About Aussie Rules

Australian rules football, also informally known as football, Aussie rules or (colloquially) as footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players (18 on the field, and 4 interchanges) on either an Australian rules football ground or a modified cricket field.

Like the origins of many sports the official start date of Aussie Rules is the subject of much debate.   The first Australian football club became organised in Melbourne in May 1859, when the first laws of the game were published by the Melbourne Football Club.  Since then, the game has developed to become the most popular sport in Australia and is now played professionally in the Australian Football League or AFL. 

Australian football is a sport rich in tradition and Australian cultural references, especially surrounding the rituals of gameday for players, officials and supporters.  Players and fans alike are attracted to the sport because of its fast paced, physical full contact nature.  The games professional and top amateur players are elite athletes.  AFL players are universally admired for their ability to be able to combine endurance, speed, physicalit, toughness and sheer courage to compete in one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. 

But don't take our word for it? Watch some highlights below