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Timeline of Australian Football
1850
This is one of the earliest accounts of 'football' being played in Melbourne. Edmund Finn, under the pen-name Garryowen, wrote several sketches of early Melbourne. His works were collected and published in 1888, as The Chronicles of Early Melbourne: 1835 to 1852.
THE FIRST FOOTBALL MATCH.
This now favourite pastime was not much practised by the Victorian ancients, possibly because they were either too bent on money making—which was only too often recklessly spent in dissipation — or that there was no native element sufficiently adolescent to take part in such a rough and ready mode of enjoyment. Occasional private matches used to come off, but no regularly advertised trial of "footing" was known until the 26th August 1850, when there was a numerous convention of "kickers" at Emerald Hill. It was intended that a football match should be run as an item of the gymnastic sports, at the racecourse a fortnight before, but it was then treated to a kick over. Messrs. Francis Stephen and Dalmahoy Campbell were, however, resolved that a football match there should be, and it was through their exertions the present one was worked. Two elevens were scratched by the gentlemen mentioned from two hundred persons, the first pick, or "scratch," being decided by a toss up. The following are the names :—
Messrs. F. Stephen (Captain), Mills, F. Warman, Colgin, Ewers, Wood, Butler, Clancy, Smith, W. Barry, Collins.
Messrs. D. Campbell (Captain), C. Campbell, Barry, Dowling, W. Warman, Brodie, Fender, Wilson, Carew, Hinton, Cain.
The entrance was 10s. each, the £11 to be pocketed by the winners. For two and a half hours the match was contested with much spirit. Great good humour prevailed, and the Stephenites, after a stiff struggle, were proclaimed the conquerors. The captains, at either side, were gentlemen of the numerous colonial tribe of Stephen, so well-known as "Frank,'' and the other a member of the clan-Campbell, never called anything but "Dal." "Frank" is still amongst us, as the City Solicitor, the projector of a life-boat of alleged marvellous properties, and the inventor of the once popular political slang term, "Old Hat." "Dal" has long ago gone under; but while overground was universally esteemed as a stock and station salesman, and a genuine good fellow. In his day he was a City Councillor, an expert in judging the qualities of fat cattle, and testing samples of whisky; and though last, not least, one of the best hand-ball players in Port Phillip.
1850s
During the 1850s, there are numerous mentions of 'football' in the Australian newspapers of the time. Football games were played at Ploughing and Gymnastic games, sometimes "football" was just a game of who can kick the ball the longest. There are games with varying numbers on each side, games with different goals, different positions, handling, no handling.
1864
Newspapers in Australia first report the creation of a "Football Association" in London.
1867
1868
1869
1870
No handling, no marking. Melbourne Club Vs The Police 11 July 1870
1873
1875
Another game of non-handling football played at Woogaroo Asylum, Brisbane
1876
A letter in the Brisbane Courier.
1877
A letter to Sydney Morning Herald.
1878
Association Footballs for sale in Sydney and Hobart.
1879
It has been long thought that the 1st organised game of Association football was played in 1880 (details below), however recent research by Dr Ian Syson, has uncovered organised football games being played in Tasmania the year prior. Please click on an image to enlarge.
A letter to the Argus.
11 Aug 1879
