Australian rules football in Victoria, Australia
Encyclopedia
Australian rules football
in Victoria, Australia dates back to the origins of both the sport and the colony in the 1850s.
Victoria remains the sport's spiritual home.
The state is home to ten of the seventeen teams in the Australian Football League
(AFL), a league which began as a suburban competition in the state's capital and whose five Melbourne games per week currently attract an average 35,000 people per game.
The AFL Grand Final
, one of the biggest sporting events in Australia (and in the world in terms of attendance), is played on the last weekend in September at the world famous Melbourne Cricket Ground
(MCG), a massive arena that has held over 120,000 spectators.
Tom Wills
began to devise Australian rules in Melbourne
in 1858.
(Although H.C.A. Harrison, Wills' cousin, was also named, much later, as an official father of the game 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 10 July 1858, calling for a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter. A match, played at the Richmond Paddock (later known as Yarra Park
next to the MCG
) on 31 July 1858, was probably a game of folk football, or one based on unidentified English school rules. However, few details of the match have survived.
The Melbourne Football Club
was founded on Saturday 14 May 1859, one of the world's first football clubs in any code. For many years unjustified claims have been made about a football match between Melbourne Grammar School
and Scotch College
. It began on 7 August 1858, umpired by Wills and John McAdam. A second day of play took place on 21 August and a third, and final, day on 4 September. The two schools have competed annually ever since. However, the rules used by the two teams in 1858 had little in common with the eventual form of Australian football since that code had not yet been written.
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 17 May, 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 that 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.
, Carlton
, East Melbourne, Essendon
, Hotham
, Melbourne
, St. Kilda & West Melbourne
. The Junior section of the VFA originally included such clubs as Ballarat
, Hawthorn
, Northcote
, South Melbourne
, Standard, Victoria United, Victorian Railways and Williamstown
. During its early years, many clubs dropped in and out and there were erratic promotions between the Senior and Junior sections. Hawthorn, Northcote, Standard, Victoria United, Victorian Railways and Williamstown dropped out within a year or so but Hawthorn, Northcote and Williamstown were all to return at various times.
There were also numerous rules changes in this early period.
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. The first season concluded with Essendon finishing as the premiers (winners).
Another four VFA clubs joined the VFL later, as Richmond
joined the VFL in 1908. Footscray, Hawthorn
and North Melbourne joined in 1925, by which time VFL had become the most prominent league in the game. University also joined the VFL in 1908 but folded in 1915.
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, later gaining further West Australian and South Australian teams.
The VFA/VFL became a secondary league, although even it has grown to accommodate a team from Tasmania
.
Even the biggest locally grown suburban clubs, elevated into the national league, continue struggle for survival, competing for marketshare. Fourteen years after South Melbourne's difficulties led them to move to Sydney, similar problems at the Fitzroy Football Club
result in a merger, forming the Brisbane Lions
. Although a small consolation of these club's recent success has been establishing renewed interest with their Melbourne based supporters, other clubs, such as the historic Melbourne, Western Bulldogs (formerly Footscray), North Melbourne and Carlton Clubs are assisted by the AFL to remain in the national competition. Many suggestions have been made in response to issues of overcrowdinghttp://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php?story=20060920220846635 but the AFL has been somewhat reluctant to make a drastic change, due to both the history and supporters' passion for their club - save for the merger of Fitzroy and the Bears.
There is still an anti-expansionist element in many Victorian supporters of the game, who would prefer to see it kept to themselves.
In 2004, with 36,900 senior players in Victoria, more than any other state in Australia.
With a total participation of 223,999, Victoria has a participation rate of around 4% per capita, makes it the equal third most supported state (with Western Australia and South Australia).
, Gary Ablett, Sr., Ted Whitten
, Ron Barassi
, Leigh Matthews
, Kevin Murray, Francis Bourke
, Greg Williams, Jack Dyer
, Roy Cazaly
, Paul Salmon
, Paul Roos
, Dermott Brereton
, Robert Flower
.
for Australian rules football in Victoria is Football Victoria
.
Masters
The Victorian representative team is known as the Big V and have played State of Origin test matches against all other Australian states. They still play at U19 level. The Big V will make a once off appearance in the 2008 AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
.
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...
in Victoria, Australia dates back to the origins of both the sport and the colony in the 1850s.
Victoria remains the sport's spiritual home.
The state is home to ten of the seventeen teams in the 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...
