Tasmania Devils line up female voice to sing team song in AFL first
Listen to Course
0:00
0:00
EN: Use the plural be-verb 'are' with plural subject nouns (here, 'Devils' is plural) to connect to a singular noun phrase complement describing what kind of team they are ('a new AFL team').
The Golden State Warriors are a famous basketball team in the US.
EN: AFL (Australian Football League) is the premier professional competition for Australian rules football, often considered the most popular spectator sport in Australia. Tasmania long campaigned for its own team, and the Tasmania Devils represent a historic milestone for the island state.
EN: Use 'the' + adjective + '-est' to talk about the number one thing among three or more (superlative). For 'big', double the 'g': 'biggest'.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.
EN: In Australia, 'football' or 'footy' most commonly refers to Australian Rules Football (AFL), rather than soccer or American football. It is deeply embedded in Australian sporting culture, especially in states like Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania.
EN: Use 'Every' followed by a singular countable noun and a singular verb (like 'has', not 'have') to talk about all members of a group individually.
Every student has an English book.
EN: In Australian Rules football (AFL), club songs are a huge cultural tradition. After winning a game, players gather in the locker room, link arms, and sing their team song together with great passion.
EN: Use 'want + to + verb' to express a desire or goal to do something in the future.
They want to start the project next week.
EN: In Australian Rules Football (AFL), a club's team song is an essential part of its identity. Players and fans proudly sing it in the locker room and stadium after every victory.
EN: Use 'both ... and ...' to connect two people, things, or qualities, meaning 'this one as well as that one'.
She likes both apples and oranges.
EN: In Australian Rules Football (AFL), team songs are traditionally sung by players in the locker room after a victory and played in stadiums. Historically, these recordings only featured male voices, reflecting the league's past male-only composition. Incorporating female voices from the outset marks a historic shift toward inclusivity following the establishment of AFLW.
EN: Use 'first' as a noun to mean something that has never happened before. It often follows a noun modifier or organization name (e.g., 'a world first', 'an AFL first').
This achievement is a school first.
EN: In Australian sports culture, the phrase '[organization] first' or 'a world first' is commonly used by the media to celebrate groundbreaking milestones, such as promoting gender equality or introducing innovative traditions.
EN: Use 'has/have done ... before' (Present Perfect) with 'no other...' to express that something has never happened in someone's experience or history until now.
No other student has answered this question before.
EN: In Australian rules football (AFL), club theme songs are historic anthems sung passionately by players and fans after every victory. Historically, most of these songs were written decades ago and featured only male voices or male pronouns, making the inclusion of female voices from the start a major cultural milestone for Australian sports.
EN: Use 'to + verb' (infinitive of purpose) to explain why someone does something or what something is used for.
I joined a study group to improve my English.
EN: In Australian rules football (AFL), a club song is a massive part of team culture. Fans and players passionately sing it in the locker room after every win, making the selection of a new anthem a major event involving community panels.
EN: We use 'to be on + group/team/committee' to say that someone is a member of that group.
He is on the school basketball team.
EN: In Australian sports culture, particularly the AFL, team songs ('club songs') are iconic traditions sung by players and fans after every victory. Forming a dedicated committee to select or compose this anthem is taken very seriously by clubs and their communities.
EN: Use 'work for + [company/organization]' to say who employs you. Because the subject is 'she' (third-person singular), add '-s' to make 'works'.
He works for a local newspaper.
EN: The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is an acclaimed orchestra based in Hobart, Tasmania. In Australia, major orchestras often partner with sports clubs or cultural events to compose or perform anthems and songs.
EN: When reporting what someone says, we can put another simple sentence directly after 'said' without using 'that'.
He said the game is exciting.
EN: In Australian football culture, team songs are iconic anthems sung with passion by players and fans after every win. Traditionally, AFL team songs featured only male choir vocals, reflecting the historic male dominance of the sport. Including female voices from the start represents a modern shift toward gender inclusion with the rise of the AFLW.
EN: Use the pattern 'It is + adjective + for (someone) + to (do something)' to express an opinion about an action. Here, 'It' is an empty subject, and the real subject is the action introduced by 'to'.
It is important for students to get enough sleep.
EN: In Australian Rules Football (AFL), team songs are deeply cherished traditions sung with gusto in the locker rooms after a victory. Historically, these anthems were recorded solely by male brass and vocal ensembles, reflecting the men-only league of the past. Incorporating female voices right from the inception of a club's anthem marks a progressive step toward inclusivity in modern Australian sports culture.
EN: Use 'both ... and ...' to connect two things, showing that two items are included together.
She likes both apples and oranges.
EN: In Australia, AFL refers to the premier men's Australian rules football league, while AFLW is the official women's league established in 2017. Modern Australian sports clubs increasingly operate both men's and women's teams under the same club identity.
EN: Use the possessive form 's (apostrophe s) after an irregular plural noun that does not end in 's' (like 'women') to show ownership or association.
This is a women's clothing store.
EN: AFLW stands for AFL Women's, the premier semi-professional Australian rules football league for women. Established in 2017, it has rapidly grown in popularity across Australia.
EN: Use the pattern 'want + someone/something + to + verb' to say that you would like someone or something to do or be something.
She wants the party to be fun.
EN: In Australian Rules football (AFL), team songs are iconic anthems sung with great passion after every victory. Traditionally dominated by male voices, modern Australian sports culture increasingly emphasizes inclusivity, reflecting both AFL and AFLW (women's league) participation.
EN: We use the modal verb 'should' followed by a base verb ('sound') to talk about what is expected, ideal, or desirable. 'Sound' is a linking verb here, so it is followed by the adjective 'good'.
This movie should be fun for everyone.
EN: In Australian football (AFL) culture, team songs are sacred traditions sung loudly by players in the locker room after every win, and by fans (often referred to as 'supporters') in the stadium stands. Designing a song that resonates with both players and supporters is crucial for a new club's identity.
EN: Use the simple past tense (verb + -ed) with time expressions like 'in the past' to talk about completed actions that happened before now.
Many clubs changed their colors in the past.
EN: In Australian rules football (AFL), team songs are iconic anthems sung enthusiastically in the locker rooms after a victory. Historically, many clubs wrote their songs with male-oriented lyrics (like 'boys' or 'men'), but several clubs recently revised their lyrics to be more inclusive of their women's (AFLW) teams.
EN: Use 'to + base verb' (infinitive of purpose) to explain WHY someone does an action.
He opened the door to let the cat in.
EN: In recent years, several traditional Australian AFL clubs have updated their historic club songs—often written decades ago with male-only terms like 'boys' or 'sons'—to reflect female players and the growth of AFLW.
EN: We use 'the first + noun + to-infinitive' to talk about someone or something doing an action before anyone else.
She was the first person to arrive at the party.
EN: AFL club theme songs are historic traditions, many written over a century ago exclusively with male voices. While some clubs recently updated lyrics, creating an inaugural club anthem that includes women from inception marks a historic milestone for gender inclusivity in Australian sports culture.
EN: Use 'a big step for [something]' to describe an important action that brings progress or change to a group, field, or area.
This new law is a big step for animal protection.
EN: Australian sports culture, especially Australian rules football (AFL), has historically been male-dominated. The phrase 'a big step' highlights significant social progress, such as deliberately including women's voices in an official team club song from its creation.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
a significant action or progress towards an achievement
from the very beginning
at a previous time or period