Australian Rules redirects here. For the movie, see Australian Rules.

Australian rules football at the Cricket at the MCG. The old Members Stand, in the centre background, has now been demolished. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an enormous sporting ground based in inner Melbourne, home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It holds the world record for the highest light towers. It is an easy walk... Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australian rules football (also known as Aussie rules or Footy) is a game played between two teams of 18 players on Cricket (disambiguation). Cricket is a team game played between two teams of eleven players each. It originated in its modern form in England, and is popular mainly in the countries of the Commonwealth. In the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far... cricket An oval or ovoid was originally an egg shape (from Latin OVVM); it is now usually used to refer to ellipses, but can also mean any similar shape, such as egg shapes or race-course shapes (a semicircle on either side of a quadrilateral). See also ovals of Cassini. The... ovals, or similar-sized areas. The game is distinguished from other kinds of This article deals with the history and development of the different sports around the world known as Football. For links to specific articles on each type of football, please see the list at the bottom of this article. Football is the name given to a number of different team sports... football by the fast, relatively free movement of the ball (partly due to the absence of an Offside, off-side or off side can mean: The offside rule that occurs in a number of field sports including most versions of football (see offside law (football)), ice hockey (see offside (hockey)) and, until recently, in field hockey. A term in cricket, the off side being the side the... offside rule) and the awarding of a free kick for any clean catch — known as a mark — of a ball which has been kicked more than 15 This article is about the unit of length. For other uses of metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation). The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. It is defined as the length of the path traveled by light in an absolute vacuum during a... metres.

Australian rules, which was invented in The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... Melbourne, is the predominant A winter sport is a sport commonly played during winter, usually a sport played on snow or ice. Famous Winter sport resorts Rocky Mountains Alps Snowy Mountains Karkonosze Mountains/Sudeten Norway Stowe, Vermont List of winter sports Ice skating See also team sports. Figure skating * Short-track speed skating * Speed... winter sport in most parts of Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/ Oceania. It also includes a number of secondary islands, the largest of which is Tasmania, an Australian State. Australia is... Australia. Professional pre-season competitions usually begin in late February, although the "football season" proper is from March to August, with finals being held in September. The game is the most popular winter sport in Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4.3%) Population (2004)  - Population 5,000,000 (2nd)  - Density 22 /km² (2nd... Victoria, Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Area 90,758 km² (7th)  - Land 68,401 km²  - Water 22,357 km² (24.63%) Population (2003)  - Population 478,400 (6th)  - Density 6.92 /km... Tasmania, Motto: United for the Common Wealth Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Area 1,043,514 km² (4th)  - Land 983,482 km²  - Water 60,032 km² (5.75%) Population (2004)  - Population 1,534,300 (5th)  - Density 1... South Australia, Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4... Western Australia and the Motto: None Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Area 1,420,968 km² (3rd)  - Land 1,349,129 km²  - Water 71,839 km² (5.06%) Population (2002)  - Population 197,700 (8th)  - Density 0.15 /km² (8th) Time... Northern Territory. In Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Governor HE Ms Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Area 1,852,642 km² (2st)  - Land 1,730,648 km²  - Water 121,994 km² (6.58%) Population (2003)  - Population 3,796,800 (3rd... Queensland and Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Governor HE Professor Marie Bashir Premier Bob Carr (ALP) Area 809,444 km² (5th)  - Land 800,642 km²  - Water 8,802 km² (1.09%) Population (2002)  - Population 6... New South Wales (NSW) the main winter sports are Rugby league is a team sport, played by teams of 13 players per side (usually plus 4 substitutes). The aim is to carry an oval ball up the field towards the opponents in-goal area. Touching the ball down behind this line scores a try, the main aim of the... rugby league and A Rugby match in the Stade de France Rugby union is a team sport that was (according to legend) developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby School in England. Two teams, each of 15 players have the task of outscoring the opposing team. Players clutch an ovoid... rugby union, although with the establishment of successful This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. For information about the rules and history of the game see the Australian Rules Football page. The Australian Football League is the elite, national competition in Australian Rules Football. It was formed through the expansion of the Victorian... Australian Football League teams in This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. For other meanings, see Sydney (disambiguation), or Sidney. Sydneys skyline with the Opera House on the left Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales and Australias largest and oldest city, founded in 1788... Sydney and This article is about the Australian city. For other uses of Brisbane, see Brisbane (disambiguation). Brisbane by night Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The citys name is pronounced BRIZ-buhn, IPA: . The City of Brisbane has around 960,000 inhabitants, within a greater... Brisbane, and hence the growth of amateur football in those areas, this is changing to some degree. In both the Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Administrator None Area 2,358 km² (8th)  - Land 2,358 km²  - Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2003)  - Population 308,700 (7th... Australian Capital Territory and south-western NSW, Australian Rules rivals the two varieties of rugby in popularity.

Cricket (disambiguation). Cricket is a team game played between two teams of eleven players each. It originated in its modern form in England, and is popular mainly in the countries of the Commonwealth. In the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far... Cricket is the most common summer spectator sport in Australia, and is usually played on the same grounds as Aussie Rules. In the past, many elite-level footballers played representative cricket, but the increasingly professional nature of the game made this impossible by the Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Events and trends Technology Bulletin board system popularity Popularization of personal computers, Walkmans, VHS videocassette recorders, and compact disc (CD) players Introduction of the IBM PC Home video games become enormously popular, most notably Atari until the market crashes in 1983; the rise... 1980s. Many amateur and school-level players still play both.

Unlike most The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. Football is the most widely played and watched team sport in the world. The game is often known... soccer competitions, there are no separate "league" and "cup" trophies. The teams that occupy the highest positions (usually four in most amateur leagues, but eight in the This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. For information about the rules and history of the game see the Australian Rules Football page. The Australian Football League is the elite, national competition in Australian Rules Football. It was formed through the expansion of the Victorian... AFL) play off in a "semi-knockout" finals series (in the AFL, the top four sides get a second chance if they lose their first final), with the two successful teams meeting to contest the premiership. This is decided by one game, the Grand Final.

Rules of the game

The equipment needed to play the game is minimal. As in other kinds of This article deals with the history and development of the different sports around the world known as Football. For links to specific articles on each type of football, please see the list at the bottom of this article. Football is the name given to a number of different team sports... football, players wear boots with stops (known as studs in some regions) in the soles, shorts, and a thick, strong shirt or In American English, a jumper is a sleeveless collarless dress; see jumper dress. In British English, a jumper is a sweater made of knitted wool. In computer electronics, a jumper is a pair of connectable pins; see jumper (computing). In video games, Jumper! is the name of a platform game... jumper known as a A guernsey is an upper garment similar to a jersey, differing in that it is thicker and more likely to be hand knitted, or have such an appearamce in contrast to the latters finer knit. Guernseys were first widely used in the rating uniform of the Brirish Royal Navy... guernsey.

