Collingwood’s Dane Swan and supporters after the 2010 Toyota AFL Grand Final replay between the Collingwood Magpies and the St Kilda Saints at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
Ask any Victorian and there’s no doubt in their minds Australian Rules is their sport, lock, stock, and barrel. But it was Tom Wills, born in Queanbeyan NSW in 1835, who invented the sport in 1857.
A boarder at Rugby School in England from 14, Wills excelled at both rugby and cricket.
In his final year he captained both the first XV and first X1 and was rated one of the most promising cricketers in England.
When he left Rugby, Wills played a couple of county seasons with Kent, and returned home to find his Queanbeyan cricket mates were unfit.
So he devised a game that was a mixture of rugby, soccer, and Gaelic football, featuring marking, kicking, and tackling, with no off-side, to keep his colleagues active in the winter.
When Wills was appointed secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club in 1858 he pursued his hybrid game further, with his Picton NSW born cousin Henry Harrison.
The first “official” game was between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College with 40 aside. The goal-posts were half-a-mile apart, and the game lasted for five hours.
Little did Tom Wills think his roughly put together game would become Australia’s biggest sport. Undisputed.
Crowds in excess of 80,000 at the MCG have been surpassed 10 times this season. A record.
At the completion of the 24 rounds before the finals, 2.53 million had gone through the MCG gates alone. Another record..
In all, 26 games passed the 50,000 mark, 25 of them at the MCG. Both new records.
AFL is a phenomenal success story, and Melbourne couldn’t be a better city to be the code’s home.
Pro-rata to population, Melbourne is the best sporting spectator city on the planet. If the “G” could hold 150,000, there’d be 150,000 there for the decider on Saturday – rain, hail, or shine.
The MCG for cricket is another mind-blower with a potential 80,000-plus a day for an Ashes series; Melbourne Park, the permanent home of the Australian Tennis Open, is constantly booked out; and the Australian Formula One Championship enjoys big numbers
And let’s not forget the Melbourne Cup, the race that literally stops the nation.
.
This week is all about the lead-in to the big one. It’s a fascinating time to be in the southern capital.
Weather permitting, there will be 200,000 lining Melbourne inner-city streets tomorrow for the drive past of the Collingwood and Geelong teams – the atmosphere electric.
Don’t be surprised. There’s an old saying you’d get 20,000 to watch two flies crawl up a wall in Melbourne if it was promoted properly.
So take a bow Tom Wills and Henry Harrison. You gave NSW an original stake in the illustrious history of the VFL and AFL.
Not that any Victorian would give a continental.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
The cricket world cup would have more followers in India alone than the RWC would have in the whole world combined.
Axelv
Guest
AFL was invented in England, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_rules Not by an 'Aussie' who grew up in England. AFL is as about as indigenous as Soccer, Tennis, Cricket, Rugby etc.
Creek
Guest
Xman, your are contradicting the argument. If you count Bathurst as a single event attended by people from across Australia, then I make the undeniable argument that the Australian Open, F1 Grand Prix and MotoGP are all attended by people across the globe, so shouldn't count. Then I would say that the Boxing Day test and Melbourne Cup are events attended by people from around Australia, then go and say that every single AFL game played in Victoria of a weekend is at the very least attended by people from across the entire state. Melbourne is the location. That has very little to do with the people that attend it. The sporting culture is ingrained into all Victorians (and to a lesser extent all Australians) and the fact that Melbourne had to get it's act together for the '56 Olympics set it up on the world stage as the place to be in Australia for sport. Also, the ease of access to the majority of venues across Melbourne is a breeze compared to any other major city in Australia. They are so close to get to with some very workable public transport systems in place. If Sydney got it's act together and made it enticing and easy to access sporting events then I am sure attendances would rise. I will add in one little jibe. Compared to the rest of Australia, Melbourne has to cling to it's sport, because really, it's not like it has anything else going for it. The other major centres all have nice beaches, and good weather for the majority, so people are out enjoying life doing other things, they don't need to attend sport for entertainment.
