History of Australian rules football

Australian rules football was invented in Melbourne, Australia, and the first match identified as a direct precursor to the codification of Australian football was organised and umpired by Tom Wills and contested on 31 July 1858 between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College, adjacent to the Melbourne Cricket Ground at the Richmond Paddock. The oldest surviving set of rules of Australian rules football were drawn up on 17 May 1859, three days after the formation of the Melbourne Football Club.

The origins of Australian football before 1858 are still the subject of much debate, as there were a multitude of football games in Britain, Ireland and Australia whose rules influenced the early football games played in Melbourne. Teams would have to agree before each match which rules would be followed, and different aspects of association football, Gaelic football, rugby football,Sheffield rules, Cambridge rulesWinchester College football and Harrow football were apparent in the early games.

The earliest leagues were the South Australian National Football League at the time called the South Australian Football Association and the Victorian Football Association formed in 1877. The first intercolonial matches were played shortly after in 1879. The game was first known as Melbourne rules football then as the game spread thought the country it became known as Victorian rules football and then Australian rules football.

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