Tom, you’re one of the founders of BARF and, Lu Jian, you’re one of the club’s first players. How did you guys get into Aussie Rules Football?

Tom: I started when I was 4 years old. That’s just something you do in Australia. When I came in 2004, there was already a club in place, but they weren’t really doing anything. Some of the other players and myself re-started the club in 2005.

Lu: I started playing about two years ago when some of the Australian players introduced me in the sport. What’s your spring season looking like? Tom: We will do two tours this year, the Philippines in May and then the Asian Championships in September. We’ll have a trip to Shanghai, as well, to play the Tigers. We’ll play the Irish regularly; they’re the local competition.

Do the expat and Chinese players compete separately?

Lu: In Beijing, we’re all one team. But when we travel to different places, such as Shanghai or Tianjin, we’ll play only as a Chinese team or a foreign team. We’ll play the team from Tianjin roughly four or five times this year. So what’s the craziest thing you have done?

Tom: One time I had to shoot a goal from about 17 meters out, which is nothing, and I didn’t make it. Everyone on the team was looking at me for missing a goal from that close.

What: BARF Training When: Every Sunday Where: Beijing City Int'l School Contact: www.beijingbombers.com