Volume 9, Number 3, April 2014
Extension
The origin and nature of
Australian Rules football in a
cultural context
John Ireland
Popular opinion considers Australia to be embraced by a sporting obsession. If this view is accepted,
then a preoccupation with sport is the central cultural factor that has directed the country’s formidable
sporting success. Australia’s claim that global prominence has been achieved in a wide range of sport
is unequivocal, and this enviable attainment is remarkable considering the population is only 21
million.
The assumption that Australian people are ‘single tracked’ in their lifestyle choice may, however, be
simplistic. The pursuit of excellence in art, music, literature and cuisine and the total commitment to
equality and multiculturalism are indicators of a repositioning of national culture. Australia has moved
on from the manly displays of chauvinism and the overt discrimination that shaped the sporting scene
in former ‘bush culture’ days.
[Bush culture: the Australian equivalent of the frontier spirit]
The passion for sport, however, remains strong. It continues to be a benchmark against which national
progress is measured, and victory against the Motherland is still highly acclaimed. There has been
considerable political support for sport in Australia dating back to the mid-1970s when investment in
the sporting institutes began. The media have always given sport a high profile. The quality and
quantity of Australian coverage surpassed UK standards until Sky television became available more
widely in the UK during the 1990s. In a health-conscious, affluent society that has disposable income
to spend on outdoor activities suited to the favourable climate, it is no surprise that sport is popular.
With this cultural backdrop in mind, it is apparent that the suspect performances by Australia in recent
international sporting events has caused great consternation.
The tenth placing of Australia in the London 2012 Olympic Games was a disappointment. Defeat by
England in the 2013 Ashes series highlighted a turbulent period for Australian Cricket, while in Rugby
Union the British Lions put away the challenging Wallabies with relative ease. Such instances of substandard performances are unacceptable in a culture that is allegedly underpinned by a sports
obsession.
The focus of this article is games played with an oval ball. In Australia, it is the Australian Rules
version of football that is the dominant code and the national sport of Australia.
Originally called Melbourne Rules, the founding of the game is accredited to Tom Wills. A product of
the English Public School system during the era in which team games were developing, Wills
emigrated to Australia in the early 1850s. Being a cricketer, he committed to designing a game to keep
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players fit during the closed season. A combination of the experiences of the handling code
encountered by Wills in England and an Aborigine game, which involved claiming possession of an
animal skin by leaping and catching, were the basis for his new sport. The first match was played
between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College in 1858.
Expanding beyond Melbourne, the game became Victoria Rules and later Aussie Rules before the
governing body, the Australian Football League (AFL), changed the name to Australian Rules Football
in order to promote the commercial image of the sport. The code is now played in every state.
The sport is fast and continuous. It is played on expansive cricket ovals with the ball rarely out of play.
Teams comprise 18 players. The pitch dimensions make it necessary to engage six controlling
officials. The game is physical and demands both toughness and strength — but unlike rugby and grid
iron, collision is not a central characteristic.
A range of physiques is required to balance a team. Ruckmen for example, tend to be tall, in order to
catch high balls in defence, while half forwards, who may run 15 miles in a match to create scoring
opportunities, are of slighter build.
At grassroots level the Australian Rules version of football is taught in high schools, and competitive
matches make up part of the SEPEP provision. Players aspiring to professional status may progress
through clubs and regional representation. They then move forward to the Australian Institutes of
Sport (AIS), which have been likened to finishing schools. Alternatively players go directly to the
academies of the professional clubs.
[SEPEP: the Sport Education and Physical Education Programme is the Australian version of a
physical education curriculum]
Similar to the NFL procedure in grid iron, there is a drafting system of recruitment in ‘Rules’ football.
The team at the foot of the table has the first choice of available players to begin the new season. Like
the American system, ‘drafting’ sustains equality in competition and is good for commercial promotion.
A drawback in the procedure would occur if a basement club considered giving a game away in order
to regroup for the next campaign with better players. The term ‘tanking’ is given to the possibility of a
match forfeit.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that talented young athletes in the strong AFL states of Victoria,
South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania are turning away from cricket, rugby and association
football and opting to pursue professional pathways into the ‘Rules’ code. This movement might
account for the previously mentioned suspect performances by national teams. This trend is due to the
increased opportunity to play at elite levels (700 players are currently registered with the AFL),
celebrity status and the financial rewards on offer. A young player at 18 years old can comfortably
earn $250k per season.
Australian Rules football has its showcase event in the form of the AFL grand final. This is traditionally
played on the last Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Attendance at the stadium
is always at capacity (100k) and the game is telecast to 72 countries. Ratings confirm that at least 40
million people view the game, which is much higher than the global figures for both codes of rugby
football in the UK.
Note: to explain the advantages and disadvantages of an issue is to make a critical evaluation.
Several evaluations have been made in this and the main article and these could be incorporated into
a question for OCR candidates both at AS and A level.
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