Australian rules football in England
Encyclopedia
Australian rules football
in England
is a team
and spectator sport
with a long but obscure history and has grown since 1989 to a number of local leagues coordinated by AFL Britain
. In 2010, these regional divisions will be the AFL London, AFLB North East, AFLB Central & North West and AFLB South.
Australian Football League
exhibition matches
have been held in London
every few years since 1972.
which toured Australia in 1888. The team arrived in Hobart, Tasmania on 18 April. They attended a social function with the Southern Tasmanian Football Association, before going to New Zealand for a series of rugby matches.
After they returned to Australia they again trained in Australian rules in Sydney, before leaving for Victoria in mid-June. The tour included 19 matches. They played against several of the stronger football clubs from Melbourne including the Carlton Football Club
, South Melbourne Football Club
, Essendon Football Club
, Fitzroy Football Club
and Port Melbourne Football Club
. Additionally, they played against some strong regional Victorian clubs including two teams from Ballarat, the Ballarat Football Club and Ballarat Imperials, as well as two teams from Bendigo (Bendigo Football Club and Sandhurst Football Club) as well as playing against the Castlemaine Football Club
, Maryborough Football Club
(of Maryborough, Victoria
), Horsham Football Club (of Horsham, Victoria
) and Kyneton Football Club
(of Kyneton, Victoria
).
The team also played against several of the stronger South Australian teams including South Adelaide Football Club
, Port Adelaide Football Club
, Adelaide Football Club (no connection to the later Adelaide club), Norwood Football Club
. The only club from outside of Victoria or South Australia which played against them was the Maitland Football Club (from the Hunter Valley
in New South Wales
). The British team won six matches, including a win over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval
on 10 July 1888, and drew one.
The reigning Victorian premiers, Carlton defeated Great Britain at the MCG
14.17 to 3.8. At this stage goals and points were recorded but only goals counted in the score; for example, when Great Britain played Castlemaine under very heavy conditions they kicked 1 goal 2 points and the locals kicked 1 goal 4 points, but the match was declared a draw. Great Britain also played 35 games of rugby, making a total of 54 games in 21 weeks. A star of the team's Australian rules games was Andrew Stoddart
, who captained the team for part of its tour and also captained England in cricket.
The 1888 tour had been organised by the English cricketer Arthur Shrewsbury
but his involvement with Australian Rules football did not end there. He planned to have an Australian team sent to the United Kingdom to play a series of demonstration matches and to that end he looked to Scotland
where he had identified possible opponents. Shrewsbury’s plans are outlined in his correspondence with Alfred Shaw and Turner, the Nottingham Cricket Club Secretary.
many overseas students studied medicine in Scotland, and some went down to England to play the Australian Rules teams in that country. On 14 April 1888, the Edinburgh Australians played an Australian Rules game against the University of London
at Balham, a match which drew considerable praise in UK newspapers such as the Times and the Scotsman.
Shrewsbury suggested that the 'Edinburgh Australians' team at Edinburgh University should travel down to England to meet the Australian team in a series of demonstration matches in Lancashire
and Yorkshire
. Unfortunately his bold plan did not eventuate as the authorities in Australia aborted the venture and a possible expansion of Australian Rules in the UK was lost.
in London between Australian Army
teams, representing the Combined Training Units and the 3rd Division, in which many senior Australian rules footballers from all over Australia took part. However, the end of World War I
put an end to organised Australian rules competition in England.
After the war, in 1921, the annual Oxford University-Cambridge University Varsity match was played for the first time between expatriate
Australian students. This game is still played, and is the longest running Australian rules fixture outside Australia. The match is an official Varsity competition. Over the years, some distinguished Australians to have played in the match include Mike Fitzpatrick
, Chris Maxwell
, Joe Santamaria, Sir Rod Eddington and Andrew Michelmore.
Results
RAAF (Sunderland) vs RAF Mount Batten was played in 1943 in Plymouth
. In November of the same year, a game was played in Sussex
between No.11 Personnel despatch and Reception centre team based in Brighton
vs RAAF Headquarters from London.
Teams representing RAAF, Headquarters vs Sunderland, met in Hyde Park
in 1944 in front of a sizeable crowd. Headquarters defeated Sunderland 12.7 (79) to 5.4 (34).
personnel and local school sides and rugby clubs. A league was formed which by 1970 had six teams, including two English rugby sides which used the sport to keep fit in the off-season. Among the supporters were Rolf Harris
, Barry Humphries
and Michael Cyril Hall. Clubs included the Kensington Demons, Earls Court Magpies, Oxford University Blues, Australian Dentists and Australian Navy (based in Portsmouth
). This league had disappeared by 1973.
of the AFL
was played at The Oval
in London
.
