Australian Football League
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1889, Melbourne |
| Previous Names | Victorian Football League or VFL |
| Current Clubs | Adelaide Crows Brisbane Lions Carlton Blues Collingwood Magpies Essendon Bombers Fremantle Dockers Geelong Cats Hawthorn Hawks Kangaroos Melbourne Demons Port Adelaide Power Richmond Tigers St Kilda Saints Sydney Swans West Coast Eagles Western Bulldogs |
| Defunct Clubs | Brisbane Bears Fitzroy Lions South Melbourne Swans University Blues |
| Stadiums | Melbourne Cricket Ground Telstra Stadium Telstra Dome AAMI Stadium Sydney Cricket Ground Subiaco Oval The Gabba Skilled Stadium Aurora Stadium Manuka Oval Marrara Oval |
| 2005 Season | |
| Premiers | Sydney Swans 8.10 (58) defeated West Coast Eagles 7.12 (54) |
| Minor Premiers | Adelaide Crows |
| Wooden Spoon | Carlton Blues |
| NAB Cup/Wizard Cup Premiers | Carlton Blues |
| Brownlow Medalist | Ben Cousins |
| Coleman Medalist | Fraser Gehrig |
| Total Attendance | 6,283,788 |
| Average Match Attendance | 35,703 |
This is a page about the national league in Australian Rules Football. For information about the rules and history of the game see the Australian Rules Football page.
The Australian Football League is the national competition in Australian Rules Football. It was formed through the expansion of the Victorian Football League, during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2005 it had a total regular season attendance of 6,283,788, and the average attendance of 35,703 was the third highest of any professional sports league in the world.
Administration
AFL
- CEO: Andrew Demetriou
- General Manager- Broadcasting, Strategy & Major Projects: Ben Buckley
- General Manager- Football Operations: Adrian Anderson
AFL Tribunal
AFL Tribunal
- Chairman: David Jones
- Members:
John Hassett
Will Houghton QC
Andrew Tinney
Emmett Dunne
Michael Sexton
Barry Stoneham
Wayne Schimmelbusch
Richard Loveridge
AFL Appeals Board
- Chairman: Peter O'Callaghan
- Members:
Brian Collis QC
Brian Bourke
John Schutlz
Michael Gree
AFL Grievance Tribunal
- Chairman: Jack Rush QC
- Members:
Kevin Power
Michael Moncrieff
Darren Baxter
James Dowsley
Roger Berryman
AFL Match Review Panel
- Chairman: Peter Schwab
- Members:
Peter Carey
Andrew McKay
General description
Seasons/Tournaments
Toyota AFL Premiership Season
The Toyota AFL Premiership Season is a single division competition with involves 16 teams from throughout Australia. The seasons last for 22 rounds and begins in late March. At the end of the 22 rounds (late August) the top eight teams compete in the Toyota AFL Finals Series, in which teams compete in a Qualifying Final or Elimination Final (depending on the teams ladder position), at this stage only four six teams remain and the bottom four teams play in a Semi Final in which two teams are eliminated. The remaining four teams play in one of two Preliminary Finals and following this the last two teams standing play in the Grand Final. The winning team of the Grand Final become the premiers of that year. The Grand Final is always held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (with the only recent exception being Waverley Park in 1991 whilst the MCG was undergoing redevelopment), even if two non-Victorian teams are playing.
National Australia Bank Cup
Before the premiership season commences, a knock-out Cup competition is played, over the years it has had several incarnations as the Escort Cup in the 1980's, the Fosters Cup in the early-mid 90's, the Ansett Australia Cup in the late 90's, the Wizard Cup from 2001 until 2005, and as of the 2006 season it will be known as the National Australia Bank Cup.
AFL Strongholds
Australian Rules Football is the dominant football code in every state and territory in Australia, except New South Wales, A.C.T. and Queensland (where Rugby League dominates). In Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania massive crowds attend many of the games and AFL is the dominant sport on television, print and radio news.
Clubs
Present
(Note: Many clubs play several "home" matches at alternate grounds.)
