History Of Australian Rules Football In Victoria (1859–1900)

Australian rules football was first organised in Victoria in 1859 when its rules were codified by the Melbourne Football Club.

First rules: 1859

On 17 May 1859, the first rules for a local code of football were written during a meeting of four members of the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC): Tom Wills, William Hammersley, J. B. Thompson and Thomas Smith. The meeting was held at the Parade Hotel on the site of the present MCG Hotel. Wills, a renowned cricketer, was secretary of the MCC at the time. He had attended Rugby School and was familiar with the argument between the proponents of allowing players to handle the ball (i.e., Rugby football) and those who wanted players to use their feet only, the style later adopted by the Football Association.

1859 – Geelong rules

Below are the rules for Australian Rules Football, alleged to have been used by the Geelong Football Club in 1859. They were originally written down by hand. This is strange, as when Geelong formed in July 1859, they used the Melbourne rules. Graeme Atkinson, writing in ''Everything You Wanted Know About Australian Rules Football ...'' considers it likely that these Geelong rules were drawn up prior to the first rules of the Melbourne Football Club which were drafted on 17 May 1859.:

''1. Distance between goals and the goal posts to be decided by captains.''

''2. Teams of 25 in grand matches, but up to 30 against odds.''

''3. Matches to be played in 2 halves of 50 minutes. At the end of first 50 teams may leave ground for 20 minutes for refreshments but must be ready to resume on time otherwise rival captain can call game off or (if his side has scored) claim it as a win.''

''4. Game played with 200 yard ic. 82.9 metrespace, same to be measured equally on each side of a line drawn through the centre of the two goals, and two posts to be called "kick off" posts shall be erected at a distance of 20 yards 8.3 metreson each side of the goal posts at both ends and in a straight line between them.''

''5. When kicked behind goal, ball may be brought 20 yards in front of any portion of the space between the kick off and kicked as nearly as possibly ic.in line with opposite goal.''

''6. Ball must be bounced every 10 or 20 yards if carried.''

''7. Tripping, holding, hacking prohibited. Pushing with hands or body is allowed when any player is in rapid motion or in possession of ball, except in the case of a mark.''

''8. Mark is when a player catches the ball before it hits the ground and has been clearly kicked by another player.''

''9. Handball only allowed if ball held clearly in one hand and punched or hit out with other. If caught, no mark. Throwing is prohibited.''

''10. Before game captains toss for ends.''

''11. In case of infringements, captain may claim free from where breach occurred. Except where umpires appointed, opposing captain to adjudicate.''

''12. In all grand matches two umpires – one from each side – will take up position as near as possible between the goal posts and centre. When breach is made appeal to go to nearest umpire.''

It is usually agreed that it was Rule 8, which covers marking, is the one that differentiated the Australian game from any other set of football rules. Rule 9, which covers handballing, also defines a major feature of the Australian game. The lack of any offside rule is also considered a vital differentiation from other forms of football.

Reference to "the 'kick off' posts" in Rule 4 is important. These are obviously what are now known as behind posts and which have always been an important feature of the game. Until 1878, kicks between the goal-post and kick off posts were not recorded. However, after that date, behinds were noted but did not count towards the score.

Despite the fact that Tom Wills had helped referee the Melbourne Grammar v Scotch College game in 1858, Field Umpires did not become a regular feature of the game until 1872. Under Rule 11 the captains were usually responsible for adjudicating on infringements and disputations. Rule 12 does make provision for the appointment of two Umpires but these are really only goal umpires.

Of course, rules continued (and still continue) to evolve. More information on the features that make Australian Rules distinctive, is found under the heading: "Features of the Game" (below).

1860 rules

Below are the rules as refined in 1860 by a meeting of the Melbourne Football Club but with some input from other existing clubs.

''1. The distance between the goals and the goal posts shall be decided upon by the captains of the sides playing.''

''2. The captains on each side toss for choice of goal; the side losing the toss has the kick-off from the centre point between the goals.''

''3. A goal must be kicked fairly between the posts without touching either of them or any portion of the person of one of the opposite side. In case of the ball being forced between the goal posts in a scrimmage, a goal shall be awarded.''

''4. The game shall be played within a space of not more than 200 yds 82.9 metreswide, the same to be measured equally on either side of a line drawn through the centre of the two goals; and the two posts, to be called kick-off posts, shall be erected at a distance of twenty yards 8.3 metreson each side of the goal posts at both ends, and in a straight line with them.''

''5. In case the ball is kicked behind the goal, any one of the side behind whose goal it is kicked, may bring it twenty yards in front of any portion of the space between the "kick-off" posts, and shall kick it nearly as possible in line with the opposite goal.''

''6. Any player catching the ball directly from the foot may call "mark". He then has a free kick; no player from the opposite side being allowed to come inside the spot marked.''

