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{{Английская Википедия/Панель перехода}}
{{Short description|Contact sport originating in Australia}}
{{Redirect|Australian rules}}
{{Redirect|Australian football|the overview of all football codes in Australia|Football in Australia}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2011}}
{{Infobox sport
|name = Australian rules football
|image = Archie Smith.jpg
|caption = A [[Ruckman (Australian rules football)|ruckman]] leaps above his opponent to win the hit-out during a [[ball-up]]
|union = [[AFL Commission]]
|first = 15 June 1859 in [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia
|registered = 1,404,176 (2016)<ref name=collins>Collins, Ben (22 November 2016). [http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-11-22/womens-football-explosion-results-in-record-participation "Women's football explosion results in record participation"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122153506/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-11-22/womens-football-explosion-results-in-record-participation |date=22 November 2016 }}, AFL. Retrieved 22 November 2016.</ref>
|clubs = 25,770 (2016)<ref name="collins"/>
|contact = [[Full-contact|Full]]
|team = 22 (18 onfield, 4 interchange)
|mgender = Up to age 14
|category = Outdoor
|ball = [[Football (ball)#Australian rules football|Football]]
| glossary   = [[Glossary of Australian rules football]]
|olympic = [[Australian football at the 1956 Summer Olympics|Demonstration sport]], [[1956 Melbourne Olympics]]
|nicknames=Australian football, Aussie rules, football, footy|country/region=[[Australia]]}}
'''Australian rules football''', also called '''Australian football''' or '''Aussie rules''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afl.com.au/afl-hq/the-afl-explained/about-the-afl |title=About the AFL: Australian Football (Official title of the code) |publisher=Australian Football League |access-date=20 June 2017 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203063621/http://www.afl.com.au/afl-hq/the-afl-explained/about-the-afl |url-status=live }}</ref> or more simply '''football''' or '''footy''', is a [[contact sport]] played between two teams of 18 players on an [[Australian rules football playing field|oval field]], often a modified [[cricket ground]]. Points are scored by kicking the [[Football (ball)#Australian rules football|oval ball]] between the central goal posts (worth six points), or between a central and outer post (worth one point, otherwise known as a "behind").

During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their bodies to move the ball. The primary methods are [[kick (football)|kicking]], [[handball (Australian rules football)|handballing]] and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled; for example, players running with the ball must intermittently [[running bounce|bounce or touch it on the ground]]. Throwing the ball is not allowed, and players must not get caught [[holding the ball]]. A distinctive feature of the game is the [[Mark (Australian football)|mark]], where players anywhere on the field who catch the ball from a kick (with specific conditions) are awarded unimpeded [[Possession (sports)|possession]].<ref>[http://afl.com.au/Portals/0/2012/AM_6967_0112_AFL_laws.pdf 2012 Laws of the game] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522111034/http://afl.com.au/Portals/0/2012/AM_6967_0112_AFL_laws.pdf |date=22 May 2012 }} Section 14, page 45</ref> Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a [[Free kick (Australian rules football)|free kick]] or mark is paid. Players can [[tackle (football move)|tackle]] using their hands or use their whole body to [[Shepherding (Australian rules football)|obstruct]] opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as [[push in the back|pushing an opponent in the back]]), interference when marking, and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, [[50-metre penalty|distance penalties]], or [[suspension (punishment)|suspension]] for a certain number of matches depending on the severity of the infringement. The game features frequent physical contests, [[spectacular mark]]ing, fast movement of both players and the ball, and high scoring.

The [[Origins of Australian football|sport's origins]] can be traced to football matches played in [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], in 1858, inspired by [[English public school football games]]. Seeking to develop a game more suited to adults and Australian conditions, the [[Melbourne Football Club]] published the first [[laws of Australian football]] in May 1859.<ref>[http://afl.com.au/Development/AFLExplained/History/tabid/10296/Default.aspx History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213143748/http://www.afl.com.au/Development/AFLExplained/History/tabid/10296/Default.aspx |date=13 December 2007 }} Official Website of the Australian Football League</ref><ref>{{cite book | author1=[[Wendy Lewis]] | author2=Simon Balderstone | author3=John Bowan | title=Events That Shaped Australia | page=61 | publisher=New Holland | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-74110-492-9 }}</ref>

Australian football has the highest spectator attendance and television viewership of all sports in Australia,<ref>Kwek, Glenda (26 March 2013). [http://www.smh.com.au/data-point/afl-leaves-other-codes-in-the-dust-20130326-2grkp.html "AFL leaves other codes in the dust"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106000656/http://www.smh.com.au/data-point/afl-leaves-other-codes-in-the-dust-20130326-2grkp.html |date=6 November 2016 }}, ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. Retrieved 18 December 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5488-sports-viewing-on-tv-201403140213 "AFL is clearly Australia's most watched Football Code, while V8 Supercars have the local edge over Formula 1"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806193952/http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5488-sports-viewing-on-tv-201403140213 |date=6 August 2020 }} (14 March 2014), Roy Morgan. Retrieved 18 December 2016.</ref> while the [[Australian Football League]] (AFL), the sport's only fully professional competition, is the nation's wealthiest sporting body.<ref>[http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/more-sports/the-richest-codes-in-world-sport-forget-the-medals-these-sports-are-chasing-the-gold/story-fnii0hmo-1226911413165 "The richest codes in world sport: Forget the medals, these sports are chasing the gold"] (8 May 2014). ''Courier Mail''. Retrieved 9 October 2016.</ref> The [[AFL Grand Final]], held annually at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], is the [[List of sports attendance figures#Top leagues in recent domestic club championship event attendance|second-highest-attended club championship event in the world]]. The sport is also played at [[Countries playing Australian rules football|amateur level in many countries]] and in [[variations of Australian rules football|several variations]]. Its [[Laws of Australian football|rules]] are governed by the [[AFL Commission]] with the advice of the AFL's Laws of the Game Committee.

== Name ==
{{Further|Names of Australian rules football}}
Australian rules football is known by several nicknames, including Aussie rules, football and footy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footy.com.au/dags/FAQ1v1-5.html |title=History website |publisher=Footy.com.au |access-date=19 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219162755/http://www.footy.com.au/dags/FAQ1v1-5.html |archive-date=19 February 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In some regions, the [[Australian Football League]] markets the game as AFL after itself.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/name-of-the-game-is-up-in-the-air-in-nsw-20120321-1vkbw.html |title=Name of the game is up in the air in NSW |date=22 March 2012 |first=Rohan |last=Connolly |work=[[The Age]] |access-date=4 April 2012 |archive-date=6 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106000947/http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/name-of-the-game-is-up-in-the-air-in-nsw-20120321-1vkbw.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Australian rules football}}

=== Origins ===
{{Main|Origins of Australian  football}}
[[File:Tom wills statue.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Statue next to the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] on the approximate site of the 1858 football match between [[Melbourne Grammar]] and [[Scotch College, Melbourne|Scotch College]]. [[Tom Wills]] is depicted umpiring behind two young players contesting the ball. The plaque reads that Wills "did more than any other person – as a footballer and umpire, co-writer of the rules and promoter of the game – to develop Australian football during its first decade."<ref>[http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/sport/display/32315-first-australian-rules-game First Australian Rules Game] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927234137/http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/sport/display/32315-first-australian-rules-game |date=27 September 2013 }}, Monument Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2013.</ref>]]
Primitive forms of football were played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. Compared to [[cricket]] and [[horse racing]], football was considered a mere "amusement" by colonists at the time, and while little is known about these early one-off games, evidence does not support a causal link with Australian football.{{sfn|Hess|2008|pp=1–3}} In [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], in 1858, in a move that would help to shape Australian football in its formative years, private schools (then termed "[[wikt:public school#Noun|public schools]]" in accordance with nomenclature in England) began organising football games inspired by [[English public school football games|precedents at English public schools]].{{sfn|Pennings|2012|p=8}} The earliest match, held on 15 June, was between [[Melbourne Grammar School|Melbourne Grammar]] and St Kilda Grammar.{{sfn|Pennings|2012|pp=13–14}}