Former Clubs
| Club | Logo | City | Home Ground | Left Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Bears FC | Brisbane, Queensland | Brisbane Cricket Ground (The 'Gabba) | merged with Fitzroy FC - 1996 | |
| Fitzroy FC | File:Fitzroy logo.gif | Fitzroy, Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria | Whitten Oval | merged with Brisbane Lions - 1996 |
| South Melbourne FC | File:Southmelbournefc.gif | South Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria | Albert Park Lake Oval | relocated to Sydney to become Sydney Swans - 1982 |
| University FC | Melbourne, Victoria | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 1915 |
Stadiums
Present
Various stadiums are used at different times of the year, or for particular competitions. The following is an outline of when and for what stadiums are used for in the AFL.
Premiership Season
- Melbourne Cricket Ground (105,000)
- Telstra Stadium (83,500)
- Telstra Dome (53,400)
- AAMI Stadium (51,500)
- Sydney Cricket Ground (44,000)
- Subiaco Oval (43,000)
- Brisbane Cricket Ground (42,000)
- Skilled Stadium (27,000)
- Aurora Stadium (25,000)
- Manuka Oval (15,000)
- Marrara Oval (15,000)
Finals Series
- Melbourne Cricket Ground (105,000)
- Telstra Stadium (83,500)
- AAMI Stadium (51,500)
- Subiaco Oval (43,000)
- Brisbane Cricket Ground (42,000)
National Australia Bank Cup
- Telstra Dome (53,400)
- AAMI Stadium (51,500)
- Sydney Cricket Ground (44,000)
- Subiaco Oval (43,000)
- Skilled Stadium (27,000)
- Manuka Oval (15,000)
- Marrara Oval (15,000)
Past
In the past the AFL has used many stadiums, many of which no longer exist or are rarely used.
- Waverley Park (78,000)
- Whitten Oval (25,000)
- Optus Oval (35,000)
- Punt Road Oval (20,000)
- Windy Hill (15,000)
- Victoria Park (27,000)
- Moorabbin Oval (25,000)
- Junction Oval (12,000)
- Arden Street Oval (20,000)
- WACA Ground (22,000)
- Carrara Stadium (18,000)
AFL/VFL Records
- Highest score
Geelong- 37.17 (239)
Carrara Oval, May 3, 1992. - Highest winning margin
Fitzroy- 190 points
Waverley Park, July 28, 1979. - Largest crowd
Carlton v Collingwood- 121,696
MCG, September 26, 1970 - Largest Non-Victorian crowd
Sydney v Collingwood- 72,393
Telstra Stadium, August 23, 2003. - Largest International crowd
Melbourne v Sydney- 32,789
B.C. Place, Vancouver, Canada, 1987 - Most premierships
Carlton/Essendon- 16 - Most consecutive premierships
Collingwood- 4
1927-1930 - Most games won in a season
Essendon- 24
2000 - Most consecutive wins
Geelong- 23
1952-1953 - Most games played in a career
Michael Tuck (Hawthorn)- 426 games - Most goals in a career
Tony Lockett (St Kilda/Sydney)- 1,360 goals - Most goals in a game
Fred Fanning (Melbourne)- 18 goals - Most consecutive matches
Jim Stynes (Melbourne)- 244 - Most consecutive matches from debut
Jared Crouch (Sydney)- 182 - Tallest player
Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle)- 211cm - Shortest player
Danny Craven (St Kilda/Brisbane)- 162cm - Heaviest player
Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle)- 124kg - Longest kick
Albert Thurgood (Essendon)- 98.48m (109 yards,1 foot, 3.2 inches)
Team Rivalries
Games in which teams with rivalries typically draw large crowds and interest regardless of both teams positions on the ladder. Collingwood is a famous club in the league because it is a rival of almost all other traditional clubs and also known as the 'team people love to hate'.
Traditional Rivals
- Carlton v Collingwood
Arguably the greatest and longest standing rivalry in the competition. Two working class clubs in close proximity, fuelled by the 1970 Grand Final in which Carlton extinguished hopes of Collingwood breaking a premiership drought. Games between these two clubs regularly attract large crowds regardless of whether they are both at the bottom of the ladder.