The game is played with a bouncy ellipsoid ball which may be caught, kicked or passed to another player by punching, but may not be thrown or handed between players. There is no offside rule at all and a player may run as far as they like with the ball, provided they either bounce or touch the ball to the ground every 15 metres. A player who cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it — called a mark — is entitled to an unimpeded kick of the ball, to advance his team towards their goalposts.

Four posts are erected at either end of the oval and markings are placed on the ground as shown in the diagram below. The aim for each team is to kick the ball between the two inner posts of one set, for a goal, worth six points. If the ball travels between one outer and one inner post (which includes striking an inner post), it scores a behind, worth just one point. If the ball travels outside the posts, or strikes the outer-most post, it is deemed out of bounds and is either thrown in or awarded to the opposing side as a free kick, depending on whether it bounced before going out of bounds.

There are no set positions in the rules of the game, but traditionally the field was divided into three major sections: the forward line, back line, and midfield. The forward and back lines were comprised of six players, arranged into two lines of three players each. The midfield generally consists of the designated ruckman (i.e. player who contests the ruck) and players who either stay in the centre area of the ground (between the two 50 This article is about the unit of length. For other uses of metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation). The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. It is defined as the length of the path traveled by light in an absolute vacuum during a... metre arcs) or follow the ball and are not confined to a particular area.

The modern game, however, has largely discarded positional play in favour of a free flowing running game and attempting to have loose men in various positions on the ground. The rise in popularity of the hand-pass since the 1970s has greatly influenced this style of play, with players more willing to follow the ball and move it quickly amongst themselves rather than kicking long to a one-on-one marking contest. In the late 1990s a tactic known as flooding was devised and also shifted focus away from set positions. When a team "plays a flood", they direct two or more of their midfield or forward line players into their defence, thus out-numbering their opponent and making it difficult for any opposing forward to take an uncontested mark. Most football sides are named (and demonstrated) in the traditional set positions, but it is in fact uncommon for players to stay within the traditional areas of their position. Below is a diagram illustrating the tradition positions of Australian rules football.

The markings on an Australian Rules Football ground. Note that the actual dimensions of the playfield are not fixed, but can vary between 135 and 185 metres in length and 110 and 155 metres in width.

The traditional playing positions.

The game is controlled by a number of field umpires (at elite level, three), two boundary umpires whose main job is to conduct throw-ins when the ball leaves the field of play and two goal umpires who judge whether the ball is kicked between the goal posts without being touched by another (thus scoring a goal), between a goal and point post (thus a point) or outside the goals entirely (thus becoming the boundary umpire's responsibility). The goal umpires wear distinctive uniforms (such as white, and recently brightly coloured, coats) and are equipped with two flags. After a goal is scored and indicated to the players, the goal umpire waves the two flags such that the other goal umpire sees and records the goal. One flag is waved for a point.

Australian Rules football at the MCG. The player taking the mark is Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, against Collingwood Football Club. Photo taken August 2003 by User:Robert Merkel and placed in the public domain by the photographer. This image has been released into the public domain by the...

Australian Rules football at the MCG. The player taking the mark is Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, against Collingwood Football Club. Photo taken August 2003 by User:Robert Merkel and placed in the public domain by the photographer. This image has been released into the public domain by the...

Australian rules football at the Cricket at the MCG. The old Members Stand, in the centre background, has now been demolished. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an enormous sporting ground based in inner Melbourne, home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It holds the world record for the highest light towers. It is an easy walk... Melbourne Cricket Ground. Alastair Lynch is a large Australian Football League full forward from Tasmania who has had an unlucky but successful career. He began his senior footballing at the Fitzroy Lions in 1988. He was an intimidating player in defence even from the beginning with his good marking skill and strength in... Alistair Lynch, ( Brisbane Lions logo The Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club (the trading name for the Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club) are an Australian Football League club, formed from the post-1996 merger of the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy, the Lions. The side plays its home games at the Brisbane Cricket Ground... Brisbane Lions), is attempting to take a mark, with his Collingwood Football Club logo The Collingwood Football Club (nicknamed The Magpies because of the black and white striped jerseys worn by the players) is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. The Magpies are known for its passionate supporting base, and have traditionally been the... Collingwood opponent trying to stop him. (Note: This photograph was taken during a match played as part of the AFL's annual "Heritage Round", a week in which teams wear guernseys (shirts) used by their club in previous generations.)

The game is a fast-paced combination of speed, athleticism, skill and physical toughness. Players are allowed to tackle the player with the ball and impede opposition players from tackling their teammates (known as shepherding), but not to deliberately strike an opponent (though pushing the margins of these rules is often a substantial part of the game). Like most team sports, tactics are based around trying to get the ball, then — through a combination of running with the ball, hand-passing and kicking — deliver it to a player who is within range of goal. Because taking a mark entitles the player to a free kick, a common tactic is to attempt to kick the ball on the full (without bouncing) to a teammate who is within kicking range of goal. In this situation, packs of players often form around the goal square, and the opportunity arises for spectacular high marks (or "speccies"), in which players launch themselves off opponents' backs to mark the ball, high in the air. This particular skill is highly regarded as a spectacle, and an annual "Mark of the Year" is awarded at the end of a season.

Holding the ball

One of the things that causes the most confusion for people that are not familiar with the game are the holding the ball and Throwing rules. Confusion arises because a player is not allowed to hold onto the ball, but is not allowed to throw it either.

These rules are easily summarised:

• Players must always dispose of the ball cleanly. A disposal is either a kick or a hand-pass. Failure to do so results in a penalty to the opposing team, which is awarded as a free kick. This is usually called either holding the ball or throwing.
• When a player is in possession of the ball, and moving, the ball must be bounced, or touched to the ground, at least once every 15 metres. Failure to do so results in a penalty to the opposing team, who is awarded a free kick. This is usually called holding the ball and occasionally traveling (signalled by the umpire in the same way as traveling is signalled in Basketball Basketball is a ball sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points by throwing a ball through a hoop. Basketball is highly suited to viewing by spectators, as it is primarily an indoor sport, played in a relatively small playing area, or court, with... basketball).
• When a player is in possession of the ball, and is tackled correctly, they must immediately dispose of the ball by kicking or handpassing. Failure to do so results in a penalty to the tackling team, who is awarded a free kick. This is also called holding the ball. Exceptions to this rule include:
  • Being bumped, that is hit side-on by another player, and dropping the ball.
  • Being swung off balance and making an attempt to dispose of the ball, but not making contact.
  • The tackling player pinning the ball to the player being tackled or to the ground.
• These exceptions do not apply if the player had a prior opportunity to correctly dispose of the ball before they were tackled.

