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Australian Football Chronology
 

YEAR DATE EVENT
1858   Australian football initiated by Tom Wills.
  First set of rules formulated.
10th July Melbourne Football Club formed.
7th Aug First recorded match: Scotch College v Melbourne Grammar School in Yarra Park.
  No time limit in matches. First team to score two goals declared the winner.
1859 May Melbourne F.C. rules formulated.
18th July Geelong Football Club formed.
1860 28th May Rules revised.
  Code first played in South Australia: Adelaide F.C. established.
1864 July Carlton Football Club formed.
  Code first played in Tasmania: New Town F.C. established.
1865    
1866 8th May Rules revised.
  Time limit for matches introduced. Team scoring most goals declared the winner.
  Captains tossed for the first time and behind posts used in addition to goal posts.
  Oval ball began to replace the spherical type.
  Game first played in Queensland: Brisbane Australia F.C. established.
1869   North Melb Football Club formed.
1872   Revision of rules.
  Field umpires introduced. Previously, rival captains had awarded free kicks.
May Essendon Football Club formed.
1873 3rd April St Kilda Football Club formed.
  Team uniforms introduced. Previously, caps had been the only distinguishing feature.
  Game first played in South Australia.
1874 12th May New code of rules drawn up.
  All players required to be registered with one club only.
  Wire fence erected around playing space at Melbourne Ground.
19th June South Melb Football Club formed.
1875   All senior matches required to be started on time.
1876   Australian game established in New Zealand.
1877 7th May Victorian Football Association established.
  Rules again revised.
  Oval shaped playing areas generally replaced the rectangular versions.
  Code first played in New South Wales. First recorded match played in Sydney: Waratahs Rugby Club v Carlton Football Club.
  SANFL competition established.
1879   MCC finally allowed football to be played regularly on the MCG.
1st July First intercolonial match: Victoria v South Australia, played in Melbourne.
5th Aug First match played at night using electric light: Collingwood Rifles and East Melb Artillery drew in front of 12,000 spectators.
1880   New South Wales Football Association established.
1881   Game first played in Western Australia. Unions F.C believed to have been formed.
1883 Oct Fitzroy and Footscray Football Clubs formed.
Nov Intercolonial Conference adopted The Laws of the Australasian Game of Football.
1884 20th Feb Richmond Football Club formed.
1885   WAFL competition established.
1886   Game first played with four quarters instead of two halves.
1887   Central Umpire required to bounce ball at start of each quarter instead of throwing it up into the air.
  System of waving flags to signify goals implemented.
1891   Players on both sides required to take up their allotted positions on the field.
  Centre bounce at start of quarters and after every goal introduced.
1892 11th March Collingwood Football Club formed.
1893   Essendon claimed the championship by winning all its matches.
1896 2nd Oct Delegates from Geel, Ess, Coll, Fitz, Melb & Sth Mlb met to form the VFL as a break-away competition.
3rd Oct Collingwood defeated South Melb at the East Melb C.G. in the first play-off match to decide Premiership winner.
1897 5th Feb League headquarters established at Port Phillip Club Hotel, Flinders St.
8th May VFL competition began.
  New system of scoring, awarding six points for a goal, one point for a behind.
  First organized finals system implemented.
14th Aug First week of finals postponed seven days due to wet weather.
1902 April Hawthorn Football Club established.
  Carlton appointed Jack Worrall as first ever VFL non-playing coach.
1903   New South Wales Football League established.
  Queensland Football League established.
23rd May & 3rd Aug Two Premiership matches played in Sydney. Fitzroy d Collingwood & Geelong d Carlton.
1904   Boundary umpires first appointed to League matches.
28th May One Premiership match played in Sydney. Melbourne d Essendon.
1905 Nov Australasian Football Council formed.
1906   Fines introduced for clubs found guilty of late starts in matches.
1908   Richmond and University Football Clubs admitted to the competition.
  First Australasian Football Carnival held in Melbourne, won by Victoria. New Zealand participated.
24th July League administrative headquarters transferred to the Block Arcade, Collins St.
1909 5th June Geelong won protest against St Kilda for playing disqualified player.
