Gungahlin Junior AFC

 

What does that mean?

 

We know..... it happens to us often. Someone mentions a term at the game or at training and the eyes glaze over and you tend to look around for something else to do or talk about. And that's just if you're a player!! Never mind mum or dad trying to work out what these expressions mean.

So in order to set things straight we've developed the following to assist all you newcomers and even you regulars by introducing you to Australian Football Terms 101. If a term still does not make any sense then don't worry. When 50,000 supporters are all yelling it at the MCG then you shouldn't feel so stupid - just join in and look as if you know.

We've tried to sort them into some alphabetic order but our categorisation may not please everyone, so please enjoy browsing through them and see if what you want is here. For those experts out there, if we have blatantly or incorrectly defined a term then please let us know via the contact page - the more accurate we can make this the better. We might point out though that the experience of several old players in putting this together highlights that the terms in Aussie Rules, while similar, do not always have a universal meaning.

The term 'aka' means 'also known as'.

By the way, if you do not see a term in here that you would like to know then send it through to us via the contact page.

For those who are not familiar with some of the basic rules or what an Australian Rules football ground and its positions look like then it might be worthwhile going <here> first. In fact we suggest it's mandatory for younger/newer players to get a feel for the game.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
(click on a letter to go straight to terms beginning with it)
  Term/Expression Meaning/Translation
A
    
  A Blue Generally one, two or three guys having a bit of bonding and trying to get a few points across that the opposition might disagree with.
  Academy Award Staged for a free-kick. Fooled the umpire.
  A Champion Team will beat a Team of Champions No one is better than the other and only when you all work together will you achieve being a champion team.
  Air, getting. "A bit of Air" Used for those able to make great leaps to take marks.
  All Clear Voiced by the central umpire to the goal umpire that he/she is clear to make a decision as no infringement has occurred in the field of play.
  All-in'er A Blue with a standing invitation for all to join in.
  Angle, Put on the angle This is what an umpire does after you take a mark near the goals and you are able to take a goal kick (you're a forward etc). The angle refers to the place where you have marked and a (imaginary) direct line to the centre of the goal (between the posts). You are then directed to move back and take your kick along that line.
   
B
    
  Ball, Cherry, Pill, leather, nut, Sherrin (the) An Australian Rules football. Other States may have their own (local brand provider) term for it as well.
  Ball!!!!!! Yelled out by the crowd (and players) when they believe a player has copped a great tackle and dropped the ball or has been caught holding the ball. It also occurs in other instances where the crowd feel the umpire needs some direction in making a decision to award a free kick.
  Ball-on-a-string Term to describe that rare footballer who seems to be able to control the ball and has all the time in the world to do something while everyone else is fumbling, spilling or overrunning the ball. They are the ones where the ball bounces the right way, the crumbs out of a pack fall into their hands and it seems like the ball follows them around - as if on a string.
  Ball-up aka Bounce Down however, a ball-up usually means the umpire can't bounce the ball so throws it up instead.
  Banana kick aka Check side kick
  Bath, Copped a Bath Got a total flogging by the opposition. So overrun by the opposition that they were everywhere. Usually related to the score on the board but also attributable to individuals whose opponent has outplayed them on the day.
  Behind (or Point) When the ball is kicked between the smaller post and the main goal-post; the ball hits a main goal-post; the ball is touched off the boot before it goes through the goal-posts; the ball is rushed, all register a behind that is worth one point (which is why it's also called a point).
  Behind, Rushed When a defending team is forced to concede a kick-in by taking the ball through the goals themselves. This is usually done by just hitting, kicking, hand-balling or running the ball over the goal line. It doesn't matter if it is through the goals or the points area, it still registers as a behind/point to the opposition.
  Blinder (He put in a..) Generally refers to when a player (or team) is having a day out and the way they are playing is so dazzling it is blinding to watch. Every player dreams of achieving this, some live it.
  Blind-turn Spun out of trouble. Pivoting out of a contest, one-on-one situation etc where an opponent grabs for you but you have side-stepped and spun. It is called a blind turn because in spinning you turn your back to the opponent for an instance thus not seeing that his teammate may have popped in and you invariably spin straight into that guy and get creamed....
  Bouncing the ball A player in possession of the ball is required to bounce/touch the ball on the ground every 15 metres if intending to run with the ball. This is a difficult action given the shape of the ball and requires very well developed hand-eye coordination. The rules also deem you to be in possession of the ball while running and bouncing so if caught while running with the ball and you try and bounce it you will be penalised.
  Brothel creepers Probably better to ask Grand-dad about these. Some call them your footy boots.
   