Origins of the game

Thomas Wentworth Wills was an Australian sportsman who is credited along with Henry Harrison as one of the inventors of Australian rules football. Wills was born on August 19, 1835 in Parramatta and his family moved to western Victoria when he was four years of age. As a boy, Wills... Tom Wills began to devise the rules of the game in The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... Melbourne, in 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. Events January 14 - Felice Orsini and his accomplices fail to assassinate Napoleon III in Paris but their bombs kill 156 bystanders. Because of the involvement of French émigrés living in Britain, there is a brief anti-British feeling in France but... 1858, making Australian Rules — originally known as "Victorian Rules" — arguably the oldest officially codified form of football played today. (H.C.A. Harrison, Wills's cousin, was also named much later as an official "father of the game", but his role does not now seem to have been significant at this very early stage.) A letter by Wills was published in Bell's Life in Victoria & Sporting Chronicle on July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. Events 100 BC-AD 1899 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. AD 1778 - American Revolution: Louis XVI of France declares... July 10, 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. Events January 14 - Felice Orsini and his accomplices fail to assassinate Napoleon III in Paris but their bombs kill 156 bystanders. Because of the involvement of French émigrés living in Britain, there is a brief anti-British feeling in France but... 1858, [1] (http://www.mcg.org.au/default.asp?pg=footballdisplay&articleid=37) calling for a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter. An experimental match, played by Wills and others at the Richmond Paddock (later known as Yarra Park, next to the Cricket at the MCG. The old Members Stand, in the centre background, has now been demolished. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an enormous sporting ground based in inner Melbourne, home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It holds the world record for the highest light towers. It is an easy walk... MCG) on July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. Events 1009 - Pietro Boccapecora becomes Pope Sergius IV 1423 - Hundred Years War: Battle of Cravant - The French army is defeated at Cravant on... July 31, 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. Events January 14 - Felice Orsini and his accomplices fail to assassinate Napoleon III in Paris but their bombs kill 156 bystanders. Because of the involvement of French émigrés living in Britain, there is a brief anti-British feeling in France but... 1858, may have been the first game of Australian Rules. However, few details of the match have survived.

On August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. There are 94 days in North Hemisphere summer, South Hemisphere winter. The Northern Hemisphere is considered to be halfway through the summer on August 7. Events 1600-1899 1679... August 7, 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. Events January 14 - Felice Orsini and his accomplices fail to assassinate Napoleon III in Paris but their bombs kill 156 bystanders. Because of the involvement of French émigrés living in Britain, there is a brief anti-British feeling in France but... 1858 two significant events in the development of the game occurred: the Melbourne Football Club logo The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons since 1933, known in their early days as The Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest football club in Australia and is... Melbourne Football Club was founded, one of the world's first football clubs in any code, and a famous match between Melbourne Church of England Grammar School and Scotch College began, umpired by Wills. A second day of play took place on August 21, and a third and final day on September 4. The two schools have competed annually ever since. However, the rules used by the two teams in 1858 did not have much in common with Australian Rules Football as it became known.

The Melbourne Football Club rules of 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. Events January January 2 - Erastus Beadle publishes The Dime Book of Practical Etiquette. January 24 - Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexander John Cuza under the name Romania (see December 1, 1918 for the final unification, Transylvania and other regions were still... 1859 are the oldest surviving set of laws for Australian Rules. They were drawn up at the Parade Hotel, East Melbourne on May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). There are 228 days remaining. Events 1521 - execution of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, for treason 1590 - Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland. 1642 - Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve (1612... May 17, by Wills, W. J. Hammersley, J. B. Thompson and Thomas Smith (some sources include H. C. A. Harrison). The 1859 rules did not include some elements which soon became important to the game, such as the requirement to bounce the ball while running, and Melbourne's game was not immediately adopted by neighbouring clubs. Before each match, the rules had to be agreed by the two teams involved. By 1866 is a common year starting on Monday. Events January – June January 6 – Ottoman troops clash with men of a Maronite leader Karam in St. Doumit in Lebanon - Turks are defeated January 12 - Royal Aeronautical Society is formed ( London) January 28 - 800 Maronite troops clash with Ottoman troops... 1866, however, several other clubs had agreed to play a single updated version of Melbourne's rules.

It is often said that the founders were partly inspired by the ball games of the local Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. Their ancestors probably arrived in Australia just over 50,000 years ago, although the date remains in dispute. History Pre-colonisation See History of Australia before 1901 Aboriginal Flag The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the indigenous (native) people of... Aboriginal people in western Victoria. Aborigines did play a sport called Marn Grook, which used a ball made out of A possum is any of about 25 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupials native to Australia. The name derives from their resemblance to the opossums of the Americas and, unlike most names applied to Australian fauna in the early years of European colonisation, happens to be accurate: the opossums of... possum hide, and included play resembling the high marking ("speccie") in Australian Rules. There is considerable debate over the connection between the two. Wills did have a deep knowledge of Aboriginal culture, and Harrison had grown up in an area of Victoria near present day Moyston where he may have seen Marn Grook.

Wills had been educated at A view of Rugby School from the rear, including the playing field, where according to legend Rugby football was invented Rugby School, located in the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, is one of the oldest public schools in the United Kingdom and is perhaps the leading co-educational boarding school... Rugby School in England and had also, like W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson, been to the The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after Oxford). It is situated in the town of Cambridge, England. According to legend, the university was founded in 1209 by scholars escaping from Oxford after a fight with locals there. Cambridge has produced more Nobel... University of Cambridge. The Cambridge Rules, drawn up in 1843, included some elements which are important in Australian Rules, such as the mark. Thomas Smith was A true colour image of Ireland, captured by a NASA satellite on January 4, 2003. Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales are visible to the east. Ireland is located west of the European landmass, which is part of the continent of Eurasia. Ireland (Éire in Irish) is the... Irish and had attended The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. Trinity is located on College Green in Dublin... Trinity College, Dublin, where the Rugby School rules were popular at a very early stage. These men would have been familiar with other The term public school has two contrary meanings: In England, one of a small number of prestigious historic schools open to the public which normally charge fees and are financed by bodies other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts; here the word public is used much as in... public school and university "football" games. They may also have been inspired by traditional games, played among the thousands of immigrants who poured into Victoria from the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, UK or, inaccurately, as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent parts. Three of these parts... UK, Ireland and many other countries during the goldrushes of the Events and Trends Crimean war (1854 - 1856) fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire. The majority of the conflict takes place around Crimea, on the northern coasts of the Black Sea. World Leaders... 1850s.

