Aussie Rules Football
James Glover II/Star staff
Simi Valley's Julie Jones practices her passing during a workout at the Santa Susana Community Center Recreation Park.
Simi Valley's Diane Browning, 15, left, and Amanda Lynch, 15, practice rucking or jumping for the ball after points are scored in Aussie Rules Football. Rucking is similar to a jump ball in basketball.
Royal High connection embraces new sport, leagues
By Rich Romine, rromine@VenturaCountyStar.com
Six Royal High students are kicking it and serving it around in Simi Valley. The players are Diane Browning, Sarah Shoenberger, Amanda Weaver, Amanda Lynch, Rachel Jones and Brian Coe.
Three of the girls have moms playing the sport: Jayme Weaver, Julie Jones and Ruthann Brown.
Two more players are Christina Lindsey of Moorpark and Moorpark College student Eric Prieto, a Royal High graduate.
Prieto, a former Royal high wide receiver and kicker, likes the Australian game better.
"It's fun and a lot more exciting than regular football," he said.
The local connection played in the Australia Week games at UCLA on Jan. 18. Highlights of the women's and men's games were shown on an Australian news network.
The students will be playing for the Orange County Bombshells (women's team) and the Valley Vandals (men's team) in a national tournament Saturday and Sunday in Phoenix, Ariz.
"Brian (Coe, 17) and Eric (18) are the two youngest players to come out of California playing Aussie Rules," said Leigh Swansborough, president of the Aussie Rules Football for Women league. "Both have very bright futures in the sport."
Aussie Rules Football is one of the fastest, free-flowing, action-packed sports. The game combines elements of soccer and basketball while the game ball is always live. There are no timeouts, or offside, and players use their hands and feet. The game is known to Aussies as "footy," said Swansborough, an Australian native.
