AFL/VFL Creation

1. AFL/VFL Creation How the Nations Game Became

2. The Creator • One of the creators of AFL or VFL as it’s was know, was Tom Wills who was actually a good cricketer but wrote a letter to Bell’s Life a magazine in Victoria to say that cricketers during the winter should keep fit, he actually wrote about starting football clubs so they could join these and play and keep fit.

3. Where Did It Start • On the 17th of May, 1859, at the Parade Hotel in East Melbourne a set of rules was decide by William Hammersley, James Thompson, Tom Wills and Tom Smith. William Hammersley had a lot of college experience in England which help create the new game and James Thompson was able to promote through the Newsprint as he was a reporter, this help the game grow. The game actually started by getting people to come down and play with a rugby ball which people provide from them. Most of these games were played on Richmond Paddock (Yarra Park) their not much that survived from these matches but we know that Wills played and umpired in the games.

4. This is picture by Cartoonist Mark Knight showing the first rules of Football Being Decided

5. Melbourne Grammar V Scotch College • This was a famous match as it was a start in the growth of the game. The full rules used are unknown but we know that there were 40 men a side and the two post were situated half a mile away from each other 4 four times the MCG. Wills umpired this game with McAdam. Those days the game would finish the game when a team scored two goals. This game went on for another two days were it was called a draw after both teams scored only one goal each. This is believed to be one of the first games of Australian rules football but it only a game in the process of development.

6. This is a drawing of a game played on Richmond Paddock

7. The Growth of the Game • By 1896 the VFL was created, in 1897 was when the first games were played by foundation clubs- Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne. In 1990 VFL Became Australian Football League (AFL) despite the national name they still lack a team from South Australia, Australia second largest football state. But on March the 1st, 1991 the Adelaide crows joined the league which caused a bye to be emplaced and a final six was to play it out in the finals.

8. Importance in Australia History • The creation of the Australian Rules Football shaped our Nation by giving Australia a past time that has been come from being a form of fitness to a competitive sport that is played nation wide for 150 years. This Sport also shows the courage, determation and belief in the players and supporters that anything can happen in this game all nothing is over till the final serin sounds.

9. How to Teach it • First the teacher would start by sitting the students in table groups and tell them to do a think pair share activity on what they already know about AFL/VFL creation. After they have finished ask one student to share what the table was able to come up with. Then the teacher ask students to give a number to everyone on the table in preparation for a Jigsaw activity. The reading sheet will be on these topics: Tom Wills, The first official game, VFL creation and AFL creation. After 30 minutes students return to table group and share what they learnt from the sheet. After all table groups have shared the students speared around the room for a reflection on the task. The teacher start by throwing a ball or footy around to any student who can say how they work today or what they learnt today.