Similarities to Gaelic football

While it is clear even to casual observers that Australian Rules is similar to Gaelic football is a competitive sport played mainly in Ireland. Origins Though it has existed for centuries, it was formally arranged into an organised playing code by the Gaelic Athletic Association in the late nineteenth century. Male and female leagues of the game exist. Rules Gaelic footballs rules are... Gaelic football, the exact relationship is unclear, as the Irish game was not codified by the GAA redirects here. For the ice hockey statistic, see Goals against average. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael) is an organisation which is mostly focussed on promoting Irish sports, such as hurling and camogie, Gaelic football and handball, and rounders. The organisation also promotes Irish music... Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) until 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 20 - The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base. January 21 - The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is formed January 26 - Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian troops defeat Italians... 1887. The historian B. W. O'Dwyer points out that Australian Rules has always been differentiated from This article discusses the sport Rugby. For other uses see Rugby. General description Rugby football, as a catch-all term, may refer to two related but separate team sports: Rugby League and Rugby Union. Rugby League has become a popular professional and amateur sport in some regions of Great Britain... rugby football by having no limitation on ball or player movement (in the absence of an offside rule), the need to bounce the ball (or toe-kick it, known as a solo in Gaelic football) while running, punching the ball (hand-passing) rather than throwing it, and other traditions. As O'Dwyer says:

These are all elements of Irish football. There were several variations of Irish football in existence, normally without the benefit of rulebooks, but the central tradition in A true colour image of Ireland, captured by a NASA satellite on January 4, 2003. Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales are visible to the east. Ireland is located west of the European landmass, which is part of the continent of Eurasia. Ireland (Éire in Irish) is the... Ireland was in the direction of the relatively new game [i.e. rugby]...adapted and shaped within the perimeters of the ancient Irish game of Hurling is a team sport of Celtic origin, played with sticks and a ball. The game, mostly played in Ireland, is considered to be one of the fastest team sports. It bears some resemblance to shinty, which is mainly played in Scotland. Another version of the game, for women, is... hurling... [These rules] later became embedded in Gaelic football. Their presence in Victorian football may be accounted for in terms of a formative influence being exerted by men familiar with and no doubt playing the Irish game. It is not that they were introduced into the game from that motive [i.e. emulating Irish games]; it was rather a case of particular needs being met... [B. W. O'Dwyer, March 1989, "The Shaping of Victorian Rules Football", Victorian Historical Journal, v.60, no.1.]

After 1887, the two games developed in isolation from each other. However, since 1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE55Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE60Fixes.css; /**/ 1967 From Wikipedia 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). Events January January 3 - Edward Tyree III is born in Philadelphia, Pa. The Famous... 1967, there have been many matches between Australian rules and Gaelic football teams, under various sets of hybrid, compromise rules. In 1984, the first official representative matches of International Rules football is a hybrid sport developed in the 1980s as a mixture of Australian rules football and Gaelic football. It was created in order to facilitate international matches between the representative teams of the Australian Football League and the Gaelic Athletic Association, which have been played annually since... International rules football were played, and these are now played annually each October.

The clubs and leagues

The modern day This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. For information about the rules and history of the game see the Australian Rules Football page. The Australian Football League is the elite, national competition in Australian Rules Football. It was formed through the expansion of the Victorian... Australian Football League (AFL) has many teams dating back to the beginnings of the game: apart from the Melbourne Football Club, other early clubs still in existence include: Geelong Football Club logo The Geelong Football Club is a football club in the Australian Football League (AFL). They play under the name Geelong Cats, and are based in the city of Geelong, a city of 190,000 people about 80 kilometres from Melbourne. They are the only current AFL... Geelong ( 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. Events March March 6 - Abraham Lincoln speaks against slavery in New Haven, Connecticut April April 3 - The Pony Express makes its first run. May May 1 - A chondrite type meteorite fell to earth in Muskingum County, Ohio near the town of New... 1860), Carlton Football Club logo The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed The Blues for their dark blue playing colors, is one of the oldest, richest, and most successful Australian rules football clubs. Formed in 1864, it originally played in the Victorian Football Association competition, and was one of the formation members of... Carlton ( Events January - March January 21 - Maori Wars: The Tauranga Campaign starts. February 27 - American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia. March 1- Alejandro Mon Menéndez takes office as Prime Minister of Spain March 10 - American Civil War: The Red River Campaign... 1864), North Melbourne (aka Hotham, now Kangaroos Football Club logo The Kangaroos Football Club, formerly the North Melbourne Football Club, and informally known as the Shinboners or the Kangaroos plays Australian rules football in the Australian Football League. It is based at the Arden Street oval in the inner Melbourne suburb of North Melbourne, but plays... Kangaroos) ( 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). Events March 1 - North German Confederation issues 10gr and 30gr value stamps, printed on goldbeaters skin May 4 - Naval Battle of Hakodate in Japan. May 10 - Transcontinental Railroad completed at Promontory, Utah. May 15 - Woman... 1869), Port Adelaide Football Club logo Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club, nicknamed The Power in the Australian Football League (AFL), and nicknamed The Magpies in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Club History Port Adelaide was founded on 20 April 1870 and played its inaugural... Port Adelaide ( 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). Events January - April January 6 - The inauguration of the Musikverein ( Vienna). January 10 - John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil January 15 - A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the United States Democratic Party with a donkey (A... 1870), Essendon Football Club logo Essendon Football Club is an Australian Rules Football club that is part of the Australian Football League. Formed in 1871 as a junior club and as a senior club in 1873, it is headquartered at Windy Hill Oval in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon, but plays... Essendon and St Kilda Football Club logo The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. With only the one premiership in 1966 (beating Collingwood by one point), St Kilda have been the perennial dysfunctional strugglers of the competition. Their fans... St Kilda ( Events January - April January 17 - Indian Wars: First Battle of the Stronghold during the Modoc War. February 11 - Spanish Cortes deposes King Amadeus I and proclaims the First Spanish Republic. February 12 - Former foreign minister Emilio Cistelar y Ripoli becomes prime minister of the new Spanish Republic. February 20 - The... 1873), South Melbourne (now Sydney Swans logo The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. They plays most home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with blockbuster games played at Telstra Stadium (the former Olympic Stadium at Homebush). The club formed in 1874 as the South Melbourne Football Club... Sydney Swans) ( Events January - April January 1 - New York City annexes The Bronx January 23 - Marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, to Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, only daughter of Emperor Alexander III of Russia. January - Signing of the Pangkor Treaty (also known as the Pangkor... 1874) and Footscray (now the The Western Bulldogs, formerly known as the Footscray Football Club or The Bulldogs is an Australian Football League (AFL) club based at the Whitten Oval in western suburban Melbourne, Australia, drawing its supporter base from this traditionally poor, industrial, and less leafy part of Melbourne. Virtually since its founding, it... Western Bulldogs) ( 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). Events January - April January 1 - Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act, introduced by United Kingdom Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. January 8 - Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle with the United... 1877).

