History of AFL (Mens)

From the "Off Season Winter Game" to the Game That Today Unites The Nation: How The AFL'S Extensive History Has Shaped the Game we Know Today

By Jazz Cowling.                                                 13th October 2025

CONTENT WARNING: Viewers are advised that the following content contains images and information of those who have passed, cultural protocols are encouraged from this point. 

Unlike many sports in the world, Australian Rules football is a crucial part of the identity of the country and has been so deeply engraved into the everyday lives of the community. 

Every weekend millions of Australians tune in to watch their favourite teams go head to head, but few stop and acknowledge where it all began. The History of our great Aussie game is a story of community, rivalry and national pride and continues to have the power to both unite and divide the nation through show stopping moments and major breakthroughs. 

From founding on small Victorian fields to playing on Australia's biggest stage, AFL is no stranger to a lengthy and highly progressive history. 

The story of our great game dates back for over a century and a half on a crisp winter's day in 1858 where it was decided by past Cricket legend, Tom Willis,  that an "off season" game was needed to assist with keeping cricketers fit during the cold winter months. 

Willis was persistant and passionate when it came to keeping fit for the cricket season and quickly gained attention and interest from other members of the community. Soon into his desperate plea, four men by the names of William Hammersley, Tom Smith, James Thompson and Jerry Bryant joined forces with Willis as they shared the same passion.

After weeks worth of planning what their game would look like, the four men gathered on a patch of grass in the Melbourne Suburbs to put their game to the test. However, little did they know their game would soon steal the heart of the nation. 

The game the men designed to keep cricketers fit has become Australia's greatest sporting tradition, which we all now know as Australian Rules Football. 

The trial of the game saw great success with much of the community wanting to get involved in this new game. Support levels were high which only fuelled the men's passion and determination beyond new boundaries as they aimed to make this game bigger and better than ever.

Almost one year on from the original trial of the game that took place on just a patch of grass in the Melbourne Suburbs, the game saw the next major development that would then continue throughout generations of the game.

On May 17th, 1859,  Willis, Hammersley, Smith, Thompson and Bryant gathered at Bryant's Hotel in East Melbourne where they sat together and came up with the very first 10 rules of the game that formed the basis of the game we see and play today. This was a lengthy process as the men reflected on things that worked well and things tha didn't to help them form their official 10 rules. 

Following this, a school competition was held between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch college which took 3 Saturday's to be concluded. This major milestone was the first structural development of the game. 

Along with the foundation of the game and the school competition, the Melbourne Football Club was founded in 1858 and was quickly joined by the Geelong Football Club in 1859. 

Whilst Victoria was the firsts state to create official teams, South Australia joined the fun in 1860 with the establishment of the Adelaide Football Club. In 1866 Queensland also "hopped on the trend" with the establishment of the Brisbane Football Club. 

Due to rising participation and interest levels among the community, the increased demand for teams that came from this pushed for the establishment of the first state level competition in 1877. The SAFA (now known as SANFL) was the first state competition to be created, followed by the VFA (now known as VFL). 

These state leagues are still a crucial stage within the game, acting as a key recruiting source for the elite level teams. Our young and upcoming players rely on these leagues to assist them to one day play on Australia's biggest stage. 

As the years went on, the game continued to gain the interest from young boys and men all over the country, something that is still highly evident in todays society. 

As the players grew older, so did the game, this meant that new rules and rule changes were required to keep happening throughout the years. This was a critical part in ensuring the game aligned with the strong stereotypes, societal norms and expectations during the late 1800's and vast majority of the 1900's. 

By 1988, every state and territory within Australia included a football competition of some shape and form, with much of the male population interested in the sport. 

In 1990, the game saw one of the most significant milestones, with the decision to rename the game from the VFL to the name that everyone knows today, the AFL. But it wasnt just the name change that made up this significant milestone, the league also expanded to include at least one team from every state, with some states having multiple teams chasing the much wanted premiership. 

Since then, there have been countless rule changes and other minor developments to the game that have helped create a national competition that reflects the story of community, rivalry, national pride and now professionalism in a way that society is proud of. The game would not be at the level it sits at today without the efforts of some of Australia's most significant and respected citizens that contributed to such a major part of Australia's history.