(AFL), a league which began as a suburban competition in the state's capital and whose five Melbourne games per week currently attract an average 35,000 people per game.
The AFL Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
, one of the biggest sporting events in Australia (and in the world in terms of attendance), is played on the last weekend in September at the world famous Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
(MCG), a massive arena that has held over 120,000 spectators.
History
- See also Origins of the Game, Australian rules football - Early years in Victoria.
Tom Wills
Tom Wills
Thomas Wentworth "Tom" Wills was an Australian all-round sportsman, umpire, coach and administrator who is credited with being a catalyst towards the invention of Australian rules football....
began to devise Australian rules in 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...
in 1858.
(Although H.C.A. Harrison, Wills' cousin, was also named, much later, as an official father of the game 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 10 July 1858, calling for a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter. A match, played at the Richmond Paddock (later known as Yarra Park
Yarra Park, Melbourne
Yarra Park is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct - the premier sporting precinct of Victoria, Australia. Located in Yarra Park is the Melbourne Cricket Ground and numerous sporting fields and ovals, including the associated sporting complexes of Melbourne & Olympic Parks...
next to the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
) on 31 July 1858, was probably a game of folk football, or one based on unidentified English school rules. However, few details of the match have survived.
The Melbourne Football Club
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....
was founded on Saturday 14 May 1859, one of the world's first football clubs in any code. For many years unjustified claims have been made about a football match between Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra and Caulfield, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. It began on 7 August 1858, umpired by Wills and John McAdam. A second day of play took place on 21 August and a third, and final, day on 4 September. The two schools have competed annually ever since. However, the rules used by the two teams in 1858 had little in common with the eventual form of Australian football since that code had not yet been written.
Victoria's first league
On 17 May 1877, the Victorian Football Association (VFA), Victoria's first governing body for Australian football, was formed. The foundation Senior clubs of the VFA were Albert ParkAlbert Park Football Club
Albert Park Football Club is an Australian rules football club located 3 km south of Melbourne in the suburb of Albert Park.Originally affiliated with the VFA during the 19th century.The club colours are red and white....
, 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...
, East Melbourne, Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, Hotham
North Melbourne 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...
, 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....
, St. Kilda & West Melbourne
West Melbourne Football Club
West Melbourne Football Club was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association . They were based at the North Melbourne Cricket Ground and had a red and white striped guernsey.-History:...
. The Junior section of the VFA originally included such clubs as Ballarat
Ballarat Football Club
The Ballarat Football Club competes in the Ballarat Football League in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia. The club, nicknamed the Swans, has a history dating back to 1860. Ballarat once competed in the Victorian Football Association....
, 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...
, Northcote
Northcote Football Club
Northcote Football Club, nicknamed The Dragons, was an Australian rules football club which played in the VFA from 1908 until 1987. The club's colours were green and yellow and it was based in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote...
, South Melbourne
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...
, Standard, Victoria United, Victorian Railways and Williamstown
Williamstown Football Club
The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed The Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne and are currently playing in the Victorian Football League...
. During its early years, many clubs dropped in and out and there were erratic promotions between the Senior and Junior sections. Hawthorn, Northcote, Standard, Victoria United, Victorian Railways and Williamstown dropped out within a year or so but Hawthorn, Northcote and Williamstown were all to return at various times.
There were also numerous rules changes in this early period.
Formation of the VFL
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...
(VFL), which commenced play in 1897 as an eight-team breakaway of the stronger clubs in the VFA competition: Carlton, Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, Essendon, Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne. The first season concluded with Essendon finishing as the premiers (winners).
Another four VFA clubs joined the VFL later, as Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
joined the VFL in 1908. Footscray, 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 North Melbourne joined in 1925, by which time VFL had become the most prominent league in the game. University also joined the VFL in 1908 but folded in 1915.
National league & current issues
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 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...
stronghold of 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...
and became known as 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...
.
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
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
and the Brisbane Bears began playing in 1987.
The league changed its name to the 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...
(AFL) following the 1989 season, later gaining further West Australian and South Australian teams.
The VFA/VFL became a secondary league, although even it has grown to accommodate a team from Tasmania
Tasmania
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...
.