- Richmond v Collingwood
Arising from Richmond's supporters mocking the stereotype of working class Collingwood and their tactics.
- Melbourne v Collingwood
As per Richmond vs Collingwood but additionally fuelled by a narrow loss to Collingwood which stopped Melbourne from winning a fourth flag in a row in 1958.
- Essendon v Collingwood
Arising from the inaugural ANZAC day clash and Essendon's loss to Collingwood in the 1990 Grand Final. Games between these sides draw large crowds.
- Essendon v Carlton
As is the case with two successful sides in any competition, fans of each club love to defeat the other.
Local Derbies
- Adelaide v Port Adelaide
Known as The Showdown
- West Coast v Fremantle
Known as The Western Derby
Newer Rivals
- Brisbane v Sydney
Two frontier states for the AFL, also speculated that the AFL is trying to use the Rugby League State of Origin rivalry between Queensland and New South Wales to draw crowds to games between these teams.
- Melbourne v Geelong
The first 2 clubs in the league. Melbourne CEO Steve Harris once made comments about how Melbourne people never like to travel to Geelong. This rivalry was manufactured by the AFL in the recent AFL Rivalry Round concept.
- Essendon v Hawthorn
The two most dominant clubs in the 1980s contested the Grand Final on several occasions.
- Brisbane v Essendon
The two sides who clashed in the 2001 Grand Final, has since developed into a great rivalry thanks to respective coaches Leigh Matthews (Brisbane) and Kevin Sheedy (Essendon), with several famous clashes already.
- Brisbane v Collingwood
The Brisbane Lions defeated Collingwood it the 2002 and 2003 Grand Final, which caused Grand Final Rematches and great rivalry between the two teams. This continued onwards with many Lions fans disliking Collingwood, and their President Eddie McGuire.
- Brisbane v Port Adelaide
The two sides who dominated the AFL from 2001-2004, they had identical winning percentages over the four years, however the Lions won three titles (2001-2003) while Port developed a reputation as choakers in big matches until they won the 2004 title, defeating Brisbane in that decieder, matches between the two are always hard fought encounters.
- West Coast v Essendon
The rivalry started when Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy celebrated a victory by running down from the coaches box to the ground waving his jacket around his head. Now the fans of the victorious team in these clashes celebrate the victory by waving their jackets.
- St Kilda v Geelong
Currently Victoria's two best teams. Both have reasonably young teams making their mark in AFL.
Past Rivals
- St Kilda v South Melbourne
Two clubs shared the same geographical area until the Swans moved to Sydney. These teams play for the 'Lake Trophy'.
- Collingwood v Fitzroy
As with St Kilda and South Melbourne, these clubs shared the same geographical area until Fitzroy merged with Brisbane and began a new rivalry with Collingwood from successive Grand Final encounters.
Future Expansion
Occasionally, there is talk in the media and amongst fans of increasing the number of AFL teams from outside Victoria. Several areas have been discussed as possibilities, most often Tasmania, western Sydney, North Queensland, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Darwin and even New Zealand; but the AFL have a stated aim to keep the competition in its current 16-side form. It is generally thought that if the AFL expands into a new area, one of the less financially well-off Victorian clubs will re-locate, rather than an entirely new club being formed. The Western Bulldogs and Kangaroos are most often considered candidates for re-location, and some theorise that their respective name changes in the 1990s were in anticipation of such a move. Having experimented with "home" games in Western Sydney, the Kangaroos play regular premiership season games at Manuka Oval in Canberra, and the Bulldogs have played in Cairns and Darwin, leading to more speculation that they are attempting to build a supporter base in those areas for future re-location.
Mergers have also been an option for the AFL, as was seen with the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Lions in 1996. If two Victorian teams merge then it makes room for the 16th team to come from an interstate city. Amongst the likely candidates for this are the Southport Sharks (Gold Coast, Queensland) or a Tasmanian team based in Hobart or Launceston. Note, however, that since the backlash to the 1996 Melbourne Hawks merger attempt, the AFL has been significantly less willing to actively persue the amalgamation of two Victorian-based clubs as an option.
