Australian Football at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australian football, which is also often known as Australian rules football, or informally as "Aussie Rules" or "footy", is a game played between two teams of 22 players (including interchange players) on cricket ovals, or similar-sized arenas. These playing areas, which can be up to 185 metres (200 yards)long (there is no set length), are much larger than those used by other codes of football. The game is also distinguished from other games by the fast, relatively free movement of the ball (partly due to the absence of an 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 metres. Spectacular high marks (called "speccies" in the eastern states, or a "cappa" in WA) are regarded as one of the game's main attributes as a spectator sport. Australian football is a full body contact sport, but it has a low injury rate from competitive contact compared to rugby football or American football, and it can be played with minimal padding. Although it is a winter sport, professional pre-season competitions usually begin in late February; the football season proper is from March to August, with finals being held in September. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 310 KB)Photo taken at the MCG of a match between Collingwood and Essendon right after a goal has been scored. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 310 KB)Photo taken at the MCG of a match between Collingwood and Essendon right after a goal has been scored. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is the current Australian Collaboration of the Fortnight! Please help improve it to featured article standard. ... Jump to: navigation, search A cricket match in progress. ... 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). ... Jump to: navigation, search This article deals with the history and development of the different sports around the world known as football. For links to articles on each of these codes of football, please see the list in the Football today section of this article. ... 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search A mark is a skill in Australian Rules Football where player who cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it. ... Jump to: navigation, search The metre or (in American English) meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... Jump to: navigation, search Argentina-France Rugby Union match Rugby football refers to sports descendent from a common form of football developed at Rugby school. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... A winter sport is a sport commonly played during winter, usually a sport played on snow or ice. ...

Australian football, which originated in Melbourne, is the most popular spectator sport in Australia. It is the most popular sport in the Northern Territory (NT), South Australia (SA), Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia (WA). In New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, rugby league is the predominant winter sport. In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) rugby union is arguably more popular. However, ongoing net migration from Victoria and SA to Queensland and northern NSW, the winning of AFL premierships by teams in those areas, and the consequent growth of amateur football, means that the demographics of Australian football are changing. In recent years, there has been a boom in Australian football in Brisbane, and this appears to be closely linked to the success of the Brisbane Lions, who won three premierships in a row (2001-2003), and were runners-up in 2004. In Sydney alone, the Sydney Swans' 2005 premiership win was watched by an average television audience of one million. In both the ACT and south-western NSW, Australian football has rivalled the two varieties of rugby in popularity over many decades. Australian football is now played in more than 20 countries around the world. Jump to: navigation, search City of Melbourne Local Government Area State Victoria Lord Mayor John So (since 2001) Area 36 km² Population (2001) 57,960 Density 1,601/km² (1999) Greater Melbourne Subdivisions Local Government Areas Area 7,694 km² (1999) Population 2001 census (2nd in Australia) 3,555,321... Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Governor Premier Const. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby, the other being rugby union. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Nickname: (none) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... Jump to: navigation, search Rugby Union is a team sport that was developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby School in England. ... Jump to: navigation, search Demography is the study of human population dynamics. ... Jump to: navigation, search 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. ...

Cricket is the most common summer spectator sport in Australia, and is usually played on the same grounds as Australian football. In the past, many elite-level footballers played representative cricket, but the increasingly professional nature of the game made this impossible by the 1980s. Many amateur and school-level players still play both. Jump to: navigation, search A cricket match in progress. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ...

The most powerful organisation and competition within the game is the elite, professional Australian Football League (AFL). There are also seven state (and/or territory)-based organisations: AFL NSW/ACT, Football Tasmania, the Northern Territory Football League, the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), the Queensland Australian Football League, the Victorian Football League (VFL), and the Western Australian Football League (WAFL). Most of these hold annual semi-professional club competitions, while the others oversee more than one league. Local semi-professional or amateur organisations and competitions are also affiliated to these state leagues. Professional sports are sports in which the participants receive payment for playing, as opposed to amateur sports where they are not. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. ... SANFL Logo 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. ... See also Australian Football League. ... A bloodied Haydn Bunton Junior celebrates Swan Districts first Grand Final win, in 1961. ...

Unlike most soccer competitions, there are no separate "league" and "cup" trophies (although there is a pre-season Wizard Cup tournament). The teams that occupy the highest positions (usually four in most amateur leagues, but eight in the 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. Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG) The Rec. ... The Wizard Home Loans Cup (commonly just Wizard Cup) is the pre-season/night series competition of the Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. ...