Even the biggest locally grown suburban clubs, elevated into the national league, continue struggle for survival, competing for marketshare. Fourteen years after South Melbourne's difficulties led them to move to Sydney, similar problems at the Fitzroy Football Club
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
result in a merger, forming the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
. Although a small consolation of these club's recent success has been establishing renewed interest with their Melbourne based supporters, other clubs, such as the historic Melbourne, Western Bulldogs (formerly Footscray), North Melbourne and Carlton Clubs are assisted by the AFL to remain in the national competition. Many suggestions have been made in response to issues of overcrowdinghttp://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php?story=20060920220846635 but the AFL has been somewhat reluctant to make a drastic change, due to both the history and supporters' passion for their club - save for the merger of Fitzroy and the Bears.
There is still an anti-expansionist element in many Victorian supporters of the game, who would prefer to see it kept to themselves.
Participation
With a total participation of 223,999, Victoria has a participation rate of around 4% per capita, makes it the equal third most supported state (with Western Australia and South Australia).
Attendance record
- 121,696 (1970). VFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Grand FinalGrand FinalGrand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
CarltonCarlton Football ClubThe 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...
v CollingwoodCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
(MCGMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne 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...
)
Major Australian Rules events in Victoria
- Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Premiership Season - AFL Grand FinalAFL Grand FinalThe AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
(annual) - Victorian Football LeagueVictorian Football LeagueThe 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...
Grand Final (annual) - International Rules SeriesInternational Rules SeriesThe International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...
(biennial) - Australian Football International CupAustralian Football International CupThe Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
(quadrennial free event) - E. J. Whitten Legends GameE. J. Whitten Legends GameThe E. J. Whitten Legends Game is an annual charity Australian rules football All-star game, where retired star players are reunited, along with selected non-footballing celebrities, in a State of Origin interstate game, between Victoria and the All Stars .-History:E. J...
(annual charity event) - Community CupCommunity CupThe Community Cup is an annual charity event held in Melbourne which features an Australian rules football match. It is noted for its cult following, celebrity appearances and media profile....
(annual charity event) - Multicultural Cup (annual free event)
- Ovens & Murray Football LeagueOvens & Murray Football LeagueThe Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
Grand Final (annual)
Great Victorian footballers
Great players from Victoria to participate in elite football include: Tony LockettTony Lockett
Anthony Howard "Tony" Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans...
, Gary Ablett, Sr., Ted Whitten
Ted Whitten
Edward James "EJ" Whitten was an Australian rules football player and media personality. He played a then-record 321 Victorian Football League games for the Footscray Football Club between 1951 and 1970...
, Ron Barassi
Ron Barassi
Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr AM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father, Ron Barassi, Sr., was the first Australian footballer killed at Tobruk during...
, Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
, Kevin Murray, Francis Bourke
Francis Bourke
Francis William Bourke is a former Australian rules football player who played in the Victorian Football League between 1967 and 1981 for the Richmond Football Club and coached the club between 1982 and 1983. One of the most respected Australian footballers of any era, Bourke was nicknamed "St...
, Greg Williams, Jack Dyer
Jack Dyer
John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM , always known as Jack Dyer, was one of the colossal figures of Australian rules football during two distinct careers, firstly as a player and coach of the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1931 and 1952, and later in the broadcast media for...
, Roy Cazaly
Roy Cazaly
Roy Cazaly was an Australian rules football player famous for his high marks and ruck work, which gave rise to the phrase "Up There Cazaly".-Early life/career:...
, Paul Salmon
Paul Salmon
Paul Salmon is a former Australian rules footballer. Recruited from North Ringwood, the 206 cm Salmon was, at the time, along with Carlton's Justin Madden, the tallest man to play AFL football...
, Paul Roos
Paul Roos (Australian rules footballer)
Paul Roos is a former Australian rules football player and coach in the VFL and Australian Football League.Playing the majority of his career with Fitzroy, Roos was one of the teams greats, captaining the side for a long time and was acknowledged as its best player for several seasons, being named...
, Dermott Brereton
Dermott Brereton
Dermott Hugh Brereton is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Of Irish descent , he is known for his aggressive style of play. Brereton kicked 464 goals and played in five Premierships for during...
, Robert Flower
Robert Flower
Robert Flower is a former Australian rules footballer with Melbourne Football Club. His first game was against Geelong in 1973 and he captained the team from 1981 until his final game in 1987...
.
Notable Victorian players in the AFL
- Gary Ablett, Jr.Gary Ablett, Jr.Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
- Luke BallLuke BallLuke Patrick Ball is a professional Australian rules football player currently playing for in the Australian Football League....