By 1987, the game had become an annual event, missing only some years.
With a large number of ex-patriate Australians, interest in the game grew and small crowds of up to 10,000 were in attendance for the event in some years.
Interest and crowds grew further with the change of the VFL to the Australian Football League
.
Highlights during this time included large crowds for the Australian Football League
's West Coast Eagles
v. Collingwood
in 1997 with an attendance of 14,000 and the match between Richmond
and Essendon
in 2002 which drew 13,000.
s becoming a large event attracting attendances in the thousands, including a record crowd of 1,500 in 1999.
In 2002 a national team represented Great Britain
at the Australian Football International Cup
for the first time, finishing the tournament in 6th place. 2005 saw the British Bulldogs again compete in the International Cup, again finishing 6th overall.
Following the 2005 International Cup, promising 22-year-old British Bulldog Luke Matias began playing with the Port Melbourne Football Club
in the Victorian Football League
.
Also in 2005, the first Western Derby
to be played outside of Australia, the West Coast Eagles
v. Fremantle
game was played as a pre-season test at The Oval
in London, drawing a record crowd of 18,884.
In the 2005 Oxford vs Cambridge match, held at Oxford, the Oxford dark blues triumphed 99-22 over the light blue tabs, despite the loss of their inspirational full forward, whose finger was snapped off in a freak brawling accident.
, part of Aussie Rules International
was kicked off. This project has seen up to 10 English schools adopt Aussie Rules as part of the school curriculum to combat obesity. Juniors teams have competed at the London Youth Games
.
2006 was a big year for Aussie Rules in England, with the admission of new clubs in Manchester
, Middlesbrough
and Thanet
.
On 17 September 2006 history was made in Denmark when the England Dragonslayers took on the Denmark Vikings in Europe's first fully-fledged international junior Aussie Rules match. England claimed the King Canute Cup, with England 6.10(46) defeating Denmark 0.6(6).
In mid 2007, a bitter turf war
erupted between Aussie Rules UK and the BARFL with the formation of the Aussie Rules UK National League. The ARUK's contention was that the BARFL was only interested in expat rich areas of London, and that regional and developing areas of the United Kingdom, such as Wales, had been ignored by the BARFL. While the BARFL favoured traditional full ground football with 16 or more players, ARUK was played 9-a-side on rugby grounds, giving it better access to grounds and players. Clubs loyalties were tested and some clubs fielded sides in both leagues.
In July, the AFL announced that the annual London exhibition match was likely to be abandoned for the year, after only the Western Bulldogs
had expressed interest.
In a first in 2007, the GB Bulldogs including several past and future England players, soundly defeated Ireland in Dublin 11.15(81) to 2.9(21), holding high expectation for the upcoming 2008 International Cup.
By the end of 2007, the game had experienced substantial growth due to the placement of permanent development officers. AFL International Census figures indicate over 3,600 participants
channels in Great Britain, the new ESPN UK channel has picked up the broadcast rights for the Australian Football League
.
As of Friday 7 August 2009 ESPN and British Eurosport are the holders of the British and Irish rights to the Australian Football League (AFL).The new ESPN UK channel is available in Standard Definition via Sky Digital
on channel 417 and in High Definition on channel 442. The channel is also available to Virgin Media
, TalkTalk TV, BT Vision
and Top Up TV
subscribers. For the remainder of the 2009 season and for the entire 2010 season, ESPN UK will show three live games each round of the season including selected playoffs games and the AFL Grand Final
in September. Eurosport shows one game a week but the coverage is delayed. The AFL will re-negotiate a future television rights deal sometime in 2010/2011.
. West London Wildcats
vs Wandsworth Demons
. London
v. Fremantle
(The Oval
, London
)
A separate English representative team was organised by Aussie Rules UK
under the name England Dragonslayers. The Dragonslayers squads have so far been almost exclusively drawn from the ARUK Regional leagues, although some players from the Great Britain Bulldogs have also played for the Dragonslayers.
There has been speculation that England will eventually field national sides at the International Cup, but this has not been officially stated by AFL Britain.
regional leagues.
Current players are highlighted in bold.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is a team
Team sport
A team sport includes any sport which involves players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in which a group of individuals, on the same team, work together to accomplish an ultimate goal which is usually to win. This can be done in a number of ways such as...
and spectator sport
Spectator sport
A spectator sport is a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. For instance, Tennis, Rugby, F-1, baseball, basketball, cricket, football , and ice hockey are spectator sports, while hunting or underwater hockey typically are not...
with a long but obscure history and has grown since 1989 to a number of local leagues coordinated by AFL Britain
AFL Britain
The AFL Britain is the governing body for Australian rules football in England, formed in 2008. The organisation is the successor to the British Australian Rules Football League, whose clubs became the AFL London upon creation of the new national body....
