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Fast Facts

  • 1. Unlike almost any other sport, with the exception of Cricket, the size of the field can vary. For example, the oval at the Sydney Cricket Ground is considered fairly small, where the field at Perth’s Subiaco field is massive. Grounds are considered acceptable so long as the playing area is between 135 and 185 metres in length and 110 and 155 metres in width

  • 2. Australian Rules Football was invented in 1858 in Melbourne. 7 million people attend AFL games every single year and 48% of attendees are women

  • 3. AFL Football is played in over a dozen countries and Canada is widely considered to be the largest non-Australian participator in AFL Football

  • 4. Between 1993 and 2003, women's participation in amateur footy has risen by over 500%

  • 5. Largest crowd at an AFL match: 1970 Grand Final at the MCG, Carlton v Collingwood - 121,696

  • 6. The football season is from March to August with finals being held in September.

  • 7. The earliest recorded match took place in Yarra Park between St Kilda and Melbourne. Trees were used for goal posts and there were no boundaries. The match lasted from 1pm until dark and as there were no rules, fights frequently broke out.

  • 8. The earliest known individual award for the sport is the Champion of the Colony (precursor to the Brownlow Medal), which was first granted in 1858.

  • 9. Australian rules football has attracted more overall interest among Australians (as measured by the Sweeney Sports report) than any other football code, and, when compared with all sports throughout the nation, has consistently ranked first in the winter reports

  • 10. Despite the stereotype of Footy being a ‘men’s sport’, The AFL has more female umpires than ever.