Origins of Australian rules football

A statue next to the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the approximate site of the 1858 "foot-ball" match between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College. Tom Wills is depicted umpiring behind two young players contesting the ball. The plaque reads: "Wills did more than any other person - as footballer and umpire, co-writer of the rules and promoter of the game - to develop Australian Football during its first decade."

The Origins of Australian rules football are are obscure and still the subject of much debate.

Australian football became organised in Melbourne in 1858 with a series of experimental rules in a bid to keep cricketers fit during the winter months and in 1859 the first laws of the game were published by the Melbourne Football Club.

The Australian Football League acknowledges the following with regards to the formation of Australian Football:

a) that 1858 was the official commencement date

b) that the game was invented in Melbourne

However there are some discrepancies in the AFL's account of the game's birth. Firstly the official rules still used today were not in place until 1859. Secondly many claim that the origins can be traced back further. Certainly there are historical accounts of various forms of "foot-ball" being played that shared similar attributes to Australian football date back as early as 1840. These scratch matches used a variety of rules (some which shaer commonalities with what is referred to as Australian Rules) or, more often, played without any real rules.

Although there are many theories, the predominant ones are that the Australian game:

a) originated from early Irish games such as caid brought to Australia by migrants

b) originated from English public school games, particularly early forms of rugby football

c) was inspired by traditional indigenous Australian pastimes

d) is a combination of some or all of the above and that it shares many influences as a consequence of historical circumstance

This article explores developments and theories in the historical accounts of the early origins of the game in depth.

Recent Discoveries

It is worth noting that new clues to the origins of the game are continually unfolding. Prior to recent times H C A Harrison was mistakenly believed to be the "father of the game", however more recently, his contributions if any to the game prior to the 1860s has be largely downplayed.

• 1980 - the first discovery of the original Melbourne Football Club rules. Before this time, the 1866 Victorian Rules were believed to be the oldest.
• 2007 - the records for the formation of the Castlemaine Football Club in 1859 was found, making it the second oldest club after Melbourne and older than Geelong. The discovery lends credence to the theory that football was already widespread and established throughout regional Victoria and particularly the Victorian goldfields before being organised and taking off in suburban Melbourne.
• 2008 - a lithograph of early indigenous Australian games was found in England. The 150 year old image showed clear similarites lending some credence to the theory of the game's indigenous origins.

Early Accounts of "Football"

The following are published accounts of early football in Australia, many of which in the past have been used to claim the earlier origins of Australian rules football. Most of these prior to 1859 were vague, largely disorganised and with little reference to the actual rules being played.

• 1841 - Robert Brough Smyth observes indigenous Australian men playing a game of "foot ball" (most likely marngrook)
• 1843 - Irish settlers celebrating Saint Patrick's Day in South Australia played a "foot ball" match (most likely caid)
• 1844 - "Footballing" noted at Batman's Hill
• 1845 - "Football" kicking recorded at the temperance picnic on Emerald Hill Melbourne
• 1850 - a "football match" was played as part of the week of Separation celebrations in Emerald Hill Melbourne, wherein a publican promoted "foot ball" between two teams of eleven players, and then afterwards a twelve-a-side match
• 1857 - William Blandowski sketches indigenous Australians playing "foot ball" in Merbein (most likely marngrook)
• 1858 - two well publicized matches occur in Melbourne both involving Melbourne Cricket Club officials and played with 40 or more per side
• 1858 - Tom Wills writes to Bell's Life calling for the formation of a "foot-ball" club with a "code of rules".

Later Developments

The following developments prior to the may have influenced the historical record of the origins of Australian rules football.

• 1876 - Thomas H. Smith writes to The Australasian on February 26 asserting that he was involved in the drafting of the Melbourne Football Club rules in 1859.
• 1878 - Smyth publishes an account of his 1841 observations
• 1889 - Alfred Howitt wrote an account of indigenous Australians playing a "football" game (most likely marngrook)

Writing in Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Australian Rules Football ..., author Graeme Atkinson includes a chapter entitled "The Good Old Days". In it he gives no evidence of matches, with rules similar to those later adopted, being played as early as 1853 on the Ballarat and Sandhurst (now Bendigo) goldfields, but asks the question as to whether they were played.

Atkinson also believed (erroneosuly) that Tom Wills had already helped form a group of no less than six football clubs in Geelong in 1856: Barwon, Bellarine, Corio Bay, Flinders, Kardinia and Moorabool. Atkinson pursues an unsunstantiated claim that Geelong clubs did exist and that they should be recognised as the foundation clubs.

