(Commerial for old style Australian football)

The Australian Football League

"When I was at school we played a sort of rugby. It was a mixture of soccer and rugby, and was called the Australian game" (Dally Messenger in 1908)A

Generally, people from the northern states contemptuously refer to Australian football as raffeties rules, Mexican rules, or aerial ping pong. People from the southern states; however, refer to Australian football as the greatest game on earth. Although it may not be popular Australia-wide today, 100 years ago it was on the verge of becoming Australia's sole football code.

Missed opportunities

Australia football's first were written down in Melbourne in 1858. Some historians have argued that these rules came from a version of rugby. Other historians have argued that they were a hybrid of the Aboriginal game of marngrook and some of the football games played in England. Whatever its origins, it was quickly corrupted by Irish immigrants, freed convicts and the diverse views of the Australian community.

Australia's new code spread to Adelaide and Hobart where it became dominant. However, by the time it reached Sydney and Perth, rugby union had already been imported from England, and had forged connections in the corridors of power.

In 1877, Australian football first challenged rugby when the powerful 'Waratah' Rugby Club invited Carlton to play two matches; one under rugby rules, and one under Australian rules. Despite being a rugby club, Waratah felt that rugby was boring, and hoped a direct comparison with Australian rules would demonstrate its deficiencies.

The match achieved the desired effect and in June 1880, Australian football supporters met at Woollahra to discuss a new league. The Sydney Mail's football writer said "that there are scores of footballers ... who play the Rugby game under protest as it were, and who would gladly welcome a radical change in the present method of playing football." A week later, over 100 footballers formed the New South Wales Football Association (NSWFA) to play the Australian game.

While Australian football was popular, rugby union had powerful friends, and it used its friends to have the NSWFA banned from Sydney's enclosed grounds. Without gate money to spend on promotion or to pay players, the NSWFA collapsed in 1893.

Although football was down, it was not out. In February 1903, the code picked itself up and formed the New South Wales Football League (NSWFL). Clubs were initially established in Sydney, Paddington and the North Shore, and by the beginning of April there were eight more - Alexandria, Ashfield, Balmain, East Sydney, Newtown, Redfern, West Sydney and YMCA.

With eyes firmly set on the future, the new administration targeted kids and soon the NSWFL and the rugby union were having "a great struggle" for the allegiance of schoolboys. Union held sway amongst the private schools however the state schools were receptive to the Australian game.

In 1909, the NSWFL succeeded in renting the enclosed Erskineville Oval; thus managing to raise badly needed funds. If the battle had just been between Australian football and union, Australian football's ability to pay players would have ensured its eventual victory. However, in 1908 the professional rugby league was established in Sydney, and provided an alternative for football players that wanted money.

Both rugby league and Australian football had similar ideologies and market appeal. So much so, many of the famous Sydney rugby league clubs, such as the North Shore Bears, Balmain Tigers, and the East Sydney Bulldogs, took their colours and mascots from Sydney Australian football clubs. Likewise, working class players continued to swap between the two with a South Sydney rover by the name of Jim Stiff being the most famous example. Jim was voted best player at the 1933 National Australian Football Carnival. Four years later, he was chosen to tour with the Australian Rugby League.

Such was the affinity between the rugby league and Australian football, serious discussions were held about merging the codes. For a variety of reasons; however, the merger never occurred. Australian football developed strong city-wide competitions in Adelaide, Perth, and Melbourne. Rugby league developed strong competitions in Sydney and Brisbane. Fans of each competition naturally considered their league, and the code played in their league, to be the best.

By the 70s, Melbourne's league, the VFL, started poaching the best players from Adelaide's SANFL and Perth's WAFL. As the highest standard competition in Australia, the VFL became the first choice for television stations and was broadcast nationally on the ABC. This further strengthened its financial advantage over the other leagues.

When commercial flight became economically viable, football fans around Australia suggested a national league be established. The VFL, however, closed ranks and said that the national league would be the VFL, and other states must enter a team and pay a licence fee. The SANFL and WAFL refused.

With South and West Australia refusing to play ball, the VFL was forced to expand to the virgin market of NSW. In 1982, the VFL relocated the failing South Melbourne Swans to Sydney. As the public face of Australian rules in Sydney, the Swans redefined the code's image. Instead of being seen as working class, Australian football became associated with chardonnay, ballet and yuppies. 105 years of Australian rules in Sydney was wiped clean and instead rugby league fans viewed the game as a recent Melbourne import. Local Australian football clubs folded or amalgamated, while others formed alliances with AFL clubs that required they take the AFL club's colours and logos.

In 1987, the VFL continued its national expansion with a new team in Brisbane and another in Perth. Adelaide remained steadfast in its refusal. This changed in 1999 when the Port Adelaide Magpies defected from the SANFL by making a submission to join the VFL. This ultimately led to the establishment of the Adelaide Crows.

In name, the AFL is a national league, but in substances the history of the VFL still shackles its ability to grow. Much like soccer was once weighed down by its ethnic-centric administration, Australian football has been weighed down by its Melbourne-centric administration. It doesn't really know how to expand into the northern markers. When faced with a choice between protecting the heritage of Melbourne clubs, or creating a new team to celebrate the culture of a north area, the AFL always chooses Melbourne.

Refusing to give a little to get a little means that Australian football is destined to suffer the same fate as American sports. While it might have strong Melbourne support for its league, there will be little growth in the game itself.

1927 South Sydney Football Club*

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