Australian rules football exhibition matches
Encyclopedia
Australian rules football
has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria
in 1859.
Much of this expansion can be directly attributed to exhibition matches in countries where the code has been played as a demonstration sport
.
Frank Beaurepaire
, organized an Australian Rules football match between two teams of Australian servicemen in aid of the British and French Red Cross
.
The match was promoted as a "Pioneer Exhibition Game of Australian Football in London". It was held at Queen's Club
, West Kensington
before an estimated crowd of 3,000, which included the (then) Prince of Wales
(later King Edward VIII
), and King Manuel II of Portugal
.
The members of the competing teams, Australian Training Units and The Third Australian Divisional Team, were all highly skilled footballers, the majority of which had already played senior football in their respective states.
A news film was taken at the match.
In order to celebrate the match Beaurepaire commissioned a set of team photographs that were inserted into a mounting board decorated with a British Union Jack
and an Australian Red Ensign, that had "Australian Football in London. Pioneer Exhibition Game. At Queen's Club, West Kensington. Saturday 28th Oct. 1916" at its head, and "Organizer of Match & Donor of Photos to Club Lieut. Frank Beaurepaire" at its foot.
The names that follow are taken from the names of the team members and officials that appear beneath each of the photographs on the mounted set; some of the names have been corrected from VFL, A.I.F. records, etc.
During World War II, exhibition matches were played by servicemen in several countries, especially in South East Asia and also in the United Kingdom. Countries included Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Each of these matches drew a number of interested local spectators.
, realising that finding new markets were essential to the prosperity of the competition began to belatedly pursue a series of international exhibition matches to raise the profile of the game overseas.
The longest and most persistent of these was Great Britain
, which was seen as an opportunity primarily due to the high number of ex-patriate Australians living there, and the availability of cricket
grounds.
Serious efforts to grow the game were not realised until the 1980s.
Games played in this decade began to spawn infant leagues in Japan
named the "Aussie Bowl", the United States of America and Canada
, which have been represented at the Australian Football International Cup
since 2002.
During the 1990s, regular exhibition matches became part of the growth strategy of the renamed Australian Football League
, which began to realise that the effects of globalisation would threaten the future of the sport in the face of world sports like soccer.
The focus of the AFL in this decade was New Zealand
and South Africa
.
in London
, which has in the past been an event for ex-patriate Australians. The event has been annual as the "AFL Challenge Trophy" since 2002 and although it has not always been annual event, a small amount of interest in the games has grown amongst locals.
Since sell-out game in Los Angeles
, USA in early 2006, club officials of the Sydney Swans
have called for regular games (similar to the London matches) including the possibility of a premiership match.
The WAFL
announced intentions to play an exhibition match in Mumbai
, India
in late 2006 between the grand finalists. However this match did not go ahead.
In November 2005, AFL club Melbourne
made an announcement that it was investigating playing an exhibition match in 2006 or 2007 in the Chinese
metropolis Tianjin
, with Beijing
or Shanghai
possible alternative hosts. The match was delayed by the Melbourne Football Club's CEO.
In February 2006, AFL club Essendon
's CEO indicated the possibility of an exhibition match in Japan
in 2007 to mark 20 years since the last Aussie Bowl between the Bombers and Hawthorn.
In August, the AFL announced it intended to schedule two games in India with Feroz Shah Kotla
in New Delhi
and Wankhede Stadium
in Mumbai
being considered as well as one game in Miami, Florida USA in early March.
Sources : International Australian Football Council, SurreyCricket.com, Matchday programmes, VFL/AFL
Leagues quickly formed in all states, and in many of these states, the code has become the most popular sport.
Although drawing significant crowds and interest early, the states of Queensland
and New South Wales
elected at official level to adopt the rugby
codes in 1908. This was widely recognised as being due to the game's association with the tag "Melbourne Rules" or "Victorian Rules" and the fierce rivalry that Sydney
has with Melbourne
. With a lack of players, and grounds, support for Australian rules football decreased dramatically.
