Classic Kick

DemonsKick,
originally uploaded by BrisbaneBryce.

Here's a photo of a classic kick on goal from yesterday's game. Taking photos from my seat was a challenge, since I was facing in to the sun. I made the best of it, and got a few great shots like this one when play was nearby.

Here we see a Melbourne player just after he's kicked the ball. He's fully extended, and in fact, almost leaping in the air. Facing him is a Brisbane player, leaping into the air, in an attempt to distract the kicker and possibly block a low kick. The ball is just below the shadow-line in the top-middle section. Below the players, we see their shadows. At the lower middle, we see the shadow of the ball. In the background are players from both teams, resting, along with water carriers and trainers. Most players on either team are very casual, flat-footed and even inattentive. That's because it's extremely unusual for players to miss kicks on goal from the distance the Melbourne player is kicking from. The likelihood the ball will go back in play in the 5-10 seconds after the kick is remarkably low. You still see a few players with their eyes on the ball and on the active play, just in case something goes awry.

I took this photo in very high res, continuous color, cropped it, and rebalanced the colors and tones. If you have some time, have a look at the original, largest version on the photo site. There's a surprising amount of detail in the shot. With a photo shoot like the one I had yesterday, I'm tempted to go find a telephoto or super-telephoto lens to take to games so I can get a bit more detail on the players, and also capture some shots farther away from the goal. When I get a chance, I'll stop by a photo store and see what my reasonable options are. I have no intention of spending tons on camera equipment, but since I am currently interested in sport, spending a little money on something that adds a bit of interest to attending games seems OK.

Fortunately, the people at the Gabba have no problem with still cameras. They do seem to have a theoretical objection to bringing video cameras in, but so far, I'm only interested in stills, both for my photo journal and for posting here on the blog.

The player did score. It was a great goal, and some good play led up to it. Melbourne did have a credible fourth quarter, but it was nowhere near enough to bring them back. Brisbane won 137-85.