AC
Guest
I might be wsrong but the media in Melbourne is very protective of it's game = Australian Football. Understandabky so. I do know there a lot of people in Melbourne who a few years ago would not know what NRL stood fotr. Everyone does now.
Col
Guest
Well when there is nothing else to do there......when you are living in a place that sucks the will to live out of you I suppose you have to cling to something....AFL in Melbourne. I get it.
jeznez
Roar Guru
The one I always heard was that sport spectating was led by Melbourne but that sport participation in Sydney and Brisbane was much higher. Anyone know if this is actually true/got numbers? I know that growing up that I swam, rowed, sailed, played union, tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer, waterpolo and cricket before settling on union. I'm not talking on the back oval, I mean I actually signed up for at least one season or more with school or a club. Is this fairly standard?
spikhaza
Guest
You just met Gav. He's very passionate for all sport, this is from a northerner.
spikhaza
Guest
This is the way we role in Brisbane, we also play attractive football. I will be at the Reds, Roar, Broncos, Lions games next year, member and all. We love all football up here.
spikhaza
Guest
Four stadiums not just over 50000, London has 4 over 60000 and 3 over 80000. Melbourne doesn't even have a stadium rectangular over 30000. Looking at it from a world context you can say the average capacity infastructure of an athletics, rugby and football field... that means: London 90000+82000+80000/3 = 84000 Melbourne 100000+30000+30000/3=53333 London by a country mile
jeznez
Roar Guru
explain that to me milf, is it any different from leagies calling their game their comp the NRL?
jeznez
Roar Guru
3rd highest average attendance for the Rebels, or is that third lowest average attendance for the Rebels?
spikhaza
Guest
pfff if your calling a 30000 seat stadium world class your dreaming ( AAMI park ). Sure it's good, no way it's world class though
spikhaza
Guest
If It's not then what is? RWC has the third highest average attendance from 2007 anyway at 47150 per match, a good 10000 more than AFL's monster. I think you are underestimating just how big the turnament is, in 2003 a million people went to trafalgar square to celebrate England people. A million people. By England 2015 the turnament will have an average attendance of 62000 if they reach there expected ticket sales (which have always been exceeded since 1991). When you think about it,what other turnament comes close to FIFA world cup, Summer Olympics and RWC? In terms of global exposure there is a huge gap between the 'big 3' and anything else. Winter olympics - no one outside of Canada or Russia could give a rats arse. No other sports other than Football and Rugby and sort of cricket have enough international competition for a world cup - Rugby League's world cup definately is not a world cup. The cricket world cup has shite average attendances, no one goes to any game but the final and semi finals / host team. The RWC generates a massive amount of revenue and the money it earns along with global recognition means it is the third largest sporting event in the world.
me, I like football
Guest
It's 28 Vic V 45 NSW, pretty much along population lines
mushi
Guest
Wow an arbitrary award that i hadn't heard of before googling it and finding a website that looked like someones university project.
Galaxy Hop
Guest
I understand David, but let's get analogous--even if it will be a little tenuous. More people (kids) go to see Justin Bieber than went to see Charlie Parker or Charles Mingus. Does that make Bieber the capital (pinnacle) of musicality. As I'm sure you know there are AFL fans out there who are nuts about their team. Fair enough. Then there are the people (lots more evidently than in Sydney) who go cause it's the thing to do. Excuse me for being a little cynical about that.
Football United
Guest
yeah it should but i am disappointed they couldn't leave the oval as it is now and look to build a alternate stadium nearby. The adelaide oval is one of the last traditional cricket grounds in Australia, with the atmosphere there during the ashes being by far the best in recent years.
stabpass
Guest
The revamped Adelaide Oval, will be great for Australian football and cricket, and revitalise a city that really needs it.
stabpass
Guest
Indeed it is a cultural cringe, basically hutch strikes at anything Australian football and Victorian, you appear to be the same, why ?, facts are Melbourne has won the title of Sports Champion City 3 times. Thats pretty good, and AFAIK they are the current title holders.
Titus
Guest
This comment says a lot about you Ozman and by reflection a lot about Victoria as well I guess.