Marngrook

Football and the argument about where it came from. Marn Grook is well documented as a game, but the claim that it influenced Australian rules is rejected by Hibbins, who wrote the code's own official history, and by Pennings and Ruddell, so the archive presents the dispute rather than the claim. Also the grounds, the crowds, and the Indigenous Round.

Part of Australia

84 moments in this segment.

  1. - Football under electric light at the MCG, 1879. James Waltham Curtis drew this Australian football match played under electric lamps at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 August 1879, one of the earliest attempts anywhere to light a field game artificially. The code had been codified in Melbourne in 1859 and by 1879 was already the winter game of Victoria. Whether the Aboriginal ball game marn grook influenced its invention is disputed, and historians including Gillian Hibbins, who wrote the AFL's own official history, reject the claim.
  2. - Collingwood v St.Kilda Grand Final 1966. 1966. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 1966 held by St Kilda F.C AFL Archive.
  3. - The Final Story - Collingwood v St.Kilda - 1966 Grand Final. 1966. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 1966 held by St Kilda F.C AFL Archive.
  4. - The Final Story - Hawthorn v St.Kilda - 1971 VFL Grand Final. 1971. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 1971 held by St Kilda F.C AFL Archive.
  5. - 1983 VFL AFL GRAND FINAL Hawthorn v Essendon. 1983. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 1983 held by AFL History.
  6. - 1989 AFL GRAND FINAL HAWTHORN V GEELONG. 1989. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 1989 held by AFL History.
  7. - McAdam and Winmar's sublime skills in 'Winmar's stand' game | On This Day | 1993 | AFL. McAdam and Winmar's sublime skills in 'Winmar's stand' game, published by AFL and concerning Victoria. Nicky Winmar lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin at Victoria Park on 17 April 1993, photographed by Wayne Ludbey and John Feder. The footage depicts events of 1993. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 1993 held by AFL.
  8. - 1993 AFL GRAND FINAL ESSENDON v CARLTON. 1993. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 1993 held by AFL History.
  9. - AFL - Coll v St K: Match Summary. 2010.
  10. - The final two minutes - AFL Grand Final. 2012.
  11. - O'Keefe and Patfull contest the ball. Sydney's Ryan O'Keefe and Brisbane's Joel Patfull go for the ball in round six of the 2013 season. Sydney began as South Melbourne and was relocated to New South Wales in 1982, the first move that made the competition national. The league was renamed the Australian Football League in 1990.
  12. - Sydney players in a huddle. Sydney forms a huddle during a match against Brisbane on 5 May 2013. Adam Goodes played for Sydney across that era and won two Brownlow Medals and two premierships. He was Australian of the Year in 2014 and left the game in 2015 after sustained booing that the league later apologised for.
  13. - Sydney Swans warming up. Sydney players warm up before the opening round match against Greater Western Sydney on 30 March 2013. The Swans and the Giants were the league's two New South Wales sides, the Giants having entered the competition the year before. Expansion into rugby league states was the AFL's central strategic project of that decade.
  14. - Grand final panorama at the MCG. The Melbourne Cricket Ground during the 2013 AFL grand final. The grand final has been played at this ground almost every year since 1902, with wartime and pandemic exceptions. Hawthorn beat Fremantle in 2013.
  15. - Richmond Football Club honours Aboriginal pioneer - Sir Doug Nicholls. 2015.
  16. - Indigenous Round launch marks 20th anniversary of AFL’s racial vilification policy. 2015.
  17. - What is AFL? Aussie Rules Explained. 2015.
  18. - The Australian Sports Museum. The museum housed under the Melbourne Cricket Ground, photographed in 2016. Its collection includes material on Australian football alongside cricket and Olympic holdings. A possum skin ball of the kind used in marn grook is among the objects museums use to illustrate the disputed origin story.
  19. - 2016 Mullagh-Wills Oration. 1868 Aboriginal tour of England. Filed as a sport record, posted by Cricket Australia in 2016.
  20. - AFLW Highlights - Carlton v Collingwood. 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL in 2017.
  21. - Ruck contest between Sinclair and Nankervis. Callum Sinclair and Toby Nankervis leap at a centre bounce during the round thirteen match between Richmond and Sydney on 17 June 2017. The ruck contest is the closest thing in the modern code to the leaping scramble for a high ball that observers described in nineteenth century accounts of marn grook. That resemblance is the whole basis of the influence claim, and it is circumstantial.
  22. - Grundy and Nankervis at a centre bounce. Brodie Grundy and Toby Nankervis contest the ruck during the round two match between Richmond and Collingwood on 30 March 2017. Only two players may contest the bounce and the rest must stay outside the centre square. The rule was introduced in 1973 to stop the whole team crowding the middle.
