{"id":35,"date":"2021-12-02T13:12:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T13:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aussierules.info\/?p=35"},"modified":"2021-12-08T05:32:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T05:32:17","slug":"aussie-rules-football-history-and-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aussierules.info\/aussie-rules-football-history-and-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian Rules Football History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Australian soccer is dynamic and has strict rules. There have only been a few known occasions in history when a match was abandoned. It is an extremely rare occurrence. It is not allowed to stop the match, even if a player is injured during the game. The AFL football today<\/a> is considered the third-largest in terms of spectators. The average number of spectators per match is 33,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Statue next to the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the approximate site of the 1858 football match between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Origin Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A detailed historical account of the emergence and formation of Australian rules football was first published in The Yorker magazine in 2009. There are several controversial versions about the exact origins of Australian soccer. At the origin of the game, there were many games played in Great Britain, Ireland, Europe and in Australian cities. All of these games had similar rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a relatively reliable version, the birthplace of Australian soccer is considered the city of Melbourne. The time of the first match falls around 1858. The captains of the first team were guys named Bryant and Smith. It was conducted by Tom Wills. The primary rules were invented before the first match. It used some elements of the Irish Cade game and Australian rugby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first matches between the various British colonies were played in 1879. At first, the game was called the “Melbourne rules game”, then it was called Victorian soccer, only later it was called Australian soccer (Australian rules football). The first years of the game were promoted to the masses due to the positive feedback from spectators, players and clubs of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Josh Gibson of the Hawks is tackled by Kurt Tippett of the Swans during the 2013 AFL 1st Qualifying Final match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Sydney Swans at the MCG, Melbourne on September 06, 2013. (Photo: Lachlan Cunningham\/AFL Media)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dissemination<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As soon as Australian footballs became known domestically, there were fans of the game outside the country. The first to play were players from New Zealand, South Africa, later Japan and Scotland. It was especially appreciated in New Zealand. Only a few years after the arrival of the AFL in this country, there were 115 clubs. Later, the geography further expanded and now began to play the AFL in Papua, New Guinea, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, Algeria, Indonesia and Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the United States, the first match was played in 1963. It is believed that Australian soccer could have become even more popular if it were not for some factors that hindered the process. For example, one of the problems is the distance between the players. In the classic version, there should be 36 players. However, to assemble such several players for regular play and other serious purposes required expense and effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another factor was that not all countries could find enough space to play. Players in Asia, America and Europe suffered from these problems. Other countries began to play a simplified version of the game, the Nine-a-side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 1980 and 1990, Australian rules football gained new popularity. It began to be played in Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Samoa, Spain, Argentina, and some Asian countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n