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

The 1897 Victorian Football League (VFL) founding by Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda, and South Melbourne (the principal eight original VFL clubs) established the principal modern Victorian Australian rules football competitive structure. The 1897 first VFL Grand Final was won by Essendon (defeating Geelong). The continued VFL Grand Final tradition annually since 1897 has continued through subsequent decades. The continued VFL competitive expansion through subsequent decades has continued. Various subsequent VFL club additions including Richmond and University in 1908 (with University subsequently withdrawing in 1914), Footscray, Hawthorn, and North Melbourne in 1925 extended the principal VFL competitive structure. The continued VFL competitive structure through subsequent decades has continued.

MCG Grand Final Tradition

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the principal Melbourne cricket and Australian rules football venue (capacity 100,024, the principal Australian sporting venue), has hosted the principal VFL/AFL Grand Final tradition annually since 1902. The continued MCG Grand Final tradition has continued through subsequent decades. The 1991 WACA Ground Perth Grand Final (the only Western Australian Australian Football League Grand Final through subsequent decades) extended the AFL Grand Final tradition. The 2020 Gabba Brisbane Grand Final (the only Queensland AFL Grand Final through subsequent decades, due to COVID-19 pandemic Melbourne lockdown restrictions) extended the AFL Grand Final tradition. The continued MCG Grand Final tradition has continued through subsequent decades. The AFL Grand Final approximately 100,000 attendance and approximately 4 million national broadcast audience has continued through subsequent decades.

1990 AFL National Expansion

The 1990 Australian Football League (AFL) national expansion from the Victorian Football League established the principal modern national Australian rules football competitive structure. The 1990 AFL national expansion included the addition of the West Coast Eagles (1987), the Brisbane Bears (subsequently Brisbane Lions, 1987), the Adelaide Crows (1991), the Fremantle Dockers (1995), the Port Adelaide Power (1997), the Gold Coast Suns (2011), and the Greater Western Sydney Giants (2012). The continued AFL national expansion through subsequent decades has continued. The current AFL competitive structure includes 18 clubs: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle Dockers, Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns, Greater Western Sydney Giants, Hawthorn Hawks, Melbourne Demons, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Port Adelaide Power, Richmond Tigers, St Kilda Saints, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles, and Western Bulldogs (formerly Footscray). The continued AFL competitive structure has continued through subsequent decades.

AFL Grand Finals and Premier Players

Principal AFL Grand Final dynasties through subsequent decades have produced extraordinary results. The Hawthorn Hawks premier dynasty (with thirteen AFL/VFL premierships through subsequent decades, including the 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008, 2013, 2014, and 2015 AFL/VFL premierships) extended the principal AFL premier dynasty tradition. The Essendon Bombers premier dynasty (with sixteen AFL/VFL premierships through subsequent decades) extended the principal AFL premier dynasty tradition. The Collingwood Magpies premier dynasty (with sixteen AFL/VFL premierships through subsequent decades) extended the principal AFL premier dynasty tradition. The Carlton Blues premier dynasty (with sixteen AFL/VFL premierships through subsequent decades) extended the principal AFL premier dynasty tradition. Various other principal AFL premier dynasties including the Richmond Tigers, Geelong Cats, West Coast Eagles, Brisbane Lions, Adelaide Crows, and Port Adelaide Power premier dynasties have continued through subsequent decades.

