Australian rules football is a contact sport that originated in Melbourne, Australia about 1858. The first documented match was played between Melbourne Grammar School Football Club and Scotch College, and the earliest known rules were codified in 1859. The sport quickly grew in popularity, leading to the formation of early leagues such as the South Australian National Football League (originally called the South Australian Football Association), and the Victorian Football Association in 1877. By the early 20th century, it had become the dominant winter sport in several Australian states. In the 1990s, the Victorian Football League (VFL), evolved into the Australian Football League (AFL), which now serves as the sport's premier competition and governing body.

Origins of the sport The origins of Australian football before 1858 are still the subject of much debate, as there were a multitude of football games in Britain, Europe, Ireland and Australia whose rules influenced the early football games played in Melbourne. Teams would have to agree before each match which rules would be followed, and different aspects of association football, Gaelic football, rugby football, Sheffield rules, Cambridge rules Winchester College football, Uppingham and Harrow football were apparent in the early games.

When the British came to Australia, they played informal organised football games on leisure days (e.g. public or festival holidays). When football games were played, it allowed different cultures and religious groups to join together. The Launceston-based Cornwall Chronicle in 1845 described servants playing football with a leg of mutton. As Australia developed, people found they had more leisure time. Often employment involved limited physical activity. There was little in the way of leisure activities for young men to amuse themselves apart from drinking alcohol. From 1847 there was a big push in society for the formation of sporting clubs and the establishment of organised public games in Port Phillip. The Gymnastic Games included organised football games and ran from 1850 until at least 1856. Many cricket clubs in Australia date from the 1850s, but there was also a need for a winter sport.

In April 1858 a new headmaster from Great Britain was hoping to introduce "manly" games to their students. Dr John Edward Bromby,(1809–1889) educated at Cambridge and the head master at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School joined forces with William C. Northcott of St. Kilda Grammar School. Together they agreed their schools should play a match of football at the beginning of the winter of 1858. This is the earliest football game on record between two Victorian schools or clubs. It took place on 5 June 1858 in St Kilda. St. Kilda Grammar won the match.

"Hard as nails – Jack Conway and the early days of football" list many of these boys from Melbourne Grammar who started playing in the winter of 1858 and how they contributed to shaping the game early on, in different clubs. Jack Conway when he went to Carlton introduced a new style of game which involved players kicking passing the ball to each other down the field. This may have been the turning point of the game, to remove it from "Rugby" style. This sped up the game and made it look more like the game we have today. It also helped Carlton become the premier club for a number of years.

In 1857 a book called Tom Brown's School Days by an Old Boy was published and became very popular and promoted football in Victorian schools. On 29 May 1858 the Argus published an article on the book, which got people talking. When Melbourne Football Club made their rules of 1858, they were inspired from this book.

A letter by Tom Wills was published in Bell's Life in Victoria & Sporting Chronicle on 10 July 1858, calling for a "foot-ball club, a rifle club, or other athletic pursuits" to keep cricketers fit during winter. An experimental match organised by Mr James/Jerry Byrant was played at the Richmond Paddock (later known as Yarra Park next to the MCG) on 31 July 1858, very few details of the match have survived. Other matches were played 14 August 1858 and 28 August 1858 organised by MCC.

On 7 August 1858, a famous match between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College began, umpired by T. W. Wills and John Macadam. A second day of play took place on 21 August and a third and final day on 4 September. The two schools have competed annually ever since. However the two teams in 1858 were playing by agreed rules, which have not been recorded. The two schools have competed annually ever since. Thomas Henry Smith claimed H.C.A. Harrison, T. W. Wills' cousin and brother in-law was instrumental in developing the game but not in 1858.

Development of the rules of Australian football

A history of the formation and development of Australian rules football was commissioned in 2009 by the MCC library in its journal, The Yorker. It outlines a great deal of information about early clubs, rules, matches and players. The development of football in Australia was influenced by its people and their prior exposure to ball sports through culture and experiences. Many playing football in 1858 had experiences of football from various places around the world, including the Aboriginal jumping game of Marngrook which had similar elements of the Irish game Caid.

On 14 May 1859, the Melbourne Football Club organised a game of football to start the new football season. The captains were a Mr Bryant and a Mr Smith. Owing to not enough MFC members turning up, others were allowed to play, some reported as Irish. After this game the players had two issues, spectators encroachment of the field and issues with the rules. There was one group who wanted to kick and catch the ball, others who did not want any hands used, other who want to hold the ball and run. The match captains and organisers recapped afterwards and thought Australia had men from different backgrounds and the rules of Rugby did not suit them. Australian football needed its own rules.