''7. Tripping, holding and hacking are strictly prohibited. Pushing with the hands or body is allowed when any player is in rapid motion or in possession of the ball, except in the case provided for in Rule 6.''

''8. The ball may not be lifted from the ground in any circumstances, or taken in hand, except as provided for in Rule 6 (catch from the foot) or when on the pick-up. It shall not be run with in any case.''

''9. When a ball goes out of bounds (same being indicated by a row of posts) it shall be brought back to the point where it crossed the boundary line, and thrown in at right angles with that line.''

''10. The ball, while still in play, must under no circumstances, be thrown.''

''11. In case of a deliberate infringement of any of the above rules, by either side, the captain of the opposite side may claim that any one of his party may have a free kick from the place where the breach of the rules was made; the two captains in all cases, save where umpires are appointed, to be the sole judges of "infringements".''

Until the 1980s, the earliest known rules were a printed set that came out of a meeting of delegates of the various clubs, held at the Freemason's Hotel, Melbourne on 8 May 1866. Copies ade at unknown dateof the 1859 set of rules and the 1860 rules, referred to above, both hand-written, have been unearthed in recent years.

Features of the game

Kicking

When the game was first played the types of kicks used were the punt kick, the place kick and the drop kick.

The '' punt kick'' is still an important part of the game.

The ''place kick'', usually associated with rugby league, rugby union and gridiron was used in Aussie Rules for many years, particularly for kicking for goal. It was mainly favoured because of the distance the ball would travel after being place kicked. It was rarely used after the 1920s.

The ''drop kick'' was an important feature of the game for many decades mainly because of its accuracy, but it fell into disuse as the pace of the game speeded up and it was rarely used after the 1960s.

The '' stab kick'' (or ''stab pass'') was devised in the early days of the 20th century, probably by Collingwood players during a 1902 tour of Tasmania, where weak opposition teams led Collingwood players to experiment. The stab's discovery is usually attributed to Dick Condon but Eddie Drohan, Charlie Pannam and Bob Rush would have also contributed. (Some writers suggest that the Stab Pass was used even earlier and cite the Rev. A Brown who played for South Melbourne in the early 1880s. Nevertheless, it did not become a feature of the game until after Collingwood's 1902 Tasmanian tour.) The concentration on Collingwood and its players is not accidental, because the original Sherrin football, initially only used by Collingwood, was specifically designed to facilitate the stab-kick. Prior to the especially designed Sherrin football, the standard football was, essentially, a rugby ball. The stab pass also fell into disuse after the 1970s.

Bouncing the ball

Rule 6 of the rules drawn up in 1859 state that the ball should be bounced every 10 or 20 yards (9.14 to 18.29 metres). However, in the first few seasons there appears to have been an agreement between the clubs not to allow any running with the ball. This was mainly an attempt to curb H.C.A. Harrison who ran with great speed, carrying the ball Rugby style. Nevertheless, it is known that the ''agreement'' was sometimes ignored, such as during the Melbourne v Richmond game on 5 June 1860 and a Royal Park v Melbourne game in 1863. The latter led to the rule about bouncing being more strictly observed. When the rules were redrawn in 1866, the distance between bounces was reduced to a flat 10 yards.

Marks

The 1859 rules made provision for marking but they were usually taken on the chest or, sometimes, on the shoulder or with the hands outstretched but with the feet still firmly on the ground.

Probably the first player to make the spectacular leaps that are now a feature of the game, was Charles "Commotion" Pearson who played for Essendon in the mid-1880s. It is said that ladies in the crowd screamed for fear that Pearson may injure himself or others. ''The Argus'' prophetically said: ''While Mr Pearson takes risks with his rocket-like leaps into the air, who knows but that this may be a new revolution in high marking. What a thrill the game would become as a spectacle if all players tried out this new idea. Perhaps in years to come we will see players all over the field sailing up in the air in this 'Pearson-like' fashion.''
While Pearson is usually attributed with first devising the high mark, contemporaries such as Harry Todd (Hotham/North Melbourne) and Jack Kerley (Geelong) were also making similar high leaps.

Tagging the opposition

Tagging is not as new as many people may imagine. In 1885, a newspaper reporter objected to the tactics of both clubs during a Fitzroy v Carlton game. Fitzroy instructed "Dummy" Muir to watch Carlton's Baker, and Carlton had a player watching Paddy McShane.

The following report of a South Melbourne v Melbourne game appeared in ''The Australasian'' of 14 July 1894: ''Someone told them (Melbourne) that McKnight, Windley and Waugh were the backbone of the Southern team and they immediately conceived the idea of telling men off to block these players. Moysey was directed to shadow McKnight, young Wardill had to prevent Windley getting possession ... and Lewis was appointed to control the movements of Waugh. Their instructions were very definite. They were all three told that it did not matter whether they got a kick themselves at all in the match, if they only succeeded in spoiling the play of the three South cracks. Those who were present at the match can say how well these instructions were carried out. There was nothing in the tactics adopted that infringed a solitary rule of the game and the plan was singularly effective, but I own to feeling a shade of doubt concerning the manliness of the whole proceeding. I would certainly have preferred to see the representatives of the grand old Melbourne win ... purely upon their superior prowess as players.''