Support in these states has since grown in recent years, with local clubs established in the national competition in both Queensland and New South Wales during 1980s. Although the game is followed by the majority of the Australian population and states, there are still many in New South Wales (the most populous state) that associate the game with Melbourne or "the game they play in Victoria". For other states without teams in the national competition, the AFL has tried to maintain participation through regular exhibition games.
called the Wizard Regional Challenge Series.
The 2005 series included such Morwell
, Port Lincoln
, Joondalup
, Lavington
, Carrara
, Alice Springs
, Newcastle
and Bendigo
with a total attendance of 117,552. Features of the competition included a game between Collingwood vs Sydney in Newcastle in front of 5,002 spectators and Essendon vs Geelong in Bendigo in front of 13,000.
Australian football club are based in Sydney
, the AFL holds an annual exhibition match between the Essendon
and Sydney Swans at the North Sydney Oval
.
Regional NAB Challenge matches have been played in Newcastle
and Albury
.
and rugby union
, the VFL/AFL has long shown interest in the nation's capital, largest inland city and 8th largest urban area.
The city of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory
, formed in the 1920s and due to proximity generally followed the lead of New South Wales to adopt rugby league
, which remains the most popular sport in the city. Rugby union also has some followers.
Since 2001, the Kangaroos Football Club
have been working to build up a local supporter base by playing home games at Manuka Oval
. Crowds at Manuka have averaged around 10,000, with a record of 14,891 set in 2004 for the Kangaroos vs Sydney Swans.
, the VFL/AFL has maintained a strong following in the Northern Territory through exhibition matches. Like the Kangaroos in Canberra, the Western Bulldogs
have recently experimented with home games in Darwin at Marrara Oval
. Other exhibition matches have included the Aboriginal All-Stars
in pre-season practice matches against various AFL clubs. The games at Marrara have averaged about 10,000 spectators, with a record of 17,500 witnessing the Aboriginal All-Stars vs Carlton match in 2002. Alice Springs has also hosted pre-season matches. In 2004, an AFL pre-season Regional Challenge match between Collingwood Football Club
and Port Adelaide Football Club
at Traeger Park
attracted a sell-out crowd of 10,000.
, VFL/AFL exhibition matches were occasionally played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
. Exhibition matches have more recently been played in the Gold Coast
and Cairns.
, however there is no team in the national competition due to lack of corporate sponsorship. The population is sparsely spread and possibly not able to support an AFL team despite several bids and backing of the Tasmanian government. The Tasmanian Devils
participated in the Victorian Football League
from 2001 to 2008, but that did not quell the desire for elite matches.
The first VFL match for premiership points was played on the 14th of June 1952 at North Hobart Oval
between Fitzroy and Melbourne before 18,387 fans.
Since 2001, both Hawthorn
and St Kilda have played AFL home games at Aurora Stadium
in Launceston, Tasmania
. Average crowds of around 15,000 have attended these games, with a record of 18,112 witnessing Hawthorn vs Port Adelaide in 2002.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1859.
Much of this expansion can be directly attributed to exhibition matches in countries where the code has been played as a demonstration sport
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
.
World War I
During World War I, Australian troops organised matches across Europe, in countries with the highest profile matches been played in the United Kingdom since 1916 but also one-off matches in other countries including Belgium and France (1919).Pioneer Exhibition Game in London
On Saturday October 28, 1916, the former Olympic champion swimmer and the later Lord Mayor of Melbourne, LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Frank Beaurepaire
Frank Beaurepaire
Sir Francis "Frank" Joseph Edmund Beaurepaire was an Australian distance freestyle swimmer from the 1900s to the 1920s, who won three silver and three bronze medals, from the 1908 Summer Olympics in London to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, setting 15 world records.He was also a decorated...
, organized an Australian Rules football match between two teams of Australian servicemen in aid of the British and French Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
.
The match was promoted as a "Pioneer Exhibition Game of Australian Football in London". It was held at Queen's Club
Queen's Club
The Queen's Club is a private sporting club in West Kensington, London, England. Founded in 1886, the Queen's Club was the world's first multipurpose sports complex and named after Queen Victoria, its first patron...
