Australian rules football Australian rules football , officially known as Australian football , also called football , footy or Aussie rules ( and in some regions is marketed as AFL , after the Australian Football League , the only fully professional Australian football league ) is a sport played between two teams of 18 players on the field on either an Australian Football ground , a modified cricket field or similar sized sports venue . The game ' s objective is to move the ball downfield and kick the ball through the team ' s goal . The main way to score points is by kicking the ball between the two tall goal posts . The team with the higher total score at the end of the match wins unless either a draw is declared or a tie - break is used . During general play , players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their bodies to move the ball . The primary methods are kicking , handballing and running with the ball . There are rules on how the ball can be handled : for example , players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground . Throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball . Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a " free kick " or mark is paid . A distinctive feature of the game is the mark , where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick ( with specific conditions ) are awarded possession . Australian Football is a contact sport , in which players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents . Dangerous physical contact ( such as pushing an opponent in the back ) , interference when marking and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks , distance penalties or suspension for a certain number of matches , depending on the seriousness of the infringement . Frequent physical contests , spectacular mark ing , fast movement of both players and the ball and high scoring are the game ' s main attributes . Details of the game ' s origins in Australia are obscure and still the subject of much debate . Australian football became organised in Melbourne in May 1859 , when the first laws of the game were published by the Melbourne Football Club . Australian football is the major participation and spectator sport in Australia . The sport is also played at amateur level in several countries and in several variations . The most prestigious competition is the Australian Football League ( AFL ) , culminating in the annual AFL Grand Final , currently the highest attended club championship event in the world . The rules of Australian football are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFL ' s Laws of the Game Committee . Laws of the game . Field . Both the ball and the field of play are elliptical in shape . No more than 18 players of each team are permitted to be on the field at any time . Up to four interchange ( reserve ) players may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game . In Australian rules terminology , these players wait for substitution " on the bench " — an area with a row of seats on the sideline . Players must interchange through a designated interchange " gate " with strict penalties for too many players from one side on the field . In addition , some leagues like the AFL have each team designate one player as a substitute that can be used to make a single permanent exchange of players during a game . There is no offside rule nor are there set positions in the rules ; unlike many other forms of football , players from both teams may disperse across the whole field before the start of play . However , a typical on - field structure consists of six forwards , six defenders or " backmen " and six midfielders , usually two wingmen , one centre and three followers , including a ruckman , ruck - rover and rover . Only four players from each team are allowed within the centre square ( ) at every centre bounce , which occurs at the commencement of each quarter , and to restart the game after a goal is scored . There are also other rules pertaining to allowed player positions during set plays ( that is after a mark or free kick ) and during kick - ins following the scoring of a behind . Match duration . A game consists of four quarters and a timekeeper officiates their duration . Quarters are 20 minutes long at professional level . The clock stops if a team scores , the ball goes out of play or at the umpire ' s discretion . The umpire signals " time - off " to stop the clock for various reasons , such as the player in possession being tackled to the ground and leading to stagnant play as neither side can recover the ball . Time resumes when the umpire signals " time - on " . The official game clock is only known on the field by the timekeepers . Official game time is not displayed to the players or the public ; the only knowledge they have of time is when sirens sound to mark the beginning and end of each quarter . Official time may be approximated by broadcasters to display to television audiences . Teams change ends at the end of each quarter . General play . Games are officiated by umpires . Australian football begins after the first siren , the umpire bounces the ball on the ground ( or throws it into the air if the condition of the ground is poor ) , and the two ruckmen ( typically the tallest players from each team ) , battle for the ball in the air on its way back down . This is known as the " ball - up " . Certain disputes during play may also be settled with a " ball - up " from the point of contention . If the ball ever goes out of bounds ( beyond the oval boundary line around the edge of the field ) , a boundary umpire will stand with his back to the infield and return the ball into play with a " throw - in " , a high backwards toss back into the field of play . The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a foot , clenched fist ( called a handball or " handpass " ) or open - hand tap but it cannot be thrown under any circumstances . Once a player takes possession of the ball he must dispose of it by either kicking or handballing it . Any other method of disposal is illegal and will result in a free kick to the opposing team . This is usually called " incorrect disposal " , " dropping the ball " or " throwing " . If the ball is not in the possession of one player it can be moved on with any part of the body . A player may run with the ball but it must be bounced or touched on the ground at least once every 15 metres . Opposition players may bump or tackle the player to obtain the ball and , when tackled , the player must dispose of the ball cleanly or risk being penalised for holding the ball . The ball carrier may only be tackled between the shoulders and knees . If the opposition player forcefully contacts a player in the back whilst performing a tackle , the opposition player will be penalised for a push in the back . If the opposition tackles the player with possession below the knees ( a " low tackle " or a " trip " ) or above the shoulders ( a " high tackle " ) , the team with possession of the football gets a free kick . If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than from another player ' s kick , by way of a catch , it is claimed as a " mark " ( meaning that the game stops while he prepares to kick from the point at which he marked ) . Alternatively , he may choose to " play on " : forfeiting the set shot in the hope of pressing an advantage for his team ( rather than allowing the opposition to reposition while he prepares for the free kick ) . Once a player has chosen to play on , normal play resumes and the player who took the mark is again able to be tackled . There are different styles of kicking depending on how the ball is held in the hand . The most common style of kicking seen in today ' s game , principally because of its superior accuracy , is the drop punt , where the ball is dropped from the hands down , almost to the ground , to be kicked so that the ball rotates in a reverse end over end motion as it travels through the air . Other commonly used kicks are the torpedo punt ( also known as the spiral , barrel , or screw punt ) , where the ball is held flatter at an angle across the body , which makes the ball spin around its long axis in the air , resulting in extra distance ( similar to the traditional motion of an American football punt ) , and the checkside punt or " banana " , kicked across the ball on the outside of the foot is used to curve the ball ( towards the right if kicked off the right foot ) towards targets that are on an angle . There is also the " snap " , which is almost the same as a checkside punt , except that it is kicked off the inside of the foot and curves in the opposite direction . It is also possible to kick the ball so that it bounces along the ground . This is known as a " grubber " . Grubbers can bounce in a straight line , or curve to the left or right . Apart from free kicks , marks or when the ball is in the possession of an umpire for a " ball up " or " throw in " , the ball is always in dispute and any player from either side can take possession of the ball . Scoring . A " goal " , worth 6 points , is scored when the football is propelled through the goal posts at any height ( including above the height of the posts ) by way of a kick from the attacking team . It may fly through " on the full " ( without touching the ground ) or bounce through , but must not have been touched , on the way , by any player from either team . A goal cannot be scored from the foot of an opposition ( defending ) player . A " behind " , worth 1 point , is scored when the ball passes between a goal post and a behind post at any height , or if the ball hits a goal post , or if any player sends the ball between the goal posts by touching it with any part of the body other than a foot . A behind is also awarded to the attacking team if the ball touches any part of an opposition player , including his foot , before passing between the goal posts . When an opposition player deliberately scores a behind for the attacking team ( generally as a last resort , because of the risk of their scoring a goal ) this is termed a rushed behind . Before the start of the 2009 season , there was no additional penalty imposed for rushing a behind , compared to any other behind . However , for the start of the 2009 season a new rule was announced awarding a free kick against any player who deliberately rushes a behind . The goal umpire signals a goal with two hands raised at elbow height , a behind with one hand , and then confirms the signal with the other goal umpire by waving flags above his head . The team that has scored the most points at the end of play wins the game . If the scores are level on points at the end of play , then the game is a draw ; extra time applies only during finals matches in some competitions . As an example of a score report , consider a match between and . Collingwood ' s score of 16 goals and 12 behinds equates to 108 points . St Kilda ' s score of 7 goals and 10 behinds equates to a 52 point tally . Collingwood wins the match by a margin of 56 points . Such a result would be written as : And said : Additionally , it can be said that : The home team is typically listed first and the visiting side is listed second . The scoreline is written with respect to the home side . For example , won in successive weeks , once as the home side and once as the visiting side . These would be written out thus : Structure and competitions . The " football season " , proper , is from March to August ( early autumn to late winter in Australia ) with finals being held in September and October . In the tropics , the game is