The History of Australian Football - Sports - Soccer

The Australian form of football is considered to have, started in mid-19th century when Tom Willis, the undisputed father of modern football, created the rules of the game. The first ever football club in Australia is the Melbourne Football Club. This is where Tom Willis finalized the football rules, together with his cousin H.C.A. Harrison (who would also be called the father of the game years afterwards). The formation of a unified rules for every match of the game began with Will's letter that was published in Victoria & Sporting Chronicle in 1858 calling for a "foot-ball club" and a "code of laws" to ensure idle cricketers on winter months remain fit. The first of the games using Will's rules was played between him and his friends in an experimental match at the Richmond Paddock on July 31, 1858.

The following months saw considerable development of the game. On August of the same year, the Football Club of Melbourne was founded making it the first in the country. At the same time, the historic match between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College was held. The referee of the game was Wills himself. These 2 schools would continue the tradition and play with each other annually afterwards.

Technically, the oldest formal set of laws was codified in 1859. The Melbourne Football Club rules were developed and carried out at the Parade Hotel by the game's leading figures such as J.B. Thompson, Thomas Smith, W.J. Hammersley, H.C.A. Harrison, and Tom Wills. Although some rules were added later in the following years until the present, the most important rules were laid out at that time. Some of these rules include bouncing the ball while running, which was the reason why some clubs in the area did not right away join the Melbourne Football Club. During the early years of the game whenever two clubs play against each other, there was a need to agree on the rules to be followed first. Such interesting fact constantly led to misunderstanding that by 1866, other teams decided to accept the Melbourne rules to have uniformity.

Another interesting fact about Australian Football is that the founders were somewhat inspired by the games of ball played by Aborigines in western Victoria. The name of the game was Marn Grook, which used a possum hide ball and features a play similar to the present "speccie" or high marking in Australian football. Historians and authorities of Australian football believe there is a significant connection between Australian football and Marn Grook. This is because Tom Wills had a strong understanding of the cultures of the Aboriginal people in Melbourne. His friend Harrison also lived in Moyston, in what is now known as the modern-day Victoria, where he can observe the locals play.

Today, hundreds of thousands, if not millions are watching Australian Football games. Every championship series is considered one of the hottest Australian news in the country. Australian Football is presently considered one of the most popular games in the country.

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