History of Australian Rules Football and the AFL

Introduction

Australian rules football is one of the most distinctive Australian national sporting traditions, with continuous documented practice from 1858 Melbourne origins through the modern Australian Football League (AFL). The Australian rules football tradition has been shaped by mid-19th century Melbourne cricket cultural tradition, the principal Tom Wills indigenous Australian Marn Grook influence theory (subsequently disputed by some Australian sporting historians), 19th century English public school football tradition, and the modern Australian national sporting culture. The modern Australian rules football landscape is anchored by the Australian Football League (AFL, established 1990 from the Victorian Football League), the AFL Grand Final (held annually at the MCG since 1902 with brief WACA exceptions in 1991 and 2020 — and 2020's Brisbane Gabba), the AFL Women's competition (AFLW, established 2017), the Brownlow Medal (the principal AFL Best and Fairest award since 1924), the Norm Smith Medal (the principal Grand Final Best Player award since 1979), and the AFL Hall of Fame. This article surveys the full history of Australian rules football from 1858 Melbourne origins through the modern AFL.

Tom Wills and 1858 Origins

Australian rules football extends from 1858 Melbourne origins. Thomas Wentworth Wills (1835-1880), the Australian cricketer and football pioneer, established the principal modern Australian rules football tradition. Tom Wills's July 10, 1858 letter to Bell's Life in Victoria proposing winter football matches for Melbourne cricketers established the principal Australian rules football initiation. The August 7, 1858 first documented Australian rules football match between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College at the Richmond Paddock (subsequently Yarra Park) extended the principal Australian rules football tradition. The principal disputed Tom Wills Marn Grook influence theory (with some Australian sporting historians arguing that Tom Wills's childhood in the Djabwurrung indigenous Australian community at Mount William substantially influenced his Australian rules football codification, though this theory has been disputed by other Australian sporting historians). The continued Tom Wills cultural prominence has continued through subsequent decades. The Tom Wills's 1880 suicide at age 44 extended the Wills tragic legacy.

1859 First Codified Rules

The May 17, 1859 first codified Australian rules football rules (the Melbourne Football Club rules) at the Parade Hotel in Melbourne (subsequently the Bryant's Hotel) established the principal modern Australian rules football codification. The 1859 first codified Australian rules football rules by Tom Wills, William Hammersley, James B. Thompson, and Thomas H. Smith established the principal Melbourne Football Club rules. The principal 1859 Melbourne Football Club rules include the prohibition on tripping, hacking, and pushing, the prohibition on ball handling without bouncing (subsequently modified to ball handling with bouncing every 10 yards), and various other principal 1859 Melbourne Football Club rules. The continued Australian rules football codification through subsequent decades has continued. The 1866 first national Australian rules football rules established the principal modern national Australian rules football codification. The continued Australian rules football codification through subsequent decades has continued through subsequent decades.

1897 VFL Founding