Down Under Football
Hi again all. Following a few requests over the years, and one recently, I decided to take a look at whether the models I used for other team sports - especially Rugby 13s and 15s - could be extended to Australian Rules football.
So over the past few months - alongside volleyball - I've been working on a design based around the stat of Inside 50s for Control and then the scoring shots for scoring shots, with an allowance for a no score.
I had planned to add individual players goal kicking as well as the team-based only ones, but I know from all players that have told me about this, they say they don't use or care about players - only scoring and results. So I may just change it to a scorers sheet, like in the other games.
Below is a look at a segment of the team ratings for the 2022 Men's League.
You will recognise the blocks if you've played either of the Rugby titles above. Obviously, there is also an away section to match-up teams. The '1 or 6' matchday adjustment rule will be included in the game - this time rolled for each team before each quarter.
I have also considered splitting the attacking Control rating (maybe the defensive one too), to make it more precise, but by doing so it means that instead of teams being closer, they may also be further adrift - the Control ratings can be from 8 to 3 in the integer version - which can be stretched from 9 to 3 in the split rating version. So I think I prefer sticking with the original one, as even though it does mean some teams can benefit or be penalised from that - the other ratings and dice rolls can also be of benefit or penalty equally.
Any thoughts or questions as always are invited.
I have been play-testing the game already, and I will post some results below. I hope this will be of interest to some of you (especially those who were requesting me to add an Aussie Rules title).
Round 1
Melbourne [7] 10.15 (75) defeated Western Melbourne [6] 9.18 (72)
Carlton [7] 10.9 (69) lost to Richmond [6] 16.11 (107)
St. Kilda [6] 12.5 (77) lost to Collingwood [7] 14.10 (94)
Geelong [7] 25.7 (157) defeated Essendon [5] 5.7 (37)
Greater Western Sydney [6] 10.12 (72) lost to Sydney [7] 20.7 (127)
Brisbane [7] 13.15 (93) defeated Port Adelaide [7] 13.9 (87)
Hawthorn [7] 20.8 (128) defeated North Melbourne [6] 7.5 (47)
Adelaide [6] 9.9 (63) lost to Fremantle [7] 14.9 (93)
West Coast [5] 14.9 (93) lost to Gold Coast [8] 16.15 (111)
Round 2
Western Melbourne [7] 11.6 (72) lost to Carlton [6] 11.13 (79)
Sydney [6] 12.6 (78) lost to Geelong [7] 19.14 (128)
Collingwood [8] 12.9 (81) defeated Adelaide [6] 11.12 (78)
Essendon [6] 13.14 (92) lost to Brisbane [7] 25.10 (160)
Port Adelaide [7] 12.13 (85) defeated Hawthorn [6] 12.9 (81)
Gold Coast [7] 10.7 (67) lost to Melbourne [7] 14.11 (95)
North Melbourne [6] 15.6 (96) defeated West Coast [6] 13.12 (90)
Richmond [8] 21.6 (132) defeated Greater Western Sydney [6] 12.8 (80)
Fremantle [6] 10.8 (68) defeated St. Kilda [6] 7.10 (52)
Round 3
Western Melbourne [7] 13.12 (90) defeated Sydney [6] 9.12 (66)
Melbourne [7] 6.13 (49) lost to Essendon [5] 12.7 (79)
Adelaide [6] 5.8 (38) lost to Port Adelaide [7] 19.11 (125)
Greater Western Sydney [6] 18.6 (114) defeated Gold Coast [7] 14.11 (95)
Collingwood [6] 10.12 (72) lost to Geelong [7] 15.12 (102)
Brisbane [8] 14.14 (98) defeated North Melbourne [6] 5.8 (38)
Carlton [8] 17.17 (119) defeated Hawthorn [6] 12.5 (77)
St. Kilda [6] 15.9 (99) defeated Richmond [7] 10.18 (78)
West Coast [5] 11.8 (74) lost to Fremantle [8] 17.11 (113)
So there we are. That's all the games I've played so far. I've enjoyed it a lot. Some teams with lower control ratings have won - the biggest is the -2 win for Essendon against Melbourne after back-to-back heavy losses. Another notable was Brisbane holding Port Adelaide scoreless in the fourth quarter to win their opener after trailing by 28 points at three-quarter-time.
I mean I don't know, I hope like with volleyball it is a game that interests someone out there who then enjoys playing it. If you get sick of rolling dice, I plan to have a quick-play module alongside it.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Questions and observations are welcome.