  23. - Wright and O'Brien ruck contest. Peter Wright and Tim O'Brien jump at a stoppage during the round twelve match between Melbourne and Collingwood on 10 June 2017. Melbourne Football Club claims descent from the 1858 club that drew up the first written rules. Its colours and its ground have changed but its founding date is the earliest of any club in the competition.
  24. - Grundy marks over Nankervis. Brodie Grundy takes the ball above Toby Nankervis in the round two match of 2017 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A player who catches a kicked ball cleanly is awarded a mark and cannot be tackled. The overhead mark is the signature image of the code.
  25. - Martin and Grundy in a marking contest. Dustin Martin and Heath Grundy compete for a high ball during Richmond against Sydney on 17 June 2017. Martin won the Brownlow Medal, the Norm Smith Medal and a premiership in that season. Richmond had not won a flag since 1980 before that year.
  26. - Newman and Prestia contest a mark. Nic Newman and Dion Prestia jump for the ball at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 17 June 2017. Contested marking is scored and analysed as a separate statistic in the modern game. Photograph by the Commons contributor Flickerd.
  27. - Bachar Houli marks over Chris Mayne. Bachar Houli takes the ball above Chris Mayne in the round two match between Richmond and Collingwood on 30 March 2017. Houli was among the first Muslim players in the competition and ran a programme bringing Muslim children into football. He retired in 2021 having played more than two hundred games.
  28. - Tim O'Brien kicking. Tim O'Brien kicks during the round twelve match between Melbourne and Collingwood on 10 June 2017. The drop punt, held vertically and dropped onto the boot, became the standard kick in the 1960s. Older codes of kicking survive only in the torpedo used for distance.
  29. - Adam Treloar kicking. Adam Treloar delivers the ball during Richmond against Collingwood on 30 March 2017. Collingwood is the oldest continuing rivalry partner of most Victorian clubs and consistently draws the largest crowds. Photograph by Flickerd.
  30. - Scott Pendlebury kicking. Scott Pendlebury disposes of the ball in the round two match of 2017. Pendlebury captained Collingwood from 2014 and passed four hundred games in 2024. He had played state level basketball before choosing football.
  31. - Richmond banner before the bounce. The crepe paper banner Richmond runs through before a match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in June 2017. Cheer squads build the banners by hand each week and the club runs through them at the start of play. The practice is unique to Australian football.
  32. - Adelaide runs through the banner. Adelaide players break through their banner before a match against Hawthorn on 1 April 2017. Adelaide entered the competition in 1991, the first South Australian club admitted. South Australia had run its own league since 1877.
  33. - Richmond cheer squad. Members of the Richmond cheer squad behind the goals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2017. Cheer squads occupy a reserved bay and are formally recognised by the clubs. They were once the exclusive builders of the run through banners.
  34. - Mills and Jack celebrate a Sydney win. Callum Mills and Kieren Jack after Sydney's win over Richmond on 17 June 2017. Kieren Jack's father Garry played rugby league for Australia, and the family split across codes drew comment for years. Code loyalty in Sydney remains geographically and socially sharp.
  35. - The 10: Best moments from Indigenous stars | Round 1-10, 2018 | AFL. The 10: Best moments from Indigenous stars, published by AFL. Sir Doug Nicholls played league football and later became Governor of South Australia. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL in 2018.
  36. - Path through Yarra Park to the MCG. A walking path through Yarra Park beside the Melbourne Cricket Ground, photographed in December 2018. The park contains scarred trees where Wurundjeri people cut bark for canoes and shields, and the ground itself stands on their Country. Ball games were played across these flats before the cricket ground was built in 1853.
  37. - Ruck contest in the AFL Women's competition. Geelong and Carlton ruckmen contest a bounce at Kardinia Park in round four of the 2019 AFL Women's season. The competition began in 2017 with eight clubs and expanded to all eighteen by 2023. Women had played organised Australian football since at least 1915 without a national league.
  38. - Geelong against Carlton at Kardinia Park. Play during the round four AFL Women's match at Kardinia Park in Geelong in 2019. Carlton and Collingwood had opened the first AFLW season in 2017 before a crowd that overflowed Ikon Park. Matches are shorter than the men's game, with quarters of fifteen minutes plus time on.
  39. - The Geelong AFLW team in 2019. The Geelong side lined up during a match against Carlton in round four of the 2019 season. Geelong entered the women's competition in 2019 along with North Melbourne. The club plays out of Kardinia Park, the oldest continuously used ground in the competition.
  40. - Geelong players celebrate a win. Geelong celebrates after beating Carlton at Kardinia Park in 2019. AFLW players were part time and many held other jobs through the early seasons. Pay and season length were the substance of every collective agreement negotiated since.
  41. - The Deadliest: Highlights of Nicky Winmar | 2020 | AFL. The Deadliest: Highlights of Nicky Winmar, published by AFL and concerning Queensland. Nicky Winmar lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin at Victoria Park on 17 April 1993, photographed by Wayne Ludbey and John Feder. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL in 2020.
