When you hear of white coats and AFL, you immediately think back to the early days of football and the old goal umpire uniforms.
However this week at Arden St, the connection took on a whole new meaning with more than 300 of the world’s most brilliant medical minds making an appointment for a hands-on trial of the game.
In town for the International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases, the doctors, researchers and scientists were given a clinic of a different kind.
Most found the game a little infectious, despite the tricky rules.
“It was really great fun,” one commented.
“But all hopes of me understanding the game seem to have been in vein [sic]. It was very confusing having not played or seen it before.”
With so many keen to get a taste of Australia’s game, patience was a virtue with the large group split into four teams with participants from Asia, America, Europe and Africa.
Even those a bit hesitant to give the game a go, perhaps nursing an injury or two, had a change of heart eventually.
Each group rotated through four stations, learning the fundamentals of kicking, handballing and marking, and the diagnosis regarding the results was overly positive.
“After a long day of lectures and learning, it was just what the doctors ordered,” North Manager of Diversity and Inclusion Bridget Barker joked to North Media.
“Everyone wanted to learn the best technique for handballing or kicking. They’re definitely paying more attention to detail than the average group of AFL newbies.”
After an hour of basic skills, when the grass was dewy and the lights were switched on, Team Africa and Team America battled it out for the ‘Sputum Cup’ in a nine versus nine clash.
The contest wasn’t without drama however, after one side accused the other of trying to doctor the outcome of the game.
Eventually given the all clear, Team America emerged victors.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow,” a researcher from Team Africa said after the loss.
“We just didn’t have our finger on the pulse tonight and basically flat-lined out there.”
The International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseasesis the premier global scientific symposium devoted to the exchange, advancement and dissemination of the latest discoveries on the basic science, microbiology, epidemiology, treatment and prevention of pneumococci and pneumococcal disease.
ISPPD provides an unparalleled international forum to bring together scientific, clinical and public health experts, practitioners, and students to present, discuss, challenge and learn from the latest work and advancements on pneumococcal disease.
