Tasmanians have the chance this spring to get stuck into another one of the world’s many football codes.
The Gaelic football season kicks off soon – or throws in, as they say in Ireland – and the local association is offering some lead in sessions for those new to the sport.
Australians might be most familiar with the game from the International Rules series between Australia and Ireland, but the social league as played in Hobart is quite different, say the association.
“The focus is on having fun, and it’s a low contact game,” said Referee Coordinator Alan Whykes. “Most people who have ever played Australian rules, or soccer, or any kind of large ball sport actually, are generally able to adapt very quickly. The rules aren’t hard to understand, so after a game or two you’ll fit right in.”
He said last season’s competition featured four teams, playing a midweek twilight double header.
“We try to make it very social, and there’s a fair range of abilities,” he explained. “We’re playing for enjoyment and fitness, so it’s all about participation.”
A new feature this year are two special women’s only training sessions. The emphasis, according to coordinator Triona O’Neill, was inspired by the Gaelic For Mothers And Others program in Ireland.
“Back home they found that there were all these mums, and women of a certain age, who’d just dropped out of sport,” said said. “So put they put together a program that made them feel welcome to have a go at sport again, and it’s been really successful.”
Although the Tasmanian Gaelic Football and Hurling Association doesn’t have the resources to run the program exactly as it is done in Ireland, they still think it’s worthwhile reaching out to get women involved.
“We’ve had a quite a lot of interest, and to be honest we all think it’s just going to be great craic,” O’Neill said. “In any case it’ll give us a base to build on, we’ll look at the feedback and then see where we can go next year.
The preliminary sessions for Gaelic football – the men and women will have separate sessions, although at the same venue – are at John Turnbull Reserve in Lenah Valley, Thursday 21 and Thursday 28 October from 6pm. All equipment is provided and the sessions are free.
The social lead will then commence in November, with matches at Parliament Street Park in Sandy Bay, and run through to the end of the year.
You can find out more at the TGFHA Facebook page.