Rules of the game

The equipment needed to play the game is minimal. As in other kinds of football, players wear boots with stops (known as studs in some regions) in the soles, shorts, and a thick, strong shirt or jumper known as a guernsey. Jump to: navigation, search This article deals with the history and development of the different sports around the world known as football. For links to articles on each of these codes of football, please see the list in the Football today section of this article. ... In American English, a jumper is a sleeveless collarless dress; see jumper dress. ...

Eighteen players are permitted to take the field for each team, with an additional four players on an interchange bench (although this number often varies in exhibition and practice matches).

AFL football

The game is played with an 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 and a player may run as far as he likes with the ball, provided he either bounces or touches the ball to the ground every fifteen 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. Image File history File links Sherrin AFL football (non-transparent) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Sherrin AFL football (non-transparent) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Four posts are erected at either end of the oval and markings are placed on the ground as shown in the diagram below. They are aligned in a straight line 6.4 metres apart from each other (in contrast to the illustrations below which are incorrect). 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 metre arcs) or follow the ball and are not confined to a particular area. Jump to: navigation, search The metre or (in American English) meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ...

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 traditional positions of Australian Football.

The markings on an Australian 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 player or the goal posts (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 via hand signals, 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. Download high resolution version (750x1022, 69 KB)diagram of an Australian rules ground. ... Download high resolution version (750x1022, 69 KB)diagram of an Australian rules ground. ... Download high resolution version (750x953, 117 KB)Larger version of Aussie Rules traditional positions. ... Download high resolution version (750x953, 117 KB)Larger version of Aussie Rules traditional positions. ...

'Australian Football'at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Alastair Lynch, (Brisbane Lions, seen here in maroon and blue guernseys), is attempting to take a mark, with his Collingwood (black and white guernsey) 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 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. Australian Rules football at the MCG. The player taking the mark is Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, against Collingwood Football Club. ... Australian Rules football at the MCG. The player taking the mark is Alistair Lynch of the Brisbane Lions, against Collingwood Football Club. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is the current Australian Collaboration of the Fortnight! Please help improve it to featured article standard. ... Alastair Lynch is a large Australian Football League full forward from Tasmania who has had an unlucky but successful career. ... Jump to: navigation, search 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped jerseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Australian Football League celebrates the best mark of the season through the annual Mark of the Year competition. ...

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, Dropping the Ball, and Throwing rules. Confusion arises because a player being tackled 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 handpass. Failure to do so results in a penalty to the opposing team, which is awarded a free kick. This is usually called either dropping or throwing.
  • A handpass, also called a handball, is performed by punching the ball from one hand with the other fist.

• 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 occasionally called travelling but is most often referred to as "running too far", and is signalled by the umpire in the same way as travelling is signalled in basketball. It is not referred to as holding the ball as had been previously recorded here.

If the ball carrying player decides to run with the ball or to evade a tackling opponent, he would be deemed to have a prior opportunity of being able to dispose of the ball legally. Jump to: navigation, search Basketball is very popular in U.S. colleges. ...

• When a player is in possession of the ball, and is tackled correctly (ie., above the knees and below the shoulders), they must immediately dispose of the ball by kicking or handpassing. Failure to do so, when a prior opportunity to dispose of it existed, 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 or tackled in such a manner that causes the ball to be knocked free or come loose from a player's possession.
  • Being tackled with the ball despite gaining possession of it but had no chance of disposing it (no prior opportunity). A ball-up would result to restart play.

If the ball carrier, who had prior opportunity for properly disposing the ball, was swung off balance while attempting to dispose the ball but not making contact, a holding the ball decision would be awarded against the ball carrier on the basis of the ball not being legally disposed of. Jump to: navigation, search Aussie Rules players applying a bump or hip and shoulder. ...

In a recent effort to reduce the amount of unnecessary stoppages, the interpretation of the prior opportunity have widened to include players who:

• Grabs hold of the ball during a ball-up or throw-in situation instead of knocking it away.
• Dives onto the ball in dispute.
• While in a prostrated position, pulls the disputed ball in underneath him.

In these instances if the player is then tackled and could not dispose of the ball legally, a holding the ball penalty would be paid against him.

