The AFL is the leading Australian Football competition in the country, having grown to achieve this position through the 21st century.
From the very first matches played in the late 1850s through to the end of the 20th century, football in Australia was very state league-focussed. This chronology below is not a definitive outline of the game's history, but outlines key moments for leading clubs and leagues across the country up to admission of 18 clubs into the AFL, and the formation of the AFLW.
THE 1800s
1858
Melbourne FC formed
1859
Geelong FC formed
1860
Formation of first club in South Australia
1864
Carlton FC formed
1866
Formation of first club in Queensland
1869
North Melbourne FC formed
1870
Port Adelaide FC formed (joined AFL competition in 1997)
1872
Essendon FC formed
1873
St Kilda FC formed
1874
South Melbourne FC formed
1875
Launceston FC formed (current TSL club)
1877
South Adelaide FC formed (current SANFL club), South Australian Football Association established (eight clubs, including current-day South Adelaide and Port Adelaide), Victorian Football Association established (eight clubs, including current day Carlton, Essendon, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and North Melbourne/Hotham)
1878
Norwood FC formed and join the SA league (current SANFL club)
1879
First inter-colony match, Victoria v South Australia, South Tasmania Football Association established, Queensland Football Association established
1881
North Hobart FC formed (current TSL club), New South Wales Football Association established
1883
Fitzroy FC formed, Footscray FC formed, North Adelaide FC formed (current SANFL club)
1884
Clarence FC formed (current TSL club)
1885
Richmond FC formed, Victorians FC formed (West Perth from 1891 onwards, current WAFL club), Western Australian Football Association established
1887
West Adelaide FC formed (current SANFL club)
1888
Norwood and South Melbourne played a three-match series to determine the first Australian club championship of the respective SA/Vic premiers. Norwood wins all three games.
1891
West Perth joined the WA leauge
1890
Port Adelaide defeats South Melbourne in national championship game
1892
Collingwood FC formed
1893
North Launceston FC formed (current TSL club), North Adelaide join the SA league, Essendon defeats South Adelaide in national championship game
1896
Subiaco FC formed (current WAFL club), Geelong, Essendon, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Melbourne and South Melbourne met to form the VFL as a break-away competition, with Carlton and St Kilda later invited to join, Collingwood defeats South Adelaide in national championship game
1897
First year of eight-team VFL competition and introduction of a finals series to determine the premier, VFA competition continues as a separate senior league, West Torrens FC formed and join the SA league (later merged with Woodville in 1990), West Adelaide joins the SA league
1898
East Fremantle FC formed and joined the WA league (current WAFL club), Introduction of the Magarey Medal for best player in the SANFL
1899
Perth FC formed and joined the WA league (current WAFL club)
THE 1900s
1900
South Fremantle FC formed and joined the WA league (current WAFL club)
1901
Sturt FC formed and join the SA league (current SANFL club), First full state match between Victoria and SA, Subiaco joined the WA league
1902
Hawthorn FC formed, Union FC formed (East Perth from 1906 onwards, current WAFL club)
1903
First WA State championship with Goldfields premier Kalgoorlie defeating WAFA premier East Fremantle
1904
WA plays its first interstate matches against Victoria and SA
1905
Australasian Football Council formed, the game's peak body until the 1980s.
1906
Claremont FC formed (current WAFL club), East Perth join the WA league
1907
SAFA changes its named to the South Australian Football League, WAFA changes its name to the West Australian Football League, Norwood defeats Carlton in national championship game
1908
Richmond and University clubs admitted to the VFL, first national carnival held in Melbourne and won by Victoria, West Adelaide defeats Carlton in national championship game
1909
South Melbourne defeats West Adelaide in national championship game
1910
North West Football Union formed in Tasmania, Port Adelaide defeats Collingwood in national championship game
1911
Second national carnival, held in Adelaide and won by SA, West Adelaide defeats Essendon in national championship game
1912
VFL introduces numbers on player guernseys
1913
Port Adelaide defeats Fitzroy in national championship game
1914
Third national carnival, held in Sydney and won by Victoria, University leaves the VFL competition, Port Adelaide defeats Carlton in national championship game
1916
SANFL, VFA, TFL, QFL, NTFA and NWFU all in recess for WW1. VFL continued with four clubs only while WAFL continued.