- Jimmy BartelJimmy BartelJames 'Jimmy' Bartel is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A midfielder at and , Bartel is a Brownlow Medallist, two-time All-Australian, and was part of the Cats' AFL premiership-winning teams in 2007, 2009 and 2011, being named the...
- Jonathan Brown
- Nathan Brown
- Nick Dal SantoNick Dal SantoNick Dal Santo is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early career:...
- Peter EverittPeter EverittPeter "Spida" Everitt is a former Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda, Hawthorn Hawks and the Sydney Swans in the AFL. He made his debut for St Kilda in 1993 and in 2003 began playing for Hawthorn. Everitt was traded to the Sydney Swans at the end of 2006. Following the club's 2008...
- Brendan FevolaBrendan FevolaBrendan Fevola is a professional Australian rules footballer. He played with the Carlton and Brisbane Lions football clubs in the Australian Football League....
- Josh FraserJosh FraserJosh Fraser is a professional Australian rules football player currently playing for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League and formerly of the Collingwood Football Club....
- Barry HallBarry HallBarry Hall is a former Australian rules footballer. Hall is considered to be one of the best forwards of the modern era, being named All-Australian, leading his club's goalkicking on nine occasions and captaining the Sydney Swans to their 2005 AFL Grand Final victory...
- Robert HarveyRobert Harvey (footballer)Robert Jeffrey Harvey is a former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...
- Luke HodgeLuke HodgeLuke Hodge is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
- Paul Chapman
- Brad JohnsonBrad Johnson (Australian rules footballer)Brad Johnson is a former Australian rules footballer who was the captain of Australian Football League team Western Bulldogs...
- Chris JuddChris JuddChristopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
- Nigel LappinNigel LappinNigel Lappin is a former professional Australian rules footballer.Lappin was born in Corowa, New South Wales, but grew up in Chiltern, Victoria and was drafted to play for the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League in 1993, playing his first AFL game the following year...
- Ryan LonieRyan LonieRyan Lonie is a former Collingwood footballer in the Australian Football League. Lonie is a hard-running back flanker who over the duration of his seven years at the club threatened to become a game-breaking wingman, however he did not make the transition.-Early career :Lonie starred as a junior...
- Robert MurphyRobert Murphy (Australian rules footballer)Robert "Bob" Murphy is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League. Renowned for his silky skills and leadership qualities, Murphy has also proven himself a versatile player, equally capable of playing in attack or in defence depending on the...
- Luke PowerLuke PowerLuke Power is an Australian rules footballer. He is currently contracted to play for Greater Western Sydney. He was a part of the Brisbane Lions's 2001, 2002, and 2003 premierships. He is known for his effective use of the ball disposals, rare mistakes and his deadly accurate left foot. Many AFL...
- Anthony RoccaAnthony RoccaAnthony Rocca is a former Australian rules footballer who has played with the Sydney Swans and Collingwood in the Australian Football League...
- Matthew ScarlettMatthew ScarlettMatthew Scarlett is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A fullback, tall and weighing , Scarlett is the eldest son of former Geelong footballer John Scarlett....
- Heath ScotlandHeath ScotlandHeath Scotland is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.-Background:Scotland grew up and played his junior football for the Darley Football Club, then in the Riddell District Football League, and he played TAC Cup football for the Western Jets. He also featured in the...
- Nick StevensNick StevensNick Stevens is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Originally from St Marys in the VMFL, Stevens was recruited in the 1997 AFL Draft to the Port Adelaide Football Club where he became a very prominent outside midfielder...
- Chris TarrantChris Tarrant (footballer)Chris Tarrant is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club, and has also played for the Fremantle Football Club. He announced at the end of the 2010 AFL season that he would return to Melbourne for personal reasons and would not extend his contract with Fremantle...
- Scott WestScott WestScott West is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League...
- Jeff WhiteJeff WhiteJeffrey Newman "Jeff" White is an Australian rules footballer who had a distinguished career in the Australian Football League spanning 14 years. He played most recently and notably for the Melbourne Football Club, following a move from the Fremantle Dockers at the end of 1997...
- David WirrpandaDavid WirrpandaDavid Selwyn Wirrpanda is a former Australian rules footballer, who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League between 1996 and 2009...
Governing body
The governing bodySport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
for Australian rules football in Victoria is Football Victoria
Football Victoria
AFL Victoria is the state-level sport governing body for Australian rules football in the state of Victoria, Australia...