On 10 July 1858, the Melbourne-based ''[[Bell's Life in Victoria and Sporting Chronicle]]'' published a letter by [[Tom Wills]], captain of the [[Victoria cricket team]], calling for the formation of a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter.{{sfn|de Moore|2011|pp=86–87}} Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of [[rugby football]] whilst a pupil at [[Rugby School]] in England, and returned to his homeland a star athlete and cricketer. Two weeks later, Wills' friend, cricketer [[James Bryant (Australian cricketer)|Jerry Bryant]], posted an advertisement for a [[scratch match]] at the [[Richmond Paddock]] adjoining the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] (MCG).{{sfn|Pennings|2012|p=14}} This was the first of several "kickabouts" held that year involving members of the [[Melbourne Cricket Club]], including Wills, Bryant, [[William Hammersley|W. J. Hammersley]] and [[J. B. Thompson]]. Trees were used as goalposts and play typically lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed-upon code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in the British Isles, "others by no rules at all".{{sfn|Blainey|2010|pp=23–26}} Another milestone in 1858 was a 40-a-side match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and [[Scotch College, Melbourne|Scotch College]], held at the Richmond Paddock. Umpired by Wills and teacher [[John Macadam]], it began on 7 August and continued over two subsequent Saturdays, ending in a draw with each side kicking one goal.<ref name="piesse">{{Cite book| author=[[Ken Piesse]]| title=The Complete Guide to Australian Football | publisher=Pan Macmillan Australia | year=1995 | isbn=0-330-35712-3 |page=303}}</ref> It is commemorated with a statue outside the MCG, and the two schools have since competed annually in the [[Cordner–Eggleston Cup]], the world's [[oldest football competitions|oldest continuous football competition]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Paproth |first=Daniel |date=4 June 2012|title=The oldest of school rivals|work=The Weekly Review Stonnington|access-date=19 June 2013 |url=http://www.theweeklyreviewstonnington.com.au/story/286185/the-oldest-of-school-rivals/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203013042/http://www.theweeklyreviewstonnington.com.au/story/286185/the-oldest-of-school-rivals/ |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Since the 1920s, it has been suggested that Australian football may have been derived from the Irish sport of [[Gaelic football]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Tony |editor-first=Stephen |editor-last=Wagg |title=Myths and Milestones in the History of Sport |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2011 |page=14 |chapter=Chapter 1: National Myths, Imperial Pasts and the Origins of Australian Rules Football |isbn=978-0-230-24125-1}}</ref> However, there is no archival evidence in favour of a Gaelic influence, and the style of play shared between the two modern codes appeared in Australia long before the Irish game evolved in a similar direction.{{sfn|Blainey|2010|pp=187–196}}{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|p=8}} Another theory, first proposed in 1983, posits that Wills, having grown up amongst [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginals]] in Victoria, may have seen or played the Aboriginal ball game of [[Marn Grook]], and incorporated some of its features into early Australian football. There is only circumstantial evidence that he knew of the game, and according to biographer Greg de Moore's research, Wills was "almost solely influenced by his experience at Rugby School".{{sfn|de Moore|2011|pp=322–323}}

===First rules===
{{Further|Laws of Australian rules football#Melbourne Rules of 1859}}
A loosely organised Melbourne side, captained by Wills, played against other football enthusiasts in the winter and spring of 1858.{{sfn|Pennings|2012|p=15}} The following year, on 14 May, the [[Melbourne Football Club]] was officially established, making it one of the world's [[oldest football clubs]]. Three days later, Wills, Hammersley, Thompson and teacher [[Thomas H. Smith]] met near the MCG at the Parade Hotel, owned by Bryant, and drafted ten rules: [[Melbourne rules#Melbourne Rules of 1859|"The Rules of the Melbourne Football Club"]]. These are the laws from which Australian football evolved.{{sfn|Pennings|2012|p=11}} The club aimed to create a simple code suited to the hard playing surfaces around Melbourne, and to eliminate the roughest aspects of English school games—such as "hacking" (shin-kicking) in Rugby School football—to reduce the risk of injuries to working men.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|pp=14–15}} In another significant departure from English public school football, the Melbourne rules omitted any [[offside (sport)|offside law]].{{sfn|Coventry|2015|p=2}} "The new code was as much a reaction against the school games as influenced by them", writes Mark Pennings.{{sfn|Pennings|2012|p=9}} The rules were distributed throughout the colony; Thompson in particular did much to promote the new code in his capacity as a journalist.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|p=7}}

===Early competition in Victoria===
{{See also|List of Australian rules football clubs by date of establishment}}
[[File:Australianfootball1866.jpg|thumb|Engraving of a football match at the [[Yarra Park|Richmond Paddock]], 1866. The MCG and its first pavilion are visible in the background, as are kick-off posts, the forerunner of today's behind posts.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|p=17}}]]

Following Melbourne's lead, [[Geelong Football Club|Geelong]] and [[Melbourne University Football Club|Melbourne University]] also formed football clubs in 1859.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|pp=10–12}} While many early Victorian teams participated in one-off matches, most had not yet formed clubs for regular competition. A [[South Yarra Football Club (1858–1873)|South Yarra]] club devised its own rules.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|p=11}} To ensure the supremacy of the Melbourne rules, the first-club level competition in Australia, the Caledonian Society's [[Challenge Cup (Australia)|Challenge Cup]] (1861–64), stipulated that only the Melbourne rules were to be used.{{sfn|Pennings|2012|p=25}} This law was reinforced by the Athletic Sports Committee (ASC), which ran a variation of the Challenge Cup in 1865–66.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|p=20}} With input from other clubs, the rules underwent several minor revisions, establishing a uniform code known as "Victorian rules".{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|pp=18–20}} In 1866, the "first distinctively Victorian rule", the [[running bounce]], was formalised at a meeting of club delegates chaired by [[H. C. A. Harrison]],{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|pp=22–23}} an influential pioneer who took up football in 1859 at the invitation of Wills, his cousin.{{sfn|Coventry|2015|pp=16–17, 20}}

The game around this time was defensive and low-scoring, played low to the ground in congested rugby-style scrimmages. The typical match was a 20-per-side affair, played with a ball that was roughly spherical, and lasted until a team scored two goals.{{sfn|Coventry|2015|p=2}} The shape of the playing field was not standardised; matches often took place in rough, tree-spotted public parks, most notably the Richmond Paddock ([[Yarra Park]]), known colloquially as the Melbourne Football Ground.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2009|p=9}} Wills argued that the turf of cricket fields would benefit from being trampled upon by footballers in winter,{{sfn|de Moore|2011|pp=87, 288–289}} and, as early as 1859, football was allowed on the MCG.{{sfn|Hess|2008|p=44}} However, cricket authorities frequently prohibited football on their grounds until the 1870s, when they saw an opportunity to capitalise on the sport's growing popularity. Football gradually adapted to an oval-shaped field, and most grounds in Victoria expanded to accommodate the dual purpose—a situation that continues to this day.{{sfn|Hess|2008|p=44}}

===Spread to other colonies===
[[File:Intercolonial Football Match 1879.jpg|left|thumb|Engraving of the first intercolonial football match between Victoria and South Australia, [[East Melbourne Cricket Ground]], 1879]]
Football became organised in [[Australian rules football in South Australia|South Australia]] in 1860 with the formation of the [[Adelaide Football Club (SAFA)|Adelaide Football Club]], the oldest football club in Australia outside Victoria.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Pill|first1=Shane|last2=Frost|first2=Lionel|date=17 January 2016|title=R.E.N. Twopeny and the Establishment of Australian Football in Adelaide|journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport|volume=33|issue=8|pages=797–812|doi=10.1080/09523367.2016.1173033|s2cid=147807924}}</ref> It devised its own rules, and, along with other [[Adelaide]]-based clubs, played a variety of codes until 1876, when they uniformly adopted most of the Victorian rules, with South Australian football pioneer [[Charles Kingston]] noting their similarity to "the old Adelaide rules".{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2010|pp=22–24}} Similarly, [[Australian rules football in Tasmania|Tasmania]]n clubs quarrelled over different rules until they adopted a slightly modified version of the Victorian game in 1879.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2010|p=24}} The [[SANFL|South Australian Football Association]] (SAFA), the sport's first [[sports governing body|governing body]], formed on 30 April 1877, firmly establishing Victorian rules as the preferred code in that colony.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2010|pp=22–23}} The [[Victorian Football Association]] (VFA) formed the following month.

[[File:Carlton Footballer George Coulthard.jpg|thumb|upright|[[George Coulthard]], one of the first players to attain Australia-wide celebrity]]
Clubs began touring the colonies in the late 1870s, and in 1879 the first [[interstate matches in Australian rules football|intercolonial match]] took place in Melbourne between [[Victoria Australian rules football team|Victoria]] and [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]].{{sfn|Blainey|2010|pp=107–108}} In order to standardise the sport across Australia, delegates representing the football associations of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and [[Australian rules football in Queensland|Queensland]] met in 1883 and updated the code.{{sfn|Hibbins|Ruddell|2010|p=24}} New rules such as [[holding the ball]] led to a "golden era" of fast, long-kicking and [[spectacular mark|high-marking]] football in the 1880s, a time which also saw players such as [[George Coulthard]] achieve superstardom, as well as the rise of [[professional sports|professionalism]], particularly in Victoria and [[Australian rules football in Western Australia|Western Australia]], where the code took hold during [[Western Australian gold rush|a series of gold rushes]].{{sfn|Pennings|2013}} Likewise, when [[Australian rules football in New Zealand|New Zealand]] experienced [[Otago Gold Rush|a gold rush]], the sport arrived with a rapid influx of Australian miners. Now known as Australian rules or Australasian rules, the sport became the first football code to develop mass spectator appeal,{{sfn|Blainey|2010|pp=107–108}} attracting world record attendances for sports viewing and gaining a reputation as "the people's game".{{sfn|Pennings|2013}}

Australian rules football reached Queensland and [[Australian rules football in New South Wales|New South Wales]] as early as 1866;{{sfn|de Moore|Hess|Nicholson|Stewart|2021|pp=186–188}} the sport experienced a period of dominance in the former,<ref>Pramberg, Bernie (15 June 2015). [http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/opinion/love-of-the-game-aussie-rules-a-dominant-sport-in-early-queensland/news-story/bb66b40691563e07eef396719eaca23a "Love of the Game: Aussie rules a dominant sport in early Queensland"], ''[[The Courier-Mail]]''. Retrieved 24 April 2016.</ref> and in the latter, several regions remain strongholds of Australian rules, such as the [[Riverina]]. However, by the late 1880s, [[rugby football]] had become the dominant code in both colonies, as well as in New Zealand. This shift was largely due to rugby's spread with British migration, [[Australian regional rivalries|regional rivalries]] and the lack of strong local governing bodies. In the case of [[Sydney]], denial of access to grounds, the influence of university headmasters from Britain who favoured rugby, and the loss of players to other codes inhibited the game's growth.<ref>Healy, Matthew (2002). ''[https://nswfootballhistory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HardSell.pdf Hard Sell: Australian Football in Sydney]'' (PDF). {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318215415/https://nswfootballhistory.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HardSell.pdf |date=18 March 2018 }}. Melbourne, Vic.: Victoria University. pp. 20–28.</ref>

