It’s a game, borne of our convict streak. Its working class and its tough, and for protection, all you get is a mouth guard.
The fitness levels are awesome. The opponent is brutal but he is never the enemy. It’s violence with manners! And if its a derby*, then its a civil war with manners!
The umpires are as fit as hell. The commentators know the game and the players inside out. It’s totally fair dinkum and its Australia’s gift to the world.
*derby - when two teams from the same state play against each other.