  Boundary umpires first given power to report players.
1910   Goal umpires first given power to report players.
7th May Round Two matches postponed seven days due to the death of King Edward VII.
  League conducted investigation regarding bribery scandal.
1911   League approved official player payments.
  Second Australian Football Carnival held in Adelaide, won by SA.
  Game first played in the ACT. First recorded match: Royal Military College v Home Affairs Department.
1912 29th April League players first wore guernsey numbers in all matches.
29th April The Football Record first published.
29th April Stewards with power to report players introduced.
1913   League Independent Tribunal instituted.
1914   Metropolitan zoning introduced.
  Third Australian Football Carnival held in Sydney, won by Victoria.
29th Aug University played its last League match.
1916   Only four League clubs, Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond competed.
  The code first played in the Northern Territory. First club: Wanderers F.C.
1917   Geelong and South Melbourne rejoined the competition.
  Last season of Stewards system.
1918   Essendon and St.Kilda rejoined the competition.
24th Aug South Melb v Carlton Semi-Final postponed seven days because of heavy rain.
1919   Melbourne returned to the competition.
  Reserve Grade (Seconds Competition) formed.
1921   Fourth Australian Football Carnival held at Perth, won by WA.
1923   League appointed Mr Jack Elder, former field umpire as the first Umpires' Instructor.
  All League venues required to display quarter by quarter scores.
13th Oct Grand Final postponed seven days because the MCG was flooded.
1924   Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melb Football Clubs admitted.
  New rule: Home team - black knickers; away team - white knickers.
  Brownlow Medal instituted. One vote allocated per Home & Away match.
  Fifth Australian Football Carnival held in Hobart, won by Victoria.
  An organized competition began in the ACT.
1925   Radio descriptions introduced during the Finals.
1926   Club membership ticket holders no longer freely admitted to finals matches.
1927   Goal umpires first required to compare scores at the end of each quarter.
  Sixth Australian Football Carnival in Melbourne, won by Victoria.
  Collingwood created history by winning all three major awards: Premiership, Brownlow Medal & Leading Goalkicker.
1929 16th Aug League officially moved into Spring St headquarters and named it Harrison House.
1930   'Coulter Law' adopted, restricting payments to players.
30th May The 19th man first used as a substitute in a League match.
  Seventh Australian Football Carnival in Adelaide, won by Victoria.
  Collingwood became the only League club to win four consecutive Premierships.
1931   Brownlow Medal 3-2-1 voting system introduced.
  McIntyre Final Four system introduced.
1933   System of determining percentage altered.
17th June Experimental siren used in Essendon v Geelong match at Windy Hill.
  Eighth Australian Football Carnival held in Sydney, won by Victoria.
1934   South Melb's Bob Pratt booted a record 150 goals in 21 matches.
1936 4th July Round 10 matches postponed seven days because of flooded grounds.
1937   Ninth Australian Football Carnival held in Perth, won by Victoria.
1939 26th Aug Round 18 matches postponed seven days because of flooded grounds.
1940   Payments to players and staff cut in half because of the war.
1942   Geelong did not compete due to World War Two restrictions.
  Payments to players limited to $3 per match.
  Finals played at Princes Park while the MCG is used by defence forces.
1943   Bottom club St.Kilda ceased competition after Round 11 due to League ruling.
1944   Geelong rejoined the competition.
1946   Law changed to allow two substitutes, creating 20th man position.
  Under 19s (Thirds) competition commenced.
1947   Players' advocates first permitted to defend players at Tribunal hearings.
  Tenth Australian National Football Carnival held in Hobart, won by Victoria.
30th Aug Fred Fanning (Melb) scored League record 18 goals against St Kilda at the Junction Oval.
1948 21-Aug Siren introduced for MCG matches.
27th Sept Tied Grand Final: Melbourne & Essendon. The Demons won the replay.
1950   Sirens replaced bells at all venues.
  Eleventh Australian National Football Council Championships in Brisbane, won by Victoria.
1951   McClelland Trophy introduced for the club recording the most Senior, Reserves and Under 19s match points.
1952 14th - 16th June Nineteen Home and Away rounds played to include extra round in interstate and country centres.