===Emergence of the VFL===
In 1896, delegates from six of the wealthiest VFA clubs—[[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]], [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]], [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy]], Geelong, Melbourne and [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]]—met to discuss the formation of a breakaway professional competition.{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=351}} Later joined by [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] and [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]], the clubs formed the [[Victorian Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League]] (VFL), which held [[1897 VFL season|its inaugural season in 1897]]. The VFL's popularity grew rapidly as it made several innovations, such as instituting a finals system, reducing teams from 20 to 18 players, and introducing the [[Laws of Australian rules football#Scoring|behind]] as a score.{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=351–352}} [[Richmond Football Club|Richmond]] and University joined the VFL in 1908, and by 1925, with the addition of [[Hawthorn Football Club|Hawthorn]], [[Footscray Football Club|Footscray]] and [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]], it had become the preeminent league in the country and would take a leading role in many aspects of the sport.

===Interstate football and the World Wars===
{{Further|Interstate matches in Australian rules football|Australian rules football during the World Wars}}
[[File:Australasian Football Jubilee Carnival (1858-1908)-Official Programme.jpeg|thumb|upright|The first national interstate competition was held in 1908 and included New Zealand.]]
The time around the [[Federation of Australia|federation of the Australian colonies]] in 1901 saw Australian rules undergo a revival in New South Wales, New Zealand and Queensland. In 1903, both the [[Queensland Australian Football League]] and the [[NSW Australian Football Association]] were established, and in New Zealand, as it moved towards becoming a [[Dominion of New Zealand|dominion]], leagues were also established in the major cities. This renewed popularity helped encourage the formation of the [[Australian National Football Council#Formation of the Australasian Football Council|Australasian Football Council]], which in 1908 in Melbourne staged the first national interstate competition, the [[1908 Melbourne Carnival|Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival]], with teams representing each state and New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.australianfootball.com/articles/view/A%2Bfalse%2Bdawn%2B-%2B1908%2BMelbourne%2BCarnival%253A%2BNew%2BZealand%2Bv%2BNew%2BSouth%2BWales/57 |title=A False Dawn |publisher=AustralianFootball.com |date=20 August 1908 |access-date=19 February 2010 |archive-date=14 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714133922/http://australianfootball.com/articles/view/A+false+dawn+-+1908+Melbourne+Carnival%253A+New+Zealand+v+New+South+Wales/57 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The game was also established early on in the new territories. In the new national capital [[Canberra]] both soccer and rugby had a head start, but following the first matches in 1911, [[Australian rules football in the Australian Capital Territory]] became a major participation sport. By 1981 it had become much neglected and quickly lagged behind the other football codes. [[Australian rules football in the Northern Territory]] began shortly after the outbreak of the war in 1916 with the first match in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]. The game went on to become the most popular sport in the Territory and build the highest participation rate for the sport nationally.

[[File:An appeal from the Dardanelles.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Australia's first [[recruitment poster]], published in 1915, questions the public's commitment to Australian football rather than [[World War I|the war]].]]
Both [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] had a devastating effect on Australian football and on Australian sport in general. While scratch matches were played by Australian "[[digger (soldier)|diggers]]" in remote locations around the world, the game lost many of its great players to wartime service. Some clubs and competitions never fully recovered. Between 1914 and 1915, [[Universal football|a proposed hybrid code]] of Australian football and [[rugby league]], the predominant code of football in New South Wales and Queensland, was trialled without success.<ref>{{Cite news
 | title = Football in Australia
 | work = Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 122
 | place = New Zealand
 | page = 8
 | date = 19 November 1914
 | url = http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19141119.2.81.6
 | access-date = 3 December 2009
 | archive-date = 1 April 2012
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120401215052/http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19141119.2.81.6
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
 | title = Football amalgamation
 | work = Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27
 | place = New Zealand
 | page = 8
 | date = 2 February 1915
 | url = http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19150202.2.110
 | access-date = 3 December 2009
 | archive-date = 1 April 2012
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120401215132/http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19150202.2.110
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> In Queensland, the state league went into recess for the duration of the war. VFL club University left the league and went into recess due to severe casualties. The WAFL lost two clubs and the SANFL was suspended for one year in 1916 due to heavy club losses. The [[Anzac Day match]], the annual game between Essendon and Collingwood on Anzac Day, is one example of how the war continues to be remembered in the football community.

The role of the [[Australian National Football Council]] (ANFC) was primarily to govern the game at a national level and to facilitate interstate representative and club competition. In 1968, the ANFC revived the [[Championship of Australia]], a competition first held in 1888 between the premiers of the VFA and SAFA. Although clubs from other states were at times invited, the final was almost always between the premiers from the two strongest state competitions of the time—South Australia and Victoria—with Adelaide hosting most of the matches at the request of the SAFA/SANFL. The last match took place in 1976, with [[North Adelaide Football Club|North Adelaide]] being the last non-Victorian winner in 1972. Between 1976 and 1987, the ANFC, and later the Australian Football Championships (AFC) ran a [[Australian Football Championships Night Series|night series]], which invited clubs and representative sides from around the country to participate in a knock-out tournament parallel to the premiership seasons, which Victorian sides still dominated.

With the lack of international competition, state representative matches were regarded with great importance. Due in part to the VFL poaching talent from other states, Victoria dominated interstate matches for three-quarters of a century. [[Interstate matches in Australian rules football#State of origin|State of Origin]] rules, introduced in 1977, stipulated that rather than representing the state of their adopted club, players would return to play for the state they were first recruited in. This instantly broke Victoria's stranglehold over state titles and Western Australia and South Australia began to win more of their games against Victoria. Both New South Wales and Tasmania scored surprise victories at home against Victoria in 1990.

===Towards a national league===
[[File:Ron Barassi sculpture crop.jpg|thumb|upright|Hall of Fame Legend [[Ron Barassi]] was a leading advocate of a national club-based competition.<ref>[https://www.afl.com.au/news/1033530/ron-barassi-afl-statement "Vale Ron Barassi"], AFL. Retrieved 20 September 2023.</ref>]]
The term "[[Barassi Line]]", named after VFL star [[Ron Barassi]], was coined by scholar [[Ian Turner (Australian political activist)|Ian Turner]] in 1978 to describe the "fictitious geographical barrier" separating the rugby-following parts of New South Wales and Queensland from the rest of the country, where Australian football reigned.<ref>Marshall, Konrad (26 February 2016). [http://www.smh.com.au/sport/where-do-rugby-codes-end-and-rules-begin-at-the-barassi-line-of-course-20160225-gn3lbe.html "Where do rugby codes' strongholds turn to rules? At the 'Barassi Line', of course..."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214151133/http://www.smh.com.au/sport/where-do-rugby-codes-end-and-rules-begin-at-the-barassi-line-of-course-20160225-gn3lbe.html/ |date=14 February 2017 }}, ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]''. Retrieved 21 April 2016.</ref> It became a reference point for the expansion of Australian football and for establishing a national league.<ref>Referenced in {{Cite book| last = Hutchinson | first = Garrie | year = 1983 | title = The Great Australian Book of Football Stories | publisher = Currey O'Neil | location = Melbourne }}</ref>

The way the game was played had changed dramatically due to innovative coaching tactics, with the phasing out of many of the game's kicking styles and the increasing use of handball; while presentation was influenced by television.<ref>WICKS, B. M. Whatever Happened to Australian Rules? Hobart, Tasmania, Libra Books. 1980, First Edition. ({{ISBN|0-909619-06-9}})</ref>

[[File:The teams line up for the national anthem, 2005 AFL Grand Final.jpg|thumb|left|The [[West Coast Eagles]] and [[Sydney Swans]] line up for the [[Advance Australia Fair|national anthem]] at the [[2005 AFL Grand Final]]. Traditionally held at the MCG, the grand final is the [[List of sports attendance figures#Top leagues in recent domestic club championship event attendance|most-attended club championship event in the world]].]]
In 1982, in a move that heralded big changes within the sport, one of the original VFL clubs, South Melbourne, relocated to Sydney and became known as the [[Sydney Swans]]. In the late 1980s, due to the poor financial standing of many of the Victorian clubs, and a similar situation existing in Western Australia in the sport, the VFL pursued a more national competition. Two more non-Victorian clubs, [[West Coast Eagles|West Coast]] and [[Brisbane Bears Football Club|Brisbane]], joined the league in 1987 generating more than $8 million in license revenue for the Victorian clubs and increasing broadcast revenues which helped the Victorian clubs survive.{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=342}} In their early years, the Sydney and Brisbane clubs struggled both on and off-field because the substantial TV revenues they generated by playing on a Sunday went to the VFL.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} To protect these revenues the VFL granted significant draft concessions and financial aid to keep the expansion clubs competitive.