. In 2010, these regional divisions will be the AFL London, AFLB North East, AFLB Central & North West and AFLB South.
Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
exhibition matches
Australian rules football exhibition matches
Australian rules football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria in 1859....
have been held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
every few years since 1972.
History of Australian rules football in England
In 1883, during a visit to Australia, English journalist and rugby player Richard Twopeny wrote of Australian Football:A good football match in Melbourne is one of the sights of the world... The quality of the play... is much superior to anything the best English clubs can produce... there is much more 'style' about the play.
British Tours to Australia (1888-1914)
Australian rules football was played by a British representative rugby teamBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
which toured Australia in 1888. The team arrived in Hobart, Tasmania on 18 April. They attended a social function with the Southern Tasmanian Football Association, before going to New Zealand for a series of rugby matches.
After they returned to Australia they again trained in Australian rules in Sydney, before leaving for Victoria in mid-June. The tour included 19 matches. They played against several of the stronger football clubs from Melbourne including the Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
, South Melbourne Football Club
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
, Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, Fitzroy Football Club
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
and Port Melbourne Football Club
Port Melbourne Football Club
The Port Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Borough, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League ....
. Additionally, they played against some strong regional Victorian clubs including two teams from Ballarat, the Ballarat Football Club and Ballarat Imperials, as well as two teams from Bendigo (Bendigo Football Club and Sandhurst Football Club) as well as playing against the Castlemaine Football Club
Castlemaine Football Club
Castlemaine Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia and is currently a member of the Bendigo Football League.The club is notable for several reasons...
, Maryborough Football Club
Maryborough Football Club
The Maryborough Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Bendigo Football League.They are based in the town of Maryborough, Victoria.-History:...
(of Maryborough, Victoria
Maryborough, Victoria
-Education:Maryborough has three schools:*Highview Christian Community College*Maryborough Education Centre Years Prep–12*St Augustine's Primary School Grades Prep–6-Music:...
), Horsham Football Club (of Horsham, Victoria
Horsham, Victoria
Horsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...
) and Kyneton Football Club
Kyneton Football Club
The Kyneton Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Bendigo Football League.They are based in the town of Kyneton, Victoria and have played in the Bendigo Football League since 1932.-Notable players:...
(of Kyneton, Victoria
Kyneton, Victoria
Kyneton is a town on the Calder Highway in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, Australia. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton, Warwickshire. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street...
).
The team also played against several of the stronger South Australian teams including South Adelaide Football Club
South Adelaide Football Club
South Adelaide Football Club competes in the South Australian National Football League . Known as the Panthers, their home ground is Hickinbotham Oval , located in Noarlunga Downs in the southern suburbs of Adelaide....
, Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
, Adelaide Football Club (no connection to the later Adelaide club), Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
. The only club from outside of Victoria or South Australia which played against them was the Maitland Football Club (from the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
). The British team won six matches, including a win over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
on 10 July 1888, and drew one.
The reigning Victorian premiers, Carlton defeated Great Britain at the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
14.17 to 3.8. At this stage goals and points were recorded but only goals counted in the score; for example, when Great Britain played Castlemaine under very heavy conditions they kicked 1 goal 2 points and the locals kicked 1 goal 4 points, but the match was declared a draw. Great Britain also played 35 games of rugby, making a total of 54 games in 21 weeks. A star of the team's Australian rules games was Andrew Stoddart
Andrew Stoddart
Andrew Ernest Stoddart was an English cricketer and rugby union player. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1893.-Cricket career:...
, who captained the team for part of its tour and also captained England in cricket.
The 1888 tour had been organised by the English cricketer Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury was an English cricketer, and rugby football administrator, who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888, and who was widely rated as competing with W. G...
but his involvement with Australian Rules football did not end there. He planned to have an Australian team sent to the United Kingdom to play a series of demonstration matches and to that end he looked to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where he had identified possible opponents. Shrewsbury’s plans are outlined in his correspondence with Alfred Shaw and Turner, the Nottingham Cricket Club Secretary.
Introduction of the game in England
Between 1870 and World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
many overseas students studied medicine in Scotland, and some went down to England to play the Australian Rules teams in that country. On 14 April 1888, the Edinburgh Australians played an Australian Rules game against the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
at Balham, a match which drew considerable praise in UK newspapers such as the Times and the Scotsman.
