Premiership Titles

Premiership Titles

G’day, footy fans! If you’re diving into the world of Aussie Rules from a rugby league background, you’ll notice the lingo can be a bit of a minefield. A “premiership” in the NRL is a grand final win, but in Australian rules football, it’s a whole different ball game—literally. This glossary is your cheat sheet to understanding the key terms, so you can follow the action without getting tripped up. Whether you’re comparing NRL dominance to the AFL’s grand final drama, or just want to chat with your mates at the pub, we’ve got you covered.

Glossary of Aussie Rules Terms

Premiership

In Australian rules football, a premiership is the ultimate team achievement—winning the grand final and being crowned champions for the season. Unlike the NRL’s “premiership” which refers to the title itself, in AFL it’s often called the “flag.” For example, an NRL club’s premierships are equivalent to an AFL club winning the grand final. Don’t confuse it with the “minor premiership,” which is awarded to the team finishing first on the ladder after the home-and-away season—that’s more like the NRL’s minor premiership, but it doesn’t come with a trophy.

Grand Final

The grand final is the season-deciding match, similar to the NRL Grand Final. It’s played at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) in late September, whereas the NRL’s decider is at Stadium Australia (now Accor Stadium) in early October. Think of it as a grand final win, but with a Sherrin and a lot more kicking.

Mark

A mark is a clean catch of the ball from a kick (at least 15 metres) without it touching the ground. It’s like catching a bomb in rugby league, but here you get a free kick and time to set up your play. For example, a full-back taking a high mark is similar to a winger catching a towering kick—except you’re not tackled immediately.

Disposal

A disposal is any act of kicking or handballing the ball. Handballing is like a rugby league pass but with a closed fist punching the ball—no throwing allowed. Kicking is the primary method, unlike in league where you’re limited to five tackles. A player might have 20 disposals in an NRL game (running and passing), but in AFL, a midfielder can rack up 30+ disposals through kicks and handballs.

Ruck Contest

A ruck contest is the battle between two ruckmen (tall players) to tap the ball to teammates after it’s bounced by the umpire. It’s like a scrum in rugby league, but instead of pushing, they jump to tap the ball. For example, think of a forward pack winning a scrum feed—except here, the ruckman’s job is to win the tap to a midfielder.

Ladder

The ladder is the competition table ranking teams by wins, losses, and draws. It’s the same concept as the NRL ladder, but in AFL, it determines finals qualification (top eight). An NRL club’s ladder position after Round 26 decides their finals berth, just like in AFL.

Finals

Finals are the post-season series (weeks 1-4) leading to the grand final. It’s similar to the NRL’s finals system but with a different structure: a top-eight knockout with double chances for the top four teams. An NRL club’s finals runs are mirrored in AFL’s September action.

State Leagues

State leagues are the second-tier competitions below the AFL, like the VFL (Victoria), SANFL (South Australia), and WAFL (Western Australia). They’re akin to the NSW Cup or Queensland Cup in rugby league, where developing players and those not in the NRL side get game time. For a league fan, think of feeder clubs.

AFLW

The AFLW is the women’s Australian rules football league, launched in 2017. It’s similar to the NRLW (women’s rugby league) but with its own grand final and teams like the Sydney Swans. Some NRL clubs don’t have an AFLW side, but the concept is the same: elite women’s competition.

Minor Premiership

The minor premiership is awarded to the team finishing first on the ladder after the home-and-away season. In the NRL, it’s also called the minor premiership, but it’s less celebrated than the grand final win. For example, if a team finishes top of the NRL ladder but loses the grand final, they’ve won the minor premiership—but no one remembers that.

Shepherding

Shepherding is legally blocking an opponent to protect a teammate with the ball. It’s like a block in rugby league, but in AFL, it’s only allowed within five metres of the ball. You can’t shepherd after the ball is kicked, unlike in league where you can tackle the ball carrier.

Tackle

A tackle in AFL is wrapping your arms around an opponent to stop them. It’s similar to rugby league, but you can’t tackle above the shoulders or below the knees, and there’s no limit on tackles per set. A player might make 40 tackles in an NRL game, but in AFL, 10-15 tackles is a high count.

Goal

A goal is scored by kicking the ball through the two tall posts (6 points). A behind is scored if it goes through the shorter posts (1 point) or is touched. This is different from rugby league’s try (4 points) and conversion (2 points). So a 12-point lead in AFL is like a two-try lead in NRL.

Behind

A behind is a score of 1 point, awarded when the ball passes between a goal post and a behind post, or is touched before going through the goals. It’s like a field goal in rugby league (1 point), but in AFL, behinds are more common and can be strategic.

Out of Bounds (OOB)

Out of bounds is when the ball goes over the boundary line. In AFL, play restarts with a throw-in (like a lineout in rugby union) from the boundary umpire. In the NRL, it’s a scrum or tap restart. So if the ball goes out, it’s a throw-in, not a scrum.

Free Kick

A free kick is awarded for rule infringements, like marking, holding the ball, or high tackles. It’s similar to a penalty in rugby league, but in AFL, you can’t kick for goal from a free kick unless it’s within scoring range. For example, a player getting a penalty for a high tackle is like an AFL player getting a free kick for a high tackle.

50-Metre Penalty

A 50-metre penalty is an advanced penalty where the player moves 50 metres forward for serious infringements, like dissent or time-wasting. It’s like a 10-metre penalty in rugby league but more severe—imagine a player being marched 50 metres downfield for backchat.

Interchange

The interchange is the bench of players who can be swapped on and off during the game. In AFL, there are four interchange players (plus two substitutes), compared to the NRL’s eight. It’s like a bench rotation, but with fewer changes.

Centre Bounce

A centre bounce is the restart of play after a goal, where the umpire bounces the ball in the centre circle. It’s like a kick-off in rugby league, but here the ruckmen contest the bounce. For example, after a try, the kick-off is like a centre bounce in AFL.

Sherrin

Sherrin is the brand name of the official AFL ball, oval-shaped with a distinctive pattern. It’s different from the rugby league ball (Steeden), which is more pointed. A league fan would recognise the shape but the grip is different—more like a rugby ball but with deeper seams.

Summary

Now you’re armed with the key terms to navigate Aussie Rules conversations, whether you’re comparing NRL premiership wins to AFL grand finals, or chatting about the ladder at the pub. Remember, a “premiership” in AFL is the grand final win, not the minor premiership, and a “mark” is a clean catch, not a rugby league bomb. For more insights into AFL’s structure, check out our guides on leagues-and-clubs, state-of-origin-clubs-history, and aflw-teams-guide. Happy footy watching!