  42. - AFL legend Gilbert McAdam calls out racism in Australia | YOKAYI Footy | NITV. AFL legend Gilbert McAdam calls out racism in Australia, published by NITV. The influence of Marn Grook on Australian football is rejected by Gillian Hibbins, Mark Pennings and Trevor Ruddell, and is presented here as a dispute rather than a fact. Filed as a sport record, posted by NITV in 2021.
  43. - Bodyline: The science, sportsmanship and politics of the most infamous Ashes cricket series | ABC. Bodyline: The science, sportsmanship and politics of the most infamous Ashes cricket series, published by ABC Australia. The Bodyline series of 1932 and 1933 used short-pitched leg-theory bowling against Bradman. Filed as a sport record, posted by ABC Australia in 2022.
  44. - AFLW Full Match - Brisbane Lions vs Melbourne Demons - AFLW Round 7 2022. 's and concerning Victoria. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2022.
  45. - Brisbane v Collingwood - AFLW 2022 Match Replay - Qualifying Final. 's and concerning Queensland. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2022.
  46. - 2022 AFLW Grand Final - Adelaide Crows vs Melbourne Demons. 's and concerning Victoria. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2022.
  47. - Dreamtime at the 'G | Richmond v Essendon Highlights | Round 10, 2022 | AFL. Dreamtime at the 'G, published by AFL. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL in 2022.
  48. - Brisbane against Collingwood at Maroochydore. An AFL Women's round five match of the 2022 season played at the Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex on the Sunshine Coast. The women's competition regularly plays at suburban and regional grounds rather than stadiums. Brisbane has been the most consistent Queensland side in the competition.
  49. - Korora Oval on the New South Wales coast. A council maintained football oval at Korora near Coffs Harbour, looking east to the pavilion and the Great Dividing Range, photographed in 2022. Ovals of this kind are the ordinary infrastructure of the game outside the cities. Australian football is a minority code on the New South Wales coast.
  50. - YR x AFL (Dreamtime @ the 'G 2022). ), published by ARDS - Yolŋu Radio. Yolŋu Country is the ground of this record. Filed as a sport record, from footage of 2022 held by ARDS - Yolŋu Radio.
  51. - A beginner’s guide to Australian Football | AFL Explained. A beginner’s guide to Australian Football, published by AFL. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL in 2022.
  52. - A beginner’s guide to Australian Football | AFLW Explained. A beginner’s guide to Australian Football, published by AFL Women's. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2022.
  53. - Bradman and Tendulkar | The untold story of two of cricket’s giants | ABC Australia. Bradman and Tendulkar, published by ABC Australia. Don Bradman finished with a Test average of 99.94, bowled for a duck in his final innings at The Oval in 1948 by Eric Hollies. Filed as a sport record, posted by ABC Australia in 2023.
  54. - The Art of Batting featuring Sir Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar | ABC Australia. The Art of Batting featuring Sir Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar, published by ABC Australia. Don Bradman finished with a Test average of 99.94, bowled for a duck in his final innings at The Oval in 1948 by Eric Hollies. Filed as a sport record, posted by ABC Australia in 2023.
  55. - 🏉🎨 Footy and art come together for the AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round | Sports | ABC Australia. 🏉🎨 Footy and art come together for the AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round, published by ABC Australia. Sir Doug Nicholls played league football and later became Governor of South Australia. Filed as a sport record, posted by ABC Australia in 2023.
  56. - First bounce of the 2023 grand final. The umpire bounces the ball to open the 2023 AFL grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The bounce is peculiar to Australian football, and the ball is oval so that the bounce is unpredictable for both ruckmen. Collingwood beat Brisbane by four points.
  57. - Emma Kearney at the 2023 grand final. North Melbourne captain Emma Kearney during the 2023 AFL Women's grand final. Kearney had played state cricket for Victoria before committing to football. She won the league best and fairest in 2018.
  58. - Anthems before the 2023 women's grand final. North Melbourne and Brisbane line up at Ikon Park for the national anthem before the 2023 AFL Women's grand final. Ikon Park in Carlton has hosted the women's decider repeatedly. Brisbane won that match.
  59. - Michael Long walking over 650km in support of the "Yes" campaign. #NITV #VoicetoParliament. 's 1995 complaint led the AFL to introduce its racial and religious vilification rule. Filed as a sport record, posted by NITV in 2023.
  60. - AFL legend Michael Long speaks after 660km walk to support Indigenous Voice to Parliament | SBS News. AFL legend Michael Long speaks after 660km walk to support Indigenous Voice to Parliament, published by SBS News and concerning Victoria. The referendum failed on 14 October 2023, with 39.94 percent voting yes and only the Australian Capital Territory in favour. Filed as a sport record, posted by SBS News in 2023.