The VFL changed its name to the [[Australian Football League]] (AFL) for the [[1990 AFL season|1990 season]], and over the next decade, three non-Victorian clubs gained entry: [[Adelaide Football Club|Adelaide]] (1991), [[Fremantle Football Club|Fremantle]] (1995) and the SANFL's [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide]] (1997), the only pre-existing club outside Victoria to join the league.{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=342}} In 2011 and 2012, respectively, two new non-Victorian clubs were added to the competition: [[Gold Coast Football Club|Gold Coast]] and [[Greater Western Sydney Giants|Greater Western Sydney]].{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=341}} The AFL, currently with 18 member clubs, is the sport's elite competition and most powerful body. Following the emergence of the AFL, state leagues were quickly relegated to a second-tier status. The VFA merged with the former VFL reserves competition in 1998, adopting the VFL name. State of Origin also declined in importance, especially after an increasing number of player withdrawals. The AFL turned its focus to the annual [[International Rules Series]] against Ireland in 1998 before abolishing State of Origin the following year. State and territorial leagues still contest interstate matches, as do AFL Women players.<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-07-25/big-names-locked-in-for-aflw-state-of-origin Big names locked in for AFLW state of origin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728064517/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-07-25/big-names-locked-in-for-aflw-state-of-origin |date=28 July 2017 }}. AFL News, 25 July 2017</ref>

Although a [[Tasmanian AFL bid]] is ongoing,<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-21/tasmanians-need-to-unite-together-for-afl-club/6712528 "'We need to work together': Tasmanians need united front for AFL team, researcher says"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103235921/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-21/tasmanians-need-to-unite-together-for-afl-club/6712528 |date=3 November 2016 }} (21 August 2015), ABC News. Retrieved 2 November 2016.</ref> the AFL's focus has been on expanding into markets outside Australian football's traditional heartlands in order to maximise its broadcast revenue.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2445644.htm "Tasmania's AFL bid"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103221520/http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2445644.htm |date=3 November 2016 }} (13 December 2008), ''AM'', ABC Radio. Retrieved 2 November 2016.</ref> The AFL regularly schedules pre-season exhibition matches in all Australian states and territories as part of the [[Regional Challenge]]. The AFL signalled further attempts at expansion in the 2010s by hosting home-and-away matches in New Zealand,<ref>Cherny, Daniel; Wilson, Caroline (31 May 2016). [http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-2016-st-kilda-want-two-2018-games-in-auckland-20160531-gp8kcu.html "AFL 2016: St Kilda want two 2018 games in Auckland"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223074840/http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-2016-st-kilda-want-two-2018-games-in-auckland-20160531-gp8kcu.html |date=23 December 2016 }}, ''The Age''. Retrieved 1 November 2016.</ref> followed by China.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-26/afl-headed-to-china-for-port-adelaide-v-gold-coast-clash/7967558 "Port Adelaide, Gold Coast Suns take AFL to China in 2017 regular season"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101164459/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-26/afl-headed-to-china-for-port-adelaide-v-gold-coast-clash/7967558 |date=1 November 2016 }} (26 October 2016), ''ABC News''. Retrieved 1 November 2016.</ref>

==Laws of the game==
{{Main|Laws of Australian rules football}}
{{For|terminology|Glossary of Australian rules football}}
{{See also|Australian football tactics and skills}}

===Field===
{{Main|Australian rules football playing field}}
[[File:AFL stadium.svg|thumb|Typical [[Australian rules football playing field]]]]
Australian rules football playing fields have no fixed dimensions but at senior level are typically between {{convert|135|and|185|m|yd}} long and {{convert|110|and|155|m|yd}} wide wing-to-wing. The field, like the ball, is oval-shaped, and in Australia, [[cricket ground]]s are often used. No more than 18 players of each team (or, in [[AFL Women's]], 16 players) are permitted to be on the field at any time.

Up to four [[Interchange (Australian rules football)|interchange]] (reserve) players may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game. In [[Glossary of Australian rules football|Australian rules terminology]], these players wait for substitution "on the bench"—an area with a row of seats on the sideline. Players must interchange through a designated interchange "gate" with strict penalties for having too many players from one team on the field. In addition, some leagues have each team designate one player as a substitute who can be used to make a single permanent exchange of players during a game.

There is no [[offside (sport)|offside rule]] nor are there set positions in the rules; unlike many other forms of football, players from both teams may disperse across the whole field before the start of play. However, a typical on-field structure consists of six [[Australian rules football positions#Full forward|forwards]], six [[Fullback (Australian rules football)|defenders]] or "backmen" and six [[Midfielder (Australian Rules)|midfielders]], usually two [[Centre line (football)|wingmen]], one [[Centre line (football)|centre]] and three [[Follower (Australian rules football)|followers]], including a [[Ruckman (Australian rules football position)|ruckman]], [[Follower (Australian rules football)|ruck-rover]] and [[Follower (Australian rules football)|rover]]. Only four players from each team are allowed within the centre square ({{convert|50|m|yd|disp=or}}) at every centre bounce, which occurs at the commencement of each quarter, and to restart the game after a goal is scored. There are also other rules pertaining to allowed player positions during set plays (that is, after a mark or free kick) and during kick-ins following the scoring of a behind.

===Match duration===
A game consists of four quarters and a timekeeper officiates their duration. At the professional level, each quarter consists of 20 minutes of play, with the clock being stopped for instances such as scores, the ball going out of bounds or at the [[Umpire (Australian rules football)|umpire]]'s discretion, e.g. for serious injury. Lower grades of competition might employ shorter quarters of play. The umpire signals ''time-off'' to stop the clock for various reasons, such as the player in possession being tackled into stagnant play. Time resumes when the umpire signals ''time-on'' or when the ball is brought into play. Stoppages cause quarters to extend approximately 5–10 minutes beyond the 20 minutes of play. 6 minutes of rest is allowed before the second and fourth quarters, and 20 minutes of rest is allowed at ''half-time''.

The official game clock is available only to the timekeeper(s), and is not displayed to the players, umpires or spectators. The only public knowledge of game time is when the timekeeper sounds a siren at the start and end of each quarter. The coaching staff may monitor the game time themselves and convey information to players via on-field trainers or substitute players. Broadcasters usually display an approximation of the official game time for television audiences, although some will now show the exact time remaining in a quarter.

===General play===
{{multiple image|perrow = 1/2/1|total_width=230
| image1 = Franklin kicking.3.jpg |width1=280|height1=
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| image4 = Christian Petracca tackling Zaine Cordy.jpg|width4=123|height4=
| footer = Some of the important skills of Australian football. Clockwise from top: drop punting, [[Mark (Australian rules football)|marking]], tackling, handballing.
}}
Games are officiated by [[umpire (Australian rules football)|umpires]]. Before the game, the winner of a [[coin toss]] determines which directions the teams will play to begin. Australian football begins after the first [[siren (alarm)|siren]], when the umpire [[Ball-up|bounces the ball on the ground]] (or throws it into the air if the condition of the ground is poor), and the two [[Ruckman (Australian rules football position)|ruckmen]] (typically the tallest players from each team) battle for the ball in the air on its way back down. This is known as the ''ball-up''. Certain disputes during play may also be settled with a ''ball-up'' from the point of contention. If the ball is kicked or hit from a ball-up or boundary throw-in over the boundary line or into a behind post without the ball bouncing, a free kick is paid for [[Out of bounds#Australian rules|out of bounds on the full]]. A free kick is also paid if the ball is deemed by the umpire to have been [[Deliberate out of bounds|deliberately carried or directed out of bounds]]. If the ball travels out of bounds in any other circumstances (for example, contested play results in the ball being knocked out of bounds) a boundary umpire will stand with his back to the infield and return the ball into play with a ''throw-in'', a high backwards toss back into the field of play.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.aflcommunityclub.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Coach_AFL/2017_Laws_of_Australian_Football.pdf |title=Laws of Australian Football 2017 |publisher=Australian Football League |year=2017 |page=51 |chapter=15.7 Free Kicks – Relating to Out of Bounds |access-date=22 June 2017 |archive-date=5 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305204905/http://www.aflcommunityclub.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Coach_AFL/2017_Laws_of_Australian_Football.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a foot, clenched fist (called a [[handball (Australian rules football)|handball]] or ''handpass'') or open-hand tap but it cannot be thrown under any circumstances. Once a player takes possession of the ball he must dispose of it by either kicking or handballing it. Any other method of disposal is illegal and will result in a [[Free kick (Australian rules football)|free kick]] to the opposing team. This is usually called "incorrect disposal", "dropping the ball" or "throwing". If the ball is not in the possession of one player it can be moved on with any part of the body.

A player may run with the ball, but it must be [[Running bounce|bounced or touched on the ground]] at least once every {{convert|15|m|yd}}. Opposition players may [[Shepherding (Australian rules football)|bump]] or [[tackle (football move)|tackle]] the player to obtain the ball and, when tackled, the player must dispose of the ball cleanly or risk being penalised for [[holding the ball]] unless the umpire rules no prior opportunity for disposal. The ball carrier may only be tackled between the shoulders and knees. If the opposition player forcefully contacts a player in the back while performing a tackle, the opposition player will be penalised for a [[push in the back]]. If the opposition tackles the player with possession below the knees (a ''low tackle'' or a ''trip'') or above the shoulders (a ''high tackle''), the team with possession of the football gets a free kick.