sometimes played in the wet season ( October to March ) . Pre - season competitions in southern Australia usually begin in late February . The AFL is recognised by the Australian Sports Commission as being the National Sporting Organisation for Australian Football . There are also seven state / territory - based organisations in Australia , most of which are now either owned by or affiliated to the AFL . Most of these hold annual semi - professional club competitions while the others oversee more than one league . Local semi - professional or amateur organisations and competitions are often affiliated to their state organisations . The AFL is the " de facto " world governing body for Australian Football . There are also a number of affiliated organisations governing amateur clubs and competitions around the world . For almost all Australian rules club competitions the aim is to win the " Premiership " . The premiership is always decided by a " finals series " . The teams that occupy the highest positions on the " ladder " play off in a " semi - knockout " finals series . From the 1930s the finals series was usually contested by the top four teams ( 3rd versus 4th " ( First semifinal ) " ; 1st versus 2nd " ( Second semifinal ) " ; winner of First versus loser of Second " ( Preliminary final ) " ; the winner of Second versus winner of Preliminary playing in the Grand Final for the premiership ) . Many leagues have adopted a final series involving five , six or eight teams with a variety of methods used to determine the winner . The AFL finals system is contested by the top eight teams . Unlike many association football competitions there are usually no separate " league " and " cup " trophies . The team finishing first on the ladder is often referred to as a " minor premier " , although this bears little or no significance . In the AFL , this is the McClelland Trophy and is considered a consolation prize . The team that finishes at the bottom of the ladder at the end of the season receives " the wooden spoon " . It is uncommon for promotion and relegation to occur in Australian football state level competitions although it is common among suburban leagues ( such as the Eastern Football League and Victorian Amateur Football Association in Melbourne ) . History . Origins . As early as 1841 , there is documented evidence of " foot - ball " being played in metropolitan and country Victoria as well as mention of early matches in Adelaide ( 1843 ) and southern Van Diemen ' s Land ( Tasmania ) . While the exact rules being played in these matches are unknown they may have shared similarities and influences . In 1858 English public school football games began to be played in Melbourne and surrounding districts . The earliest known such match was played on 15 June 1858 between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School on the St Kilda foreshore . 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 " , or some other " athletic game " , with a " code of laws " to keep cricketer s fit during winter . This letter is regarded by many historians as being a catalyst for the development of a new code of football in 1859 today known as Australian football . On 31 July , a knock - a - bout match at Yarra Park was played between a " St Kilda scratch team " and " Melbourne scratch team " . Trees were used for goal posts and there were no boundaries and the match lasted from 1 p . m . until dark . There were no rules and fights frequently broke out . Melbourne being a relatively young city , the majority of the early players were migrants and the media of the time noted that participants of each nationality played the game their own distinctive way : the English played in a fashion that resembled rugby football , the Scots played recklessly , and the Irish played in a fashion that resembled the Irish sport of Gaelic football . How the Welsh played is unknown . Another significant milestone in the sport ' s development was a match between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College , which began on 7 August 1858 at Richmond Park , was umpired by Wills and Macadam , and which also involved Scotch College headmaster Thomas H . Smith . A second day of play took place on 21 August and a third , and final , day on 4 September . While the full rules that were used is unknown , some details of the match survived . It was played with a round ball , the distance between the goals was approximately half a mile ( approximately four times longer than the modern Melbourne Cricket Ground playing surface ) , there were 40 players per side and one goal each side was scored with the game being declared a draw . The two schools have competed annually ever since for the Cordner - Eggleston Cup . First rules . The Melbourne Football Club rules of 1859 are the oldest surviving set of laws for Australian football . The ten simple rules were drawn up on 17 May in a meeting was chaired by Wills and in attendance were journalists W . J . Hammersley and J . B . Thompson . Accounts of the people directly involved differ . Some sources claim that Thomas H . Smith , Alex Bruce and or H . C . A . Harrison were also present . The meeting was held at the Parade Hotel , East Melbourne hosted by owner and Melbourne Cricket Club member Jerry Bryant . The publican was a friend of Tom Wills with a personal interest in introducing football to Melbourne ' s schools . Bryant had played a role in organising early football matches at the nearby Richmond Park and his son was one of the first players . The rules were signed by Tom Wills , William Hammersley , J . Sewell , J . B . Thompson , Alex Bruce , T . Butterworth and Thomas H . Smith . Importantly , the rules were widely publicised and distributed . Early competition in Victoria . In 1859 several new football clubs formed including