Australian rules

Australian rules

Main article: Australian rules football

See also: Origins of Australian rules football

Tom Wills, widely regarded as the father of Australian football

There is archival evidence of “foot-ball” games being played in various parts of Australia throughout the first half of the 19th century. The origins of an organised game of football known today as Australian rules football can be traced back to 1858 inMelbourne, the capital city of Victoria.

In July 1858, Tom Wills, an Australian-born cricketer educated at Rugby School