Shrewsbury suggested that the 'Edinburgh Australians' team at Edinburgh University should travel down to England to meet the Australian team in a series of demonstration matches in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. Unfortunately his bold plan did not eventuate as the authorities in Australia aborted the venture and a possible expansion of Australian Rules in the UK was lost.
World War I
In 1916, a match was held at the Queen's ClubQueen's Club
The Queen's Club is a private sporting club in West Kensington, London, England. Founded in 1886, the Queen's Club was the world's first multipurpose sports complex and named after Queen Victoria, its first patron...
in London between Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
teams, representing the Combined Training Units and the 3rd Division, in which many senior Australian rules footballers from all over Australia took part. However, the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
put an end to organised Australian rules competition in England.
Varsity matches between Oxford and Cambridge
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
Australian students. This game is still played, and is the longest running Australian rules fixture outside Australia. The match is an official Varsity competition. Over the years, some distinguished Australians to have played in the match include Mike Fitzpatrick
Mike Fitzpatrick (footballer)
Michael "Mike" Fitzpatrick is an Australian businessman, sporting administrator and former Australian rules footballer....
, Chris Maxwell
Chris Maxwell
Chris Maxwell BA , LLB , BPhil , QC is an Australian jurist.Maxwell has been President of the Victorian Court of Appeal since 16 July 2005, succeeding Justice John Winneke....
, Joe Santamaria, Sir Rod Eddington and Andrew Michelmore.
Results
| Year | Winner | Results | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Oxford | Oxford ?.? (80) d Cambridge ?.? (30) | |
| 1925 | Oxford | Oxford 10.17 (77) d. Cambridge 1.11 (17) | |
| 1926 | Cambridge | Cambridge 8.11 (59) d Oxford 8.7 (55) | |
| 1927 | Oxford | Oxford 10.10 (70) d. Cambridge 5.10 (40) | |
| 1928 | Cambridge | Cambridge 11.12 (78) d Oxford 5.10 (40) | |
| 1929 | Oxford | Oxford 9.19 (73) d Cambridge 5.9 (39) | |
| 1930 | Oxford | Oxford 4.4 (28) d Cambridge 4.2 (26) | |
| 1931 | Oxford | Oxford 12.11 (83) d Cambridge 7.5 (47) | |
| 1935 | ? | Oxford 9.8 (62) d Cambridge 1.4 (10) | |
| 1949 | Oxford | Oxford 12.6 (78) d Cambridge 3.13 (31) | |
| 1954 | Oxford | Oxford 12.10 (82) d Cambridge 8.10 (58) | |
| 1983 | Cambridge | Cambridge 15.10 (100) d Oxford 7.9 (51) | |
| 2003 | Oxford | Oxford 10.7 (67) d. Cambridge 0.5 (5) | |
| 2004 | Cambridge | Cambridge 3.4 (22) d. Oxford 2.6 (18) | |
| 2005 | Oxford | Oxford 14.15 (99) d. Cambridge 3.4 (22) | |
| 2006 | Oxford | Oxford 32 d. Cambridge 27 | |
| 2007 | Oxford | Oxford 19.11 (125) d. Cambridge 3.10 (28) | Highest ever score recorded |
| 2008 | Oxford | Oxford 8.11 (59) def Cambridge 5.2 (32) | |
| 2009 | Oxford | Oxford 6.15 (51) d. Cambridge 1.1 (7) | |
| 2010 | Oxford | Oxford 17.16 (118) d. Cambridge 9.12 (66) | Highest scoring match to date |
Second World War matches
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. In November of the same year, a game was played in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
between No.11 Personnel despatch and Reception centre team based in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
vs RAAF Headquarters from London.
Teams representing RAAF, Headquarters vs Sunderland, met in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in 1944 in front of a sizeable crowd. Headquarters defeated Sunderland 12.7 (79) to 5.4 (34).
The first local league
In 1967, a charity match was played in Regents Park in London, attracting a crowd of 1,000 spectators. it was followed by matches arranged against Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
personnel and local school sides and rugby clubs. A league was formed which by 1970 had six teams, including two English rugby sides which used the sport to keep fit in the off-season. Among the supporters were Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
, Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
and Michael Cyril Hall. Clubs included the Kensington Demons, Earls Court Magpies, Oxford University Blues, Australian Dentists and Australian Navy (based in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
). This league had disappeared by 1973.
Post-war exhibition matches
In 1972, the first exhibition matchAustralian rules football exhibition matches
Australian rules football has been introduced to a wide range of places around Australia and the world since the code originated in Victoria in 1859....
of the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
was played at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
By 1987, the game had become an annual event, missing only some years.
With a large number of ex-patriate Australians, interest in the game grew and small crowds of up to 10,000 were in attendance for the event in some years.