Atkinson's assertion that 1856, not 1858, should be recognised as the beginnings of Australian Rules, follows on earlier unsubstantiated claims apparently made by football author, Mr C. Mullen, who allegedly wrote about the early Geelong clubs in an unlocated publication Footballer's Australian Almanac, 1951. He was apparently of the opinion, therefore, that the origins of the game could be traced back to 1856.

Intriguingly, those Geelong clubs are alleged to have played to slightly different rules than those used at Melbourne. Although the Melbourne rules were soon adopted as the standard, Geelong was originally quite proud of the slight differentiation between the game as played in the two cities.

1858

The mythical George Bruce is alleged to have played for another team Richmond Cricketers Football Club with dubious historical merit and for the Colony of Victoria and, in 1858, was allegedly voted by newspaper writers as the Champion Player of the Colony. Whilst playing, he wore an iron hook in place of a missing hand. Did he achieve greatness despite his disability? Or, did he achieve greatness because opponents kept well clear of him?

The first records of St Kilda or St Kilda Cricketers Football club date back to 1858. There are records of "football" clubs in Albert Park and Richmond which most likely played by their own rules.

1859

Tom Wills' Letter

File:Tom Wills.jpg

Tom Wills

Shortly after his return from England and the Rugby school where he played rugby football, Wills had promoted the idea of organised football in the colony of Victoria, most notably when he wrote the following letter, published in Bell's Life in Victoria on 10 July 1858:

Dear Sir, Now that cricket has been put aside for some few months to come, and cricketers have assumed somewhat of the chrysalis nature (for the time being only, it is true), but at length again will burst forth in all their varied hues, rather than allow this state of torpor to creep over them and stifle their now supple limbs, why cannot they, I say, form a football club, and form a committee of three or more to draw up a code of laws?

If a club of this sort was got up, it would be of vast benefit to any cricket ground to be trampled upon, and would make the turf firm and durable, besides which it would help those who are inclined to become stout and having their joints encased in useless super-abundant flesh.

If it were not possible to form a football club, why should these young men who have adopted this new country as their motherland - why, I say, do not they form themselves into a rifle club, so at any date they may be some day called upon to aid their adopted land against a tyrant who may some time pop upon us when we least expect a foe at our own very doors. Surely our young cricketers are not afraid of a crack of a rifle when they face so courageously the leather sphere, and it would disgrace no one to learn in time to defend his country and hearth.

A firm heart and a steady hand and a quick eye are all that are requisite, and with practice all these may be attained.

Trusting that someone will take up this matter and form either of the above clubs, or at any rate some athletic games,

I remain,

Yours truly,

T.W. WILLS.

Experimental Matches

A month after the letter appeared, Wills acted as co-referee of a game between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College, played in the parkland surrounding the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Played over three afternoons by teams comprising forty players with the goal-posts approximately 500 metres apart, only one goal was scored (by Scotch). The rules required the winner to score twice, so the match was deemed a draw. It appears that there were major differences between Aussie Rules as it was to evolve and this early school game, but the match is important as some claim it led to Tom Wills calling a meeting in 1859 at the Parade Hotel (on the site of the present M.C.G. Hotel) at which rudimentary rules for Victorian football (later known as Australian Rules Football) were drawn up.

By June 1858, Wills was organising practice matches at Yarra Park. He called a meeting for 1st August 1858 and this date is usually regarded as the formation date of the Melbourne Football Club. Nevertheless, the club was not formally established until a meeting held on 14th May 1859. During the first season or so, scratch games were played between members of the club, using Wills' rules, the first draft of which was made on 17th May 1859 (see above). (A hand-written copy of these first rules still exists.)

On 7 August, 1858 a famous match between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College began at Richmond Park, which was umpired by Wills and McAdam and also involved Scotch headmaster Thomas H. Smith. A second day of play took place on 21 August and a third, and final, day on 4 September. While the full rules that were used is unknown, the match was played with a round ball, the distance between the goals was approximately half a mile (approximately 4 times longer than the modern MCG playing surface), there were 40 players per side and one goal each side was scored with the game being declared a draw. The two schools have competed annually ever since for the Cordner-Eggleston Cup.

Some regard these early matches as the first matches of Australian Football, however to many it is clear that the game was still in the process of evolving.

1859 - First rules

The Melbourne Football Club rules of 1859 are the oldest surviving set of laws for Australian football. The eleven simple rules were drawn up on 17 May in a meeting was chaired by Wills and in attendance were journalists W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson. Accounts of the people directly involved differ. Some sources also claim that Thomas H. Smith and H. C. A. Harrison were also present. The meeting was held at the Parade Hotel, East Melbourne hosted by owner and Melbourne Cricket Club member Jerry Bryant. The publican was a friend of Tom Wills with a personal interest in introducing football to Melbourne's schools. Bryant had played a role in organising early football matches at the nearby Richmond Park and his son was one of the first players. The rules were signed by Tom Wills, William Hammersley, J. Sewell, J. B. Thompson, Alex Bruce, T. Butterworth and Thomas H. Smith. Importantly, the rules were widely publicised and distributed.

