Australian rules football

Australian rules football is a form of football played in Australia between two teams of 18 players on large, usually oval-shaped grass fields. The venues are often modified cricket field. More commonly known as "Aussie Rules", it is a very popular sport in the states of Victoria and South Australia.

The sport's origins are obscure but it certainly dates from the 1850s and the first attempts at organisation occurred in Melbourne in May 1859, when the earliest known rules were published by the Melbourne Football Club.