16th June First match played for Premiership points at night: Ess v Geel at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground.
1953   Geelong won a League record 23 consecutive wins spread over two seasons.
  Twelfth ANFC Championships in Adelaide, won by Victoria.
1955   Clubs allowed to use on-field coach's runner for the first time.
1956   Thirteenth ANFC Championships in Perth, won by Victoria.
  First night competition played between eight clubs, and won by South Melbourne.
1957   Last quarters of League matches televised live.
  Reserved seating for finals matches introduced.
1958   Centenary of Australian Football.
16th June Highest ever League Home & Away match attendance: 99,346 at the MCG: Queen's Birthday Monday - Melb d Coll.
  Fourteenth ANFC Championships in Melbourne, won by Victoria.
1959   Reserve Grade matches first played as 'Curtain Raisers' to Seniors.
  Premiership cup first presented to the victorious captain.
1960 23rd April Round Two postponed due to torrential rain. Two of the matches played Anzac Day and remainder the next Saturday.
25th April Matches permitted on Anzac Day for the first time: Fitz d Carlt at Princes Park & Melb d St K at the Junction Oval.
1961   TV stations no longer permitted to show live telecasts or replays. Replay of Grand Final allowed in last minute deal.
  Fifteenth ANFC championships at Brisbane, won by WA.
1962   TV stations again permitted to show replays of League matches.
  League bought land in the city of Waverley for development as a sports arena.
1963 13th July Round 10 matches postponed seven days because of flooded grounds.
1964   Coaches first permitted to enter arena at quarter time to address players.
  All scoring posts fitted with protective padding.
1966   Sixteenth Australian Football championships played in Hobart, won by Victoria.
1967   Brownlow Medal vote reading system changed to third being read first and first votes read last.
1968   Zoning introduced whereby Victoria and Riverina divided into areas and allocated to League clubs.
1969   Seventeenth Australian Football Championships played in Adelaide, won by Victoria.
1970 5th April Fitzroy defeated Richmond in the first League match played on a Sunday.
18th April Waverley Park hosted its first match: Geelong defeated Fitzroy.
31st Aug First direct telecast of Brownlow Medal count.
26th Sept Highest ever League match attendance: 121,696 at the Carlt v Coll Grand Final.
1971   Night Series competition based at the Lake Oval played for the last time.
  Hawthorn's Peter Hudson scored an equal record 150 goals for the season.
1972 23rd Feb New League headquarters opened in Jolimont Street.
  Field umpire first required to toss coin for captains.
  Eighteenth Australian Football Championships played in Perth, won by Victoria.
1973   Ten Year automatic clearance rule introduced. In May it was rescinded.
1975   Clubs permitted to adopt colored shorts for introduced color television coverage.
  Video tape of incidents became admissible evidence at Tribunal hearings.
1976   Two field umpires first used in League matches.
  League logo introduced onto players' uniforms.
1977   Night Series competition reintroduced.
23rd Sept First Grand Final parade.
24th Sept Channel Seven telecast both Grand Finals (tie & replay) live in Victoria for the first time.
1st Oct Presentation of Premiership medallions to players immediately after the Grand Final introduced.
1978   Clubs permitted to interchange players for the first time in Premiership matches.
1979 28th Aug Up There Cazaly', sung by Mike Brady, becomes the first true football anthem.
  Two matches for Premiership points played in Sydney and telecast directly in Victoria..
  Nineteenth Australian Football Championships played in Perth, won by WA.
28th July Fitzroy defeated Melbourne at Waverley Park by a League record 190 points.
29th Sept Norm Smith Medal introduced for the best afield in the Grand Final.
1980   Four League matches played in Sydney.
  Twentieth Australian Football Championships played in Adelaide, won by Victoria.
29th Sept First presentation of losing Grand Final team players' medallions.
1981   Three League Home and Away rounds played interstate, two at the SCG, one at the Gabba.
  Field umpires held a strike during Round 19 due to an administrative dispute.
26th Sept Last presentation of losing Grand Final team players' medallions.
1982   South Melbourne relocated to Sydney.
17th March New League Headquarters opened in Jolimont Road.