Scoring

Like many other codes of football, the way to score points is to score goals. In Australian Football, there are two types of scores: a goal, or a behind. There are four goal posts at each end of the ground. The area between the middle (and taller) posts is the goal: kicking the ball between these posts constitutes six points. Kicking the ball through the gaps in between the two shorter posts is a behind, which constitutes a single point. A ball that passes through the taller posts in any manner other than a kick (ie., handpassed or run through) is a behind. A ball that is touched by any player after it is kicked and before it passes through the taller posts is a behind. A ball that is kicked over the line by a defending player is a behind. A kicked ball that strikes one of the inner posts (whether it goes through or not) is a behind.

Therefore, when an AFL or any other Australian Football result will usually appear like this: Jump to: navigation, search This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. ...

Brisbane Lions 17.10 (112) def. Sydney Swans 13.17 (95) Jump to: navigation, search 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. ...

The first number is the number of goals (six points) scored, the second number is the number of behinds (one point) scored, and the third number in the brackets is the total score.

Length of the Game

The length of a game of Australian Football can vary from league to league, but is generally around 15 to 25 minutes per quarter. In the AFL, each quarter runs for 20 minutes plus time on. The term "time on" describes the additional time added to the standard 20 minute period for such stoppages as injuries, goals being kicked, when the umpire is setting the angle of a free kick at goal, etc. It can be likened to injury time in soccer, except that in Australian Football, an off-field independent official keeps the official time and then sounds the siren at the start and end of each quarter. The other peculiarity (compared to most other football codes) is that the onfield umpires signal to the "time-keeper" when time is to be added on (or conversely, to stop the clock, since that is effectively what happens when the umpire signals time on). The average AFL quarter will thus run from between 27 to 33 minutes, depending on the amount of time added on. AFL is a three-letter acronym that stands for: Academic Free License Alberta Football League American Federation of Labor, see also AFL-CIO American Football League Arena Football League Australian Football League Austrian Football League Assessment for Learning (AfL) This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a...

Origins of the game

Tom Wills began to devise Australian Football'— or (first 'Melbourne Rules' and then Victorian Rules as it was originally known — in Melbourne, in 1858. (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, 1858,[1] 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 MCG) on July 31, 1858, was probably the first game of Australian Football. However, few details of the match have survived. Thomas Wentworth Wills was an Australian sportsman who is credited along with Henry Harrison as one of the inventors of Australian rules football. ... Jump to: navigation, search City of Melbourne Local Government Area State Victoria Lord Mayor John So (since 2001) Area 36 km² Population (2001) 57,960 Density 1,601/km² (1999) Greater Melbourne Subdivisions Local Government Areas Area 7,694 km² (1999) Population 2001 census (2nd in Australia) 3,555,321... Jump to: navigation, search 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Jump to: navigation, search July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is the current Australian Collaboration of the Fortnight! Please help improve it to featured article standard. ... Jump to: navigation, search 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

On August 7, 1858, two significant events in the development of the game occurred: the Melbourne Football Club was founded, one of the world's first football clubs in any code, and a famous match between Melbourne 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 could not have had much in common with the eventual form of Australian Football, since Wills had not yet begun to write them.. Jump to: navigation, search August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons since 1933, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Melbourne, Victoria. ... Jump to: navigation, search The title of the worlds oldest football club, or the oldest club in a particular country, is often disputed, or is claimed by several different clubs, across several codes of football. ... Jump to: navigation, search Melbourne Grammar School is an independent school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, founded in 1858. ... Scotch College, Melbourne (also known simply as Scotch) is an independent school for boys located in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. ...

A game at the Richmond Paddock in the 1860s. A pavilion at the MCG is on the left in the background. (A wood engraving made by Robert Bruce on July 27, 1866.)

The Melbourne Football Club rules of 1859 are the oldest surviving set of laws for Australian Football. They were drawn up at the Parade Hotel, East Melbourne on 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, however, several other clubs had agreed to play by an updated version of Melbourne's rules. Download high resolution version (1000x698, 198 KB)An Australian rules football match at the Richmond Paddock, Melbourne, in about 1866. ... Download high resolution version (1000x698, 198 KB)An Australian rules football match at the Richmond Paddock, Melbourne, in about 1866. ... // Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is the current Australian Collaboration of the Fortnight! Please help improve it to featured article standard. ... Wood engraving is, simply, the craft, or technique, of engraving, using the medium of wood. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Jump to: navigation, search May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... 1866 is a common year starting on Monday. ...