Interest and crowds grew further with the change of the VFL to the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Highlights during this time included large crowds for the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
's West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
v. Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in 1997 with an attendance of 14,000 and the match between Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
and Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in 2002 which drew 13,000.
The British Australian rules football league
In 1989 the British Australian rules football League (BARFL) was formed. Serious competition began and the competition became more popular, with the local BARFL Grand FinalGrand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
s becoming a large event attracting attendances in the thousands, including a record crowd of 1,500 in 1999.
In 2002 a national team represented Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
at the Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
for the first time, finishing the tournament in 6th place. 2005 saw the British Bulldogs again compete in the International Cup, again finishing 6th overall.
Following the 2005 International Cup, promising 22-year-old British Bulldog Luke Matias began playing with the Port Melbourne Football Club
Port Melbourne Football Club
The Port Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Borough, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League ....
in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
.
Also in 2005, the first Western Derby
Western Derby
The Western Derby is the name given to the Australian rules football rivalry match between the Fremantle Football Club and West Coast Eagles, who both participate in the Australian Football League . As both teams are based in Western Australia, the term 'derby' is used to describe the...
to be played outside of Australia, the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
v. Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
game was played as a pre-season test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in London, drawing a record crowd of 18,884.
In the 2005 Oxford vs Cambridge match, held at Oxford, the Oxford dark blues triumphed 99-22 over the light blue tabs, despite the loss of their inspirational full forward, whose finger was snapped off in a freak brawling accident.
Emergence of Aussie rules UK
In 2005 the first junior development program, Aussie Rules Schools, commenced. The program, co-ordinated by the new development body Aussie Rules UKAussie Rules UK
Aussie Rules UK was a United Kingdom organisation set up in April 2005 to introduce children in the UK to Australian rules football via an adaptation of the sport for use in schools...
, part of Aussie Rules International
Aussie Rules International
Aussie Rules International promotes and develops the sport of Australian rules football internationally. Committed to working with all stakeholders to assist the international growth of the sport, its focus is on:...
was kicked off. This project has seen up to 10 English schools adopt Aussie Rules as part of the school curriculum to combat obesity. Juniors teams have competed at the London Youth Games
London Youth Games
The London Youth Games is an annual multi-sport event held in London, England. The London Youth Games offer competitive opportunities for young participants aged 7 to 18 across 30 sports...
.
2006 was a big year for Aussie Rules in England, with the admission of new clubs in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
and Thanet
Thanet
Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
.
On 17 September 2006 history was made in Denmark when the England Dragonslayers took on the Denmark Vikings in Europe's first fully-fledged international junior Aussie Rules match. England claimed the King Canute Cup, with England 6.10(46) defeating Denmark 0.6(6).
In mid 2007, a bitter turf war
Turf war
According to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...
erupted between Aussie Rules UK and the BARFL with the formation of the Aussie Rules UK National League. The ARUK's contention was that the BARFL was only interested in expat rich areas of London, and that regional and developing areas of the United Kingdom, such as Wales, had been ignored by the BARFL. While the BARFL favoured traditional full ground football with 16 or more players, ARUK was played 9-a-side on rugby grounds, giving it better access to grounds and players. Clubs loyalties were tested and some clubs fielded sides in both leagues.
In July, the AFL announced that the annual London exhibition match was likely to be abandoned for the year, after only the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
had expressed interest.
In a first in 2007, the GB Bulldogs including several past and future England players, soundly defeated Ireland in Dublin 11.15(81) to 2.9(21), holding high expectation for the upcoming 2008 International Cup.
AFL Britain
In 2008, a resolution to the divide between the two competing leagues saw a single national body, AFL Britain form, which formally affiliated to the AFL. The BARFL was dissolved and became AFL London, while regional leagues including the Scottish Australian Rules Football League and the Welsh Australian Rules Football League affiliated with the new national body.Participation
In 2004, there were a total of around 435 senior players across 18 clubs in England. The local league has a higher number of ex-patriate Australians compared to other countries that participate in the sport, however the league recently put in place caps on the number of expatriate players in certain divisions to improve the mix and encourage more local players.By the end of 2007, the game had experienced substantial growth due to the placement of permanent development officers. AFL International Census figures indicate over 3,600 participants
Television
Since the demise of the Setanta SportsSetanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
channels in Great Britain, the new ESPN UK channel has picked up the broadcast rights for the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
As of Friday 7 August 2009 ESPN and British Eurosport are the holders of the British and Irish rights to the Australian Football League (AFL).The new ESPN UK channel is available in Standard Definition via Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
on channel 417 and in High Definition on channel 442. The channel is also available to Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
, TalkTalk TV, BT Vision
BT Vision
BT Vision is a hybrid IPTV-digital terrestrial television service provided by BT Group in the United Kingdom which was launched in December 2006...
and Top Up TV
Top Up TV
Top Up TV is a pay television service in the UK launched in March 2004, operating on the digital terrestrial platform. The aim of the service is to "Top Up" Freeview customers by providing additional channels and services....
subscribers. For the remainder of the 2009 season and for the entire 2010 season, ESPN UK will show three live games each round of the season including selected playoffs games and the AFL Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
in September. Eurosport shows one game a week but the coverage is delayed. The AFL will re-negotiate a future television rights deal sometime in 2010/2011.