C
    
  Carry the can (for the team) Generally refers to a player who is the foundation of a team and is able to hack the hard work while being polished enough to finish off by scoring if necessary.
  Carry the side As above.
  Caught!! aka Ball!! Caught with the ball without disposing it correctly (kicking or handballing)
  Champagne footy Old expression for when the team is stringing plays together, the ball is on a string, every tactic is working and the opposition are completely mesmerised by the skill of your team.
  Check-side, check-side kick A kick on the out side of the foot to make the ball spin that makes it bend like a banana. Also called a "banana kick".
  Cleaned Up Not as you might think that someone has made a profit but in footy parlance it's the opposite. If a player gets "cleaned up" then they can generally look forward to seeing Pluto and Mars initially then later enjoy the week off work - recouperating. A team gets cleaned up when the opposition gives them a thumping.
  Close one See Nail Biter.
  Collywobbles A famous acknowledgment to sides that can go through a season of home and away games with great success but then proceed to get flogged in the finals. Attributed to Collingwood who made this an art form. Sides who exhibited this trait were also said to be like pregnant women - dropping the bundle in the ninth month (traditionally, finals are/were played in September each year)
  Corky, Corked, Copped a Corky Happens when a collision with a player to your thigh or arm causes the muscle to seize up. It essentially means the muscle has had the blood vessels and muscle cells damaged and they invariably clot or bruise. Once you cool down you soon notice the effect. Old timers reckon the only way to get rid of a corky is laps, laps and more laps around the oval.
  Corridor. (Play the), (Use the), (Stay in the) Term used to denote the area from point-post to point-post of both ends of the ground that would conceptually create a rectangle. In general the shortest distance to goal is within the corridor.
  Crow-eaters People who choose to live (or have been born & raised) in South Australia.
  Crumbs, crumber, crumbing Crumbing refers to when the ball falls off packs or contests and is scouted or picked up by players who have made the effort to get to either the front, side or back of a contest to try and get the 'crumbs' of the contest.
  Crunched Usually meant for when a player gets sandwiched between two opposition players and doesn't come out of it too well. See Cleaned up.
   
D
    
  Daisy cutter aka Worm Burner.
  Daylight between the posts Refers moreso to the amount of. Depending on the angle for goal a player is put on after taking a mark will determine the amount of daylight one can see. It means how much space is there to kick between.
  Disputed Aussie Rules is a simple game where the focus of the game is the ball. The ball exists in only two states for the duration of the game that is it's either 'in possession' or 'in dispute'. You or the opposition has it, or no-one has it. When no-one has it then its up for grabs and both teams are fighting over it. (see Fifty-Fifty. 50-50 Contest.)
  Do (done) the hard yards Similar to above but is more complimentary because to put the big ones in you may have to have done the hard yards. This is the grinding, monotonous, tedious, tiring, strenuous and painful amount of hard work to improve your skills and/or fitness that generally goes unnoticed. But it feels good if you can do it because it's you getting the benefit.
  Drill An exercise or repetitive activity
  Drilled it Put the ball where it was intended. Generally mentioned when a player has made a beautiful disposal to a teammate on the lead or aced or nailed a goal.
  Drop-kick (1) Where the ball is allowed to hit the ground (on its point) first with the timing of the kick such that it occurs a split second after hitting the ground. also Stab pass which is a harder flatter version of the drop-kick. Drop kicks are not a feature of todays game where speed and the shape of the ball make it difficult to execute. Unfortunately the high marking of the game has also deteriorated as a consequence because drop kicks had the spell-binding ability of allowing those taking marks to actually 'hang' in the air for that second or two.
  Drop-kick (2) A term used to denote someone of the opposition considered to be a bit of a joke, a goose or a bozo.
  Drop-punt Standard kick in use today. For the pace of todays game this kicking style is the preferred approach by all coaches. The ball is dropped point first to the ground and the foot comes through before the ball hits the ground, making contact with the point to spin the ball backwards. Similar to the drop-kick in the way the ball will spin.
  Dummy (1), Spat the dummy, Dummy spit A person who cops a bad decision or gets a solid bump or tackle that causes them to 'lose it'. Often a result of poor discipline or frustration over a prolonged period that explodes into uncontrolled aggression. While serious if it's one of your own teammates, it's pretty hilarious if an opposition player does it.
  Dummy (2), Sold the dummy, Dummy sell Not like above. Selling a dummy is where you dodge, weave, feint, sidestep or blind-turn past one or more opponents as you show them the ball with the real intention of 'faking' it the other way. Good players get away with this a lot because the game has as a principle of playing the ball so everyone is taught to go for it. This allows you to stick the ball in your hand and show it to your opponent (either left or right side of your body) who instinctively grabs for it. Meanwhile you are at the same moment retracting the hand and dodging or baulking to the opposite direction.
  Dummy (3), Dummy run, Dummy lead Making a lead into a space in order to draw an opponent with you. The purpose is to open up the particular area so that less opposition players are there thus giving your own players a better opportunity to contest. It may also serve the purpose of taking more than one opposition player in that direction.
   
