238:
259:...more famous for its spirit than its skill.....Although there were some good men amongst the players, even League and Association members, they had little chance of showing their onetime prowess The melted snow made the ground as slippery as a banana skin, the obstacles impeded rushes, and the players themselves sadly lacked practice. Certainly the game was conspicuous for the absence of fine marking and long shots. The passing was too often to the other side.
250:
We had a great football yesterday (Aust. rules) it was between 2nd Field
Ambulance and 4th Light Horse, it was a great game, it was played in Cairo and after an exciting game the Light Horse won by 3 points, we were leading up till a few minutes to go when a L.H. received a free kick which ended it.
65:
267:
That night saw officers and sergeants again on the front line on a tour of inspection previous to another term of duty in the trenches. But it is certain that the game had given them fresh heart. It carried them back to those happy days when football was played in certain
Melbourne suburbs they
57:
453:
bearing the words "Changi '41 '42" and "Chitty flag", which may have flown over the game where Chitty won the Changi
Brownlow. Also found were a leather football and whistle with the inscription "Changi Football League", along with a basketball bearing the words "Changi Basketball League."
30:
272:
Two men wrote that they had organised soldiers from Port
Melbourne to take on all challengers noting "We hope to gain for the Port Melbourne Railway Union Football Club a name as renowned in France as the name is in Melbourne junior football circles"
287:
245:
Pick up games of
Australian Rules football were popular amongst the Australian soldiers in World War 1. Private Victor Laidlaw describes one such match between his 2nd Field Ambulance and the Light Horse in Cairo in January 1915:
389:
as fundraising events. The carnivals featured every team in the league in a one-day knockout tournament, featuring shortened games. Several more of these carnivals were held by major and minor leagues as wartime fundraisers.
777:
Pioneer
Exhibition Game Australian Football: in aid of British and French Red Cross Societies: 3rd Australian Division v. Australian Training Units at Queen's Club, West Kensington, on Saturday, October 28th, 1916, at
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Australian rules football also played a significant part in the
Australian forces during the war, with the first Australian assault in Libya commencing with the signal of a football being kicked into no-man's land.
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100 Years of
Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported
251:
Heedless to say all players were pretty stiff, I would have been playing but for a badly cut finger which wasn't quite well. We got back to camp about 11 o'clock.
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was heavily affected by both World War I and World War II. Hundreds of leading players served their country abroad, and many lost their lives. On the
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90:. Their new colours of black, red and yellow were chosen as support to Australia's ally Belgium, where a group of St Kilda players were serving.
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Australian soldiers, sailors, and airmen take part in an impromptu game of end-to-end
Australian rules football in Central Australia in 1944.
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415:, was held in 1942/43 and contested by teams called "Melbourne", "Richmond", "Essendon" and "Carlton". There was also a league set up at
255:
Lieutenant Lionel Short gave a vivid and amusing account of another game played on a field pockmarked by shells. The game he wrote, was:
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1396:
1381:
1145:
1135:
984:
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VFL seasons when rail and road transport restrictions made it too difficult for supporters to attend games in
Melbourne. Because the
117:
and as a result of player shortage. Despite finishing the home and away season in last place, Fitzroy won the Grand Final that year.
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896:
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76:, but voted in favour of playing by 13 votes to four. The season began on 24 April, the day before Australian troops landed at
159:
seasons respectively. Neither was to return after the war, though attempts to revive Midland Junction were made in the 1920s.
1441:
148:
263:
Despite the difficulties of the game, Lieutenant Short ends with a poignant reminder of why these games were so important:
191:, organized an Australian Rules football match between two teams of Australian servicemen in aid of the British and French
144:
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throughout the Second World War, with competitions held in Singapore and Germany. The Changi Football League, played at
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Rover (15 July 1940), "Lightning Football Carnival raises more than £1000 for patriotic and charitable funds",
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143:(WAFL) continued to play throughout the war; however due to a lack of players and very poor on-field records
1058:
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676:"League Football – An Open Competition: Decision for 1945 Season"; The West Australian, 23 March 1945, p. 2
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83:
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Brosnan, G., "Australian Football at Queen's Club, London; Exhibition Game by Anzacs Draws Large Crowd",
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The match was promoted as a "Pioneer Exhibition Game of Australian Football in London". It was held at
86:
changed their club colours because their traditional red, white and black colours were the same as the
605:
64:
1109:
489:
382:
clubs temporarily merged into four combined clubs for a reduced competition between 1942 and 1944.
800:
Everything you ever wanted to know about Australian rules football but couldn't be bothered asking
136:
spent the longest time out of the league, missing three seasons before rejoining the VFL in 1919.