Local competitions
1,500 (1999). BARFL Grand FinalGrand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
. West London Wildcats
West London Wildcats
The West London Wildcats are an Australian rules football and netball club based in London, England. The club fields teams in each of the three AFL London divisions - Premiership, Conference and Social. The reserves team is known as the Shepherds Bush Raiders and wear a green and gold guernsey...
vs Wandsworth Demons
Wandsworth Demons
The Wandsworth Demons are an Australian Rules Football club who play in the AFL London competition . They are a founding member of the league and have been based at Clapham Common in south London since 1990....
. London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Exhibition match
18,884 (2005). West CoastWest Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
v. Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
(The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
)
National teams
The official British national Australian Rules football squad is known as the British Bulldogs and has competed in all of the AFL International Cups in Melbourne. The squad is made up of players mainly from the London clubs, although regional clubs including the Reading Roos and Nottingham Scorpions in particular have provided large numbers of players in recent years. The Bulldogs squad for the 2008 International Cup was the first to include players from the Welsh Australian Rules Football League (WARFL).A separate English representative team was organised by Aussie Rules UK
Aussie Rules UK
Aussie Rules UK was a United Kingdom organisation set up in April 2005 to introduce children in the UK to Australian rules football via an adaptation of the sport for use in schools...
under the name England Dragonslayers. The Dragonslayers squads have so far been almost exclusively drawn from the ARUK Regional leagues, although some players from the Great Britain Bulldogs have also played for the Dragonslayers.
There has been speculation that England will eventually field national sides at the International Cup, but this has not been officially stated by AFL Britain.
Leagues and Clubs
Leagues in England are administered by the AFL London and the Aussie Rules UKAussie Rules UK
Aussie Rules UK was a United Kingdom organisation set up in April 2005 to introduce children in the UK to Australian rules football via an adaptation of the sport for use in schools...
regional leagues.
London
| Club | Years in competition | Conference Team | Social Team | Previous names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dulwich Dragons | 2008- | Dulwich | Dulwich | |
| Earls Court Kangaroos Earls Court Kangaroos The Earls Court Kangaroos were an Australian rules football team based in London, England.-History:The Earls Court Kangaroos were formed as a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990... |
1990-97 | Esher Kangaroos (1992), Firkin Roos (1996–97) | ||
| North London Lions North London Lions The North London Lions are an Australian rules football club based in the northern suburbs of London, England.-History:The Lions were a foundation club of the British Australian Rules Football League, having played in every season since the league began in 1990... |
1990- | Regents Park Lions | Bounds Green | |
| Putney Magpies Putney Magpies The Putney Magpies are an Australian rules football club in London, England.-History:The London Gryphons were founded in 1999 by former West Coast Eagles and Brisbane Bears player Mark Zanotti along with BARFL Admin Officer Donald Eastwood who originally played with the Earls Court Kangaroos, and... |
1999- | Hammersmith Magpies | Fulham Magpies | London Gryphons (1999–2003), merged with London Collingwood Supporters' Group |
| Lea Valley Saints Lea Valley Saints Former Australian rules football club in the Lower Lea Valley region of London, England.-History:The club was formed as a foundation member of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990. They competed until 1996, the high point of their existence being a grand final appearance in 1993,... |
1990-96 | |||
| London Swans London Swans The London Swans are an Australian rules football club based in London, England, previously based in Crawley and known until 2007 as the Sussex Swans.-History:... |
1991- | City Swans | Sussex Swans (1991–2007), name still used for their ARUK Southern team | |
| Thames Valley Magpies Thames Valley Magpies Thames Valley Magpies was a now-defunct Australian rules football club based in Wokingham, England.-History:The Thames Valley Magpies were formed for the foundation year of the British Australian Rules Football League in 1990, representing the Berkshire area on the western fringes of London... |
1990-91 | |||
| Wandsworth Demons Wandsworth Demons The Wandsworth Demons are an Australian Rules Football club who play in the AFL London competition . They are a founding member of the league and have been based at Clapham Common in south London since 1990.... |
1990- | Clapham Demons | South London Demons | |
| West London Wildcats West London Wildcats The West London Wildcats are an Australian rules football and netball club based in London, England. The club fields teams in each of the three AFL London divisions - Premiership, Conference and Social. The reserves team is known as the Shepherds Bush Raiders and wear a green and gold guernsey... |