Various Theories

Rugby Football Origins

The influence of English public school and university football codes, while undetermined, was clearly substantial. All members of the committee had experience of English games. It is claimed that Tom Wills, himself an exceptional rugby player, wanted to introduce Rugby School rules but the other men felt Rugby School’s rough play and offside rules would not suit players older than schoolboys or the drier Australian conditions. The club did look at the Rugby School Rules but also those of Eton (Eton field game), Winchester (Winchester College football) and Harrow (Harrow football). What is clear is Wills intentions, when during this meeting he made the now famous declaration "No, we shall have a game of our own".

Indigenous Link Theories

Some historians, particularly Martin Flanagan postulate that Wills could have been inspired by marngrook, ball games played by the Aboriginal people in western Victoria. Wills was raised in Victoria's western districts and is said to have been fluent in the local dialect and frequently played with local Aboriginal children on his father's property, Lexington, in outside of the town of Moyston. Others dismiss this as an unsubstantiated romantic notion.

Irish Football Theories

See also: Comparison of Australian rules football and Gaelic football

See also: Relationship between Gaelic football and Australian rules football

While it is clear even to casual observers that modern Australian rules football is similar to Gaelic football, the exact relationship between the two codes is a matter of controversy among historians. Although gaelic football was not codified until 1887, some claim that Irish games (caid and hurling) were played in Australia as early as 1843. Historian B. W. O'Dwyer suggests that some of these elements of Australian rules may be attributed to the common influence of older Irish games as the rule makers would have been familiar with these games.

Geelong's Game ?

Graeme Atkinson considers it likely that these Geelong rules were drawn up prior to the first rules of the Melbourne Football Club which were drafted on 17 May 1859.

The rules allegedly used used by the Geelong Football Club in 1859 were originally written down by hand, however there is no record of them from earlier than 1866:

<quote> 1. Distance between goals and the goal posts to be decided by captains.

2. Teams of 25 in grand matches, but up to 30 against odds.

3. Matches to be played in 2 halves of 50 minutes. At the end of first 50 teams may leave ground for 20 minutes for refreshments but must be ready to resume on time otherwise rival captain can call game off or (if his side has scored) claim it as a win.

4. Game played with 200 yard [sic.] [182.9 metre] space, same to be measured equally on each side of a line drawn through the centre of the two goals, and two posts to be called "kick off" posts shall be erected at a distance of 20 yards [1.83 metres] on each side of the goal posts at both ends and in a straight line between them.

5. When kicked behind goal, ball may be brought 20 yards in front of any portion of the space between the kick off and kicked as nearly as possibly [sic.] in line with opposite goal.

6. Ball must be bounced every 10 or 20 yards if carried.

7. Tripping, holding, hacking prohibited. Pushing with hands or body is allowed when any player is in rapid motion or in possession of ball, except in the case of a mark.

8. Mark is when a player catches the ball before it hits the ground and has been clearly kicked by another player.

9. Handball only allowed if ball held clearly in one hand and punched or hit out with other. If caught, no mark. Throwing prohibited.

10. Before game captains toss for ends.

11. In case of infringements, captain may claim free from where breach occurred. Except where umpires appointed, opposing captain to adjudicate.

12. In all grand matches two umpires - one from each side - will take up position as near as possible between the goal posts and centre. When breach is made appeal to go to nearest umpire. </quote>

It is usually agreed that it was Rule 8, which covers marking, that differentiated the Australian game from any other set of football rules. Rule 9, which covers handballing, also defines a major feature of the Australian game. The lack of any offside rule is also considered a vital differentiation from other forms of football.

Reference to "the 'kick off' posts" in Rule 4 is important. These are obviously what are now known as behind posts and which have always been an important feature of the game. Until 1878, kicks between the goal-post and kick off posts were not recorded. However, after that date, behinds were noted but did not count towards the score.

Despite the fact that Tom Wills had helped referee the Melbourne Grammar v Scotch College game in 1858, Field Umpires did not become a regular feature of the game until 1872. It will be noted in Rule 11 that the captains were usually responsible for adjudicating on infringements and disputations. Even so, Rule 12 does make provision for the appointment of two Umpires. However, prior to 1872, there are only a few recorded instances of this being done.

Of course, rules continued (and still continue) to evolve. More information on the features that make Australian Rules distinctive, is found under the heading: "Features of the Game" (below).