, West Kensington
West Kensington, London
- Commercial/education :Local business consists of small shops, offices and restaurants, with the Olympia Exhibition Centre nearby. Indeed, it is the mix of local shops that give the area its character....
before an estimated crowd of 3,000, which included the (then) Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
(later King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
), and King Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
.
The members of the competing teams, Australian Training Units and The Third Australian Divisional Team, were all highly skilled footballers, the majority of which had already played senior football in their respective states.
A news film was taken at the match.
In order to celebrate the match Beaurepaire commissioned a set of team photographs that were inserted into a mounting board decorated with a British Union Jack
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
and an Australian Red Ensign, that had "Australian Football in London. Pioneer Exhibition Game. At Queen's Club, West Kensington. Saturday 28th Oct. 1916" at its head, and "Organizer of Match & Donor of Photos to Club Lieut. Frank Beaurepaire" at its foot.
The names that follow are taken from the names of the team members and officials that appear beneath each of the photographs on the mounted set; some of the names have been corrected from VFL, A.I.F. records, etc.
World War II
1960s
After the 1960s, the Victorian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, realising that finding new markets were essential to the prosperity of the competition began to belatedly pursue a series of international exhibition matches to raise the profile of the game overseas.
The longest and most persistent of these was Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, which was seen as an opportunity primarily due to the high number of ex-patriate Australians living there, and the availability of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
grounds.
Serious efforts to grow the game were not realised until the 1980s.
Games played in this decade began to spawn infant leagues in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
named the "Aussie Bowl", the United States of America and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which have been represented at the Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
since 2002.
During the 1990s, regular exhibition matches became part of the growth strategy of the renamed Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, which began to realise that the effects of globalisation would threaten the future of the sport in the face of world sports like soccer.
The focus of the AFL in this decade was New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Future International Australian Football exhibition matches
Exhibition matches are regularly scheduled for The OvalThe Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which has in the past been an event for ex-patriate Australians. The event has been annual as the "AFL Challenge Trophy" since 2002 and although it has not always been annual event, a small amount of interest in the games has grown amongst locals.
Since sell-out game in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, USA in early 2006, club officials of the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
have called for regular games (similar to the London matches) including the possibility of a premiership match.
The WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
announced intentions to play an exhibition match in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in late 2006 between the grand finalists. However this match did not go ahead.
In November 2005, AFL club Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
made an announcement that it was investigating playing an exhibition match in 2006 or 2007 in the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
metropolis Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, with Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
or Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
possible alternative hosts. The match was delayed by the Melbourne Football Club's CEO.
In February 2006, AFL club Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
's CEO indicated the possibility of an exhibition match in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2007 to mark 20 years since the last Aussie Bowl between the Bombers and Hawthorn.
In August, the AFL announced it intended to schedule two games in India with Feroz Shah Kotla
Feroz Shah Kotla
The Feroz Shah Kotla or Kotla was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and Wankhede Stadium
Wankhede Stadium
The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches...
in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
being considered as well as one game in Miami, Florida USA in early March.