It is often said that the founders were partly inspired by the ball games of the local Aboriginal people in western Victoria. Aborigines did play a sport called Marn Grook, which used a ball made out of possum hide, and included play resembling the high marking ("speccie") in Australian Football. 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 near present day Moyston, Victoria where he may have seen Marn Grook. Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ... Marn Grook is the name of an Australian Aborginal ball game which is thought by some to be the basis on which the modern game of Australian Rules Football is based. ... A possum is any of about 25 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupials native to Australia. ...

Wills had been educated at Rugby School in England and had also, like W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson, been to the University of Cambridge. The Cambridge Rules, drawn up in 1843, included some elements which are important in Australian Football, such as the mark. Thomas Smith was Irish and had attended Trinity College, Dublin, where the Rugby School rules were popular at a very early stage. These men would have been familiar with other 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 UK, Ireland and many other countries during the gold rushes of the 1850s. 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 one of the top co-educational... Jump to: navigation, search The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article deals with the history and development of the different sports around the world known as football. For links to articles on each of these codes of football, please see the list in the Football today section of this article. ... Jump to: navigation, search The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... Jump to: navigation, search The term public school has different meanings: In Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and most other English-speaking nations, a public school is a school which is financed and run by the government and does not charge tuition fees. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward...

Similarities to Gaelic football

While it is clear even to casual observers that Australian Football is similar to Gaelic football, the exact relationship is unclear, as the Irish game was not codified by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) until 1887. The historian B. W. O'Dwyer points out that Australian Football has always been differentiated from 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: Jump to: navigation, search Gaelic football (Irish: peil ghaelach) is a form of football played mainly in Ireland. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Gaelic Athletic Association (The 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Argentina-France Rugby Union match Rugby football refers to sports descendent from a common form of football developed at Rugby school. ...

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 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... [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, there have been many matches between Australian Football and Gaelic football teams, under various sets of hybrid, compromise rules. In 1984, the first official representative matches of International Rules football were played, and these are now played annually each October. Jump to: navigation, search For the Cornish sport of hurling, see Hurling the Silver Ball. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search International Rules football is a hybrid sport developed in the 1980s as a mixture of Australian rules football and Gaelic football. ...

The clubs and competitions

The modern day 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 (1860), Carlton (1864), North Melbourne (aka Hotham, now Kangaroos) (1869), Port Adelaide (1870), Essendon and St Kilda (1873), South Melbourne (now Sydney Swans) (1874) and Footscray (now the Western Bulldogs) (1877). Jump to: navigation, search This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed The Blues for their dark blue playing colours, is one of the oldest, richest, and most successful Australian rules football clubs. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Kangaroos Football Club Logo The North Melbourne Football Club, trading as the Kangaroos Football Club, and informally known as the Shinboners or the Kangaroos plays Australian rules football in the Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club, nicknamed The Power in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club that is part of the Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1874 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1877, the 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. See also Australian Football League. ...

Gradually the game spread from Victoria into other Australian colonies, especially South Australia (SA), Tasmania and Western Australia (WA). The first intercolonial match, between Victoria and SA, was held in 1879. The precursors of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the Western Australian Football League (WAFL) were strong, separate competitions by the 1890s. Meanwhile, a rift in the VFA led to the formation of the Victorian Football League (VFL), which commenced play in 1897 as an eight-team breakaway of the stronger clubs in the VFA competition: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne. Jump to: navigation, search 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... SANFL Logo 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. ... A bloodied Haydn Bunton Junior celebrates Swan Districts first Grand Final win, in 1961. ... See also Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped jerseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... The Fitzroy Football Club, latterly known as the Lions, was formed in 1883 and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897. ...

Another five VFA clubs joined the VFL later: Richmond and University joined the VFL in 1908, although University withdrew in 1915. Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melbourne joined in 1925, by which time VFL had become the most prominent league in the game. The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ... 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). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Hawthorn Football Club logo The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

For much of the 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. (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 in the...

