It’s no secret that Victorians love football. The state is not only home to the origins of the sport, but also home to the biggest event of the AFL calendar year in the grand final at the beloved MCG. It won’t come as a surprise that AFL is Victoria’s most popular sport, both in terms of attendance and media coverage. If you’re visiting Victoria for the football finals, you’ll discover a state at its best and brightest as the football season takes over. With a long and treasured history in Victoria, read on to find out some of the ways that Victorians have embraced their favourite game.
Humble Beginnings
Australian rules football has come a long way since its beginnings in 1858. What began as a sport invented to keep cricketers fit during winter has now evolved into something much greater. Over three Saturdays, two Melbourne/Naarm boys’ schools played against each other in a game of what was to become known as ‘football’. It wasn’t until the next year in May of 1859 that William Hammersley, Tom Smith, James Thompson and Tom Wills gathered at Jerry Bryant’s hotel in East Melbourne to discuss and record the ten original AFL rules that were the catalyst for the game. 165 years later, what was once the Parade Hotel now still stands as a Quest apartment hotel on Wellington Parade. Less than a ten minute walk from the Melbourne Cricket Ground—Australia’s biggest stadium—visit the rich history of the game and take a walk past the birth of AFL on your way to the MCG when you’re in town.
From Victoria’s Own to Australia’s Beloved
While today AFL is a nation-wide sport that is watched and followed across many corners of the country, it wasn’t always that way. The year of 1879 saw the first interstate game be played, with Victoria versus South Australia, in a match that marked the beginnings of a national sport. However, the VFL, which was both the original and strongest football league in the country at the time, didn’t change its name to AFL until 1990, when the focus shifted from state-wide to country wide. 1897 marked the first year of an eight-team VFL competition that included a finals series to determine the season’s ultimate winner. Considered the inaugural season of the VFL, the competition included Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda. These eight teams shifted and changed over time, merging with other teams or evolving into the teams we follow today. For visitors to Victoria around grand final time, each of these teams represent a vibrant and significant corner of Melbourne that are ripe to explore. Indulge in brunch in Fitzroy or explore the seaside eateries in St Kilda and experience how these suburbs have changed since the days they birthed VFL teams.
More Than Just a Game
You don’t need to be a fanatic footy fan to know that AFL is much more than just a game. Since the introduction of the national professional women’s league in 2017, AFLW, the sport has seen a more inclusive game evolve. Whether you’re a Victorian local or you’re travelling to Melbourne for the AFL premiership final, the way in which the city, and furthermore the country, gathers in celebration of the beloved sport exemplifies just how important it is to our national identity. The grand final at the MCG invites spectacle and festivity, with a range of events happening over the grand final weekend to keep you entertained. The AFL Grand Final Parade is the ideal beginning for the long weekend of football celebrations on the Friday before the game. The Parade sees participating teams, players and supporters marching throughout the streets of Melbourne city and rallying crowds with a kind of passion that can only be rivalled at the MCG on game day. The Parade has been operating since 1977, beginning as a simple event without many bells or whistles. These days the Parade, alongside the Grand Final, are both incredible shows in and of themselves. 1977 was also the year that pre-show entertainment was introduced to the grand final. Since then, the MCG has welcomed international superstars and legendary Australian musicians to the stage to warm up the crowd in anticipation of the game ahead. The spectacle and excitement that envelopes the AFL grand final provides a way for anyone and everyone to get involved and enjoy the state’s favourite sport.
Experience Victoria as it comes alive with excitement and passion for the AFL as the state ramps up celebrations in anticipation of the grand final. Learn more about the rich history of our beloved sport by exploring the state yourself and participating in the spectacle of the football season.
