Australian Rules Football - 150 Years

It is widely acknowledged that the first Australian Football match commenced on August 7th, 1858 between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College, near the site of today’s Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The game was played with 40 gents per side, a spherical ball, without point posts and over three Saturdays. The match followed the Rugby School custom of the ‘best of three goals’ - whichever side kicking two would win.

After a goal to each team on August 7th, the game was postponed at dusk and continued on Saturday August 21st. On this day, another three hour hard struggle was fought, both teams seeking the elusive winning goal. The game was once again adjourned for a further fortnight. The last day of the schoolboys’ match was contested on September 4th by a struggling mass of boys and was ultimately drawn when the sun went down.

Tom Wills is synonymous with the birth of Australian Football. A brilliant all round sportsman, he did more than any other person during our games first decade. He was a footballer, an umpire, co-writer of the rules and promoter of the game.

Check out the AFL 150 Years website here. You can read about the EFL history here.