sentences:  The game was a deviation from the ice hockey already being played in Canada so this first game is regarded as a first step in the evolution of the Australian game into the already established game of ice hockey.The teams had been practicing for 4 weeks leading up to the game.The game was a variation of the Canadian game being played at the time, it was played in two 15 minutes halves, using a red ball the size of a tennis ball and made from gutta-percha and curved heavy-headed sticks as used in English field hockey at the time.