Interstate football

Main article: Interstate matches in Australian rules football

For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition — and the inability of players to compete internationally — meant that matches between state representative teams were regarded with great importance. Because VFL clubs increasingly recruited the best players in other states, Victoria dominated these games. However, State of Origin rules were introduced in 1977, and in the first such game, at Subiaco Oval in Perth, Western Australia defeated Victoria, 23.13 (151) to 8.9 (57), a huge reversal of the results in most previous games. Western Australia and South Australia began to win many of their games against Victoria. However, during the 1990s, following the emergence of the Australian Football League, state of origin games declined in importance, relative to Origin games in the rival code of rugby league, especially after an increasing number of withdrawals by AFL players, who were under increasing pressure from clubs concerned by the risk of injuries. Australian Football State of Origin matches ceased in 1999. The second-tier state and territorial leagues still contest interstate matches. Australian rules football matches between teams representing the eight Australian states and territories have been held since 1879. ... State of Origin is the name used in Australia for rugby league and Australian rules football matches, in which players are selected for the State in which they first played. ... Jump to: navigation, search For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. ... State of Origin is a series of three interstate rugby league matches between the Queensland Maroons (pronounced Muh-RONEs) and the New South Wales Blues, played annually. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1999(MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Towards a national club competition

In 1982, in a move which heralded big changes within the sport, one of the original VFL clubs, South Melbourne Football Club, relocated to the Rugby League stronghold of Sydney and became known as the 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 and the Brisbane Bears began playing in 1987. The league changed its name to the Australian Football League (AFL) following the 1989 season. In 1991, it gained its first South Australian team, Adelaide. West Coast's local derby rival Fremantle was admitted in 1995. Fitzroy merged with Brisbane after 1996 due to financial difficulties to form the Brisbane Lions and the proud old SANFL club, Port Adelaide joined in 1997, immediately becoming fierce local rivals to Adelaide. The AFL, currently with 16 member clubs, is the sport's elite competition. Jump to: navigation, search 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sydney Swans logo The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. ... Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby, the other being rugby union. ... Jump to: navigation, search Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales and Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney. ... Jump to: navigation, search Classic 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 Brisbane Bears Football Club was the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Adelaide, South Australia. ... Jump to: navigation, search In many countries the term derby is used (often in the form local derby) to mean a sports (often football (soccer)) geographical rivalries. ... Jump to: navigation, search Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers and also commonly known as Freo, is one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Jump to: navigation, search 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. ... Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club, nicknamed The Power in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. The new entity adopted the VFL name. Jump to: navigation, search 1998(MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Traditions of the Game

At the elite level, the game still retains some links to its suburban roots. AFL 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.

Games begin by Tossing a coin, for the winning captain to select the end of the field of their goal for the first quarter. Unlike other forms of football, Australian Football begins similarly to basketball. After the first siren, the umpire bounces the ball on the ground, and the two ruckmen (typically the tallest on the ground), battle for the ball in the air on its way back down. Coin flipping or coin tossing is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to resolve a dispute between two parties. ... A Greek amphora depicting Odysseus encounter with the sirens. ... In sports, an umpire is an official appointed to rule on plays and procedure. ...

All AFL clubs also have a club song, most of which were composed during the early 20th century, or mimic the musical styles of that era. At least two teams use club songs set to the tunes of well-known American marches: Jump to: navigation, search Fight song is a primarily North American sports term, which refers to a song associated with a sports team. ... (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 in the...

• The Adelaide Crows' song, "The Pride of South Australia", is set to the tune of "The Marine Corps Hymn", the official song of the United States Marine Corps.
• The Sydney Swans' song, "The Red and the White", uses the tune of and borrows a large part of its lyrics from the "Notre Dame Victory March" of the University of Notre Dame.

The goal umpire signals with 2 hands at elbow height. Some traditions change, however, and the goal umpire no longer wears a white coat and broad brimmed hat. The Marines hymn is the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. ... Jump to: navigation, search United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ... Jump to: navigation, search Not to be confused with the University of Notre Dame Australia The University of Notre Dame is a leading Roman Catholic institution of higher learning, named for and consecrated under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ...

Australian Football internationally

While Australian Football is a major spectator sport only in Australia (except for occasional exhibition games staged in other countries), since the late 1980s amateur competition has grown in countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, Denmark, the USA, Canada, Germany, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Samoa, China and South Africa, initially established by Australian expatriates but collecting growing numbers of native players. The largest such competition is the Ontario Australian Football League, with 12 teams scheduled to compete in 2006. Separate from their local competitions, North American fans have formed an organization, AFANA, specifically to work for improved media coverage of Australian Football and its U.S. branch, US Footy. Jump to: navigation, search Australian Rules Football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australian and around the world since the codes inception in 1848. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... The Ontario Australian Football League is the largest Aussie Rules Football league in North America. ... Jump to: navigation, search World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on... Jump to: navigation, search AFANA is the organization that formed out of the campaign to save TV coverage of Australian Rules Football on USA and Canadian TV in 1996. ... Jump to: navigation, search The USAFL was conceived in 1996 and organized in 1997. ...