1990- | Shepherds Bush Raiders | Ealing Emus | |
| Wimbledon Hawks Wimbledon Hawks Australian rules football club in Wimbledon, a suburb of London, England. The club plays in the London Premiership of the British Australian Rules Football League. The Hawks are proudly sponsored by The Underdog Bar.-History:... |
1990- | Fulham Hawks | London Hawks (1990–94) |
Regional England
| Club | Leagues competed in | Other names |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Bears Birmingham Bears Birmingham Bears are an Australian rules football team in the city of Birmingham, England. The Bears were set up in the Winter of 2008/2009 to play in the Aussie Rules UK Walkabout National League in 2009 under a 9-a-side format.- History :... |
ARUK Central Division (2009) | |
| Birmingham Crows | BARFL (1993–94) | |
| Bournemouth Demons | ARUK Southern Division (2007–11) | |
| Brighton Black Swans | ARUK Southern Division (2007–08) | |
| Bristol Dockers Bristol Dockers The Bristol Dockers are an Australian rules football club based in Bristol, England.-History:The Bristol Bears were the first Australian rules club in England's west country, formed in 1991 in the British Australian Rules Football League. Their first match was against fellow newcomers the Sussex... |
BARFL (1991–2002), BARFL Regional (2003–06), AFL London Social League (2007-) | Bristol Bears (1991–96) |
| Chippenham Redbacks | ARUK Southern Division (2008–09) | |
| Doncaster Saints Doncaster Saints The Doncaster Saints are an Australian rules football team, based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.-History:The Doncaster Saints were formed for the 2003 British Australian Rules Football League season, wearing the colours of AFL team the St Kilda Saints. Doncaster only competed in two... |
BARFL Regional (2003–04) | |
| Durham Saints | ARUK Northern Division (2007–09) | Durham Swans (2007–08) |
| East Midlands Eagles | BARFL (1990–96) | |
| Gateshead Miners | ARUK Northern Division (2009) | |
| Guildford Crows Guildford Crows Aussie Rules FC The Guildford Crows Aussie Rules FC are an Australian rules football club based in Guildford, England.-History:The Guildford Crows were formed in 2010... |
ARUK Southern Division (2011) | |
| Hartlepool Dockers | ARUK Northern Division (2007–09) | |
| Huddersfield Rams Huddersfield Rams Aussie Rules Huddersfield Rams are an Australian Rules Football team, based in the West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield, England. They were formed in 2008 by Karl Haigh, who was introduced to the sport when traveling in Australia.... |
ARUK Central Division (2009) | |
| Leeds Bombers | ARUK Central Division (2009) | |
| Liverpool Blues | BARFL (1993–94) | |
| Liverpool Eagles | ARUK Central Division (2009) | |
| Manchester Mosquitoes Manchester Mosquitoes The Manchester Mosquitoes are an Australian Rules Football club based at Burnage Rugby Club, south Manchester, England.-History:The Mozzies were formed in 2005 by a group of Australian and British AFL fans who, after many weekends of kicking the footy around in the park in Chorlton, decided to form... |
BARFL Regional (2006), AFL London Social League (2007–09) | |
| Middlesbrough Hawks | SARFL (2006), ARUK Northern Division (2007–09) | |
| Newcastle Centurions | ARUK Northern Division (2007–09) | |
| Nottingham Scorpions | BARFL Regional (2004–06), AFL London Social League (2007–09) | |
| Portsmouth Pirates Portsmouth Pirates The Portsmouth Pirates are an Australian Rules Football team based in Portsmouth, England.They play in the English Australian Rules Southern Football League under a 9-a-side footy rules format.- History :... |
ARUK Southern Division (2009) | |
| Reading Kangaroos Reading Kangaroos The Reading Kangaroos are an Australian rules football club who play in the English town of Reading. Formed by Australians living in the area, the club quickly grew with strong local interest, now attracting players from all over Berkshire... |
BARFL Regional (2003–06), AFL London Social League (2007–09) | |
| Sheffield Thunder | ARUK Central Division (2009) | |
| Southampton Titans | ARUK Southern Division (2007–09) | |
| St Helens Miners | BARFL (2002–04) | Northwestern Miners (2004) |
| Sussex Swans | BARFL (1991-), ARUK Southern Division (2007–09) | |
| Swindon Devils | BARFL Regional (2004–06), WARFL (2007) | |
| Thanet Bombers Thanet Bombers The Thanet Bombers Australian Rules Football Club is Kent's first and only Australian Rules Football Club, formed in 2006. The club is currently inactive due to a poor level of interest in playing the game in east Kent at this time. The team participated in the Aussie Rules UK National League for... |
BARFL Regional (2006), ARUK Southern Division (2007) | Thanet Bombardiers (2006) |
English-born players in the AFL
| Name | Playing Clubs | VFL/AFL career |
|---|---|---|
| Colin Alexander Colin Alexander Colin Alexander is a former Australian rules footballer who was recruited from the Clarence Football Club in Tasmania to play in the Victorian Football League. He played 24 games for Collingwood between 1989–1991, and after a lack of opportunities at Collingwood, he moved to the Brisbane Bears and... |
Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... /Brisbane Brisbane Bears The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995... |