In 1877, the See also Australian Football League. The Victorian Football Association (VFA) was the first Australian Rules Football league, made up up clubs in the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1877; in 1897 several clubs broke away to form the Victorian Football League (VFL). The VFA continued to run... Victorian Football Association (VFA), the game's first league, was formed by 14 clubs: Albert Park, Ballarat, Barwon, Beechworth, Carlton, Castlemaine, East Melbourne, Essendon, Geelong, Hotham (later North Melbourne), Inglewood, Melbourne, Rochester and St Kilda. Six of these clubs were from the Victorian country. At the time, Essendon was regarded as a semi-junior club rather than a full member, and was allowed concessions such as fielding teams of 25 players, instead of the standard 20.

Gradually the game spread from Victoria into other Australian colonies, especially South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia, all of which had strong, separate leagues by the 1890s, in particular the The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL as it is usually referred to, is the premier league for Australian Rules football in the state of South Australia. Clubs Central District Glenelg Tigers North Adelaide Norwood Port Adelaide Magpies South Adelaide Sturt West Adelaide Woodville-West Torrens Eagles Categories: Substubs... South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the A bloodied Haydn Bunton Junior celebrates Swan Districts first Grand Final win, in 1961. The Western Australian Football League (WAFL) was formed in 1885 and has since remained the premier Australian rules football league in Western Australia. A nine team, single division competition, the season is based around a 22... Western Australian Football League (WAFL). Meanwhile, a rift in the VFA led to the formation of the See also Australian Football League. The Victorian Football Association (VFA) was the first Australian Rules Football league, made up up clubs in the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1877; in 1897 several clubs broke away to form the Victorian Football League (VFL). The VFA continued to run... Victorian Football League (VFL), which commenced play in Events January 1 - Brooklyn, New York merges with New York City. January 4 - A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosheri, son-in-law of the Oba of Benin. This leads to a Punitive Expedition against Benin. February 2 - Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania state capitol, is destroyed by fire. February 18... 1897 as an eight-team breakaway of the stronger clubs in the VFA competition: Carlton, Collingwood Football Club logo The Collingwood Football Club (nicknamed The Magpies because of the black and white striped jerseys worn by the players) is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. The Magpies are known for its passionate supporting base, and have traditionally been the... Collingwood, Essendon, Brisbane Lions logo The Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club (the trading name for the Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club) are an Australian Football League club, formed from the post-1996 merger of the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy, the Lions. The side plays its home games at the Brisbane Cricket Ground... Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne.

Another five VFA clubs joined the VFL later: Richmond Football Club logo The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. The Richmond Footbal Club was officially formed at the Royal Hotel, Richmond, on the 20th of February 1885. The club had a ready made home ground at... Richmond and Melbourne University Football Club – often known simply as University – is an Australian Rules Football club, which played in the games most elite competition in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Victorian Football League (or VFL, the forerunner of the AFL). The club is the... University joined the VFL in 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-February January 1 - A ball signifying New Years Day drops in New York Citys Times Square for the first time January 8 - A train collision occurs in the Park Avenue Tunnel in... 1908, although University withdrew in 1915. Footscray, Hawthorn Football Club logo The Hawthorn Football Club, known by their nickname The Hawks are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. Their name refers to their home and training ground at Glenferrie Oval in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne. Entering the VFL in... Hawthorn and North Melbourne joined in Events January-May January 3 - Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy. January 5 - Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first female governor in the United States. January 21 - Albania declares itself a republic January 30 - Government of Turkey throws Patriarch Constantine VI out of Istanbul February 1... 1925, by which time VFL had become the most prominent league in the game. In 1982 the VFL would evolve into the AFL.

For much of the (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... 20th century the SANFL and the WAFL were considered peers of the VFL. Although the VFL was generally accepted as the strongest league, clubs from all three leagues frequently played each other on an even footing in challenge matches and occasional nationwide club competitions.

The various state leagues also selected teams for interstate matches. Because VFL clubs increasingly recruited the best players in other states, Victoria usually dominated these encounters. However, Definition State of Origin is the name used in Australia for Rugby League and Australian Rules Football interstate matches, in which players are selected for the state in which they first played. The concept was borrowed from international representative rules in other sports, and was devised to address the drift... State of Origin rules were introduced in For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). Events January-February January 1 - First woman Episcopal priest ordained. January 6 - EMI sacks the Sex Pistols January 18 - Scientists identify a previously unknown bacterium as the cause of the mysterious legionnaires disease January 18 - Australia experiences its worst railway disaster... 1977, and in the first such game, at Subiaco Oval is the major football stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Subiaco, a few kilometres west of Perths city centre. It is mainly used for Australian Football League matches, as it is the home ground for the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers football... Subiaco Oval in For other cities named Perth, see Perth. Perth skyline viewed from the Swan Bells. Perth is the state capital city of Western Australia, the largest state in Australia. Perth is the worlds most isolated city of more than a million people. In June 2003 the Perth Metropolitan Area had... Perth, Western Australia defeated Victoria, 23.13 (151) to 8.9 (57), a huge reversal of the results in most previous games between these states. Western Australia and South Australia began to win many of their games against Victoria. State of Origin games were ceased in 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. Events Kosovo War Shooting in Littleton, Colorado, United States, leaves several high school students dead. Y2K preparation was a major event in 1999 both in... 1999 due partly to concerns over injuries to players, and partly because of its waning popularity.