A series of hybrid International Rules matches between Australia's best and a representative Gaelic football team from Ireland are staged annually. 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 are a hit with spectators. International Rules football is a hybrid sport developed in the 1980s as a mixture of Australian rules football and Gaelic football. ... Jump to: navigation, search Gaelic football (Irish: peil ghaelach) is a form of football played mainly in Ireland. ...

Australia has recruited several Irish Gaelic footballers to play Aussie Rules, most notably Brownlow medallist Jim Stynes, Sean Wight, and more recently Tadhg Kennelly, Setanta Ó hAilpín and Aisake Ó hAilpín. The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal, is an annual medal regarded as the most prestigious award for individual players. ... Jim Stynes (born April 23, 1966) is an Irish Australian rules football player. ... Tadhg Kennelly (born 1 July 1981) is a former Gaelic football player from Ireland turned star backfielder for the Sydney Swans of the AFL. Categories: Australia biography stubs | Australian rules football stubs | Australian Rules footballers | Sydney Swans players ... Setanta Ó hAilpín (born March 18, 1983) is an Irish sportsman. ... Jump to: navigation, search Aisake Faga Ó hAilpín (24 August 1985 -) was a hurler who played with his two brothers, Seán Óg and Setanta, for Na Piarsaigh when they won the County Title in 2005. ...

The 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. It was contested by 11 teams made up exclusively of non-Australians: Ireland won the cup, defeating Papua New Guinea in the final. The second Australian Football International Cup was held in Melbourne in 2005, under the direction of the AFL with New Zealand defeating Papua New Guinea in the final. The next event is planned for either Melbourne or Perth in 2008. Jump to: navigation, search 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 Australian Football International Cup is an international Australian Rules Football competition hosted by the Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

When internal divisions spelled the end of the IAFC, a new organization was set up - called Aussie Rules International - by former IAFC member Brian Clarke in London. This successor to the IAFC promotes itself as an international organization for developing (not governing, which is claimed by the AFL) international Australian Football. Jump to: navigation, search Aussie Rules International Logo Aussie Rules International is the successor organization to the International Australian Football Council (IAFC). ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

Australian Football Hall of Fame

For the centenary of the VFL/AFL in 1996, a Hall of Fame was established. That year 136 identities were inducted, including 100 players, 10 coaches, 10 umpires, 10 administrators and 6 media representatives. Jump to: navigation, search 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

The selections have caused some controversy, partly because of the predominance of VFL players at the expense of those who played in other leagues, in the years before there was a national competition. Gary Ablett's induction was deferred for several years until 2005 due to a controversy associated with the death of a young woman acquaintance shortly after his retirement, which was felt to be likely to bring the Hall into disrepute. Jump to: navigation, search Gary Ablett, Sr. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The elite Legend status was bestowed on 12 members of the Hall of Fame in 1996; seven other football identities have subsequently received this honour.

The original legends (in alphabetical order) are:

• Ron Barassi Junior
• Haydn Bunton Senior
• Roy Cazaly
• John Coleman
• Jack Dyer
• Graham "Polly" Farmer
• Leigh Matthews
• John Nicholls
• Bob Pratt
• Dick Reynolds
• Bob Skilton
• Ted Whitten Senior

Later additions: Ronald Dale Barassi (born 27 February 1936) is one of the greatest Australian rules football players and coaches of all time. ... Haydn Bunton Senior (1911-1955) was an Australian rules football player regarded by some observers as the games greatest ever player. ... 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Coleman (1929 - 1973) is widely considered to be the greatest full-forward to ever play Australian Rules football. ... 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. ... Condello is an all round nice guy and Zotidis is a 8 year old who hasnt hit pubity. ... Leigh Matthews is the current coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League club. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Nicholls is a former champion Australian Rules Footballer who played for Carlton Football Club in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Dick Reynolds (June 20, 1915 - September 2, 2002) was an Australian Rules player and coach. ... Bob Skilton (born 1938) was an Australian Rules football player who played as a rover for South Melbourne and Victoria between 1956 and 1971. ... 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. ...