1917
Northern Territory Football League formed, Geelong and South Melbourne resume in the VFL
1918
St Kilda and Essendon resume in the VFL
1919
Melbourne resume in the VFL, SANFL resumes after no play 1916-18, New Town FC formed (now competing as Glenorchy as a current TSL club)
1920
TFL, QFL, NTFA and NWFU all resume competition
1920
Glenelg FC formed (current SANFL club since 1921)
1921
Glenelg joined the SANFL, Fourth national carnival, held in Perth and won by WA, Introduction of the Sandover Medal for best player in the WAFL
1924
Introduction of the Brownlow Medal for best player in the VFL (now AFL), Fifth national carnival, held in Tasmania and won by Victoria
1925
Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melbourne join the VFL competition
1926
Claremont join the WAFL
1927
Sixth national carnival, held in Melbourne and won by Victoria
1929
Gordon Coventry kicks 124 goals, becoming the first player in the VFL, WAFL or SANFL to score a century in a season
1930
Ken Farmer becomes the first SANFL player to score a century of goals in a season, a feat he manages for 11 consecutive seasons to 1940, Seventh national carnival, held in Adelaide and won by Victoria
1931
Page McIntyre finals system adopted in the VFL, SANFL and WAFL
1932
Swan Districts FC formed (current WAFL club)
1933
George Doig kicks 106 goals, becoming the first WAFL player to achieve the feat, Eighth national carnival, held in Sydney and won by Victoria
1934
Swan Districts join the WAFL
1937
Ninth national carnival, held in Perth and won by Victoria, First Tassie medal awarded at a national carnival
1940
NWFU goes into recess for WW2
1942
SANFL competition suspended for three years during WW2, Geelong withdraws from VFL competition for two years during WW2
1944
Geelong rejoins VFL
1945
SANFL competition resumes
1947
Tenth national carnival, held in Hobart and won by Victoria
1948
Lauderdale FC formed (current TSL club)
1950
Eleventh national carnival held in Brisbane, won by Victoria
1953
Twelfth national carnival held in Adelaide, won by Victoria and first naming of an All Australian side
1956
Thirteenth national carnival held in Perth, won by Victoria
1958
Centenary of the game, Fourteenth national carnival held in Melbourne, won by Victoria
1959
Central District FC formed (current SANFL club since 1964), Woodville FC formed (entered SANFL in 1964 and later merged with West Torrens in 1990)
1961
Fifteenth national carnival held in Brisbane, won by WA, VFA splits into two divisions with promotion/relegation
1964
SANFL expands to 10 teams with admission of Central District and Woodville
1966
Sixteenth national carnival held in Hobart, won by Victoria
1968
Carlton defeats Sturt in first national club championship played since 1914
1969
Seventeenth national carnival held in Adelaide, won by Victoria, Richmond defeats Sturt in the national championship game
1970
Grand Final between Carlton and Collingwood is the largest attended game in Australia football history with 121,696 present, VFL opens its own stadium at Waverley Park, Carlton defeats Sturt in the national championship game
1971
Hawthorn defeats North Adelaide in the national championship game
1972
VFL introduces final five, Eighteenth national carnival held in Perth, won by Victoria, North Adelaide defeats Carlton in the national championship game
1973
SANFL introduces final five, Richmond defeats Subiaco in the national championship game
1974
SANFL opens its own stadium, Football Park at West Lakes, Richmond defeats Sturt in the national championship game
1975
North Melbourne defeats Norwood in the last national championship game
1976
Introduction of two umpire system
1978
Introduction of interchange players
1979
Nineteenth national carnival held in Perth, won by WA
1980
Twentieth national carnival held in Adelaide, won by Victoria
1982
South Melbourne relocates to Sydney
1984
VFL Commission formed
1985
Independent Commission becomes VFL's decision-making body
1986
Brisbane Bears FC formed (joined VFL competition 1987), West Coast Eagles FC formed (joined VFL competition 1987), Introduction of the national draft, Tasmanian FL becomes a statewide competition
1988
Twenty first national carnival held in Adelaide, won by SA
1989
VFA reverts to a single division of 14 clubs
1990
VFL renamed the AFL, Adelaide FC formed (joined AFL competition 1991)
1991
SANFL reduced to nine teams with merger between Woodville and West Torrens, WAFL introduces final five
1992
AFL premiership won by West Coast as first club outside of the Victoria border
1994
Fremantle FC formed (joined AFL competition 1995)
1996
Brisbane / Fitzroy merger (Brisbane Lions continued in AFL competition 1997)
1997
Adelaide Crows win first AFL premiership as first SA-based club to do so, Peel Thunder FC formed and entered the WAFL (current WAFL club)
THE 2000s
2001
Brisbane Lions win AFL premiership as first Qld-based club to do so
2005
Sydney Swans win AFL premiership as first NSW-based club to do so
2008
Gold Coast FC formed (joined AFL competition in 2011)
2010
GWS Giants FC formed (joined AFL competition in 2012)
2017
AFLW is launched as an 8-team competition, comprising Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle GWS Giants, Melbourne and Western Bulldogs
2019
AFLW expands to 10 teams with the addition of Geelong Cats and North Melbourne
2020
AFLW expands to 14 teams with the addition of Gold Coast Suns, Richmond, St Kilda and West Coast Eagles
2023 season
AFLW expands to 18 teams with the addition of Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney Swans
2024
Tasmania FC launches its official colours and logo for its future entry to the AFL.