.
Professional clubs
- Carlton Blues (Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
) - Collingwood Magpies (Australian Football League)
- Essendon Bombers (Australian Football League)
- Hawthorn Hawks (Australian Football League)
- North Melbourne KangaroosNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe 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...
(Australian Football League) - Melbourne Demons (Australian Football League)
- Richmond Tigers (Australian Football League)
- St Kilda Saints (Australian Football League)
- Western BulldogsWestern BulldogsThe 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...
(Australian Football League) - Geelong Cats (Australian Football League)
Melbourne metropolitan leagues
- Eastern Football LeagueEastern Football League (Australia)The Eastern Football League is an Australian rules football League, based in the eastern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne....
- Essendon District Football LeagueEssendon District Football LeagueThe Essendon District Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne, which was established in 1930.The EDFL consists of 24 senior clubs, 10 clubs in A Grade and 14 clubs in B Grade...
- Northern Football League
- Southern Football LeagueSouthern Football League (Victoria)The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league, based in the south and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, for both seniors and juniors....
- Victorian Amateur Football AssociationVictorian Amateur Football AssociationThe Victorian Amateur Football Association is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia consisting purely of amateur players. Unlike the Victorian Football League and the VFL/AFL, the VAFA has always been strictly a purely amateur league and has affiliations with both AFL Victoria...
- Western Region Football LeagueWestern Region Football LeagueThe Western Region Football League is an Australian rules football semi-professional league, based in the western suburbs of Melbourne, for both seniors and juniors.-History:The league was formed in 1931, as the Footscray District Football League...
Regional leagues
- Victorian Country Football LeagueVictorian Country Football LeagueThe Victorian Country Football League is the governing body for Australian rules football in Victoria outside of metropolitan Melbourne on behalf of AFL Victoria...
Official Site (governing body over regional Victoria) - Alberton Football LeagueAlberton Football LeagueThe Alberton Football League is an Australian rules football league covering the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia.-History:The Alberton Football League was formed in 1946, replacing the earlier Alberton Football Association, and comprised eight clubs—Carrajung, Devon, Foster, Ramblers,...
- Ballarat Football LeagueBallarat Football LeagueThe Ballarat Football League is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia.The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football League in 1908 and was briefly known as the Ballarat-Wimmera...
- Bellarine Football LeagueBellarine Football LeagueThe Bellarine Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bellarine Peninsula region of Victoria, Australia, formed in 1971.Six of the eight founding clubs played in the Polwarth Football league the year before....
- Bendigo Football LeagueBendigo Football LeagueThe Bendigo Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bendigo region of Victoria, Australia.Formed in 1880, it is one of the oldest football leagues in Australia, and among its members are some of the oldest football clubs in Australia, including the Castlemaine...
- Central Highlands Football LeagueCentral Highlands Football LeagueThe Central Highlands Football League is an Australian Rules Football League in the Ballarat region. The league coordinates Senior, Reserve, Under 18 and Under 15 grades.-History:...
- Central Murray Football LeagueCentral Murray Football LeagueThe Central Murray Football League is a major country Australian rules football competition based in northern Victoria, Australia and southwest New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
- Colac & District Football LeagueColac & District Football LeagueThe Colac & District Football League is based in South west Victoria.-History:The Colac & District Football League was formed in 1937, as a result of a merger of the Colac and District FA and the Corangamite Farmers FA.Over the years, a number of clubs moved between the CDFL and other local...
Official Site - East Gippsland Football LeagueEast Gippsland Football LeagueThe East Gippsland Football League is an Australian rules football League in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia.-History:The East Gippsland FL in its present incarnation began in 1974 with the merger of the Gippsland Football League and the Bairnsdale District Football League...
Official Site - Ellinbank & District Football LeagueEllinbank & District Football LeagueThe Ellinbank and District Football League is an Australian rules football League, based in the West Gippsland region of Victoria, for both seniors and juniors. The EDFL was founded in 1937.15 teams compete in the league, the newest team being Garfield FC...
Official Site - Geelong Football LeagueGeelong Football LeagueThe Geelong Football League is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia. It is the highest quality league in the Geelong area, with numerous former AFL players playing for various clubs.-History:...