E
    
  Evasive skills The ability of a player to be able to (or manage to) avoid being tackled or caught where they are hurried into poor or ineffective disposals. These players are said to have plenty of time as they appear to be able to waltz through packs or tap-dance around opposition. In fact, these players are working quite hard and are reaping the benefit of lots and lots of practice.
   
F
    
  Fifty-Fifty Contest (50-50) When players are one-out and contesting the ball, it is termed as being a 50-50 contest as the ball can go either way. See also Disputed.
  Fingertipper The act of taking a mark where it seems you have only just taken it by getting it to stick to the fingertips. To onloookers it seems that you don't really have any control either and that it's a miracle you were able to actually mark the ball at all.
  Follower Similar to on-ballers but refers mainly to the Ruck/Ruck-Rover/Rover trio. They generally 'follow' the ball around.
  Front-runners Term given to teams that only play well when no pressure is (or has been) applied. When the opposition is getting into a stride or against a team that is not in the same skill and can't keep up, is when you'll see front running teams.
   
G
    
  Goal, Six-pointer, Major, Sausage (roll) The game is all about scoring goals. It is when the ball is kicked untouched by anyone else and goes between the scoring team's end two largest goal-posts. A goal registers 6 points. In Australian Rules there are no 'own' goal situations.
   
H
    
  Handball The name for the motion of punching the ball (with a clenched fist) of one hand while the ball is resting in the palm of the other. Categories of Rocket, Loop, Flick-pass (illegal) and Floating indicate the type of handball.
  Hard at the ball Someone who has eyes only for the ball and attacks it with extreme ferocity.
  Hassler (hastle-er) A player able to annoy an opponent who is trying to gain possession by making it as difficult as possible.
  Have a Bounce! Yelled out by players to a teammate in possession of the ball and with plenty of space to go for a run.
  Have a Dip Attributed to teams or players who normally are seen as being weak, timid, non-agressive or afraid to get the hard-ball but have turned it around in a particular game and are lifting themselves. Coaches implore their teams to go out and have a dip, meaning to get in and take it up to the opposition.
  Have a Shot! Yelled out to players who are within scoring range of making a kick on goal.
  Heard footsteps Term for when you are on your own about to mark or pick the ball up and you fumble because you are loooking around and not at the ball, or you duck the head and therefore miss marking the ball. It is used to indicate that you are more concerned with self preservation (not copping a whack) than concentrating on getting the possession. It also infers you are a bit weak in the guts department.
  Hip-&-Shoulder What you do if you intend to do the above. The elbow must be tucked into the side of your body or only the hip is allowed to make contact when applying this approach. You are allowed to make a Shepherd with the arms extended but only where they are between the knee and shoulder of the opponent. Hip & Shoulder shepherds are saved for the more solid shepherding tactic where you expect to sit someone on their bum.
  Hospital pass. A teammate has put a pass (kicked or hand-balled) to you so far in the air that every opponent on the field can moon-walk if they want over towards you and as the ball falls in your hands they begin to tackle you so vigorously that you may end up in the out-patients. At the least it is a pass that makes you question how much your supposed teammate really likes you - especially when they yell out to you while you're standing under it 'You're clear!!'. Sometimes this pass is called the Widow Maker.
  How far? Uttered by fans and commentators when pondering the final score that a team will make when it is in the process of flogging the other side.
  Hungry While having a desire to get the ball and rack up posessions is not such a bad thing, the act of ignoring teammates, interfering with their attempts to get the ball and and trying to get all the glory yourself certainly is. When you exhibit this on the field you are considered 'hungry'.
   