1989–1991 |
| Ian Dargie Ian Dargie Ian Dargie is a former Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda and West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League... |
St Kilda/West Coast West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval... |
1989–1991 |
| Lawrence Bingham Lawrence Bingham Lawrence Bingham is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League .... |
Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys... /St Kilda |
1989–1990 |
| Mark Bayliss Mark Bayliss Mark Bayliss was an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Bayliss was recruited from the WAFL club South Fremantle by Collingwood with their first-round draft pick in the 1988 National Draft. He played as the second string key forward behind Coleman Medallist Brian Taylor... |
Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
1989 |
| Wayne Blackwell Wayne Blackwell Wayne Anthony Blackwell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Claremont in the Western Australian National Football League and Carlton in the Victorian Football League from 1978 to 1990.... |
Carlton Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897... |
1984–1990 |
| Chris Burton Chris Burton (Australian footballer) Chris Burton is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray and Richmond in the Victorian Football League .Burton was born in England and recruited to Footscray from Sunshine Heights... |
Footscray Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne... /Richmond Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,... |
1980–1984 |
| Harry Davie Harry Davie Harry Davie was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne and Carlton in the Victorian Football League during the 1920s.... |
Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria.... /Carlton Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897... |
1924–1927 |
| Fred Fairweather Fred Fairweather Frederick Victor "Fred" Fairweather was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League .... |
North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... |
1944–1946 |
| Andy Goodwin | Richmond Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,... /Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria.... |
1987–1991 |
| Paul Harding | Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys... /St Kilda/West Coast West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval... |
1987–1994 |
| Johnny Leonard Johnny Leonard John "Johnny" Leonard was a player and coach of Australian rules football in the West Australian Football League and the Victorian Football League in the period 1922 to 1946.... |
South Melbourne Sydney Swans The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney... |
1932 |
| Brad Moran Brad Moran (footballer) Bradley "Brad" Moran is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.-Early life:... |
Adelaide/North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... |
2006- |
| Brian Mynott Brian Mynott Brian Mynott is a former Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda in the Victorian Football League . He was born in England.-External links:... |
St Kilda | 1964–1975 |
| Richard Nixon Richard Nixon (footballer) Richard J. Nixon was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian/Australian Football League .... |
Richmond Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,... |
1987–1990 |
| Polly Perkins Bill Perkins (Australian rules footballer) William 'Bill' Perkins, or Polly as he was affectionately known, was a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1940 and 1949 for the Richmond Football Club and coached Brighton.He died on 29 May 2009 at the age of 89... |
Richmond Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,... |
1940–1949 |
| Mick Plant | South Melbourne Sydney Swans The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney... |
1972 |
| Will Thursfield Will Thursfield Will Thursfield is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League . Known as a courageous backman who has stood some of the more notable forwards of the current game... |
Richmond Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,... |
2005- |
| Clive Waterhouse Clive Waterhouse Clive Waterhouse is a former Australian rules footballer. He played in the Australian Football League for the Fremantle Football Club as a half-forward flanker... |
Fremantle Fremantle Football Club The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia... |
1996–2004 |
| Fergus Watts Fergus Watts Fergus Watts was an English-born Australian rules football player with the AFL's Adelaide Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. Watts was a forward line player. He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne... |
St Kilda | 2004–2006 |
Current players are highlighted in bold.
External links
- Surrey Cricket AFL annual exhibition match at 'The Oval'
- AFL Britain website
- BARFL website
- ARUK National League
- Aussie Rules UK
- Cambridge University Australian Rules Football Club
- Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club
- Video of Aussie Rules from YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- The Birmingham Bears
- http://www.espn.co.uk/sports-on-espn sports on ESPN UK link.
- http://www.espn.co.uk/subscribe subscribe to ESPN UK link.