Official Site - Geelong & District Football LeagueGeelong & District Football LeagueThe Geelong & District Football League is the oldest surviving football competition in Victoria . It is one of three Australian rules football leagues in the Geelong area, the others being the Geelong Football League and the Bellarine Football League....
Official Site - Gippsland Football League Official Site
- Goulburn Valley Football LeagueGoulburn Valley Football LeagueThe Goulburn Valley Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia...
- Golden Rivers Football LeagueGolden Rivers Football LeagueThe Golden Rivers Football League is an Australian rules football organization with a long history. The League formed in 1919 as the Kerang and District Football Association. In 1946 the league was reestablished as the Kerang and District Football League...
- Hampden Football Netball LeagueHampden Football Netball LeagueThe Hampden Football Netball League is based in South-Western Victoria, with clubs located in towns located along or near the Princes Highway from Camperdown to Port Fairy. The league is a major country league...
Official Site - Heathcote District Football LeagueHeathcote District Football LeagueThe Heathcote District Football League is based in Central Victoria. The league is a minor country league with teams drawn from smaller localities within part of the area of the major Bendigo Football League.-History:...
Official Site - Horsham & District Football LeagueHorsham & District Football LeagueThe Horsham & District Football League is an amateur Australian rules football league based in the Wimmera area of Western Victoria.-History:...
Official Site - Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League
- Kyabram & District Football LeagueKyabram & District Football LeagueThe Kyabram District Football League is an Australian rules football league in Victoria. It is made up of 13 teams, following Yea's departure in 2007 to join the Yarra Valley Mountain Football League, and Longwood's admission in 2010 following the collapse of the Benalla District Football League....
- Loddon Valley Football LeagueLoddon Valley Football LeagueThe Loddon Valley Football League is based in Central Victoria.-History:The Loddon Valley Football League was formed in 1903 and is one of the oldest country leagues to have survived without a name change or amalgamation.-Current:...
Official Site - Mallee Football LeagueMallee Football League (Victoria)The Mallee Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Mallee region of northwestern Victoria. It is not to be confused with the identically named Mallee Football League .-History:...
Official Site - Maryborough Castlemaine District Football LeagueMaryborough Castlemaine District Football LeagueThe Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League is an Australian rules football league based in central Victoria. This is a minor league with clubs coming from towns near the regional centres of Maryborough, and Castlemaine.-History:...
Official Site - Mid Gippsland Football LeagueMid Gippsland Football LeagueThe Mid Gippsland Football League is an Australian rules football league in the Latrobe Valley region of Victoria, Australia.-History:The league was founded in 1935.The original clubs were:*Boolarra*Morwell Seconds*Brown Coal Mine*Morwell Bridge...
Official Site - Millewa Football LeagueMillewa Football LeagueThe Millewa Football League is a minor country Australian rules football league with teams based in the Sunraysia region of north-western Victoria and south-western New South Wales, Australia, around the towns of Mildura, Victoria and Robinvale....
Official Site - Mininera & District Football LeagueMininera & District Football LeagueThe Mininera & District Football League is based in South-western Victoria, with clubs located east of Hamilton, south of Ararat and west of Colac. The league absorbed several teams from the defunct Ararat & District Football Association in 2000.-History:...
Official Site - Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football LeagueMornington Peninsula Nepean Football LeagueThe Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League is an Australian rules football competition, governed by the Victorian Country Football League. The MPNFL contains teams near the south eastern region of Victoria, Australia...
Official Site - Murray Football LeagueMurray Football LeagueThe Murray Football League is an Australian rules football league affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League.The league covers a large area of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales from Shepparton in the south to Deniliquin in the north.It covers much the same area as the...
Official Site - North Central Football LeagueNorth Central Football LeagueThe North Central Football League is an Australian rules football league based in North Central Victoria, Australia.The League was formed in 1930...
Official Site - North Gippsland Football LeagueNorth Gippsland Football LeagueThe North Gippsland Football League is an Australian rules football league in the Central Gippsland area of Victoria, Australia, formed in 1955 through the merger of the Cowwarr Football League and the Sale District Football League....
Official Site - Omeo & District Football LeagueOmeo & District Football LeagueThe Omeo and District Football League is an Australian Rules Football League based out of the Tambo Valley region of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The ODFL has existed in some form since 1893, and operates under the auspices of the Victorian Country Football League...