I
    
  In and Under. (He's an in and under player) A player who is not afraid to get in to the heavy stuff of the packs and is usually the one found at the bottom. Generally denotes the smaller players who are often annoying the Rucks or key-position players by getting in their way.
  In the back! A player is infringed by being incorrectly tackled or pushed where they then are propelled forward.
   
J
    
  Jock Strap Little heard of playing apparel in todays game. The Jock Strap is a support worn under the footy shorts that holds the wedding tackle in place.
  Journeyman Title given to players who have been around a few clubs in their playing days, either moving from club to club when opportunities have dried up (or they're traded) or have simply moved about like a swaggie and just enjoy playing the game and making friendships along the way. The downside to moving about is not experiencing the opportunity of achieving any club milestones such as 100, 150 games etc.
   
K
    
  Kicked themselves out of the game Poor kicking for goal has meant that while your team may have had more shots and should've walked it in, your inaccuracy has proven costly.
  Kick-ins When a point has been scored, a player re-starts play by kicking the ball back into play from within the 10 yard/metre square of the main goals.
  Kicking in danger (kicking with intent) aka In-Danger!!
  Kick with/against the wind An obvious term that indicates which direction the wind is blowing. At the toss of the coin, the winning Captain decides which end to kick and usually the way the wind blows influences his decision. Some teams prefer to kick with or against the wind in the first quarter to either come home with it in the last, hope that it dies by then or try and establish enough of a lead in the early stages of the game to hang on later. The onset of rain etc also determines the decision.
  [number] Goal advantage, [number] Goal tail-wind
(following on from above)		 When kicking with the wind , this statement usually refers to the likely number of goals you'd expect to be able to (at least) kick for that quarter. For instance "6 goal advantage" means its blowing a gale.
   
L
    
  Lair, Mug Lair Showoff of the worst kind and a Mug Lair is perhaps worse as this individual is not only arrogant but knows it as well.
  Lead, Make a lead Like making a break, where a player sees a space in which to run when the ball is in the hands of a teammate and is coming towards them. 'Leading' is a common term in the game to indicate the running to space to receive the ball.
  Leather poisoning Got so many possessions in the course of the game that the player must have contracted leather poisoning.
  Licence to roam An on-baller generally, but refers to a player given the instructions to play all over the place and not necessarily stick to a position.
  Look-away handball Hand-ball to a player while looking in a diferent direction. Throws the opposition out if they are expecting you to hand-ball where your eyes are fixed.
   
M
    
  Made a break

Either means:
a) a player who has got loose of an opponent to run into a space for a teammate to kick to them; or
b) a team who has established a reasonable gap in the score.

Most people refer the term to a)
  Major, Kicked a Major Scored a goal
  Mark, of the football The football has been caught on the full after it has been kicked without it being touched by anyone else and/or touching the ground.
  Mark, as in "mark the man" Stay with your opponent and do not let him loose or 'wear him like a glove!'. aka Man Up.
  Mark, as in "stand on the mark" An opposition player will stand on the spot where the opponent has caught the ball. Otherwise it is the spot where the umpire has paid a penalty free kick to an opponent.
  Molly-duker Left foot, left handed (much better than those limited right footer's)
  Mongrel, Kicked a Mongrel, a mongrel punt, a mongrel torp No, not the dog. In kicking the ball it didn't exactly go where it was supposed to. In some cases the ball may go long and high but seem to float about so it is difficult to mark.
  Mosquito-fleet Term used in the late 70's and through the 80's to denote Carlton's little men who allowed Carlton to dominate. They had a very strong gameplan structured around these guys and their ability to move the ball quickly without getting caught and were extremely evasive. Any team now presenting a 'small' but fast and elusive bunch of players is said to have a mosquito fleet.
  Mud-larks A team that seems to enjoy when the weather turns foul and allows them to meet other teams on better than equal terms. As football is a winter sport, the ability to handle the wet is fundamental. Players who are hopeless in the dry tend to be good in the wet as the pace slows down.
   
N
    
  Nail Biter Very close game that has the fans on the edge of their seats. For those of a nervous disposition it means they'll be chewing on the fingers.
   