List of official Australian rules football exhibition matches played outside Australia
| DATE/YEAR | LOCATION | STADIUM | COMPETITION | TEAMS | CROWD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17/10/2010 | Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... , China |
Jiangwan Stadium Riverside Sports Center Riverside Sports Center, also known as Shanghai Jiangwan Sports Center, is a football stadium in Shanghai, China. It has hosted the National Games of China on three occasions, in 1935 Chinese National Games|1935, 1948 Chinese National Games, and 5th National Games of the People's Republic of... |
Exhibition match - "Shanghai Showdown" | Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions | 7,100 |
| 9/02/2008 | Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western... , United Arab Emirates |
Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club | NAB Cup | Collingwood vs Adelaide | 6,102 |
| 2/02/2008 | Centurion Centurion, Gauteng Centurion is an area with 279,430 inhabitants in Gauteng Province of South Africa, located between Pretoria and Midrand . Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it is now part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality... , Gauteng Gauteng Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994... , South Africa |
SuperSport Park | AFL pre-season practice | Carlton Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897... vs Fremantle Fremantle Football Club The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia... |
3,500 - 5,222 (reports vary) |
| 21/10/2006 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Geelong Geelong Football Club The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also... v. Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Football Club The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League... |
12,129 |
| 15/1/2006 | Los Angeles, USA | Intramural Field, UCLA | AFL pre-season practice | Kangaroos v. Sydney | 3,200 (sell-out) |
| 8/10/2005 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | West Coast Eagles v. Fremantle | 18,884 |
| 11/10/2003 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Collingwood v. Fremantle | 12,847 |
| 12/10/2002 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Richmond v. Essendon | 13,000 |
| 17/2/2001 | Wellington, New Zealand | Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Due to its shape and silver coloured external walls, it is colloquially known as The Cake-Tin to the locals and other New Zealanders... |
2001 pre-season cup game – group stage 2001 Ansett Australia Cup -Knockout Chart:-See also:*List of Australian Football League night premiers*2001 AFL season***... |
Brisbane Lions v. Adelaide | 7,500 |
| 7/10/2000 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Melbourne v. Adelaide | 4,500 |
| 29/01/2000 | Wellington, New Zealand | Westpac Stadium | Western Bulldogs v. Hawthorn | 11,666 | |
| 9/10/1999 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Essendon v. Hawthorn | ? |
| 10/10/1998 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Western Bulldogs v. St Kilda | 12,000 |
| 1/03/1998 | Wellington, New Zealand | Basin Reserve Basin Reserve The Basin Reserve , is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand, used for Test, first-class and one-day cricket. Some argue that its proximity to the city, its Historic Place status and its age make it the most famous cricket ground in New Zealand... |
Melbourne v. Sydney | 7,820 | |
| 22/02/1998 | Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... , South Africa |
Newlands Cricket Ground Newlands Cricket Ground Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is a South African cricket ground. It's the home of the Cape Cobras, who play in the SuperSport Series, MTN Domestic Championship and Standard Bank Pro20 competitions. It is also a venue for Test matches. Newlands is regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket... |
Brisbane v. Fremantle | 10,123 | |
| 12/10/1997 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | West Coast v. Collingwood | 14,000 |
| 16/10/1994 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Richmond v. Carlton and Adelaide v West Coast | 6,000 |
| 13/10/1991 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | West Coast v. Hawthorn | 10,000 |
| 5/10/1991 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , New Zealand |
AFL post season exhibition | Geelong v. St Kilda | 8,500 | |
| 14/10/1990 | London, England | The Oval | AFL post season exhibition | Collingwood v. Essendon | 9,000 |
| 12/10/1990 | Portland Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... , USA |
Civic Stadium PGE Park Jeld-Wen Field is an outdoor sports stadium located in Portland, Oregon, United States that is used primarily for soccer and American football... |
AFL post season exhibition | Melbourne v. West Coast | 14,787 |
| 22/10/1989 | London, England | The Oval | VFL post season exhibition | Melbourne v. Essendon | 12,000 |
| 14/10/1989 | Miami, USA | Joe Robbie Stadium | VFL post season exhibition | Essendon v. Hawthorn | 10,069 |
| 12/10/1989 | Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... , Canada |
Toronto Skydome | VFL post season exhibition | Geelong v. Melbourne | 24,639 |
| 16/10/1988 | Toronto, Canada | Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium is a collegiate football stadium that is home to the Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While the present structure was built in 2007, it is in fact the third major incarnation of the stadium that has occupied the same site... |
VFL post season exhibition | Collingwood v. Hawthorn | 18,500 |
| 9/10/1988 | London, England | The Oval | VFL post season exhibition | Hawthorn v. Carlton | 10,000 |
| 8/10/1988 | Miami, USA | Joe Robbie Stadium | VFL post season exhibition | Collingwood v. Geelong | 7,500 |
