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Australian rules football

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

Archie Smith competes in an Australian rules football match, showcasing teamwork and sportsmanship.

Australian Rules Football

Australian rules football, also called Aussie rules or footy, is a fun game played by two teams. Each team has 18 players, and they play on a big oval field, often an old cricket ground.

Players score points by kicking an oval ball between goal posts. Kicking between the tall central posts gives six points. Kicking between a central post and a smaller outer post gives one point, called a "behind."

The game started in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1858. It became very popular in Australia. Today, the biggest event is the AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

People love this sport because it is exciting and full of action. Players can run, kick, and bounce the ball. One special move is called a "mark," where a player catches a kicked ball and gets a free play.

Australian football is played in many countries now, and it brings people together to have fun and cheer for their teams.

Images

A historical illustration from 1866 showing an early Australian rules football match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Historic engraving showing the first intercolonial Australian football match between Victoria and South Australia in 1879.
Historical sketch of a football player from 1880 running with the ball during a match between Carlton and Geelong.
A monument honoring Ron Barassi in Guildford, Victoria.
Teams from the 2005 AFL Grand Final line up for the national anthem before the match begins.
Akec Makur Chuot playing in a women's football match in January 2020.
A Sherrin Australian rules football, popular in sports games.
Umpires officiating an Australian rules football game at Adelaide Oval.
Tayla Harris warms up for an Australian rules football match, showing her kicking during practice.
An Australian rules football player making a handball during a match in 2019.
Australian rules football players competing during a match in 2017.
Front cover of the 1908 Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival programme, celebrating 50 years of Australian rules football in Melbourne.

Related articles

Melbourne
Australia

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Australian rules football, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.