O
    
  On-baller Ruckman, Ruck-Rover, Rover and Centreman. Refers to these players as they are continually following the ball around the ground with no real set positions. (Centres generally have a free rein in where they go)
  One day of the Year, The The most important time of the football season - the day of the Grand Final. Also called "that one day in September".
  One-eyed (supporters) A supporter who is generally so fanatical about their team they cannot see logic that maybe the umpire was right, the opposition were better or their team has a bunch of duds in it. Every excuse known to man is used to indicate why success hasn't occurred for their team (yet). Never argue with a one-eyed supporter (for that matter, never get married to one.....)
  One in, all in Term used by crusty old coaches to indicate that as part of the team unity if a fight did happen to occur, and only a big if here, that everyone was to come to the aid of those in trouble.
  One out. Another expression for a one-on-one contest where two players are contesting the ball.
  Outer, In the Outer A spectator at the ground who is seated (or standing) in a position about as far away from the action as can be.
  Out of bounds The ball has gone outside the boundary line that encircles the oval. When the ball goes out of bounds it is thrown back in by a boundary umpire.
  Out on the full, On the full The ball has gone outside the boundary on the full from a kick. Only a kick can generate an 'out-on-the-full' and in this instance it results as a free kick-in to the opposite team. When the ball hits one of the small goal-posts on the full, this also counts as an out on the full.
   
P
    
  Passenger, A Passenger Denotes someone who tends not to contribute to a team out on the field and simply has decided not to put in any effort.
  Percenters, One percenters Means doing the little things that are the difference in rounding off your overall skills. In assessing overall efforts in contests you don't just look at who can take a mark or get a reasonably easy possession. Players doing one-percenters do things like hitting the ball out from packs to a teammate, punching from behind in marking contests, running to make a contest, shepherding, covering an opponent who is loose, talking consistently for the entirety of a game, encouraging teammates, annoying the opposition. Generally it refers to aspects of the game that tend to go unnoticed when done by players but are as important as the more glamorous kicking and marking bits.
  Place kick The ball is placed ala Rugby and Rugby League style on the ground. This is another legal kicking style that you won't see.
  Play-on!! Yelled out by the umpire when he believes a free kick or mark is not warranted so the players do not stop. Occurs in situations like the ball being touched in flight so a mark cannot be paid and borderline free kicks that are fairly close to call so the umpire keeps the play going.
  Play the percentages Used to indicate what players may be requested by coaches to do in order to play a disciplined game following basic tactics. Percentage football is where you maximise your use of the ball by sticking to pre-determined guidelines that generally have a better return for effort such as centreing the ball, punching from behind instead of trying to mark, looking for teammates instead of trying to do too much yourself, one-up in marking contests and trying to go down the centre (corridoor) of the ground instead of around the flanks.
  Possession(s) The number of handballs and kicks you get in the game. A famous player/coach once commented that a player with 30 possessions or more in a game still only has the ball for approximately 3 minutes. Out of a game totalling about 80 to 120 minutes, there's a lot of time you don't have the ball so what do you do in that time? aka Touches.
  Post'er The ball has hit one of the goalposts.
  Premiership quarter (3rd quarter) The 3rd quarter is often termed this due to its importance in setting up the final outcome. Generally, those sides able to come back or extend a lead in this term have set themselves up through their hard work to continue the dominance into the last quarter. It's the quarter where a team can break the spirit of the opposition by showing its class or determination and desire.
  Punt kick types such as Spiral, Torpedo and Flat
  Put the big ones in Term for when players really do put in some effort over and above that which is normal. This can be either at training to improve themselves, in a contest in a game or as a sustained amount of effort over the course of a game. It may also indicate the collective effort of a team who previously has done badly but has turned things around. The term goes back to when in a race, to try and win you increase the size of the stride.
   
Q
    
  Quarters What the game time is broken into. Australian Rules comprises 4 quarters where teams get two turns to kick to particular ends. The time for each quarter is dependant on the level/age and whether tim-on is added. Time-on is the amounts of stoppage that occurs each quarter due to umpires signalling time-out.
   