56:
1281:
386:
939:
606:"Diaries of Private Victor Rupert Laidlaw, 1914-1984 entry 18 January 1915 [manuscript]"
527:, New Zealand have also been held to commemorate past and present members of the armed forces.
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All games held on the weekend closest to ANZAC Day have a small memorial ceremony, and the
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as bases, Melbourne and South Melbourne had to play their home games elsewhere, whilst the
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Disputes over whether football should be played in wartime came up again in World War II.
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73:
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Australian Football on the Western Front World War 1 H85.55/160/88 State Library Victoria
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Many VFL players served in the armed services, and a number lost their lives, including
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166:(SAFL) suspended play in favour of a "patriotic competition" between 1916 and 1918.
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for the "fairest and best" player was not awarded for four seasons – 1942 to 1945.
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called "home". And it is in such happy thoughts and memories that we soldiers live.
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211:
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On Saturday 28 October 1916, the former Olympic champion swimmer and the later
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433:, awarded its only "Changi Brownlow" medal for the best and fairest player to
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948:"Chronology: A year by year summary of our history (Melbourne Football Club)"
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Two stills from the news film appear at Holmesby & Main, (1996), p.49.
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In 1940, both the SANFL and the VFL staged the first Australian football
423:, contested by the "Kangaroos", "Emus", "Kookaburras" and "Wallabies".
852:
Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War
464:
List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service
879:
Minogue, D. & Millard, P.J., "Famous A.I.F. Match in London",
285:
48:(VFL) went ahead during these wars, but faced many restrictions.
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980:
795:, Issue 41309, (Friday, 27 October 1916), p. 15, column B.
788:, Issue 41311, (Monday, 30 October 1916), p. 11, column C.
866:
Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996
206:
before an estimated crowd of 3,000, which included the (then)
72:
In March 1915, the VFL voted on whether or not to suspend the
784:
Anon., "Australian Football. Novel Match at Queen's Club",
437:, a former St Kilda footballer, which is on display at the
325:
The VFL continued operation, but Geelong withdrew from the
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restricted the competition to players under the age of 18
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as a tribute to those who died serving their country.
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Taylor, Percy (2 August 1940), "Unique competition",
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128:returned to the league in 1917, while St Kilda and
97:was heavily affected by the war. Only four clubs,
838:This Football Century: "The Greatest Game of All"
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1219:Australian rules football during the World Wars
636:. The Argus (Melbourne). 10 May 1917. p. 8
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658:. Ballarat Courier. 17 January 1917. p. 7
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868:, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996.
80:. Attendances were poor throughout the year.
8:
1315:Countries playing Australian rules football
965:1942 Inter-Services Competition – Melbourne
365:Western Australian National Football League
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170:"Pioneer Exhibition Game" in London (1916)
380:South Australian National Football League
407:Australian rules football was played by
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28:
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1310:Australian rules football in Australia
840:, Wilkinson Books, (Melbourne), 1996.
458:VFL players who died in active service
1325:Australian Football International Cup
1151:Queensland Australian Football League
818:, (Wednesday, 20 December 1916), p.7.
780:, Wightman & Co., (London), 1919.
7:
1483:History of Australian rules football
926:ABC radio transcript (19 April 2002)
854:, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.
761:. Corryong. 4 April 2024. p. 4.
227:The Third Australian Divisional Team
221:The members of the competing teams,
68:The Third Australian Divisional Team
426:The Changi Football League, run by
1136:Northern Territory Football League
1100:AFL Women's Under 18 Championships
959:1940 VFL Patriotic Cup – Melbourne
883:, (Saturday, 21 August 1937), p.8.
826:, Richmond FC, (Melbourne), 1996.
802:, The Five Mile Press: Melbourne.
441:. In 2024, it was reported in the
60:The Australian Training Units Team
25:
1478:Australian people of World War II
971:1943 RAAF Competition – Melbourne
353:for 1942 were also commandeered.
151:were forced to disband after the
1473:Australian people of World War I
1468:History of Australia (1901–1945)
1341:Australian Football Hall of Fame
534:, a minutes silence, and, then,
164:South Australian Football League
1267:Comparison with Gaelic football
141:West Australian Football League
932:"The 10 best Anzac club links"
930:Daffey, Paul (25 April 2004).
755:"History of war flag sought".
1:
836:Holmesby, R. & Main, J.,
306:captain, Leading Aircraftman
132:made their comeback in 1918.
18:The VFL during the World Wars
1277:International rules football
891:, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996.