| 25/10/1987 | Yokohama, Japan | Yokohama Stadium Yokohama Stadium is a stadium in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. It opened in 1978 and holds 30,000 people.It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Yokohama BayStars. The stadium is unique, because it features dirt around the bases and pitcher's mound, but with dirt colored turf infield and base... |
VFL post season exhibition | Hawthorn v. Essendon | 13,000 |
| 18/10/1987 | Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... , Canada |
B.C. Place | VFL post season exhibition | Melbourne v. North Melbourne | 7,980 |
| 11/10/1987 | London, England | The Oval | VFL post season exhibition | Carlton v. North Melbourne | ? |
| 9/10/1987 | Vancouver, Canada | B.C. Place | VFL post season exhibition | Melbourne v. Sydney | 32,789 (record to date) |
| 3/11/1986 | Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... , Japan |
Yokohama Stadium | VFL post season exhibition | Carlton v. Hawthorn | 25,000 |
| 12/10/1986 | London, England | The Oval | VFL post season exhibition | Carlton v. North Melbourne | ? |
| 29/10/1972 | London, England | The Oval | VFL post season exhibition | Carlton v. Orlando All-Stars | ? |
| 1972 | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece |
Carlton v. Orlando All-Stars | ? | ||
| 1972 | Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
Carlton v. Orlando All-Stars | ? | ||
| 1969 | New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is... |
WAFL West Australian Football League The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League... practice |
East Perth East Perth Football Club The East Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Royals, is an Australian rules football club that is a member of the West Australian Football League... v. Subiaco Subiaco Football Club The Subiaco Football Club, nicknamed the Lions, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . It was founded in 1896, and admitted to the WAFL in 1901, along with North Fremantle... |
3,500 | |
| 1967 | London, England | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Crystal Palace National Sports Centre The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was... |
Australian Football World Tour Australian Football World Tour The Australian Football World Tour was a series of International Rules Football matches, organised by football sports broadcaster and former VFL umpire Harry Beitzel in 1967 and 1968.-First tour:... |
Australia vs Britain (expat) | ? |
| 26/10/1963 | San Francisco, USA | Big Rec Stadium | Geelong v. Melbourne | 3,500 | |
| 20/10/1963 | Honolulu, USA | Geelong v. Melbourne | 1,500 | ||
Sources : International Australian Football Council, SurreyCricket.com, Matchday programmes, VFL/AFL
Exhibition matches played outside Victoria
Australian rules football was introduced early in the 1880s to most of the states of Australia through a series of exhibition matches.Leagues quickly formed in all states, and in many of these states, the code has become the most popular sport.
Although drawing significant crowds and interest early, the states of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
elected at official level to adopt the rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
codes in 1908. This was widely recognised as being due to the game's association with the tag "Melbourne Rules" or "Victorian Rules" and the fierce rivalry that Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
has with Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. With a lack of players, and grounds, support for Australian rules football decreased dramatically.
Support in these states has since grown in recent years, with local clubs established in the national competition in both Queensland and New South Wales during 1980s. Although the game is followed by the majority of the Australian population and states, there are still many in New South Wales (the most populous state) that associate the game with Melbourne or "the game they play in Victoria". For other states without teams in the national competition, the AFL has tried to maintain participation through regular exhibition games.
Regional AFL exhibition matches
In 2005, to bring the game to regional centres, the AFL began a series of pre-season practice matches before the Wizard CupAustralian Football League pre-season competition
The Australian Football League pre-season competition, which is known at present as the NAB Cup, is a competition held before the beginning of the Australian Football League premiership season...
called the Wizard Regional Challenge Series.
The 2005 series included such Morwell
Morwell, Victoria
-Transport:The main form of transport in Morwell is the automobile. The Princes Freeway now bypasses the town to the south while the old Princes Highway which once passed through east-west through its centre is now Princes Drive and Commercial Road. The highway connects Morwell with other...
, Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln, South Australia
- Transport :Port Lincoln is the port for the isolated narrow gauge Eyre Peninsular Railway.There is also a subsidiary port at Proper Bay which may be restored to use for iron ore traffic. The export of iron ore through Port Lincoln has been approved by the South Australian Government. Port...
, Joondalup
Joondalup, Western Australia
Joondalup is a regional metropolitan city within Perth, Western Australia, approximately north of Perth's central business district.It acts as the primary urban centre in Perth's outer northern suburbs.-History:...
, Lavington
Lavington, New South Wales
Lavington is a suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located north of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2006 census, Lavington had a population of 12 477....