R
    
  Rainmaker, Kicked a Rainmaker The ball went so high it could burst a raincloud.
  Rebounds Often used for explaining what happens when an attacking side drives quickly into its forward line, loses the ball (turnover) and the opposition just as quickly drives the ball into its forward line - usually to score. The term may also be used when a team scores a goal or two and the opposition 'rebounds' with several of its own.
  Ride, Got a 'ride' Every player's dream when taking a mark is to leap on your opponent's back/shoulders (or if really lucky, a pack of players) and in the split second of time (but when you're up there it always seems longer) that you are aloft and waiting for the ball to be marked, you are getting a ride. Other terms are 'rode on his shoulders',
   
S
    
  Sandgropers People who choose to live (or have been born & raised) in Western Australia.
  Sausage, Sausage Roll, Kicked a Sausage Roll Scored a goal.
  Scoring end Refers to the end of the ground where for some reason most of the goals are being scored. This is understandable if a ten goal wind is blowing down the ground but on calm days it is weird if most of the goals all get kicked at one end.
  Scouting, Scout the pack(s) See Crumbing.
  Seagull, as in 'He's a Seagull'. Similar to above but the analogy extends to those whinging, predatory, opportunistic players, like seagulls who hang around looking for a scrap.
  Sheepdog, as in 'He's a Sheepdog'. Sheepdogs generally hang out of the packs (of sheep) and just wait for an opportunity to pounce on a straggler to round them up. In footy terms it indicates a player who also prefers to hang out of packs and wait for the opportunity to pounce.
  Shepherd, Shepherding Shepherding is the act of blocking, shouldering or pushing (yes you can do this to the side) of an opponent not in possession of the ball - as long as it is legally applied which is within 5 metres of the ball.
  Shepherding off the ball Occurs when shepherding is not within 5 metres of the ball and is illegal.
  Shirked it aka Dogged it. Usually a reaction from hearing footsteps. Also referred as shirking the issue.
  Shirt-front Where a player cops a shepherd front on. Usually occurs when you are chasing an opponent and as such your eyes are so firmly fixed that you neglect to see the guy coming in from the side. Is often known to happen when you spin out of packs and forget to spin or have picked up the ball in a pack and as you are coming up off the ground that's when the lights go out. If it's a good enough shepherd you usually won't remember it anyway. With shirt-fronts, it's like charity - it's better to give than receive!!
  Shocker, as in 'He's put in a shocker' or 'He had a shocker'. Generally means you have played a less than memorable game. This term is normally reserved for umpires.
  Shut up shop When the opposition has basically stopped playing an attacking style of footy to protect its score by taking a more defensive approach. Also occurs if a losing side decides that it doesn't want a big score kicked against it so it plays a 'dead' style of game.
  Skipped away Similar to b) of Made a Break, where a team has put on a few goals and created a handy difference in the score. The significant point about skipping away is that it also denotes the unlikeliness of the opposition in catching back up.
  Skirted the pack aka Sheepdog
  Specky, as in "he's taken a specky...". A player has taken a spectacular mark.aka Screamer
  Speculator Used to denote a kick or hand-ball that is put up either into the air or out into space because the person delivering the ball has been put off balance, is blind to where teammates are or is caught in a tackle where doing this might create some opportunity for teammates to assist. These lead to what might be called 50-50 contests. To some it means the player just puts it up in the air and hopes for the best.
  Split-up-the-middle A term you don't want to have applied to you. It refers to being classically shirt-fronted by getting hit right up the middle of the body - head to toe. Well... that's what it seems like when viewed from the side when it happens.
  Sunk the Slipper Really got onto the kick and propelled it a mile (or so it felt)
   
T
    
  Tagger Player who is given the role of following a dangerous player of the opposition. This is a difficult job as it requires extreme discipline to concentrate on blanketing the player out of the game while foregoing getting possessions or getting involved in contests as the player being tagged could nick off. A tagger needs to be extremely fit to be able to stay with an opponent. The main purpose of the tagger is simply to frustrate the opponent by restricting their ability to get easy possessions and thus limit their effectiveness.
  Threw It!! Incorrectly disposed the ball from the hands instead of handballing.
  Too Far! A player has run too far with the ball without correctly bouncing, touching the ball on the ground or disposed it.
  Too High!! A player is tackled (or shepherded) above or on the shoulders. Any player copping an arm or tackle around the head also evoked the crowd response.
  Turnover(s) Refers to the amount of times the ball is given up by a team (some would say dispossessed) after being in possession. Because you cannot score unless you have the ball, then turnovers are a costly action if it means the opposition can then do something productive. It also has the effect of throwing other team members off any attacking moves maybe making them out of position as the opposition is now the attacking team. You will often hear of teams winning a game more as a result of the mistakes of the opposition. These are turnovers.
  Two bites of the cherry The term actually refers to when taking a mark and you do not mark it cleanly and have to juggle it two or more times before it sticks in the hands or the umpire awards the mark. It's not what the ex Swans player Filandia was trying to do when he was suspended this year (2002).
   