the Castlemaine Football Club , Geelong Football Club ( which Wills directly helped to form ) and the Melbourne University Football Club . While many one - off matches are recorded to have taken place between several early teams from Melbourne ' s suburbs and country Victoria ( such as the Ballarat and Geelong competitions ) , in the early days many had not yet formed clubs for regular competition . The first ever trophy for Australian Football , the 1861 Challenge Cup , was won in 1862 under Melbourne ' s rules by University over Melbourne . The competition continued into the 1860s with the addition of other teams from Melbourne ' s suburbs . Two further competitions , the South Yarra Challenge Cup ( which had evolved from the Caledonian Games ) and " Second Twenties " were held in the 1860s and 1870s . Some rival rules eventually gave way to an acceptance of the Melbourne rules . In 1860 , the Melbourne Football Club redrafted its rules following the input of several other clubs . The requirement to bounce the ball while running was introduced in a significant redraft of the Melbourne rules in 1866 by H . C . A . Harrison and his rules committee to satisfy the Geelong Football Club ' s own set of very different rules . Behind posts , introduced at this time , are also believed to have come directly from the Geelong rules . The new rules became known as the Victorian rules , which became more widely adopted . In 1869 , a 100 - minute time limit was introduced to the game for the first time . Previous to this , winners were decided in a number of ways , but most commonly the first side to kick two goals . The relationship with cricket primarily came out of co - existence and many of football ' s founders were cricketers . As a result , the sport shares some terminology ( i . e . " umpires " and " boundary " ) . However cricket authorities did not initially allow football to be played on their grounds and in the early years football was played primarily in parks . The first football match played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG ) was not until 1876 . Cricket authorities soon saw the opportunity to capitalise on the rapid growth of Australian football , however , and soon most grounds in Victoria were expanded to accommodate the dual purpose , a situation that continues to this day . Football matches between 1859 and 1899 were played in a 20 - per - side format . Spread to other colonies . Gradually the game — known at first as " Melbourne rules " became " Victorian rules " and then " Australian rules " or " Australasian rules " gained roots in other Australasian colonies , beginning with South Australia ( 1860 ) , Tasmania ( 1864 ) , Queensland ( 1866 ) , and New Zealand ( 1871 ) . In 1877 , the sport ' s first governing bodies , the South Australian Football Association and the Victorian Football Association were formed on 30 April and 17 May respectively . The game began to be played in New South Wales in 1877 , in Western Australia in 1881 ( during the 1880s , young men sent to school in Adelaide brought the game home when they had finished their education — more came from the eastern states later in the WA gold rush ) and the Australian Capital Territory in 1911 . By 1916 , the game was first played in the Northern Territory , establishing a permanent presence in all Australian states and mainland territories . The South Australian National Football League ( SANFL ) , formerly named the South Australian Football Association , and the West Australian Football League ( WAFL ) , formerly named the Western Australian Football Association , were strong , separate competitions by the 1890s . However , late in the century the code began to decline in New South Wales and Queensland largely due to competition with other more popular football codes , as well as interstate rivalries and the lack of strong local governing bodies . In the case of Sydney , denial of access to grounds and the loss of professional players to other football codes directly inhibited to the game ' s growth . The first intercolonial match had been played between Victoria and South Australia on 2 August 1879 . Emergence of the VFL . In 1896 , delegates from the stronger and wealthier VFA clubs — Carlton , Collingwood , Essendon , Fitzroy , Geelong , Melbourne , St Kilda and South Melbourne — met to form a breakaway competition and in 1897 , the Victorian Football League ( VFL ) , was born as an eight - team competition . Popularity of the VFL grew rapidly and by 1925 with 12 teams , had become the most prominent league in the game and would dominate so many aspects of the sport from that point on . Effects of the two world wars . Both World War I and World War II had a devastating effect on the sport of Australian football and on Australian sport in general . While scratch matches were played by Australian " diggers " in remote locations around the world , the game lost many of its great players to wartime service . Some competitions never fully recovered . Between 1914 and 1915 talks were held for a proposed amalgamation with rugby league , the predominant code of football in New South Wales and Queensland was considered and trialled . World War I saw the game in New Zealand go into recess for three quarters of a century . In Queensland , the state league went into recess for the duration of the war . VFL club University left the league and went into recess due to severe casualties . The WAFL lost two clubs and the SANFL was suspended for one year in 1916 due to heavy club losses . The ANZAC Day clash is one example of how the war continues to be remembered in the football community . Interstate football and the Australian National Football Council . The Australian National Football Council ' s primary role was to govern the game at national level to facilitate