• Ian Stewart (later in 1997)
• Gordon Coventry (1998)
• Peter Hudson (1999)
• Kevin Bartlett (2000)
• Barrie Robran (2001)
• Bill Hutchison (2003)
• Jock McHale (2005)

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. ... Peter Hudson is arguably the greatest full forward in the games history. ... Kevin Bartlett (born March 6, 1947) was an Australian Rules Football player between 1965 and 1983. ... James Jock McHale, (December 12, 1882 - 4 October 1953) was an Australian rules player and coach for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League. ...

Notable VFL/AFL records

• Highest score: Geelong; 37 goals, 17 behinds (239 points), Carrara Oval, May 3, 1992.
• Highest winning margin: Fitzroy, 190 points, Waverley Park, July 28, 1979.
• Largest Crowd: Carlton v Collingwood, 121,696, MCG, September 26, 1970. (Grand Final.)
• Largest Crowd for game played outside Victoria: Sydney v. Collingwood, 72,393, Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Australia. 2003.
• Largest Crowd for game played outside Australia: Melbourne v. Sydney, 32,789, B.C. Place, Vancouver, Canada. 1987. (Australian Football Exhibition Match.)
• Most premierships: 16; Carlton (the most recent being 1995) and Essendon (2000).
• Most consecutive premierships: Collingwood, four, 1927-30.
• Most games won in a season: Essendon, 2000, 24 wins (and one loss).
• Most consecutive wins: 23; Geelong, Round 12 1952 - Round 13 1953.
• Most games played in a career: Michael Tuck (Hawthorn), 426 games.
• Most goals in a career: Tony Lockett (St Kilda/Sydney), 1,360 goals.

Carrara Oval is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. ... Jump to: navigation, search May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1992 was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Waverley Park (formerly VFL Park and then AFL Park) was an often controversial football stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Jump to: navigation, search July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search This page refers to the year 1979. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is the current Australian Collaboration of the Fortnight! Please help improve it to featured article standard. ... Jump to: navigation, search September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search This page is for Telstra Stadium, Sydney. ... Jump to: navigation, search Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales and Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ... Jump to: navigation, search 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... BC Place Stadium is Canadas first domed stadium. ... Jump to: navigation, search Members of Parliament Libby Davies, Ujjal Dosanjh, David Emerson, Hedy Fry, Stephen Owen Members of the Legislative Assembly Gordon Campbell, David Chudnovsky, Adrian Dix, Colin Hansen, Jenny Kwan, Lorne Mayencourt, Wally Oppal, Gregor Robertson, Shane Simpson, Carole Taylor Mayor Larry Campbell City Manager Judy Rogers Governing... Jump to: navigation, search 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Australian Rules Football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australian and around the world since the codes inception in 1848. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the year 2000. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the year 2000. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search Michael Tuck is a former Hawthorn Football Club player who retired in 1991 at the age of 38, after making his debut in 1972. ... Tony Lockett (born in Ballarat on March 9, 1966) is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of Australian Rules Football. ...

See also

• List of Australian Football leagues in Australia
• List of Australian Football leagues outside Australia
• Australian Football International Cup
• Aussie Rules International (ARI)

This is a list of Australian rules football leagues in Australia. ... Jump to: navigation, search This is a list of Australian rules football leagues outside of Australia. ... The Australian Football International Cup is an international Australian Rules Football competition hosted by the Australian Football League. ... Jump to: navigation, search Aussie Rules International Logo Aussie Rules International is the successor organization to the International Australian Football Council (IAFC). ...

External links

• Official AFL site
• Official International Australian Football Council site
• AFL Hall of Fame
• Official SANFL site
• FootySA.com - The Best Unofficial SANFL site
• Official WAFL site
• Full Points Footy - unofficial history site
• BigFooty.com - Largest unofficial fan community site
• Libcom.org/historyThe Radical History of Aussie Rules Football
• Footypedia - Covers local footy history
• Robert Pascoe - Author of The Winter Game
• Footynews - unofficial news site
• Convict Creations - information on the sport's role in shaping Australian culture
• U.S. Australian Rules Football League
• Australian Football Association of North America (AFANA)
• The Best Game Why Australian rules is the world's best game.
• World Footy News All the news and views from Australian football's global frontier
• Official Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) site
• DAFL - The Danish Australian Football League
• AFLG - The Australian Football League Germany
• A medium sized AFL statistics and fan site
• Aussie Rules International