U
    
  Umpires, The Man in White IS Always Right!

Fundamental principle of football. The man controlling the game is always right in the decisions awarded. It is unproductive to disagree as no umpire will change their mind because they call decisions as they see them. Two things to remember and play by for all Junior Jets players are:

  • Leave the decisions of umpires for debate by the spectators - they've got more time to do that; and anyway, they aren't on the field involved in trying to kick goals, and
  • You have enough on your plate in trying to reduce or limit all the mistakes you will make in a game without worrying about those of the umpire.

Do not make a habit of backchatting an umpire. Cop the bad decisions on the chin - just as you will happily accept the undeserved ones. The more you work with umpires, the less they will work against you. And, take any advice an umpire gives you and apply it.

Oh, and the best compliment you can give an umpire at the end of a game is to tell him/her that you hardly knew they were out there.
  Under the Pump A player (or team) under lot of pressure to improve or show some effort because of certain ulterior reasons. It could be that a player is facing the chop, a coach is likely to get the axe or a club is facing being left out of the finals.
  Unrewarded effort/run In a game, a player will often lead, call or present himself to receive the ball but get no return. However, it has to go somewhere and if not you then hopefully another teammate. But that should not stop you from continuing to try and get the ball by doing these 'unrewarded runs' because while for 9 out of 10 times you don't get the ball, if you aren't there on the 10th and it does come out to where you would have been then you have missed that opportunity.
  Up before acceptances Mixes a bit of footy and horse racing lingo here. It denotes those that try to take a mark and get a ride (on the back of another player) or jump to early and then come back down before the ball has got there. Its reference to racing is that it's similar to those acepting the winnings of a race before the decision of a winner has been made.
  Up & Under (Kicked an..) Basically roosted the ball with height and not distance being the winner. If anything it allows your teammates to be able to get to a contest.
   
V
    
  VFL Victorian Football League. The VFL was the premier league of Australian Rules before the AFL was established. While most States had their own state league, it was the VFL that drew players as a 'pinnacle' point (or as some would say, robbed the states).
   
W
    
  Wall, Forming a wall, Walling, Wall-up When the ball has gone into the forward line, the on-ballers generally form a line in an arc from about the centre/centre half forward area. This is to stop the ball when the opposition try to get it out of their backline. The wall is there as an option to continue driving the ball into the forward line. Of course it doesn't always work if the opposition can run the ball out of their backline or their forwards move up to help contest.
  We'll murder 'em! They'll probably kick our bum.
  We wuz robbed!! What you may hear the opposition and its supporters yelling out after a loss, especially if it was close and the umpire had a hand in paying a decision or two that went your way, leading to the victory.
  Winners are grinners! What you'd say to the opposition if they start carrying on ( especially if they whinge about being robbed). It doesn't matter how you win, it's in the book as just a win.
   
X
    
     
   
Y
    
  You're clear!! You're invariably not!! Generally the call made by teammates when you have no opposition within several yards/metres of you.
  You're getting there! No you're not. Reserved comment by wiley old coaches when asked by an ordinary player as to how they're doing.
  You're Hot!! Moreso than you might think! The call made by teammates when an opposition player(s) is about to tackle you.
  Yours, It's yours.. Yelled out by teammates to indicate that you are the one to go for the mark or get the posession.
   
Z
    
  Zone (1), Forming the zone, Zoning, Zone defence Taken from the way basketball players plonk themselves in positions in the key to make it difficult for the opposition to pass the ball. Traditionally, in Aussie Rules, attacking players (i.e. forwards) picked up an opponent for fullback kick-ins and ran with the backline players as they made leads, but the zoning technique now sees forwards position themselves in various locations to make it difficult for the full back to select anyone player to kick to - essentially the leads are cut off.
  Zone (2), Flooding the zone An approach used to counter the zoning. This concentrates a group of players in a particular area to be kicked in to so they can maximise the potential to secure the ball.