interstate representative and club competition . The ANFC ran the Championship of Australia , the first national club competition , which commenced in 1888 and saw clubs from different states compete on an even playing field . During this time , the Port Adelaide won a record four national club championships . Although clubs from other states were at times invited , the final was almost always between the premiers from the two strongest state competitions of the time — South Australia and Victoria — and the majority of matches were played in Adelaide at the request of the SAFA / SAFL . By the 1960s , as VFL clubs increasingly recruited the best players from other states , they began to dominate the competition and the last match was played in 1976 , with North Adelaide being the last non - Victorian winner in 1972 . Between 1977 and 1987 , the Australian Football Council ( AFC ) in conjunction with the VFL ran a night series , which invited clubs and representative sides from around the country to participate in the " National Football League " for the Wills Cup , however Victorian sides still dominated . With the lack of international competition , representative matches between state teams were regarded with great importance . Originating from the early intercolonial matches , these tests continued well after Federation of Australia in 1901 and the Australian Football Council co - ordinated regular interstate carnivals . In 1908 , a Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival was held to celebrate 50 years of Australian Football . The carnival included teams representing Victoria , South Australia , Queensland , New South Wales , Tasmania , Western Australia and New Zealand . Again , due primarily to the VFL recruiting the best players , Victoria dominated interstate matches for three quarters of a century . Representative football was kept alive longer than the national club competition with the introduction of State of origin rules in 1977 . The new rules mean that rather than representing the state of their adopted club , players would return to play for the state they were first recruited in . This instantly broke Victoria ' s stranglehold over state titles and Western Australia and South Australia began to win many of their games against Victoria . Both New South Wales and Tasmania scored surprise victories at home against Victoria in 1990 . Towards a national club competition . In 1978 , the term Barassi Line was used to describe the dichotomy that existed in Australia ' s football culture , where Australian Football was most popular in all states bar New South Wales and Queensland . This description prompted the first suggestions of regular interstate club competition and of overcoming the dichotomy and establishing a national league . By 1980 , the way the game was played had changed dramatically due to innovative coaching tactics , with the phasing out of many of the game ' s kicking styles and the increasing use of handball ; whilst presentation was influenced by television . In 1982 , in a move that heralded big changes within the sport , one of the original VFL clubs and now struggling , South Melbourne , relocated to Sydney and became known as the Sydney Swans . In the late 1980s , due to the poor financial standing of many of the Victorian clubs , the VFL pursued a more national competition . Two more non - Victorian clubs , the West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears began playing in 1987 . In their early years , the Sydney and Brisbane clubs struggled both on and off - field because the substantial TV revenues they generated by playing on a Sunday went to the VFL . To protect these revenues the VFL granted significant draft concessions and financial aid to keep them competitive . Each club was required to pay a licence fee which allowed the Victorian based clubs to survive . The league changed its name to the Australian Football League ( AFL ) following the 1989 season . In 1991 , it gained its first South Australian team , Adelaide , which paid five million dollars to enter the AFL . During the next five years , two more non - Victorian teams , Fremantle and Port Adelaide , joined the league . From 2011 to 2012 two new teams were added to the competition — the Gold Coast Suns in 2011 and the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2012 . The AFL , currently with 18 member clubs , is the sport ' s elite competition and the most powerful body and continues to seek further opportunities to expand into new markets . Following the emergence of the Australian Football League , the SANFL , WAFL and other state leagues rapidly declined to a secondary status . Apart from these there are many semi - professional and amateur leagues around Australia , where they play a very important role in the community , and particularly so in rural areas . The VFA , still in existence a century after the original schism , merged with the former VFL reserves competition in 1998 . The new entity adopted the VFL name and remained a primarily state - based competition . State of origin games also declined in importance , especially after an increasing number of withdrawals by AFL players . The AFL turned its focus for representation to an annual International Rules Series against Ireland in 1998 before abolishing State of Origin in 1999 . The second - tier state and territorial leagues still contest interstate representative matches . Although Tasmanian AFL Bid has been ongoing , the AFL ' s focus has become gaining marketshare in lucrative and broadcasting rights in two populous Australian states , introducing clubs on the Gold Coast ( Gold Coast Football Club ) and in Greater Western Sydney ( Greater Western Sydney Football Club ) . The AFL regularly schedules pre - season exhibition matches in all