If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than {{convert|15|m|yd}} from another player's kick, by way of a catch, it is claimed as a ''[[mark (Australian football)|mark]]'' (meaning that the game stops while he prepares to kick from the point at which he marked). Alternatively, he may choose to "play on" forfeiting the set shot in the hope of pressing an advantage for his team (rather than allowing the opposition to reposition while he prepares for the free kick). Once a player has chosen to play on, normal play resumes and the player who took the mark is again able to be tackled.

There are different [[kick (football)|styles of kicking]] depending on how the ball is held in the hand. The most common style of kicking seen in today's game, principally because of its superior accuracy, is the [[drop punt]], where the ball is dropped from the hands down, almost to the ground, to be kicked so that the ball rotates in a reverse end over end motion as it travels through the air. Other commonly used kicks are the [[torpedo punt]] (also known as the spiral, barrel, or screw punt), where the ball is held flatter at an angle across the body, which makes the ball spin around its long axis in the air, resulting in extra distance (similar to the traditional motion of an [[Punt (gridiron football)|American football punt]]), and the [[checkside punt]] or "banana", kicked across the ball with the outside of the foot used to curve the ball (towards the right if kicked off the right foot) towards targets that are on an angle. There is also the "snap", which is almost the same as a checkside punt except that it is kicked off the inside of the foot and curves in the opposite direction. It is also possible to kick the ball so that it bounces along the ground. This is known as a "grubber". Grubbers can bounce in a straight line, or curve to the left or right.

Apart from free kicks, marks or when the ball is in the possession of an umpire for a ''ball up'' or ''throw in'', the ball is always in dispute and any player from either side can take possession of the ball.

===Scoring===
[[File:Sherrin footy.jpg|thumb|A [[Sherrin]] Kangaroo Brand [[Football (ball)#Australian rules football|football]]. Sherrin is the official game ball of the [[Australian Football League]].]]
[[File:AFL-Goalposts.jpg|thumb|The two tall central posts are the goal posts, and the two shorter outer posts are the behind posts.]]
A ''goal'', worth 6 points, is scored when the football is propelled through the goal posts at any height (including above the height of the posts) by way of a kick from the attacking team. It may fly through "on the full" (without touching the ground) or bounce through, but must not have been touched, on the way, by any player from either team or a goalpost. A goal cannot be scored from the foot of an opposition (defending) player.

A ''behind'', worth 1 point, is scored when the ball passes between a goal post and a behind post at any height, or if the ball hits a goal post, or if any player sends the ball between the goal posts by touching it with any part of the body other than a foot or lower leg. A behind is also awarded to the attacking team if the ball touches any part of an opposition player, including a foot, before passing between the goal posts. When an opposition player deliberately scores a behind for the attacking team (generally as a last resort to ensure that a goal is not scored) this is termed a [[rushed behind]]. As of the [[2009 AFL season]], a free kick is awarded against any player who deliberately rushes a behind.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/breaking-news/afl-rules-on-deliberate-rushed-behinds/story-e6frf33c-1111118325150|title=AFL rules on deliberate rushed behinds|access-date=27 February 2011|archive-date=5 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005223345/http://www.foxsports.com.au/breaking-news/afl-rules-on-deliberate-rushed-behinds/story-e6frf33c-1111118325150|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/all-clear-for-rushed-behind-rule/story-e6frf9jf-1225700531493|title=All clear for rushed behind rule<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Herald Sun}}</ref>

The [[Umpire (Australian rules football)|goal umpire]] signals a goal with two hands pointed forward at elbow height, or a behind with one hand. Both goal umpires then wave flags above their heads to communicate this information to the scorers. The team that has scored the most points at the end of play wins the game. If the scores are level on points at the end of play, then the game is a draw; extra time applies only during finals matches in some competitions.

As an example of a score report, consider a match between {{AFL Syd}} and {{AFL Gee}} with the former as the home team. Sydney's score of 17 goals and 5 behinds equates to 107 points. Geelong's score of 10 goals and 17 behinds equates to a 77-point tally. Sydney  wins the match by a margin of 30 points. Such a result would be written as:

:"'''{{AFL Syd}} 17.5 (107)''' defeated {{AFL Gee}} 10.17 (77).

And spoken as:

:"Sydney, seventeen-five, one hundred and seven, defeated Geelong  ten-seventeen, seventy-seven".

Additionally, it can be said that:

:"Sydney defeated Geelong by 30 points".

The home team is typically listed first and the visiting side is listed second. The scoreline is written with respect to the home side.

For example, {{AFL Por}} won in successive weeks, once as the home side and once as the visiting side. These would be written out thus:

:"'''{{AFL Por}} 23.20 (158)''' defeated {{AFL Ess}} 8.14 (62)."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=1845|title=AFL Match Statistics : Port Adelaide defeats Essendon at AAMI Stadium Round 1 Sunday, 28th March 2004|website=www.footywire.com|access-date=26 January 2013|archive-date=18 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018030040/http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=1845|url-status=live}}</ref>
:
:"{{AFL WCE}} 17.13 (115) defeated by '''{{AFL Por}} 18.10 (118)'''."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=1851|title=AFL Match Statistics : West Coast defeated by Port Adelaide at Domain Stadium Round 2 Saturday, 3rd April 2004|website=www.footywire.com|access-date=26 January 2013|archive-date=18 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018012956/http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=1851|url-status=live}}</ref>

A draw would be written as:

:"{{AFL GWS}} 10.8 (68) drew with {{AFL Gee}} 10.8 (68)".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/092120170701.html|title=Greater Western Sydney v Geelong|publisher=AFL Tables|date=1 July 2017|access-date=13 September 2017|archive-date=13 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913135328/https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/092120170701.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Structure and competitions==
The football season proper is from March to August (early autumn to late winter in Australia) with finals being held in September and October.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mm.afl.com.au/afl_archive/cp2/c2/webi/article/304261bn.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320220310/http://mm.afl.com.au/afl_archive/cp2/c2/webi/article/304261bn.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 March 2007|title=Schedule – By Round|date=20 March 2007}}</ref> In the [[tropics]], the game is sometimes played in the [[wet season]] (October to March).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20061130160918957|title=Bombers soaring on the Tiwi Islands|website=World Footy News|last1=Finlayson|first1=Sean|date=30 November 2006|access-date=11 November 2015|archive-date=13 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713204633/http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20061130160918957|url-status=live}}</ref>

The AFL is recognised by the [[Australian Sports Commission]] as being the National Sporting Organisation for Australian Football.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ais.org.au/austrules/index.asp|title=Australian Institute of Sport – Australian football|publisher=Australian Institute of Sport|access-date=19 February 2010|archive-date=24 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724192200/http://www.ais.org.au/austrules/index.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> There are also seven state/territory-based organisations in Australia, all of which are affiliated with the AFL.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inquiry into Country Football |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/rrc/footy/cf_report.pdf#page=71 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308040316/https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/rrc/footy/cf_report.pdf#page=71 |url-status=live }}</ref> These state leagues hold annual semi-professional club competitions, with some also overseeing more than one league. Local semi-professional or amateur organisations and competitions are often affiliated to their state organisations.<ref>{{cite web |title=LEAGUES & ASSOCIATIONS |url=https://aflvic.com.au/leagues-associations/ |website=AFL Victoria |access-date=11 April 2021 |language=en-AU |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411084815/https://aflvic.com.au/leagues-associations/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The AFL is the ''[[de facto]]'' world governing body for Australian football. There are also a number of affiliated organisations governing [[List of Australian rules football leagues outside Australia|amateur clubs and competitions around the world]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.afl.com.au/Development/International/tabid/10238/Default.aspx |title=International – Official Website of the Australian Football League |website=Australian Football League |access-date=19 February 2010 |archive-date=29 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529031821/http://www.afl.com.au/development/international/tabid/10238/default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

For almost all Australian football club competitions, the aim is to win the Premiership. The premiership is typically decided by a finals series. The teams that occupy the highest positions on the ladder after the home-and-away season play off in a "semi-knockout" finals series, culminating in a single [[Grand Final]] match to determine the premiers. Between four and eight teams contest a finals series, typically using the [[AFL final eight system]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Football League Regulations |url=https://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/AFL%20Regulations%20effective%209%20May%202019.pdf#page=19 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111183616/https://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/AFL%20Regulations%20effective%209%20May%202019.pdf#page=19 |url-status=live }}</ref> or a variation of the [[McIntyre system]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Adelaide Footy League – Rules & Regulations |url=https://websites.sportstg.com/get_file.cgi?id=36414188#page=29 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924105023/https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=36414188#page=29 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Explaining the Final Six |url=https://www.vafa.com.au/explaining-the-final-six/ |website=VAFA |access-date=6 April 2021 |language=en-AU |date=22 July 2013 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814104033/https://www.vafa.com.au/explaining-the-final-six/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The team which finishes first on the ladder after the home-and-away season is referred to as a "[[minor premier]]", but this usually holds little stand-alone significance, other than receiving a better draw in the finals.

Many metropolitan leagues have several tiered divisions, with [[promotion and relegation|promotion]] of the lower division premiers and [[promotion and relegation|relegation]] of the upper division's last placed team at the end of each year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rules of the Victorian Amateur Football Association |url=https://www.vafa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/VAFA-Rules-23.3.2015.pdf#page=2 |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713093857/https://www.vafa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/VAFA-Rules-23.3.2015.pdf#page=2 |url-status=live }}</ref> At present, none of the top level national or state level leagues in Australia utilise this structure.

