Added: 02/28/2006 |
An Australian Football History ReviewAustralian football origins began when Tom Wills started to conceive rules of Australian football in 1858, in Melbourne. (Even though Wills' cousin, H.C.A. Harrison was also called some years afterward as "father of the game", his contribution doesn't nowadays seem to have been important at that very premature period.) A Wills's letter was published in Victoria & Sporting Chronicle in Bell's Life on July 10, 1858 appealing for a "code of laws" "foot-ball club" to maintain cricketers fit during period of winter months. The first game in Australian football history was an experimental match at the Richmond Paddock and played by Wills and his friends and colleagues on July 31, 1858. Nevertheless, some interesting facts of that game have survived.
Two considerable events of the game development occurred on August 7, 1858: Football Club was founded in the Melbourne, and that was one of the first football clubs of all forms in the world, and a legendary game between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School started (the referee of the match was Wills). A second playing day dated on August 21, and even third playing day and final day - all dated on September 4. Since that time the two Australian schools have played annually. Nevertheless, the rules used in first matches of the Australian football history in 1858 could not have had a lot in similarities with the Australian football eventual form, since that time when Wills had not yet started to develop them.
The oldest in Australian football history set of laws was The Melbourne Football Club rules that were developed in 1859. They were carried out in East Melbourne at the Parade Hotel, on May 17, by the "father of the game" and also Thomas Smith, J. B. Thompson and W. J. Hammersley (H. C. A. Harrison is also included by some sources). Some elements was not included in the 1859 rules but those positions would become important to the Australian football, such as the bouncing the ball while running requirement, and that was the reason why neighboring clubs did not immediately adopted Melbourne's game. It is very interesting fact in Australian football history that before each game, two teams had to agree the rules. By 1866, nevertheless, some other teams had accepted to compete by a Melbourne's rules updated version.
It's very interesting that the Australian football founders were partially inspired by the games with ball of Aboriginal people who settled that region (in western Victoria). Marn Grook - this is a name of the game that Aborigines played, and that game used a possum hide ball, and included a play similar to the "speccie" (high marking) in the Australian form of football. There is significant discussion over the connection between the two forms of sport games. Wills did have a strong understanding of Aboriginal culture; also his friend Harrison lived in a region near modern-day location of Victoria, Moyston where he could observe the game of Marn Grook.
The Australian football clubs history is great and nowadays this game is very popular in Australia.
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