  Live telecasts of SCG matches permitted outside Sydney.
  Video Matrix screen at Waverley Park used for the first time.
1983   League forced to redraft regulations following successful court challenge by Silvio Foschini to be granted a clearance.
5th Aug First Friday night match for Premiership points: Geelong defeated Sydney at the SCG.
1984   League Commission formed.
9th Sept First Sunday finals match: Collingwood defeated Fitzroy at the MCG.
  New rules governing player transfers and payments implemented.
  Salary cap introduced for use in 1985.
1985   Independent League Commission became the decision-making body.
1986   Introduction of 50 metre arc ground markings.
  Video investigation first used to examine on-field incidents.
26th Nov Introduction of National Player Draft.
  Abolition of Victorian Country Zoning.
1987   West Coast F.C. and Brisbane F.C. admitted to the competition. Matches were played at Carrara (Qld) and in Perth (WA) for the first time.
  The ABC televised League matches for a year. At least one match shown live weekly.
1988   Emergency umpires empowered to report players.
  Twenty-first Australian Football Championships played in Adelaide, won by SA.
1989   Abolition of Victorian Metropolitan Country Zoning.
1990 1st Jan The VFL was renamed the AFL.
1991   Adelaide F.C. admitted to the competition.
  Fitzroy played two home matches at North Hobart.
  Introduction of 40 year agreement with MCC to play at least once weekly at the MCG during Finals Series.
  Last season of League Under 19s competition.
  McClelland Trophy now awarded to senior club finishing top at end of Home & Away series.
28th sept Michael Tuck (Hawth) makes his farewell appearance in his League record 426th match.
1992   MCG color video scoreboard first used for League matches.
3rd May Geelong scores League record 37.17.239 against Brisbane at Carrara.
4th May AFL Headquarters relocated to MCG Great Southern Stand.
  Fitzroy played two home matches at North Hobart.
1994   Introduction of three field umpire system.
  Third interchange player permitted in League matches.
  Bleeding players first required to leave the field immediately for treatment.
1995   Fremantle F.C. admitted to the competition.
27th May Fitzroy played a home match against West Coast at Bruce Stadium, Canberra.
1996 21st May Port Adelaide FC admitted to the competition for 1997 season.
1st Sept Fitzroy played its last League match.
1997   Footscray renamed the Western Bulldogs.
1998   Fourth interchange player permitted in League matches.
1st Aug North Melb played a home match against Port Adel at Manuka Oval, Canberra.
1999   North Melb renamed the Kangaroos.
2000 9th March Docklands Stadium hosted its first League match: Essendon defeated Port Adelaide.
19th March A League match occurred under a roof for the first time: Brisbane defeated the Western Bulldogs at Docklands Stadium.
  Essendon won 24 of 25 matches for season, an all time League record.
6th Nov AFL Headquarters relocated to Docklands Stadium
2001 12-Apr Essendon's League record of 31 consecutive rounds on top of ladder finally ended.
6-May Hawthorn played a home match against Adelaide at York Park, Launceston.
26-May First match attendance of 50,000 or more at Docklands Stadium (Essendon v Hawthorn).
10-Dec Sale of Waverley Park announced.
2002 25-May Stadium Australia hosted its first League match: Essendon defeated Sydney. First match attendance of 50,000 or more outside Melbourne. (54,129)
15-Jun Tony Lockett (St Kilda/Sydney) finally retired after scoring a record 1360 career goals.
2003   Redevelopment of the MCG commenced.
13-Jun AFL matches played in six different states/territories in the same round for the first time. (13-15 June)
23-Aug Stadium Australia attracted the largest match attendance outside Victoria. 72,393 watch Sydney v Collinwood.
2004 14-Aug The Western Bulldogs played a home match against Port Adelaide at Marrara Oval, Darwin.
  Matches played in seven different states/territories for the first time.
25-Sep Port Adelaide won its first Premiership
2005   A revamped Tribunal system, including a Match Review Panel, was implemented.
2006   Carrara resurrected as an AFL venue.
2007   AFL record aggregate attendance record for a Premiership season was established: 7,049,945 for 185 matches.