==Women and Australian football==
{{Further|Women's Australian rules football}}
[[File:Women's AFL match.jpg|thumb|Action from a women's match on the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] between [[Bond University]] and [[Burleigh Heads, Queensland|Burleigh Heads]]]]
The high level of interest shown by women in Australian football is considered unique among the world's football codes.{{sfn|Mewett|Toffoletti|2008|p=2}} It was the case in the 19th century, as it is in modern times, that women made up approximately half of total attendances at Australian football matches—a far greater proportion than, for example, the estimated 10 per cent of women that comprise British [[association football|soccer]] crowds.{{sfn|Hess|2008|p=66}} This has been attributed in part to the [[egalitarian]] character of Australian football's early years in public parks where women could mingle freely and support the game in various ways.<ref>Browne, Ashley (2008). "For Women, Too". In Weston, James. ''The Australian Game of Football: Since 1858''. Geoff Slattery Publishing. pp. 253–259. {{ISBN|978-0-9803466-6-4}}.</ref>

In terms of participation, there are occasional 19th-century references to women playing the sport, but it was not until the 1910s that the first organised women's teams and competitions appeared.{{sfn|Hess|Lenkic|2016|pp=1–6}} Women's state leagues emerged in the 1980s,{{sfn|Pippos|2017|p=191}} and in 2013, the AFL announced plans to establish a nationally televised women's competition.<ref>[[Samantha Lane|Lane, Samantha]] (27 March 2013). [http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-sees-the-light-on-womens-footy-20130326-2gsd1.html "AFL sees the light on women's footy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823035633/http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-sees-the-light-on-womens-footy-20130326-2gsd1.html |date=23 August 2014 }}, ''The Age''. Retrieved 29 November 2014.</ref> Amidst a surge in viewing interest and participation in women's football, the AFL pushed the founding date of the competition, named [[AFL Women's]], to 2017.<ref>Halloran, Jessica (29 January 2017). [https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/how-afl-womens-league-will-level-the-playing-field/news-story/0a9ab8e7ff5b154bc6eb41f4902ee38e "Will the AFL Women's League level the playing field?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924105025/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/how-afl-womens-league-will-level-the-playing-field/news-story/0a9ab8e7ff5b154bc6eb41f4902ee38e?nk=3f9756af9fc22b2b78674ebd468edf65-1632480625 |date=24 September 2021 }}, ''The Daily Telegraph''. Retrieved 28 April 2018.</ref> Eight AFL clubs won licences to field sides in [[2017 AFL Women's season|its inaugural season]].<ref>Mark, David (17 June 2016). [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-15/afl-provides-pathway-for-young-women-to-pursue-sporting-careers/7513338 "AFL women's competition provides a pathway for young women into professional sport"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401102138/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-15/afl-provides-pathway-for-young-women-to-pursue-sporting-careers/7513338 |date=1 April 2018 }}, ABC. Retrieved 28 April 2018.</ref> By [[AFL Women's season seven|the seventh season]], which began in August 2022, all 18 clubs fielded a women's side.

==Variations and related sports==
{{Further|Variations of Australian rules football}}
Many related games have emerged from Australian football, mainly with variations of contact to encourage greater participation. These include [[Auskick]] (played by children aged between 5 and 12), [[kick-to-kick]] (and its variants [[Kick-to-kick#End-to-end footy|end-to-end footy]] and [[Kick-to-kick#Marks up.2C King of the pack and Points Up.2C Jack in the Pack.2C No Torps|marks up]]), [[rec footy]], [[9-a-side footy]], [[masters Australian football]], handball and longest-kick competitions. Players outside Australia sometimes engage in related games adapted to available fields, like [[metro footy]] (played on gridiron fields) and [[Samoa rules]] (played on rugby fields). One such prominent example in use since 2018 is [[AFLX]], a shortened variation of the game with seven players a side, played on a [[soccer]]-sized pitch.<ref name="AFLX1">{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-11-17/aflx-revealed-who-your-club-plays-and-when|title=AFLX revealed: Who your club plays|date=17 November 2017|work=AFL.com.au|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117104844/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-11-17/aflx-revealed-who-your-club-plays-and-when|url-status=live}}</ref>

===International rules football===
{{Main|International rules football}}
{{See also|Comparison of Gaelic football and Australian rules football}} 
The similarities between Australian football and the Irish sport of [[Gaelic football]] have allowed for the creation of a [[hybrid sport|hybrid code]] known as [[international rules football]]. The first international rules matches were contested in Ireland during the 1967 [[Australian Football World Tour]]. Since then, various sets of compromise rules have been trialed, and in 1984 the [[International Rules Series]] commenced with national representative sides selected by Australia's state leagues (later by the AFL) and the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] (GAA). The competition became an annual event in 1998, but was postponed indefinitely in 2007 when the GAA pulled out due to Australia's severe and aggressive style of play.<ref>Haxton, Nance (3 January 2007). [http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1821003.htm "Sounds of Summer: International Rules Series"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731183225/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1821003.htm |date=31 July 2016 }}. ''PM'', [[ABC Radio National]]. Retrieved 1 May 2016.</ref> It resumed in Australia in 2008 under new rules to protect the player with the ball.

==Global reach==
{{Main|Geography of Australian rules football}}
[[File:Linkbelt1999-Finalspiel.jpg|thumb|Australian football match at [[Linkbelt Oval]] in [[Australian rules football in Nauru|Nauru]], where Australian football is the [[national sport]]]]
[[File:Australian Rules Football International Cup World Map.png|thumb|Countries in red have participated in the [[Australian Football International Cup|International Cup]], held triennially in Australia.]]
Australian rules football was played outside Australasia as early as 1888 when Australians studying at [[Edinburgh University]] and [[London University]] formed teams and competed in London.{{sfn|Williamson|2003|pp=138–140}} By the early 20th century, the game had spread with the [[Australian diaspora]] to [[Australian rules football in South Africa|South Africa]], the [[Australian rules football in the United States|United States]] and other parts of the Anglosphere; however this growth went into rapid decline following World War I. After World War II, the sport experienced growth in the Pacific region, particularly in [[Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]] and [[Australian rules football in Nauru|Nauru]], where Australian football is now the [[national sport]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=64399 |title=Team Profile: Nauru Chiefs |first=Chelsea |last=Roffey |author-link=Chelsea Roffey |publisher=Afl.com.au |date=30 July 2008 |access-date=19 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125142626/http://afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=64399 |archive-date=25 January 2009}}</ref>

Today, the sport is played at an amateur level in [[Countries playing Australian rules football|various countries]] throughout the world. 23 countries have participated in the [[Australian Football International Cup|International Cup]] and 9 countries have participated in the [[AFL Europe Championship]] with both competitions prohibiting Australian players. Over 20 countries have either affiliation or working agreements with the AFL.<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/GameDevelopment/International/tabid/285/Default.aspx AFL International Development] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121141159/http://www.afl.com.au/GameDevelopment/International/tabid/285/Default.aspx |date=21 November 2008 }}</ref> There have been many [[List of overseas-born AFL players|VFL/AFL players who were born outside Australia]], an increasing number of which have been recruited through initiatives and, more recently, international scholarship programs. Many of these players have been Irish, as interest in recruiting talented [[Gaelic football]]ers dates back to the start of the [[Irish experiment]] in the 1960s. Irish players have since become not just starters for their clubs but also leading their competitions ([[Jim Stynes]]) and winning premierships ([[Tadhg Kennelly]], [[Ailish Considine]]).

Most of the current amateur clubs and leagues in existence have developed since the 1980s, when leagues began to be established in [[Australian rules football in the Americas|North America]], [[Australian rules football in Europe|Europe]] and [[Australian rules football in Asia|Asia]]. The sport developed a cult following in the [[Australian rules football in the United States|United States]] when matches were broadcast on the fledgling [[ESPN]] network in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Delaney|first1=Tim|last2=Madigan|first2=Tim|title=The Sociology of Sports: An Introduction|publisher=McFarland|year=2009|pages=284–285|isbn=978-0786453153}}</ref> As the size of the Australian diaspora has increased, so has the number of clubs outside Australia. This expansion has been further [[List of overseas-born AFL players|aided by multiculturalism]] and assisted by [[Australian rules football exhibition matches|exhibition matches]] as well as exposure generated through [[players who have converted from one football code to another|players who have converted to and from other football codes]]. In Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the United States there are many thousands of players.

A fan of the sport since attending school in Geelong, [[Charles III|King Charles]] is the Patron of [[AFL Europe]]. In 2013, participation across AFL Europe's 21 member nations was more than 5,000 players, the majority of which are European nationals rather than Australian expats.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/media/press-releases/the-prince-of-wales-becomes-patron-of-afl-europe |title=The Prince of Wales becomes Patron of AFL Europe |date=25 October 2013 |publisher=princeofwales.gov.uk  |access-date=3 November 2012}}</ref> The sport also has a growing presence in India.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rith Basu|first1=Ayan Paul|title=Soccer city gets a taste of Aussie football|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151102/jsp/calcutta/story_50958.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106202859/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151102/jsp/calcutta/story_50958.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2015|access-date=3 November 2015|date=2 November 2015}}</ref>

The AFL became the de facto governing body when it pushed for the closure of the [[International Australian Football Council]] in 2002. The International Cup, held triennially since 2002, is the highest level of international competition.