Official Site - Ovens & King Football LeagueOvens & King Football League300px|thumb|right|O&K 2007 Thirds Grand Final between Whorouly and North WangarattaThe Ovens & King Football League is a minor country Australian rules football league based in Northeastern Victoria in the vicinity of Wangaratta and more recently Benalla....
Official Site - Ovens & Murray Football LeagueOvens & Murray Football LeagueThe Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
- Picola & District Football LeaguePicola & District Football LeagueThe Picola & District Football Netball League is an Australian rules football league affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League.The league covers a large area of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales from Shepparton in the south to Jerilderie in the north and consists of teams...
- South West District Football LeagueSouth West District Football LeagueThe South West District Football League is an Australian rules football league based in South-western Victoria, with clubs located in the vicinity of Hamilton, Heywood and Portland...
Official Site - Sunraysia Football LeagueSunraysia Football LeagueThe Sunraysia Football League is an Australian Rules league based in Northwestern Victoria with clubs located in the vicinity of Mildura and Wentworth, New South Wales...
Official Site - Tallangatta & District Football LeagueTallangatta & District Football LeagueThe Tallangatta and District Football League is an Australian rules football competition in north-east Victoria and the southern/border region of the New South Wales Riverina...
Official Site - Upper Murray Football LeagueUpper Murray Football LeagueThe Upper Murray Football League is an Australian Rules football competition based in North-east, Victoria and South-Eastern Riverina, New South Wales. The players in the league are largely from Corryong and its surrounding areas. The competition is played over fifteen home and away rounds and four...
Official Site - Warrnambool & District Football League Official Site
- Western Border Football LeagueWestern Border Football LeagueThe Western Border Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Lower South East region of South Australia, and south-western border region of Victoria. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League and the Victorian Football League...
Official Site - Wimmera Football LeagueWimmera Football LeagueThe Wimmera Football League is based in Western Victoria, with clubs located in towns in the Wimmera region. The regional centres along the Western Highway from Ararat to Nhill as well as Minyip-Murtoa and Warracknabeal.The league is a major country league....
Official Site - Yarra Valley Mountain District Football LeagueYarra Valley Mountain District Football LeagueThe Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in Victoria to the east and northeast of Melbourne.-History:...
Junior
- Warragul & District Junior Football League
- Riddell District Junior Football League Official Site
- Yarra Junior Football League
- Waverley Junior Football Association Official Site
- Moorabbin Saints Junior Football League Official Site
- Dandenong & District Junior Football League Official Site
- Central Gippsland Junior Football League
- Traralgon & District Junior Football League
MastersMasters Australian FootballMasters Australian Football is a sport based on the game of Australian rules football for players aged 35 years and over. The sport first commenced officially on 21 September 1981, after being founded by John Hammer in 1980 in Nhill, Victoria.Modifications to the rules reduce the physical impact...
- Victorian Metropolitan Superules Football Official Site
- Victorian Country Masters Australian Football Official Site
Women's
- Victorian Women's Football LeagueVictorian Women's Football LeagueThe Victorian Women's Football League is the oldest and largest Australian rules football league for women in the world, consisting of 22 clubs and 30 teams from Victoria, Australia across four divisions and a total of over 1,000 players....
- Youth Girls CompetitionYouth Girls CompetitionThe AFL Victoria Youth Girls Competition is an Australian rules football league for girls aged 13 to 17 in Victoria, Australia. Some teams are associated with particular secondary schools and at least one has been associated with a "seniors" team from the VWFL , while others are community-based...
Official Site
Principal venues
| Venue | Capacity |
| Melbourne Cricket Ground Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light... , (Jolimont) |
100,000 |
| Docklands Stadium, (Melbourne Docklands Melbourne Docklands Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne... ) |
56,347 |
| Princes Park MC Labour Park Princes Park is an Australian rules football ground located at Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North, Victoria.... (Carlton Carlton, Victoria Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne... ) |
35,000 |
| Kardinia Park (Geelong Geelong, Victoria Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia... ) |
27,000 |
| Whitten Oval Whitten Oval Whitten Oval is a stadium in the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located at 417 Barkly Street, West Footscray. It is the training and administrative headquarters of the Western Bulldogs Football Club, which competes in the Australian Football League.Formerly known as the... , (West Footscray West Footscray, Victoria West Footscray is a suburb 7 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, West Footscray had a population of 9776.-Medicine:... ) |
25,000 |
Representative team
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
The AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match was a one-off all-star game between two representative sides organised by the Australian Football League to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football....
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