Overlake couple puts Tooele on the Australian football map by hosting Grand Final party

The biggest football game of the year in Australia took place this weekend, and Tooele was among locations worldwide where a Grand Final 2008 party was held for the Australian League Football premiership.

Australian football is quite different from American football and the only thing that is close to being the same is the shape of the oblong footy. Players do not wear pads or helmets, but they do shell out plenty of hits. The object of the game is to kick the ball between two tall posts for a goal of six points or a near miss between two outer posts is called a behind for one point.

Since 1999, Mark and Tiffny Kaleta have hosted a Grand Final party at their home in Overlake and this year wasn’t any different. But for Mark, it is more than just a social gathering to watch a game.

Growing up in Australia, Mark would listen to the games on the radio beginning at age 4. He started attending the games of the Geelong Cats when he was 7 with his mother and was hooked from the beginning.

“My mom was a fanatical fan,” said Mark. “She lent the helping hand to get me attached to the game. I could go on for hours about how big a fan my mom was.”

Mark moved to the United States to be with Tiffny, whom he met online. But before Mark would move over from Australia he convinced Tiffny to come and experience the Australian football lifestyle.

“The first game I went to it was a little hard to understand and I asked a lot of questions,” said Tiffny. “I was soon given a dirty look and told be quiet because the game had started.”

Right then, Tiffny started to understand how important football is to Australians. Still, she was able to convince Mark to move to the U.S. with her.

Even though he wasn’t in Australia anymore, that didn’t stop Mark from watching his football games. He is also trying to get a club team going in Utah called the Salt Lake Seagulls.

“When the state of Utah went to four-day workweeks, it has been a blessing for me,” said Mark. “I usually stay up late on Thursday night/Friday morning watching the games and that would make it a difficult task working Friday morning.”

Then came the Grand Final parties, which started out small.

“In 1999, it started with just six people, then seven and it just kept growing each year,” Mark said. “This year, with children included, I believe there were around 50 people.”

A business trip to Kentucky last year caused the only lapse in which the party didn’t take place at the Kaleta residence. However, Mark was able to find a pub that was airing the game there. That year was special, as Mark’s team won their first premiership since 1963.

With the party on for this year’s final, Mark’s top-ranked Geelong Cats faced off with the Hawthorn Hawks for the 2008 premiership.

At first glance, the Grand Final party would appear like a regular American Super Bowl party, but in September. The food is just about the same with plenty of drinks, chips and dip and a wide array of food available. Prizes were also available to the person who could guess the first goal, the winning team and the final score.

For the kids, there was a bounce house shaped like a castle and a trampoline to keep them busy while the adults watch the game intently.

Thanks to the Web site www.afana.com, Australians can find parties around the world like the one at the Kaleta house. In the past, Australians who are visiting Utah have come to watch the Grand Final.

“We even had a lady show up looking for an Australian husband,” Mark said. “She went from guy to guy, trying to find a single man but was out of luck and didn’t show up again.”

Even with their party being listed on a national Web site for anyone to attend, the Kaleta Australian football party consisted this year of mostly people that they were acquainted with.

“The Australian culture is a much more trusting culture then here in America,” said Tiffny. “We had received requests to attend from strangers that seem a little off, but no problems as of yet with the people that have showed up.”

The entire Kaleta family is quickly becoming Geelong fans of Australian football. Bronson, 15, has several Geelong items in his room and is a devout fan of the Cats. Sophie, 8, has a Geelong jersey and likes to stay up with her dad to watch the games.

“I think Sophie likes staying up late just as much as watching the games,” Tiffny said.

With Geelong looking for back-to-back premierships in the final, they had a rough third quarter and Hawthorn eventually coasted to the premiership, ending a 17-year drought of the title.

“Last year, Tiff predicted that Geelong would win and they did,” Mark said. “She also predicted that they would win back-to-back but they fell short this year, but I can forgive her.”

Disappointed with the outcome of this year’s final, Mark believes that Geelong will be back with a strong team next year. And of course, the biggest party of the biggest football game down under will also be back, the last Friday night in September.

Jake Gordon: jgordon@tooeletranscript.com