The answer was to ask the MCC if they could use their ground on the half holidays and have a meeting of the committee on 17 May to redraw up the rules of 1858 to suit their game better. Melbourne Football Club (MFC) rules of 1859 are the oldest surviving set of laws for Australian football.afl.com.au They were drawn up at the Parade Hotel East Melbourne on 17 May 1859 by the committee of MFC which included Thomas Wentworth Wills, William Hammersley, J. B. Thompson, Mr Bruce, Mr Wray, Mr Sewell and Thomas Smith (some sources erroneously include H. C. A. Harrison).

After the inter club match on 21 May 1859, the rules were further changed by the committee in regards to tripping. These amended rules were sent to the printers. The 1859 rules, drawn up three days after the Melbourne club was officially reformed, do not include some elements that soon became important to the game, such as the requirement to bounce the ball while running. On the public holiday on 24 May a game was played again with Melbourne members and others who turned up played a game using these new rules. T. W. Wills was playing cricket in Richmond and did not attend the match.

Melbourne's game was not immediately adopted by neighbouring clubs. In 1860, after changes and agreement from other clubs, the rules name was changed to "Victorian Rules of Football" and they were seen to be the official rules of most clubs in Victoria. In the 1858 season and later, if both clubs did not use the Victorian Rules each match was played by common rules agreed by the two teams involved. By 1866, however, several other clubs had agreed to play by an updated version of Melbourne rules.

The original handwritten rules dated May 1859 were signed by Tom Wills, William Hammersley, J. Sewell, J. B. Thompson, Alex Bruce, T. Butterworth and Thomas Smith:1 The distance between the goal post shall be decided upon by the captains of the sides playing.

2 The captains on each side shall toss for choice of goal. The side losing the toss has the kick-off from the centre-point between the goals.

3 A goal must be kicked fairly between the posts without touching either of them or a portion of the person of any player of either side.

4 The game shall be played within the space of not more than 200 yards wide, the same to be measured equally upon each side of the line drawn through the centre of the two goals and two posts to be called the kick-off points shall be erected at a distance of 20 yards on each side of the goal posts at both ends and in a straight line with them.

5 In case the ball is kicked behind the goals, anyone of the side behind whose goal it is kicked, may bring it back 20 yards in front of any portion of the space between the kick-off posts and shall kick it as nearly as possible in the line of the opposite goal.

6 Any player catching the ball directly from the boot may call 'mark'. He then has a free kick. No players from the opposite side being allowed to come into the spot marked.

7 Tripping and pushing are both allowed but no hacking when any player is in rapid motion or in possession of the ball except for the case provided by rule 6.

8 The ball may be taken in hand only when caught from the boot or on the hop. In no case shall it be lifted from the ground.

9 When the ball goes out of bounds (the same being indicated by a row of posts) it shall be brought back to the point where it crossed the boundary line and thrown in right angles with that line.

10 The ball while in play may under no circumstances be thrown.

T W Willis was not part of the rule changes of 1 July 1859, after a club match the Melbourne Football Club Committee change some of their rules. "

The committee of the club met subsequently at the Parade Hotel for the purpose of amending the existing rules, many of which have been found either insufficient or objectionable in practice."

The Committee of the M. F. C. met yesterday (1/7/1859) afternoon at the Parade Hotel, to reconsider the rules of the club. Mr. Bruce occupied the chair.

Rule III.

Proposed by Mr. SMITH, seconded by Mr.

THOMPSON, and carried, that the following be

substituted for the existing Rule 3: —

"A goal must be kicked fairly between the posts without touching either

of them, or any portion of the person of one of the opposite side.

In case of the ball being forced between the goal-posts in a scrimmage, a goal shall be awarded."

Rule VII.

Moved by Mr. THOMPSON, seconded by Mr, HAMMERSLEY, and carried:—

"Tripping, holding, and hacking are strictly prohibited. Pushing with the hands or body is allowed when any player is in rapid motion, or

in possession of the ball, except in the case pro-vided for in Rule VI."

Rule VIII.

Moved by Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Hammersley, and carried:—

"The ball may at any time be taken in hand,  but not carried farther than is necessary for a kick."

Rule XI. (Additional.)

Proposed by Mr. THOMPSON, seconded by Mr. Butterworth, and carried:—

"In case of deliberate infringement of any of the above rules by either side, the captain of the opposite side may claim that any one of his party may have a free kick from the place where the breach of rule was made; the two captains in all cases, save where umpires are appointed, to be the sole judges of infringements."

It is believed the rule changes were made so other clubs (St Kilda and St Yarra) unhappy with the Melbourne Rules would play with them. They were further changed in order to have a match with South Yarra Football club on 9 July 1859. This may be the true start of the Melbourne football league, as it started an alliance between different clubs which came to compete against each other under common rules. Team list were published for this game. A follow up game occurred 23 July 1859, where a good report was written in papers afterwards.