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The first game of Australian rules football was played in Melbourne in 1858, with the first set of rules being drawn up the following year. It reportedly started out as a form of exercise to help cricketers keep fit over winter. However, Aussie rules soon took on a life of its own and the Victorian Football Association (VFA) was formed in 1877. It included 14 teams from both Melbourne and country areas.
In 1897, the stronger, Melbourne teams broke away from the VFA to form the Victorian Football League (VFL). It was an 8 team competition, which had expanded to 12 teams by 1925.
The competition remained unchanged until 1982 when the South Melbourne club moved to Sydney to become the Sydney Swans. This started the ball of change rolling within the VFL, and by 1987, teams from Western Australia and Queensland had also joined the competition. With teams from four states now competing, the VFL changed its name to the Australian Football League (AFL) following the 1989 season.
Today, the AFL has 18 teams in five states, with 10 of those teams based in Victoria. The AFL season traditionally commences in late March and ends with a grand final on the last Saturday in September. Games are generally played across the weekend though there are also some mid-week games.
There are two main Melbourne venues. The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), in East Melbourne, was originally built as a cricket ground but today also hosts AFL and other sports. With a capacity of around 100,000 people, it's the largest AFL venue in the state. Etihad Stadium, at Docklands, was built specially for AFL football, although it hosts other sports as well. It opened in 2000 and can accommodate over 53,000 spectators.
The only ground in Victoria that is outside Melbourne and hosts AFL premiership matches is Skilled Stadium at Geelong. The home ground of the Geelong Football Club, it seats over 28,000 people. Other clubs also have their own home grounds which are sometimes used to host matches. Victorians are passionate about their football and with large - and sometimes near capacity - crowds in attendance, the atmosphere at an AFL game is an experience not to be missed.
In addition to the premiership season, the AFL also conducts a pre-season competition during February and March. This is a way for teams to warm-up before the main season. Some of these matches may be played in regional areas, giving country fans the chance to see top class football without having to travel to Melbourne.
As well as the AFL, there are many other leagues throughout Victoria, catering to all levels of ability. The VFA has continued to thrive since its inception. In 1998, the VFA and old VFL reserves competitions merged and became the new VFL. Most country towns have an Aussie rules club and their followers are just as passionate about their team as AFL fans. Most games are played on Saturdays and it's not too difficult to find a game to watch somewhere in the state.
Further information:
- AFL: www.afl.com.au
- VFL: www.vfl.com.au
- Etihad Stadium: www.etihadstadium.com.au
- MCG: www.mcg.org.au
- Football stories from country Victoria: www.cv.vic.gov.au
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