In 2005, PBL offered the AFL $780 million over five years to broadcast 8 matches a week[1]. On the 5th of January 2006, Channel 7 and Network 10 matched the deal and under the terms of the first and last rights deal were awarded the rights for the 2007-2011 broadcasting of the AFL. The deal promises to ensure greater promotion, development and broadcasting into the expansion markets of Queensland and New South Wales.
Hall of Fame
For the centenary of the VFL/AFL in 1996, the Australian Football Hall of Fame was formed. Its members not only consist of those who have contributed to the VFL/AFL, but from Australian football in general (in such leagues as the SANFL and WAFL). That year 136 Australian Rules identities were inducted, including 100 players, 10 coaches, 10 umpires, 10 administrators and 6 media representatives.
Legends of the Game
In 1996, thirteen Hall of Fame members were declared Legends of the Game. Now, each year another member of the Hall of Fame is declared a legend. The following is a list of Legends of the Game.
- Ron Barassi Junior (added 1996)
- Haydn Bunton Senior(added 1996)
- Roy Cazaly (added 1996)
- John Coleman (added 1996)
- Gordon Coventry (added 1996)
- Jack Dyer (added 1996)
- Graham Farmer (added 1996)
- Leigh Matthews (added 1996)
- John Nicholls (added 1996)
- Bob Pratt (added 1996)
- Dick Reynolds (added 1996)
- Bob Skilton (added 1996)
- Ted Whitten Senior (added 1996)
- Ian Stewart (added 1997)
- Gordon Coventry (added 1998)
- Peter Hudson (added 1999)
- Kevin Bartlett (added 2000)
- Barry Robran (added 2001)
- Bill Hutchison (added 2003)
- Jock McHale (added 2005)
Team of the Century
To celebrate the 100th season of the AFL, the "AFL Team of the Century" was named in 1996.
| B: | Bernie Smith (Geelong) | Stephen Silvagni (Carlton) | John Nicholls (Carlton) |
| HB: | Bruce Doull (Carlton) | Ted Whitten (Footscray) | Kevin Murray (Fitzroy) |
| C: | Keith Greig (North Melbourne) | Ian Stewart (St Kilda, Richmond) | Francis Bourke (Richmond) |
| HF: | Alex Jesaulenko (Carlton, St Kilda) | Royce Hart (Richmond) | Dick Reynolds (Essendon) |
| F: | Leigh Matthews (Hawthorn) | John Coleman (Essendon) | Haydn Bunton Senior (Fitzroy) |
| Foll: | Graham Farmer (Geelong) | Ron Barassi (Melbourne, Carlton) | Bob Skilton (South Melbourne) |
| Int: | Gary Ablett (Hawthorn, Geelong) | Jack Dyer (Richmond) | Greg Williams (Geelong, Sydney, Carlton) |
| Coach: | Norm Smith | ||
Jim Elder was declared the Umpire of the Century was to coincide with the Team of the Century. Since the naming of this side, all AFL clubs have nominated their own teams of the century. An Indigenous Team of the Century was also selected in 2005, featuring the best Aboriginal players of the previous 100 years.
Merchandising
The AFL run a chain of stores that sell various merchandise from all teams. The merchandise is also avaliable from other retailers.
Video game licences
There are several computer/video games licenced to use the AFL / Australian Football sports brand:
- Australian Rules (1987) C64
- Aussie Rules Footy (1991) NES
- AFL Fever (1996) PC
- AFL 1998 (1999) PC/PSX (PAL)
- AFL 1999 (2000) PC/PSX (PAL)
- Aussie Rules Coach (2001) PC
- Kevin Sheedy Coach (2002) PC
- AFL Live 2003 (2003) PC/PS2/Xbox (PAL)
- AFL Live 2004 (2004) PC/PS2/Xbox (PAL)
- AFL Premiership 2005 (2005) PC/PS2/Xbox (PAL)
See also
- Australian Rules Football
- Category:Australian Rules footballers
- List of Australian Football League premiers
- WikiProject AFL
- Brownlow Medal
- Coleman Medal
- 2005 AFL Finals Series
- Footy tipping
- AFL Premiership 2005 (Playstation 2 game)
- Sports league attendances