553:1916 Pioneer Exhibition Game
176:1916 Pioneer Exhibition Game
511:Other games, including the
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1463:Australian Football League
1095:AFL Under 18 Championships
850:Main, J. & Allen, D.,
461:
216:King Manuel II of Portugal
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1008:Australian rules football
610:State Library of Victoria
604:Laidlaw, Private Victor.
310:(right) listening to the
223:Australian Training Units
46:Victorian Football League
38:Australian rules football
791:Anon., "News in Brief",
538:played before the game.
506:Melbourne Cricket Ground
349:for two seasons and the
335:Melbourne Cricket Ground
44:, competitions like the
705:, Melbourne, p. 14
656:"Football at the front"
634:"Football at the front"
447:Australian Flag Society
439:Australian War Memorial
343:United States Air Force
341:were taken over by the
298:winner, Flying Officer
182:Lord Mayor of Melbourne
1224:History of the VFL/AFL
1171:Tasmanian State League
973:– BoylesFootballPhotos
967:– BoylesFootballPhotos
961:– BoylesFootballPhotos
816:The (Melbourne) Winner
585:Anon, 30 October 1916.
576:Anon, 27 October 1916.
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1377:After-the-siren kicks
1351:Club best and fairest
1141:Adelaide Footy League
905:, Scribe, Melbourne.
690:, Adelaide, p. 7
451:Australian red ensign
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282:Domestic competitions
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115:Australian patriotism
67:
59:
32:
942:on 16 December 2004.
798:Atkinson, G. (1982)
312:1944 VFL Grand Final
294:footballer and 1936
1432:Oldest competitions
1229:Interstate football
1110:Talent League Girls
500:has taken place on
387:Lightning Carnivals
314:while stationed in
302:(left), and former
1412:In popular culture
1282:Lightning football
1244:Schism (1938–1949)
1105:Talent League Boys
954:on 16 August 2012.
881:The Sporting Globe
449:had discovered an
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824:The Tigers of Old
431:Wilfred Smallhorn
428:Brownlow Medalist
189:Frank Beaurepaire
16:(Redirected from
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1437:Terms and jargon
1397:Fantasy football
1370:Related articles
1023:
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950:. Archived from
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938:. Archived from
901:Shaw, I. (2006)
864:Maplestone, M.,
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316:Dutch New Guinea
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204:West Kensington
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1427:Oldest clubs
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1417:Kick-to-kick
1387:Barassi Line
1218:
1192:AFL reserves
1166:AFLS Women's
1156:QAFL Women's
1146:NTFL Women's
1131:AFLC Women's
1126:AFL Canberra
1018:competitions
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1320:Tournaments
1176:TSL Women's
1047:Second-tier
1016:Leagues and
745:Shaw, p. 59
733:Shaw, p. 58
715:Shaw, p. 57
494:Collingwood
488:Since 1995
474:Bruce Sloss
292:Collingwood
212:Edward VIII
103:Collingwood
95:1916 season
74:1915 season
52:World War I
1457:Categories
1254:Variations
1234:Marn Grook
1161:AFL Sydney
770:References
525:Wellington
515:hosted by
478:Len Thomas
417:Stalag 383
356:The VFL's
300:Ron McCann
186:Lieutenant
174:See also:
42:home front
1302:Geography
1292:Superules
1287:Rec footy
822:Hogan P:
793:The Times
786:The Times
703:The Argus
564:Footnotes
536:The Rouse
532:Last Post
517:Fremantle
502:Anzac Day
445:that the
421:Nuremberg
339:Lake Oval
193:Red Cross
134:Melbourne
78:Gallipoli
1407:Guernsey
1392:Families
1272:Footy 9s
1026:National
542:See also
498:Essendon
492:between
376:and 1944
337:and the
130:Essendon
111:Richmond
84:St Kilda
1239:Origins
1211:History
1185:Defunct
504:at the
490:a match
419:, near
373:in 1943
369:in 1942
304:Fitzroy
290:Former
214:), and
122:Geelong
107:Fitzroy
99:Carlton
1382:Banner
1334:Awards
1088:Junior
1059:SANFLW
909:
895:
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662:20 May
640:20 May
615:20 May
1197:NEAFL
1119:Other
1079:WAFLW
1054:SANFL
394:Libya
120:Both
1262:AFLX
1074:WAFL
1069:VFLW
1038:AFLW
907:ISBN
893:ISBN
870:ISBN
856:ISBN
842:ISBN
828:ISBN
804:ISBN
664:2020
642:2020
617:2020
496:and
476:and
409:POWs
363:The
331:1943
329:and
327:1942
225:and
162:The
157:1917
155:and
153:1915
147:and
139:The
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1064:VFL
1033:AFL
778:3pm
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