Although Australian rules football has not yet been a full sport at the Olympic Games or Commonwealth Games, when Melbourne hosted the [[1956 Summer Olympics]], which included the MCG being the main stadium, Australian rules football was chosen as the native sport to be demonstrated as per [[International Olympic Committee]] rules. On 7 December, the sport was demonstrated as an [[Australian football at the 1956 Summer Olympics|exhibition match]] at the MCG between a team of VFL and VFA amateurs and a team of VAFA amateurs (professionals were excluded due to the Olympics' strict amateurism policy at the time). The Duke of Edinburgh was among the spectators for the match, which the VAFA won by 12.9 (81) to 8.7 (55). In addition, when Brisbane hosted the [[1982 Commonwealth Games]], the sport was also demonstrated at the Gabba with a rematch on 6 October of that year's VFL Grand Final with Richmond winning by 28.16 (184) to Carlton's 26.10 (166).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenberg |first1=Tony |title=When the Tigers won Games gold |url=https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/269610/when-the-tigers-won-games-gold |website=RichmondFC.com.au |publisher=Richmond Football Club |date=4 April 2018|access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref>

==Cultural impact and popularity==
{{Main|Australian rules football culture}}
[[File:Tandy Fleiter Cazaly.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]]'s ruck combination of the 1920s, left to right: [[Mark Tandy (Australian rules footballer)|Mark Tandy]], [[Fred Fleiter]] and [[Roy Cazaly]]. Fleiter coined the phrase "Up there, Cazaly!" as a signal for Cazaly to leap for the ball. It entered popular idiom as a phrase of encouragement, and was used as a [[battle cry]] by Australian soldiers during World War II. It remains well known through [[Mike Brady (musician)|Mike Brady]]'s 1979 Australian football anthem [[Up There Cazaly|of the same name]].]]
Australian football is a sport rich in tradition and [[Australian culture|Australian cultural]] references, especially surrounding the rituals of gameday for players, officials and supporters.

[[File:Aboriginal football.jpg|thumb|left|Australian football is popular among Indigenous communities.]]
Australian football has attracted more overall interest among Australians than any other football code,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sweeneyresearch.com.au/newsPDF/news_pdf_16.pdf |title=Sweeney Sport report for 2006–07 |access-date= 31 March 2021|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080527210104/http://www.sweeneyresearch.com.au/newsPDF/news_pdf_16.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2008 }}</ref> and, when compared with all sports throughout the nation, has consistently ranked first in the winter reports, and third behind [[cricket]] and [[swimming (sport)|swimming]] in summer.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/22/1053196670542.html |first=Philip |last=Derriman |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=22 May 2003 |title=If you can kick it, Australia will watch it |access-date=22 November 2005 |archive-date=27 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227153552/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/22/1053196670542.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Over 1,057,572 fans were paying members of AFL clubs in 2019.<ref name="AFL Report 2019">{{cite web| url = https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2020/03/18/925fd047-a9b6-4f7d-8046-138a56ba36f4/2019-AFL-Annual-Report.pdf| title = AFL Annual Report 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200322065653/https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2020/03/18/925fd047-a9b6-4f7d-8046-138a56ba36f4/2019-AFL-Annual-Report.pdf| archive-date = 22 March 2020| url-status = live }}</ref>  The [[2021 AFL Grand Final]] was the year's most-watched television broadcast in Australia, with an in-home audience of up to 4.11 million.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final TV Audience|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/682263/2021-toyota-afl-grand-final-tv-audience|access-date=2021-09-27|website=afl.com.au|date=26 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Bruce|first=Jasper|date=2021-09-26|title=Insane stat proves AFL is king|work=news.com.au|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/2021-afl-grand-final-breaks-tv-viewership-records/news-story/e43379185435511f5e3a7520fc7b56a4|access-date=2021-09-27}}</ref>

In 2019, there were 1,716,276 registered participants in Australia<ref name="AFL Report 2019" /> including 586,422 females (34 per cent of the overall total) and more than 177,000 registered outside Australia including 79,000 females (45 per cent of the overall total).<ref name="AFL Report 2019" />

===In the arts and popular culture===
{{Main|Australian rules football in popular culture}}
Australian football has inspired many literary works,<ref name="double">{{Citation|author=Alomes, Stephen |year=2007 |title=The Lie of the Ground: Aesthetics and Australian Football |journal=Double Dialogues |publisher=[[Deakin University]] |issue=8 |issn=1447-9591 |url=http://www.doubledialogues.com/archive/issue_eight/alomes.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602204039/http://www.doubledialogues.com/archive/issue_eight/alomes.html |archive-date=2 June 2015}}</ref> from poems by [[C. J. Dennis]] and [[Peter Goldsworthy]], to the fiction of [[Frank Hardy]] and [[Kerry Greenwood]]. Historians [[Manning Clarke]] and [[Geoffrey Blainey]] have also written extensively on the sport. [[Glossary of Australian rules football|Slang within Australian football]] has impacted [[Australian English]] more broadly, with a number of expressions taking on new meanings in non-sporting contexts, e.g., to "[[wikt:guernsey#Noun|get a guernsey]]" is to gain recognition or approval, while "[[wikt:shirt-front|shirt-front]]ing" someone is to accost them.<ref>[https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/shirtfronting "Shirtfronting"], Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved 29 March 2022.</ref>

In 1889, [[Heidelberg School|Australian impressionist]] painter [[Arthur Streeton]] captured football games ''[[en plein air]]'' for the [[9 by 5 Impression Exhibition]], titling one work ''The National Game''.<ref>Clark, Jane (1985). ''Golden Summers: Heidelberg and Beyond'', pp. 112–117</ref> Paintings by [[Sidney Nolan]] (''[[Footballer (painting)|Footballer]]'', 1946) and [[John Brack]] (''[[Three of the Players]]'', 1953) helped to establish Australian football as a serious subject for modernists,<ref>McAullife, Chris (1995). "Eyes on the Ball: Images of Australian Rules Football", ''[[Art & Australia]]'' (Vol 32 No 4), pp. 490–500</ref> and many [[contemporary Indigenous Australian art|Aboriginal artists]] have explored the game, often fusing it with the mythology of their region.<ref>Heathcote, Christopher (August 2009). "Bush Football: The Kunoth Family", ''Art Monthly'' (Issue 222).</ref><ref>Angel, Anita (23 November 2009). [http://www.cdu.edu.au/advancement/artcollection/lookingatart_dec.html "Looking at Art"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523230557/http://www.cdu.edu.au/advancement/artcollection/lookingatart_dec.html |date=23 May 2014 }}, [[Charles Darwin University]] Art Collection & Art Gallery. Retrieved 23 May 2014.</ref> In cartooning, [[William Ellis Green|WEG]]'s VFL/AFL premiership posters—inaugurated in 1954—have achieved iconic status among Australian football fans.<ref>Rielly, Stephen (30 December 2008). [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/cartoonist-spoke-to-afl-tribe/story-e6frg7mx-1111118433741 "Cartoonist William Ellis Green spoke to AFL tribe"], ''The Australian''. Retrieved 5 December 2013.</ref> [[List of Australian rules football statues|Australian football statues]] can be found throughout the country, some based on famous photographs, among them [[Haydn Bunton Sr.]]'s leap, [[Jack Dyer]]'s [[Jack Dyer#Photograph from 1944 Essendon match|charge]] and [[Nicky Winmar]] [[Nicky Winmar#Famous photograph|lifting his jumper]].<ref>Green, Warwick (16 September 2018). [https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/from-photo-to-statue-winmar-s-stance-still-powerful-20180916-p5043f.html "From photo to statue: Winmar's stance still powerful"], ''The Age''. Retrieved 31 March 2022.</ref> In the 1980s, a group of [[postmodern]] architects based in Melbourne began incorporating references to Australian football into their buildings, an example being [[RMIT Building 8|Building 8]] by [[Edmond and Corrigan]].<ref>Reinmuth, Gerard (2019). "Reflection on Wars Past". In ''Sydney vs Melbourne''. UTS Architecture, p. 54. {{isbn|978-3-16-148410-0}}.</ref><ref>Van Schaik, Leon (1996). In ''Building 8: 10 Essays''. Schwarz Transition, pp. 48–53. {{isbn|978-1-863-95314-6}}.</ref>

Dance sequences based on Australian football feature heavily in [[Robert Helpmann]]'s 1964 ballet ''[[The Display]]'', his first and most famous work for the [[Australian Ballet]].<ref>Douglas, Tim (30 August 2012). [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/ballets-former-glories-show-footys-left-its-mark/story-e6frg8n6-1226461140091 "Ballet's former glories show footy's left its mark"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121130512/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/ballets-former-glories-show-footys-left-its-mark/story-e6frg8n6-1226461140091 |date=21 January 2015 }}, ''The Australian''. Retrieved 8 June 2014.</ref> The game has also inspired well-known plays such as ''[[And the Big Men Fly]]'' (1963) by [[Alan Hopgood]] and [[David Williamson]]'s ''[[The Club (play)|The Club]]'' (1977), which was [[The Club (1980 film)|adapted into a 1980 film]], directed by [[Bruce Beresford]]. [[Mike Brady (musician)|Mike Brady]]'s 1979 hit "[[Up There Cazaly]]" is considered an Australian football anthem, and references to the sport can be found in works by popular musicians, from singer-songwriter [[Paul Kelly (Australian musician)|Paul Kelly]] to the alternative rock band [[TISM]].<ref>Worrell, Shane (3 April 2010). [http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/general/modern-footy-not-in-tune/1793202.aspx?storypage=2 "Modern footy not in tune"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924105026/https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/708100/modern-footy-not-in-tune/ |date=24 September 2021 }}, ''[[Bendigo Advertiser]]''. Retrieved 5 December 2013.</ref> Many [[List of Australian rules football video games|Australian football video games]] have been released, most notably the [[AFL (video game series)|AFL series]].