, Carrara
Carrara, Queensland
Carrara is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located on the southern bank of the Nerang River. At the 2006 Census, Carrara had a population of 10,687....
, Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
with a total attendance of 117,552. Features of the competition included a game between Collingwood vs Sydney in Newcastle in front of 5,002 spectators and Essendon vs Geelong in Bendigo in front of 13,000.
AFL exhibition matches played in New South Wales
Although the Sydney SwansSydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
Australian football club are based in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the AFL holds an annual exhibition match between the Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and Sydney Swans at the North Sydney Oval
North Sydney Oval
-Development:* The first cricket pitch was laid on 6 December 1867, making it one of the oldest cricket grounds in Australia.* The first structure built, in 1879, was a simple pavilion overlooking the cricket ground...
.
Regional NAB Challenge matches have been played in Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
.
AFL exhibition matches played in Canberra/ACT
With no team in the national competition, and heavy competition with both rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, the VFL/AFL has long shown interest in the nation's capital, largest inland city and 8th largest urban area.
The city of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, formed in the 1920s and due to proximity generally followed the lead of New South Wales to adopt rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, which remains the most popular sport in the city. Rugby union also has some followers.
Since 2001, the Kangaroos Football Club
Kangaroos Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
have been working to build up a local supporter base by playing home games at Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval
Manuka Oval is a 13,550 capacity ground located in the suburb of Griffith, adjacent to Manuka, a business district of Canberra, Australia's capital....
. Crowds at Manuka have averaged around 10,000, with a record of 14,891 set in 2004 for the Kangaroos vs Sydney Swans.
AFL exhibition matches played in Northern Territory
With no team in the national competition, and heavy competition with rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, the VFL/AFL has maintained a strong following in the Northern Territory through exhibition matches. Like the Kangaroos in Canberra, the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
have recently experimented with home games in Darwin at Marrara Oval
Marrara Oval
Marrara Stadium is a sports ground in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The ground was built in 1991 and Australian rules football and Cricket are primarily played at the venue...
. Other exhibition matches have included the Aboriginal All-Stars
Aboriginal All-Stars
The Indigenous All-Stars are an Australian rules football team composed purely of Indigenous Australians....
in pre-season practice matches against various AFL clubs. The games at Marrara have averaged about 10,000 spectators, with a record of 17,500 witnessing the Aboriginal All-Stars vs Carlton match in 2002. Alice Springs has also hosted pre-season matches. In 2004, an AFL pre-season Regional Challenge match between Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
at Traeger Park
Traeger Park
Traeger Park is a small stadium located in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.The stadium hosts Australian rules football and cricket matches and has a capacity of 10,000....
attracted a sell-out crowd of 10,000.
AFL exhibition matches played in Queensland
Before the advent of the Brisbane BearsBrisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
, VFL/AFL exhibition matches were occasionally played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
Brisbane Cricket Ground
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
. Exhibition matches have more recently been played in the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
and Cairns.
AFL exhibition matches played in Tasmania
Australian rules football is very popular in TasmaniaTasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, however there is no team in the national competition due to lack of corporate sponsorship. The population is sparsely spread and possibly not able to support an AFL team despite several bids and backing of the Tasmanian government. The Tasmanian Devils
Tasmanian Devils Football Club
Tasmania Football Club, nicknamed The Devils, was an Australian rules football club which competed in the Victorian Football League in Australia. Formed in 2001, it was the youngest and the only non-Victorian club in the league. The club was based in the state of Tasmania at Bellerive Oval and was...
participated in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
from 2001 to 2008, but that did not quell the desire for elite matches.
The first VFL match for premiership points was played on the 14th of June 1952 at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
between Fitzroy and Melbourne before 18,387 fans.
Since 2001, both Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
and St Kilda have played AFL home games at Aurora Stadium
Aurora Stadium
York Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park has been known as Aurora Stadium under a six-year naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004...
in Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
. Average crowds of around 15,000 have attended these games, with a record of 18,112 witnessing Hawthorn vs Port Adelaide in 2002.
See also
- The "Pioneer Exhibition Game" in London (1916)