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Australian Rules Football first 'laws of the game' published

The origins of Australian rules football date back to the late 1850s in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria. There is documentary evidence of "foot-ball" being played in Australia as early as the...

The origins of Australian rules football date back to the late 1850s in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria.

There is documentary evidence of "foot-ball" being played in Australia as early as the 1820s. These games were poorly documented but appear to have been informal, one-off affairs. In 1858, cricketers, sports' enthusiasts and school students began to regularly play variants of English public school football in the parklands of Melbourne. The following year, four members of the newly formed Melbourne Football Club codified the laws from which Australian rules football evolved.

Professional historians began taking a serious interest in the origins of Australian rules football in the late 1970s, and the first academic study of the sport's origins was published in 1982.

Historical Significance

The origins of Australian rules football date back to the late 1850s in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria.

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Events After

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  5. Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight a brutal 2-hour, 27-minute draw that ends only after polic

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 17, 1859?
The origins of Australian rules football date back to the late 1850s in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria. There is documentary evidence of "foot-ball" being played in Australia as early as the 1820s. These games were poorly documented but appear to have been informal, one-off affairs.
Why is Australian Rules Football first 'laws of the game' published significant?
The origins of Australian rules football date back to the late 1850s in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria.

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May 17 in HistoryYear 1859