Australian states and territories as part of the Regional Challenge . The AFL has signalled further expansion by scheduling a competition match in New Zealand 2013 and up to three competition matches in 2014 played in Wellington . Australian football internationally . Australian football is played at an amateur level in various countries around the world . Over 50 countries are home to clubs or leagues who play regularly . Twenty countries have participated in the Euro Cup and 22 countries have participated in the International Cup with both competitions prohibiting Australian players . Over 20 countries have either affiliation or working agreements with the AFL . There have been several players in the VFL / AFL who were born outside Australia and since 1982 , an increasing number of players have been recruited from outside Australia through initiatives such as the Irish experiment and more recently , international scholarship programs . In the late 19th and early 20th centuries , the game spread with the Australian Diaspora to areas such as New Zealand and South Africa ; however this growth went into rapid decline following World War I . After World War II , the sport experienced a small amount of growth in the Pacific region , particularly in Nauru , Papua New Guinea and later New Zealand . Most of the current amateur clubs and leagues in existence have developed since the 1980s , when leagues began to be established in North America , Europe and Asia . As the size of the Australian diaspora has increased , so has the number of clubs outside Australia . This expansion has been further aided by multiculturalism and assisted by exhibition matches as well as exposure generated through players who have converted to and from other football codes . In Papua New Guinea , New Zealand , South Africa and the United States there are many thousands of players . The AFL became the de facto governing body when it pushed for the closure of the International Australian Football Council in 2002 . The Australian Football International Cup is currently the highest level of senior international competition . International rules football . Since 1967 there have been many matches between Australian football teams ( mainly from Australia ) and Gaelic football teams ( mainly from Ireland ) , under various sets of hybrid , compromise rules known as International rules football . In 1984 , the first official representative matches of International Rules were played , and these were played annually each October between the AFL and the Gaelic Athletic Association , also known as the GAA , between 1998 and 2006 . These were part of the official International Rules Series , which attracted large crowds and media interest in Ireland and Australia . In 2007 the international rules series was abandoned because of the aggression and the severity of the Australian team in the previous year , but in 2008 , under new rules to protect the player with the ball , it resumed in Australia . Australian football culture . Australian football is a sport rich in tradition and Australian cultural references , especially surrounding the rituals of gameday for players , officials and supporters . Australian football has attracted more overall interest among Australians ( as measured by the Sweeney Sports report ) than any other football code , and , when compared with all sports throughout the nation , has consistently ranked first in the winter reports , and most recently third behind cricket and swimming in summer . In 2006 , 615 , 549 registered participants played Australian football in Australia . Participation increased 7 . 84 % between 2005 – 06 . The Australian Sports Commission statistics show a 64 % increase in the total number of participants over the 10 year period between 2001 – 2010 . Australian football is played in more than 30 countries around the world . In 2004 , there were over 25 , 000 participants outside of Australia . This has grown to about 35 , 000 people in 32 countries playing in structured competitions outside of Australia . Australian rules is the national sport of Nauru . Many related games have emerged from football , mainly with variations of contact to encourage greater participation . These include Kick - to - kick ( and its variants such as " End to End Footy " and " Markers Up " ) , Auskick , Rec Footy , Women ' s Australian rules football , 9 - a - side Footy , Masters Australian Football , handball and longest - kick competitions . Players outside of Australia sometimes engage in related games on the available fields , like Metro Footy ( played on gridiron fields ) and Samoa Rules ( played on rugby fields ) . Australian Football Hall of Fame . For the centenary of the VFL / AFL in 1996 , the Australian Football Hall of Fame was established . In that year 136 identities were inducted , including 100 players , 10 coaches , 10 umpires , 10 administrators and six media representatives . The selections have caused some controversy , mainly because of the predominance of VFL players at the expense of those who played in other leagues in the years before there was a national competition . The elite " Legend " status was bestowed on 12 members of the Hall of Fame in 1996 : Ron Barassi , Haydn Bunton Senior , Roy Cazaly , John Coleman , Jack Dyer , Polly Farmer , Leigh Matthews , John Nicholls , Bob Pratt , Dick Reynolds , Bob Skilton and Ted Whitten ( see above list for further details ) . The following twelve members have been promoted to the status of " Legend " since 1996 : Ian Stewart ( 1997 ) , Gordon Coventry ( 1998 ) , Peter Hudson ( 1999 ) , Kevin Bartlett ( 2000 ) , Barrie Robran ( 2001 ) , Bill Hutchison ( 2003 ) , Jock McHale ( 2005 ) , Darrel Baldock ( 2006 ) , Norm Smith ( 2007 ) , Alex Jesaulenko ( 2008 ) , Kevin Murray ( 2010 ) and Barry Cable ( 2012 ) .