1860s and 1870s

Within a few years of the drafting of the early rules, there were no fewer than 19 football clubs using the rules drafted at the Parade Hotel. The following clubs are known to have existed by the mid-1860s:

†Defunct

1858 teams (playing under hybrid rules or rugby)
* †South Yarra Football Club (25 September 1858 - 1873)
* Melbourne Football Club (1858 – present incorporated on 17 May 1859).
* †St Kilda Football Club (1858 - 1864) (unrelated to current St Kilda Football Club)
* Richmond (1858 - unknown)
* Albert Park (1858 - unknown)
* Melbourne Grammar (1858 - present)
* Scotch College (1858 - present)
* St Kilda Grammar School (1858 - unknown)Bader, F. (August 2008).
The Leathern Sphere
, ''St Kilda Times''. St. Kilda Historical Society Inc. Archived from th
original
24 February 2012.

1859 teams
* Melbourne University Football Club (Prior to June 1859 - present)
* †Coast Football Club (Prior to June 1859 - 1877)
* †Brighton Football Club (9 June - unknown)
* Castlemaine Football Club (15 June 1859 - present)
* Geelong Football Club (18 July 1859 – present)
* †Emerald Hill Football Club (prior to August 1859)
* †Prahran Football Club (prior to August 1859)

Other early clubs
* Ballarat Football Club (20 May 1860 - present)
* Albert-park (originally South Melbourne, then Emerald-hill)
*Ballarat
* Brunswick
*Carlton
*Collingwood (no association with the present club, formed in 1892)
*Melbourne Grammar School
* Northcote
*Richmond (no association with the present club, formed in 1885)
*Royal Park
* Scotch College
*University
* Wharehousemen
* Williamstown

Among clubs formed in the late-1860s/early 1870s were Regiment and Studley Park. Most of the other clubs formed during this era are mentioned below.

In 1861 the first moves towards the establishment of a roof body were seen when the Athletic Sports Committee presented a Challenge Cup for the champion Senior team, which was donated by the Royal Caledionian Society of Melbourne. The result was disputed in 1869, with both Carlton and Melbourne claiming the Cup. In the following year, Melbourne and South Yarra both claimed champion status. In 1870, South Yarra put up a new Challenge Cup for competition. A few years after the Challenge Cup was first presented, Junior teams were able to compete for a Junior Challenge Cup.

Prior to the actual establishment of an official football-only roof body in 1877, there was still a great degree of organisation and cooperation between the various clubs. Regular meetings were held between the secretaries of the clubs at which, inter alia, the following matters were discussed:
- changes and refinements to the rules;
- fixtures for each season;
- the naming of the Champion club at the end of each season.

These meetings would have also discussed the ratings of each club, which were by the early 1870s listed in the following categories:
* Senior clubs
* Junior clubs
* Minor clubs
* Country clubs
* School clubs.

Fixtures did not necessarily confine clubs to playing other teams with a similar rating but if, for example, a Senior club played a Junior club, the Junior club would be allowed to have a greater number of players on the field. Clubs did not only play against other Victorian clubs and games between interstate teams were surprisingly frequent, particularly for the days before the establishment of interstate railway links, when the most common way of travelling from Melbourne to, say, Sydney or Adelaide, was by sea.

In the mid/late-1870s an annual called '' The Footballer'' was published. ''The Footballer'' provides readers with an insight into the early days of the game. It includes the results of all matches and a full and comprehensive listing of all contemporary teams, Senior, Public School, Junior, Minor, Country and School Clubs. The listing for most clubs includes details of its uniform, officials, playground (sic), year of formation, number of members and, importantly, potted biographies of most players.

By the time of the publishing of its first edition in 1875, there were already believed to be 143 football clubs in Victoria. The following eight clubs as Senior Clubs: Albert Park, Carlton, Carlton Imperials, East Melbourne, Hotham, Melbourne, St Kilda, and University.

The following four clubs were listed as "Principal School Clubs": Church of England Grammar School, Hofwyl-House School, Scotch College, and Wesley.

There were as many as 33 junior clubs listed in the 1875 ''The Footballer'', viz: Adeplhian, Abbotsford United, Albion Union, Alma, Brunswick, Carlton Rifles, Cambridge Union, Clifton, East St. Kilda (late Alpaca), Elwood, Esplanade, Essendon, Excelsior, Fawkner Park, Hawthorn, Hotham United, Jolimont, Richmond (no relation to the present club), Richmond Standard, Sands and McDougall, St. Kilda Alma, South Melbourne, South Melbourne Imperial (late Stanley), South Park, Southern Rifles, Southern, Star of Richmond, Vaucluse

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