In 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the... 1982, in a move which heralded big changes within the sport, one of the original VFL clubs, Sydney Swans logo The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. They plays most home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with blockbuster games played at Telstra Stadium (the former Olympic Stadium at Homebush). The club formed in 1874 as the South Melbourne Football Club... South Melbourne Football Club, relocated to the Rugby league is a team sport, played by teams of 13 players per side (usually plus 4 substitutes). The aim is to carry an oval ball up the field towards the opponents in-goal area. Touching the ball down behind this line scores a try, the main aim of the... Rugby League stronghold of This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. For other meanings, see Sydney (disambiguation), or Sidney. Sydneys skyline with the Opera House on the left Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales and Australias largest and oldest city, founded in 1788... Sydney and became known as the Sydney Swans logo The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. They plays most home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with blockbuster games played at Telstra Stadium (the former Olympic Stadium at Homebush). The club formed in 1874 as the South Melbourne Football Club... Sydney Swans. In the late 1980s, strong interstate interest in the VFL led to a more national competition; two more non-Victorian clubs, the West Coast Eagles logo The West Coast Eagles Football Club is an Australian Rules Football club that is a member of the Australian Football League. The club is based at Subiaco Oval in Perth, Western Australia and was formed when the AFL (then the Victorian Football League) decided to include... West Coast Eagles and the The Brisbane Bears Football Club was the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League. It played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995. The Bears merged with the Fitzroy Football Club after... Brisbane Bears began playing in 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. Events Environmental change Varroa destructor, an invasive parasite is found in the US October 15 - Hurricane force winds cause extensive damage in southern England. January January 1 - Frobisher Bay, Northwest Territories, changes its name to Iqaluit. In 1999... 1987. The league changed its name to the This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. For information about the rules and history of the game see the Australian Rules Football page. The Australian Football League is the elite, national competition in Australian Rules Football. It was formed through the expansion of the Victorian... Australian Football League (AFL) following the 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events January January 7 - Akihito becomes Emperor of Japan following the death of Hirohito. The Heisei period begins January 8 - the Kegworth Air Disaster - A British Midland Boeing 737 crashes on approach to East Midlands Airport - 44 dead... 1989 season. In 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events January January 2 - Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC becoming the first black woman to lead a city of that size and importance. January 4 - The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously... 1991, it gained its first South Australian team, Adelaide Crows logo The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Adelaide, South Australia. Club History The South Australian National Football League, who ran the local competition, had been seeking to enter a team in what was... Adelaide. West Coast's In many countries the term derby is used (often in the form local derby) to mean a sports (often Association football (soccer), rugby union, rugby league or Australian Rules Football) match between local rival teams. To name two examples, the North London Derby is Arsenal versus Spurs and in Australian... local derby rivals Fremantle FC logo The Fremantle Football Club, colloquially known as The Dockers, are one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League. The club is based in the port city of Fremantle, west of Perth at the mouth of the Swan River. The team joined the league in 1995 as... Fremantle were admitted in 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It was the first year of the International Decade of the Worlds Indigenous People (1995- 2005): http://www.unesco.org/culture/indigenous/ Events January January 1 Austria, Finland and Sweden enter the European Union Fred West, accused... 1995. Fitzroy merged with Brisbane after 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. Events Environmental change The invasive species Asian long-horned beetle is found in New York January 7 - One of the worst blizzards in American history hits eastern... 1996 due to financial difficulties to form the Brisbane Lions logo The Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club (the trading name for the Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club) are an Australian Football League club, formed from the post-1996 merger of the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy, the Lions. The side plays its home games at the Brisbane Cricket Ground... Brisbane Lions and the proud old SANFL club, Port Adelaide Football Club logo Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club, nicknamed The Power in the Australian Football League (AFL), and nicknamed The Magpies in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Club History Port Adelaide was founded on 20 April 1870 and played its inaugural... Port Adelaide joined in 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. Events January January 3 - NBCs Today Show Bryant Gumbel signs off for the last time January 8 - Mister Rogers receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame... 1997, immediately becoming fierce local rivals to Adelaide. The AFL, currently with 16 member clubs, is the sport's elite competition.

All of the clubs which have competed in the VFL or AFL still exist in one form or another. For example, the Fitzroy Football Club still exists in the Victorian Amateur Football Association as the Fitzroy Reds, who wear Fitzroy Lions guernseys and play their home games at the Brunswick Street Oval.

With the introduction of the AFL, the SANFL, WAFL and other state leagues rapidly declined to a secondary status. Apart from these there are many semi-professional and amateur leagues around Australia, where they play a very important role in the community, and particularly so in rural areas.

The VFA, still in existence a century after the original schism, merged with the former VFL reserves competition in 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. Events January January 1998 - A massive ice storm, caused by El Niño, strikes New England, southern Ontario and Quebec, resulting in widespread power failures, severe damage to... 1998. The new entity adopted the VFL name.

Even at the elite level, the game still retains some touches from its suburban roots. Players run on to the field through a crepe paper banner depicting some message (for instance, congratulating players on a milestone number of games) constructed by volunteer supporter groups. All clubs also have a team song, most of which were composed in the Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s Years: 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 Events and trends Technology First nuclear bomb First cruise missile, the V1 flying bomb and the first ballistic missile, the... 1940s or mimick the musical style of that era.

Future expansion of the AFL

Occasionally, there is talk in the media and amongst fans of increasing the number of AFL teams from outside Victoria. Several areas have been discussed as possibilities, most often Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Area 90,758 km² (7th)  - Land 68,401 km²  - Water 22,357 km² (24.63%) Population (2003)  - Population 478,400 (6th)  - Density 6.92 /km... Tasmania, western Sydney, North Queensland, the This article resolves the various uses of the name Gold Coast. In general, a Gold Coast is a wealthy area, strip, neighborhood or region fronting an ocean. Places The Gold Coast was the original name for Ghana, during the British colonial period. Gold Coast, Queensland - the popular tourist destination in... Gold Coast, For other meanings see Canberra (disambiguation). Canberra (pronounced CAN-bruh , CAN-berra, Can-BER-ra or Can-buh-ruh) is capital city and largest inland city (population 311,000). It is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, (ACT; population 339,000). Canberra is the 7th most... Canberra and Central Darwin, circa 1986 Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory, and is a city of 109,419 people (2001 census) on Australias far north-western coastline. Darwin is reputed to suffer more lightning-strikes than any other inhabited place in the world. It is also home to... Darwin; but the AFL have a stated aim to keep the competition in its current 16-side form. It is generally thought that if the AFL expands into a new area, one of the less financially well-off Victorian clubs will re-locate, rather than an entirely new club being formed. The Western Bulldogs and Kangaroos are most often considered candidates for re-location, and some theorise that their respective name changes in the 1990s were in anticipation of such a move. The Kangaroos play regular premiership season games at Manuka Oval in Canberra, and the Bulldogs have played in Cairns is a regional city located in far north Queensland, Australia. Originally settled to serve as a port for exporting gold and other precious metals from mines west of the city, it later became a center for the crushing and exporting of sugar. The city is rapidly expanding and is... Cairns and Darwin, leading to more speculation that they are attempting to build a supporter base in those areas for future re-location.

