How Do Australian Rules Football Affect Society

Since the birth of civilization, sport or competition in some facet has always been present in society. From ancient cultures to modern times, people have been transfixed by the idea of two people or teams battling over supremacy. In recent times almost every group in the world holds a particular sport in high regard or importance and this is widely due to how the sport fits and represents their cultural values and lifestyles. In America you have American Football and the NFL, Brazil has European Football and New Zealand has rugby. Each of these has been created by or introduced to their respective cultures and their impact compared to other sports is magnified due to their alignment with the identity and beliefs of specific societies. Australia

Its origins date back to the mid-nineteenth century in Melbourne, Victoria when Tom Wills, who was widely regarded as Victoria’s best cricketer, wrote a letter to a sporting paper in 1858 describing how cricketers could make better use of their off time over the winter to remain in shape. Wills proposed the formation of a football club and detailed how this would not only benefit the players physicality but also work to maintain the condition of the turf on the cricket pitch (Slattory 32). This letter is commonly cited as the birth of Australian Rules Football and the catalyst for the creation of a new game. The first official game of Australian Rules Football was played on May 31, 1858, at the Richmond Paddock in Melbourne between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College. The regulations included elements of English football games, but with many unique elements, such as the handball pass in place of throwing, bouncing of the ball and no offside rule. With the founding of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897, the game grew increasingly structured throughout time. The VFL rapidly established itself as the country's dominating league, with clubs from Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia competing. Several nations, notably New Zealand and South Africa, played the game in the early twentieth century but it

During colonial times the main sport that was played was cricket but due to the upper-class nature of the game and resources required, participation was severely limited for the Aboriginal community. Conversely to cricket, which required bats, balls, wickets, pads, and a carefully prepared pitch to play, AFL required only an open space and ball to have a game. This made the sport accessible for lower- and working-class populations especially the indigenous community. A research report conducted in 2015 by two professors at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology demonstrated and outlined the significance that AFL played in the remote Aboriginal community of Papunya in Central Australia. Barry Judd, a professor of Indigenous Studies, and Tim Butcher, a lecturer on Management, studied the community to discover its ties with Australian Football and how they navigate in a society where discriminatory undertones are still present. They highlight how players in this team regularly drive over 500km (311mi) to play matches on some of the worst rural roads in Australia (Judd). Their dedication clearly conveys how heavily the players identify with the sport and how it is seen as a way of life rather than just a sport for many. The community and participation aspect of the sport is also highlighted in the article as a ‘win at all cost’ culture is alienated and looked upon as an