Brownlow Medal and AFL Honors

The Brownlow Medal, the principal AFL Best and Fairest award since 1924, was established by Charles Brownlow (the former VFL President) memorial award. The continued Brownlow Medal tradition annually since 1924 has continued through subsequent decades. Principal multiple Brownlow Medal winners include Haydn Bunton Sr. (the three-time Brownlow Medal winner across 1931, 1932, and 1935), Dick Reynolds (the three-time Brownlow Medal winner across 1934, 1937, and 1938), Bob Skilton (the three-time Brownlow Medal winner across 1959, 1963, and 1968), Ian Stewart (the three-time Brownlow Medal winner across 1965, 1966, and 1971), Greg Williams (the two-time Brownlow Medal winner across 1986 and 1994), Adam Goodes (the two-time Brownlow Medal winner across 2003 and 2006), Chris Judd (the two-time Brownlow Medal winner across 2004 and 2010), Gary Ablett Jr. (the two-time Brownlow Medal winner across 2009 and 2013), Nat Fyfe (the two-time Brownlow Medal winner across 2015 and 2019), Patrick Cripps (the 2022 Brownlow Medal winner), Lachie Neale (the multiple Brownlow Medal winner including 2020 and 2023), and various other principal AFL Brownlow Medal winners.

AFL Women's Competition

The 2017 Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) competition founding established the principal modern Australian women's Australian rules football competitive structure. The 2017 first AFLW Grand Final at the Princes Park in Melbourne (with the Adelaide Crows defeating the Brisbane Lions) extended the principal AFLW Grand Final tradition. The continued AFLW competitive expansion through subsequent decades has continued. The current AFLW competitive structure includes 18 AFLW clubs (matching the principal AFL competitive structure). Principal AFLW Grand Final dynasties through subsequent decades have produced extraordinary results. The Adelaide Crows AFLW premier dynasty (with multiple AFLW premierships through subsequent decades) extended the principal AFLW premier dynasty tradition. Various other principal AFLW premier dynasties including the Brisbane Lions, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Western Bulldogs, and Melbourne Demons AFLW premier dynasties have continued through subsequent decades. Principal AFLW players include Erin Phillips (the multiple-time AFLW Best and Fairest), Daisy Pearce (the multiple-time AFLW Best and Fairest), Tayla Harris, and various other principal AFLW players.

Australian Rules Football Culture and Modern Era

Australian rules football culture extends substantially beyond the competitive Australian rules football tradition. The principal Victorian Australian rules football cultural tradition (with extensive Victorian Australian rules football cultural prominence across Victoria) has continued through subsequent decades. The principal Western Australian, South Australian, Tasmanian, Northern Territory, and various other principal Australian regional Australian rules football cultural traditions have continued through subsequent decades. The principal Australian rules football broadcast tradition through Seven Network, Fox Footy, AFL.com.au, and various other principal Australian rules football broadcasters has continued through subsequent decades. The continued Australian rules football broadcast development has continued through subsequent decades. The continued Australian rules football commercial development has continued through subsequent decades. The Australian rules football tradition has continued to be one of the principal Australian national sporting cultural identity markers.

The Future of Australian Rules Football, Conclusion, and Sources

The future of Australian rules football faces significant questions in the third decade of the twenty-first century. The continued AFL development, AFL Grand Final continuation, AFL Women's competition development, AFL national expansion continuation, broadcast development, globalization of the AFL talent pool, and traditional Australian rules football preservation will continue to shape the Australian rules football landscape. The continued AFL governance development through subsequent decades will continue to shape the Australian rules football tradition. AFL Grand Final, AFL Women's Grand Final, Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal, AFL Hall of Fame, AFL Indigenous Round, AFL Pride Round, and other principal AFL events will continue through subsequent decades. Individual AFL figures will continue to shape the Australian rules football tradition. The continued careers of Patrick Cripps, Lachie Neale, Christian Petracca, Marcus Bontempelli, Nick Daicos, Errol Gulden, and various other modern AFL figures will continue to shape the AFL legacy. Yet the basic principle of Australian rules football — the fundamental Australian national sporting tradition that has underpinned the Australian national sporting cultural identity since the 1858 Melbourne emergence — has shaped the Australian national sporting cultural tradition for more than 165 years and continues to be one of the principal Australian national sporting cultural identity markers. Sources include: Geoff Slattery, The Australian Game of Football: Since 1858 (Geoff Slattery Publishing, 2008); Greg de Moore, Tom Wills: His Spectacular Rise and Tragic Fall (Allen & Unwin, 2008); BBC Sport coverage, bbc.co.uk/sport; AFL archives, afl.com.au.