Australian Rules internationally

While Australian Rules Football is a major spectator sport only in Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/ Oceania. It also includes a number of secondary islands, the largest of which is Tasmania, an Australian State. Australia is... Australia (except for occasional exhibition games staged in other countries), there has, since the late 1980s, been a growing international amateur competition in countries such as For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). New Zealand is a country formed of two major islands and a number of Pacific Ocean. A common Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, popularly translated as Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand also maintains responsibility for the... New Zealand, Ireland, Great Britain lies between Ireland and continental Europe. Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of Europe, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom (UK). Great Britain is also used as a political term describing the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, the three countries which... Great Britain, Denmark (disambiguation). The Kingdom of Denmark is geographically the smallest Nordic country and is part of the European Union. It is located in Scandinavia, which is in northern Europe. Denmark borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and consists of a peninsula attached to Northern Germany named Jutland (Jylland... Denmark, the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii... USA, Canada is an independent sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. Bordering the United States, its territorial claims extend north into the Arctic Ocean as far as the North Pole. Canada is a federation of ten provinces... Canada, The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. Due to its central location, Germany has more neighbours than any other European country: these are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the... Germany, Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0.8% Population  - Total ( 2004)  - Density Ranked 10th 127,333,002 337/km² GDP  - Total (PPP, 2005)  - Total (nominal)  ... Japan, Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the other half is the Papua province of Indonesia). It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, north of Australia, and west of the Solomon Islands. National motto: Official languages English... Papua New Guinea, The Republic of Nauru (pronounced nah-OO-roo), formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island republic in the South Pacific Ocean. It is the worlds smallest independent republic both in terms of population and land area. Much of its past prosperity derived from the large amount of phosphate... Nauru, The Independent State of Samoa (conventional long form) or Samoa (conventional short form) is a country comprising a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Previous names are Western Samoa from 1914 to 1997 and German Samoa from 1900 to 1914. National motto: Samoa is founded on God Official... Samoa, The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. China  listen? ( Traditional: 中國; Simplified: 中国; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo) is a nation located chiefly in continental East... China and The Republic of South Africa (pronunciation) is a large republic in Southern Africa. It is located at the southern tip of the continent, and borders Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. The small nation of Lesotho is entirely contained within South African territory. Its economy is the largest and most... South Africa, initially established by Australian expatriates but collecting growing numbers of native players. Separate from their local competitions, World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the... North American fans have formed an organization, AFANA, specifically to work for improved media coverage of Australian Rules Football and its U.S. branch, US Footy.

A series of hybrid International Rules football is a hybrid sport developed in the 1980s as a mixture of Australian rules football and Gaelic football. It was created in order to facilitate international matches between the representative teams of the Australian Football League and the Gaelic Athletic Association, which have been played annually since... International Rules matches between Australia's best and a representative Gaelic football is a competitive sport played mainly in Ireland. Origins Though it has existed for centuries, it was formally arranged into an organised playing code by the Gaelic Athletic Association in the late nineteenth century. Male and female leagues of the game exist. Rules Gaelic footballs rules are... Gaelic football team from Ireland have been staged on an annual basis. The rules are a compromise between the two codes, using a round ball and a rectangular field but allowing the fierce tackling of the Australian code. The series have remained evenly matched with the Irish using speed and athleticism, and the Australians strength and power - both inherent skills in their respective codes. This contrast of skills has created exciting contests that have been a hit with spectators.

Several Irish gaelic footballers have been recruited to play in Australia, most notably The Charles Brownlow Medal is an annual medal awarded by the Australian Football League to the best and fairest player of the year. It is named after Charles Brownlow. After each match, the three field umpires (the ones controlling the game) confer and award 3, 2 and 1 vote to... Brownlow medallist Jim Stynes (born April 23, 1966) is an Irish-Australian Australian rules football player. Though he had no contact with the sport until the age of eighteen, he went on to become one of its most successful players. Stynes was born in Dublin, Ireland and played Gaelic Football as a... Jim Stynes, Sean Wight, and more recently Tadhg Kennelly and Setanta Ó hAilpín.

The The International Australian Football Council (IAFC) is a body that was established in the aftermath of the 1995 Arafura Games, held in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The Arafura Games were the first international games to have Australian rules football as a competition, rather than a demonstration sport. Papua New Guinea... International Australian Football Council (IAFC) was formed in 1995 to promote and develop Australian football internationally. The inaugural Australian Football International Cup was held in Melbourne in 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated: International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains National Science Year in the United Kingdom Autism Awareness Year in the United Kingdom Events January Euro banknotes in circulation throughout the twelve countries of the European Union that... 2002. It was contested by 11 teams made up exclusively of non-Australians: A true colour image of Ireland, captured by a NASA satellite on January 4, 2003. Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales are visible to the east. Ireland is located west of the European landmass, which is part of the continent of Eurasia. Ireland (Éire in Irish) is the... Ireland won the cup, defeating Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the other half is the Papua province of Indonesia). It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, north of Australia, and west of the Solomon Islands. National motto: Official languages English... Papua New Guinea in the final.

Australian Rules Hall of Fame

For the centenary of the VFL/AFL in 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. Events Environmental change The invasive species Asian long-horned beetle is found in New York January 7 - One of the worst blizzards in American history hits eastern... 1996, a Hall of Fame was formed. That year 136 Australian Rules identities were inducted, including 100 players, 10 coaches, 10 umpires, 10 administrators and 6 media representatives. "Legend of the Game" status was bestowed on 12 players and another six in following years. The selections have caused small amounts of controversy in the past, most notable because of the continued omission of For the English footballer player with Liverpool and Everton, click HERE Gary Ablett, Sr. (born October 1, 1961) is a retired Australian Rules Football player. He was arguably one of the legends of the game. However, his life after football has been less successful. Ablett grew up in the town... Gary Ablett, but also because of a perceived lack of non-Victorian players in the Hall.

The original legends (in alphabetical order) are:

• Ronald Dale Barassi (born 27 February 1936) is one of the greatest Australian rules football players and coaches of all time. He is best remembered as an explosive player who wore the number 31 guernsey throughout his playing career. His father, Ron Barassi Senior, was killed in World War II... Ron Barassi Junior
• Haydn Bunton Senior (1911-1955) was an Australian rules football player regarded by some observers as the games greatest ever player. He remains the only player to have received both the Brownlow Medal — for the best and fairest player in the Victorian Football League (VFL) — and the... Haydn Bunton Senior
• Roy Cazaly was an Australian rules football player famous his high marks, and for giving rise to the phrase Up there Cazaly. Cazaly was born in Albert Park, a suburb of Melbourne on January 13, 1893. He learnt his football at the local state school, quickly becoming its first-choice... Roy Cazaly
• For the Victoria Cross winner see John Coleman (VC) John Coleman (1929 - 1973) is widely considered to be the greatest full-forward to ever play Australian Rules football. He played 98 games and kicked 537 goals for Essendon from 1949 to 1954. After his retirement the Coleman Medal, awarded to... John Coleman
• John Raymond Dyer (November 13, 1913 - August 23, 2003), better known as Jack Dyer, was one of the best-known figures of Australian Rules football, as an outstanding player, as a coach, and later in the broadcast media. Dyer was born in Oakleigh, now a suburb of Melbourne, and grew... Jack Dyer
• Graham Polly Farmer is a retired Australian rules football player and coach. He began his career with East Perth in the WAFL where he played 176 games from 1953 to 1961. During this time he won the clubs Fairest and Best award 7 times and was a member of... Graham Farmer
• Leigh Matthews is the current coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League club. He has coached them to three consecutive premierships (in 2001, 2002 and 2003) as well as to a losing grand final (2004). Previously, he played 332 games for Hawthorn from 1969 to 1985, serving as the... Leigh Matthews
• John Nicholls is a former Australian Rules Footballer. Categories: Substubs | Australian Rules footballers ... John Nicholls
• Bob Pratt
• Dick Reynolds (June 20, 1915 - September 2, 2002) was an Australian Rules player and coach. He played for, captained and coached the Essendon Bombers in the VFL competition for nearly three decades. He played from 1933 until 1951, captain coaching the side from 1939 until 1950, and coaching after his... Dick Reynolds
• Bob Skilton
• Considered by many to be the greatest Australian-rules football player of all time, Edward John Ted Whitten (1933-1995) lived his entire life for football: his club--Footscray (Western Bulldogs), his state team---Victoria and any fan or anybody in earshot of this larger-than-life character. Regarded by... Ted Whitten Senior

Later additions:

• Ian Stewart (later in 1997)
• Gordon Coventry was an Australian Rules Football player who played the full-forward position for the Collingwood Football Club in the great Collingwood teams of the 1920s and 1930s. He held the record for most career goals (1299) for 60 years, until it was broken by Tony Lockett. He was... Gordon Coventry (1998)
• Peter Hudson (1999)
• Kevin Bartlett (born March 6, 1947) was an Australian Rules Football player between 1965 and 1983. Bartlett was a rover and goalkicker who was known as Hungry due to his unwillingness to handball. He is known for great evasiveness and stamina he could win a game off his own boot... Kevin Bartlett (2000)
• Barrie Robran (2001)
• Bill Hutchison (2003)

Notable VFL/AFL records

• Highest Score: Geelong; 37 goals, 17 behinds (239 points), Carrara Oval is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Some of the sports played there have been Australian rules football, rugby league, rugby union, cricket and baseball. The complex is notable as the first home ground of the Brisbane Bears VFL club. The side played its... Carrara Oval, May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). There are 242 days remaining. Events 1494 - Christopher Columbus discovers Jamaica. 1791 - The May Constitution of Poland (first modern constitution in Europe) is proclaimed by the Polish Diet. 1808 - Finnish War: Sweden loses... May 3, 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events January January - The Internet Society is formed. January 1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General George H. W. Bush becomes the first... 1992.
• Highest Winning Margin: Fitzroy, 190 points, Waverley Park (formerly VFL Park and then AFL Park) was an often controversial football stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. For most of its history, its purpose was as a neutral venue and used by all Victorian based VFL/AFL clubs; however, during the 1990s it became the home ground... Waverley Park, July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. Events 1493 - Great fire in Moscow 1540 - One of the most important political figures of the reign of Henry VIII of England, Thomas Cromwell, is executed on order from... July 28, 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. Events January January 1 - United States and the Peoples Republic of China establish diplomatic relations January 4 - State of Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of dead and injured in Kent State University shootings. January 7 - Vietnam and Vietnam... 1979.
• Most Premierships: 16; tied: Carlton (the most recent being 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It was the first year of the International Decade of the Worlds Indigenous People (1995- 2005): http://www.unesco.org/culture/indigenous/ Events January January 1 Austria, Finland and Sweden enter the European Union Fred West, accused... 1995) and Essendon ( 2000 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE55Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE60Fixes.css; /**/ 2000 From Wikipedia 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Popular culture also holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd... 2000).
• Most Consecutive Premierships: Collingwood, four, Events January 7 - First transatlantic telephone call - New York City to London January 9 - Military rebellion crushed in Lisbon January 14 - Paul Doumer elected president of France January 19 - Britain sends troops to China February 12 - First British troops lad on Shanghai February 14 - Earthquake in Yugoslavia - 700 dead February... 1927- 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. Events January-February January 6 - The first diesel-engine automobile trip is completed (Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City). January 27 - Miguel Primo de Rivera resigns January 30 - General Damaso Berenquer becomes the new prime minister of Spain February 18 - While studying... 30.
• Best Single Season: Essendon, 2000 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE55Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE60Fixes.css; /**/ 2000 From Wikipedia 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. Popular culture also holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd... 2000, 24 wins and 1 loss.

See also

• This is a list of Australian rules football leagues in Australia. Compare with List of Australian rules football leagues outside Australia. National Australian Football League Victoria Victorian Football League Victorian Amateur Football Association Melbourne Diamond Valley Football League Eastern Football League Essendon District Football League Southern Football League Western Region... List of Australian rules football leagues in Australia
• This is a list of Australian rules football leagues outside of Australia. Compare with List of Australian rules football leagues in Australia. There are also many countries with teams, but without leagues. See International Australian Football Council. Argentina Asociacion Argentina De Futbol Australiano Official site Canada AFL Canada Official site... List of Australian rules football leagues outside Australia

External links

• Official AFL site (http://www.afl.com.au/)
• Official IAFC site (http://www.iafc.com.au/)
• AFL Hall of Fame (http://afl.com.au/?pg=halloffame)
• Official SANFL site (http://www.sanfl.com.au/)
• FootySA.com - The Best Unofficial SANFL site (http://www.FootySA.com/)
• Official WAFL site (http://www.wafl.com.au/)
• Full Points Footy (http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/) - unofficial history site
• BigFooty.com (http://www.bigfooty.com/) - Largest unofficial fan community site
• Footypedia (http://www.footypedia.com/) - Covers local footy history
• Robert Pascoe (http://www.robertpascoe.net) - Author of The Winter Game
• Footynews (http://www.footynews.net/) - unofficial news site
• Convict Creations (http://www.convictcreations.com/football/index.htm) - information on the sport's role in shaping Australian culture
• International Australian Football Council (http://www.iafc.com.au/)
• U.S. Australian Rules Football League (http://www.usfooty.com/usfooty/)
• Australian Football Association of North America (AFANA) (http://www.afana.com/)
• The Best Game (http://eteamz.active.com/sites/australianfootball/) Why Australian rules is the world's best game.
• World Footy News (http://www.worldfootynews.com/) All the news and views from Australian football's global frontier