unlikely to ever get seriously hurt.

 

Q.             What skills make a good player?

A.             There are many Canadian players who have picked up the skills to become very good at the game.   Speed, agility, reading the play and correct kicking technique are the things that might set you aside from the average player.   Good hands for catching the ball are also an advantage but you will be shown the techniques for the game before ever entering a field of play.

 

Q.             Do all players get equal game time?

A.             A full team consists of 24 players.   18 are on the field at any given point and 6 reserves.   These 6 reserves are rotated onto the field regularly particularly into the positions that follow the play where a lot of running takes place to keep the pace of the game going.   If the club has more than 24 players available on any given weekend we choose a team for the game that weekend.   As the season is played during the summer when weddings, holidays and the like take place making some players unavailable on any given weekend we rarely run into any issues on this front and all players feel like they are treated fairly.

 

Q.             When are the games played?

A.             Most of them take place on Saturday afternoons.   The club tries to schedule home games in Guelph for 2:00pm on Saturdays.   Some games are played in Toronto against teams based there and are also mostly on Sat afternoons.   We have played the odd Sunday game before but these are usually limited to 1-2 per season.   The regular playing season runs between early May and September with the finals series taking place in late September and occasionally into early October.   There are no games scheduled for long weekends during the summer, as these are bye weeks.

Costs

 

Q.             How much does it cost to play?

A.             The season fees are $180.00.   This covers your playing uniform, professional umpiring, third party insurance, practice equipments for the club and your ticket to the end of season awards presentation ceremony.   The club currently offers indoor practice sessions free of charge.   These begin in February (start dates will be confirmed by the end of January.   Most new players attend these and see if they think they will like the game.   The fees are payable in installments with 1/3 due at the beginning or May, the balance by the beginning of August.

 

Q.             I’m a student/unemployed and can’t afford the $180 to play, are there any discount for students or the unemployed?

A.             The club offers students or unemployed players a reduced fee when a their financial position makes them unable to pay the full amount.   Just discuss this with a member on the executive and they will sort out what you can afford and make up an arrangement for you.   Don’t let the expense hinder you from playing, as we are fairly flexible.   We might ask you to help with some additional things at the club but it might be an hour or so per month during the season.

 

Practice

 

Q.             When does practice take place?

A.             The team practices once/week from February until April (usually Thursday nights from 7:00pm- 8:30pm) and then once we can get outside onto the grass we move to twice weekly on Tuesday/Thursday nights from 6:45pm- 8:00pm.   Most players try to make at least one of the practice sessions through the week.

 

Q.             I don’t have a car so can’t get to practice or games?

A.             We regularly carpool to both practice and games.   If you are interested in coming out to see what it’s all about just send us an email and we’ll contact you about the carpooling

 

Q.             Can I just come and practice to keep fit without ever playing?

A.             Yes, you can join us for fitness sessions, we can’t however promise you that you won’t be tempted to join in the fun and become a player.   It’s pretty addictive!

 

Other

 

Q.             I’m interested in volunteering but not playing what can I do?

A.             The club is always looking for help from volunteers.   Helping with the scoreboard, delivering drinking water to players on the field, running the BBQ, taking photos on game day and numerous other ways.   We welcome any help that you can offer just contact us at executive@guelphgargoylesafc.com and we can talk with you about how you could help out.

 

Q.             I don’t live in Guelph, can I still play?

A.             Yes – we have players from Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, Fergus, Milton and Guelph but there is nothing stopping anyone from further a field coming out to play.

 

Q.             Isn’t Australian Football also called Rugby?

A.             No the game in completely different, check the Australian Football 101 tab for a very basic explanation of the game.   It truly is a game of football where kicking the ball makes up a major component of the game.   It is also known as Aussie Rules and is the biggest participation sport in Australia.   The game is played around the world with Ontario in Canada having the largest organized league that plays regular games outside of Australia.