==Australian Football Hall of Fame==
{{Main|Australian Football Hall of Fame}}
For the centenary of the VFL/AFL in 1996, the Australian Football Hall of Fame was established. That year, 136 significant figures across the various competitions were inducted into the Hall of Fame. An additional 115 inductees have been added since the creation of the Hall of Fame, resulting in a total number of 251 inductees.<ref name= HoF>{{cite web |title=About the AFL Hall of Fame |url=https://www.afl.com.au/hall-of-fame/about |website=afl.com.au |access-date=31 March 2021 |language=en |archive-date=7 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407142018/https://www.afl.com.au/hall-of-fame/about |url-status=live }}</ref>

In addition to the Hall of Fame, select members are chosen to receive the elite ''[[Australian Football Hall of Fame#Legends|Legend]]'' status. Due to restrictions limiting the number of Legend status players to 10% of the total number of Hall of Fame inductees, there are currently 25 players with the status in the Hall of Fame.<ref name= HoF/>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Sports|Australia}}
* [[Australian rules football attendance records]]
* [[Australian rules football positions]]
* [[List of Australian rules football clubs]]
* [[List of Australian rules football rivalries]]
* [[List of Australian rules football terms]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
====Books====
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Blainey
|first       = Geoffrey
|author-link = Geoffrey Blainey
|title       = A Game of Our Own: The Origins of Australian Football
|publisher   = Black Inc.
|year        = 2010
|isbn        = 9781863954853
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Coventry
|first       = James
|author-link  = James Coventry
|title       = Time and Space: The Tactics That Shaped Australian Rules and the Players and Coaches Who Mastered Them
|publisher   = HarperCollins
|year        = 2015
|isbn        = 978-0-7333-3369-9
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = de Moore
|first       = Greg
|title       = Tom Wills: First Wild Man of Australian Sport
|publisher   = Allen & Unwin
|year        = 2011
|isbn        = 978-1-74237-598-4
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Hess
|first       = Rob
|title       = A National Game: The History of Australian Rules Football
|publisher   = Viking
|year        = 2008
|isbn        = 978-0-670-07089-3
}}
* {{cite book
|last1       = Hess
|first1      = Rob
|last2       = Lenkic
|first2      = Brunette
|title       = Play On! The Hidden History of Women's Australian Rules Football
|publisher   = Bonnier Zaffre
|year        = 2016
|isbn        = 9781760063160
}}
* {{cite book
 |last1      = de Moore
 |first1     = Greg
 |last2      = Hess
 |first2     = Rob
 |last3      = Nicholson
 |first3     = Matthew
 |last4      = Stewart
 |first4     = Bob
 |title      = Australia's Game: The History of Australian Football
 |publisher  = Hardie Grant Books
 |year       = 2021
 |isbn       = 9781-74379-657-3
}}
* {{cite book
 |last1      = Hibbins
 |first1     = Gillian
 |last2      = Mancini
 |first2     = Anne
 |title      = Running with the Ball: Football's Foster Father
 |publisher  = Lynedoch Publications
 |year       = 1987
 |isbn       = 978-0-7316-0481-4
 |url-access = registration
 |url        = https://archive.org/details/runningwithballf00harr
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Hibbins 
|first       = Gillian
|editor-first= James
|editor-last = Weston
|title       = The Australian Game of Football: Since 1858
|publisher   = Geoff Slattery Publishing
|year        = 2008
|pages       = 31–45
|chapter     = Men of Purpose
|isbn        = 978-0-9803466-6-4
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Hibbins 
|first       = Gillian
|editor-first= J. A.
|editor-last = Mangan
|title       = The Cultural Bond: Sport, Empire, Society
|publisher   = Routledge
|year        = 2013
|pages       = 108–127
|chapter     = The Cambridge Connection: The English Origins of Australian Football
|isbn        = 9781135024376
}}
* {{cite book
|last1       = Nauright
|first1      = John
|last2       = Parrish
|first2      = Charles
|title       = Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice
|publisher   = ABC-CLIO
|year        = 2012
|isbn        = 9781598843002
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Pennings
|first       = Mark
|title       = Origins of Australian Football: Victoria's Early History: Volume 1: Amateur Heroes and the Rise of Clubs, 1858 to 1876
|publisher   = Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd
|year        = 2012
|isbn        = 9781921421471
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Pippos
|first       = Angela
|author-link  = Angela Pippos
|title       = Breaking the Mould
|publisher   = Simon and Schuster
|year        = 2017
|isbn        = 9781925475296
}}
* {{cite book
|last        = Williamson
|first       = John
|editor-first= Mar
|editor-last = Bucknell
|title       = Football's Forgotten Tour: The Story of the British Australian Rules Venture of 1888
|publisher   = Applegate
|year        = 2003
|isbn        = 9780958101806
}}
{{Refend}}

====Journal and conference articles====
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite journal
 |first1       = Gillian
 |last1        = Hibbins
 |first2       = Trevor
 |last2        = Ruddell
 |title        = "A Code of Our Own": Celebrating 150 Years of the Rules of Australian Football
 |url          = http://www.mcc.org.au/~/media/Files/Yorker-Issue%2039_Autumn2009_low-res.pdf
 |journal      = The Yorker
 |year         = 2009
 |issue        = 39
 |access-date  = 3 March 2016
 |archive-date = 2 April 2015
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105523/http://www.mcc.org.au/~/media/Files/Yorker-Issue%2039_Autumn2009_low-res.pdf
 |url-status   = live
}}
* {{cite journal
 |first1       = Gillian
 |last1        = Hibbins
 |first2       = Trevor
 |last2        = Ruddell
 |title        = The Evolution of the Rules of Football From 1872 to 1877
 |url          = https://www.mcc.org.au/~/media/files/mcc/library/the-yorker_issue_41_autumn_2010.pdf
 |journal      = The Yorker
 |year         = 2010
 |issue        = 41
 |access-date  = 6 June 2018
 |archive-date = 16 November 2019
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20191116182933/https://www.mcc.org.au/~/media/files/mcc/library/the-yorker_issue_41_autumn_2010.pdf
 |url-status   = live
}}
* {{cite conference
| first1   = Peter
| last1    = Mewett
| first2   = Kim
| last2    = Toffoletti
| title    = The Strength of Strong Ties: How Women Become Supporters of Australian Rules Football
| conference = [[Australian Sociological Association|Australian Sociological Association Conference]]
| publisher = University of Melbourne
| year     = 2008
| isbn     = 9780734039842
}}
* {{cite journal
 |first        = Mark
 |last         = Pennings
 |title        = Fuschias, Pivots, Same Olds and Gorillas: The Early Years of Football in Victoria
 |url          = http://eprints.qut.edu.au/61110/2/61110.pdf
 |journal      = Tablet to Scoreboard
 |year         = 2013
 |volume       = 1
 |issue        = 1
 |access-date  = 29 March 2016
 |archive-date = 3 March 2016
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235758/http://eprints.qut.edu.au/61110/2/61110.pdf
 |url-status   = live
}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Australian rules football}}
{{Wikivoyage|Australian Rules Football}}
* [http://www.afl.com.au/ Australian Football League (AFL) official website]
* [http://australianfootball.com/ Australian Football: Celebrating The History of the Great Australian Game]
* [https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2020/08/17/3c2fa0b0-79c5-45ad-bdb5-83e3be392691/2020-Laws-of-the-Game.pdf 2020 Laws of Australian Football]
* [http://www.gators.com.au/Australian%20Football%20Explained%20in%2031%20Languages.pdf Australian Football explained in 31 languages] – a publication from [http://www.afl.com.au/ AFL.com.au]
* [http://www.readingaustralianrulesfootball.org/ Reading Australian Rules Football – The Definitive Guide to the Game]
* [https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/australianfootball State Library of Victoria Research Guide to Australian Football]

[[Cricket|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket]] this demo

{{Australian rules football}}
{{Australian rules football terminology}}
{{Aussie Rules in the Australian Capital Territory}}
{{Aussie Rules in New South Wales}}
{{Aussie Rules in the Northern Territory}}
{{Aussie Rules in Queensland}}
{{Aussie Rules in South Australia}}
{{Aussie Rules in Tasmania}}
{{Aussie Rules in Victoria}}
{{Aussie Rules in Western Australia}}
{{Football codes}}
{{Team sports}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Rules Football}}
[[Category:Australian rules football]]
[[Category:1858 introductions]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Ball games]]
[[Category:Football codes]]
[[Category:Sports originating in Australia]]
[[Category:Team sports]]
[[Category:Turf sports]]
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