  61. - Jack Bowes lines up for goal. Geelong's Jack Bowes prepares to kick during the second preliminary final of 2024 against Brisbane at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 21 September. A shot after a mark is taken from behind the mark with the defender standing on the spot. Six points are scored between the inner posts and one between the outer.
  62. - Essendon and Hawthorn contest the ball. Players from both sides go to ground for the ball in the opening round match of the 2024 season on 16 March. Ground level contests are governed by rules on holding the ball and prior opportunity that change almost every season. Essendon and Hawthorn have met on the opening weekend repeatedly since the 1980s.
  63. - Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide contest the ball. Players compete during the week two match of the 2024 AFL Women's season at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 6 September. Port Adelaide fielded a women's team from 2022. The men's club had been founded in 1870.
  64. - Sydney Showground Stadium in football configuration. The playing surface at Sydney Showground Stadium set up for Australian football during an opening round match between Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood in March 2024. Grounds shared with cricket or rectangular codes are reconfigured between seasons. The oval shape of the field is a legacy of the code being drawn up to keep cricketers fit in winter.
  65. - Record Geelong crowd at the MCG. A panorama of the Melbourne Cricket Ground during a Geelong against Carlton match in the 2024 season, when 87,775 people attended, a record home crowd for the Geelong Football Club. The ground holds just over one hundred thousand. It has been the code's principal venue since the nineteenth century.
  66. - Essendon v Richmond Highlights | Round 11, 2025 | AFL. Essendon v Richmond Highlights, published by AFL. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL in 2025.
  67. - First Nations contributions to AFL celebrated at Dreamtime at the G | Nula | NITV. First Nations contributions to AFL celebrated at Dreamtime at the G, published by NITV. Filed as a sport record, posted by NITV in 2025.
  68. - Dreamtime at the G pre match ceremony. Dancers and smoke before the round eleven match between Essendon and Richmond at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 23 May 2025. The fixture has been played annually since 2005 and is the centrepiece of the AFL's Indigenous Round. Around ten per cent of AFL listed players identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, far above the share of the general population.
  69. - North Melbourne celebrate the 2025 flag. North Melbourne players after the AFL Women's grand final against Brisbane at Ikon Park on 29 November 2025. The club went through that season undefeated. It was North Melbourne's second women's premiership.
  70. - American sailors learn Australian football at Cairns. Sailors from the USS Blue Ridge train with AFL Cairns instructors at Watson's Oval in Cairns on 17 April 2025. Recruiting from overseas has produced a handful of AFL listed players, mostly ruckmen from American basketball. Photograph by the United States Navy.
  71. - Kangaroos v Carlton Highlights | Round 6, 2025 | AFLW. Kangaroos v Carlton Highlights, published by AFL Women's. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2025.
  72. - Kangaroos v Sydney Swans Highlights | Round 8, 2025 | AFLW. Kangaroos v Sydney Swans Highlights, published by AFL Women's and concerning New South Wales. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2025.
  73. - Dr Greg de Moore "Tom Wills: The Insubordinate Life of an Australian Sporting Legend". ", published by Biographers in Conversation. Filed as a sport record, posted by Biographers in Conversation in 2025.
  74. - Kangaroos v Brisbane Lions Highlights | 2025 NAB AFLW Grand Final | AFLW. Kangaroos v Brisbane Lions Highlights, published by AFL Women's and concerning Queensland. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2025.
  75. - Grace Egan at Unley Oval. Grace Egan during the opening round match between Adelaide and Sydney at Unley Oval on 16 August 2026. Unley Oval is a suburban ground in Adelaide used by the women's competition. Sydney entered the AFLW in 2022.
  76. - Chelsea Randall at the AFLW opening round. Chelsea Randall in the Adelaide against Sydney match on 16 August 2026. Randall captained Adelaide through its premiership seasons and was one of the competition's foundation players. She began in the Western Australian league.
  77. - Eloise Jones in the Adelaide side. Eloise Jones during the round one AFLW match at Unley Oval on 16 August 2026. Adelaide won three of the first six women's premierships. Photograph by Yu Chu Chin.
  78. - Brooke Tonon at Unley Oval. Brooke Tonon in the Adelaide against Sydney match of 16 August 2026. The women's season runs in late winter and spring, after the men's home and away rounds are underway. Crowds at suburban grounds are close enough to hear the players call.
  79. - Australia v Ireland Highlights | 2026 NAB AFLW. Australia v Ireland Highlights, published by AFL Women's. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2026, running 7 minutes.
  80. - Hawthorn v Melbourne Highlights | Round 1, 2026 | AFLW. Hawthorn v Melbourne Highlights, published by AFL Women's and concerning Victoria. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2026, running 6 minutes.
  81. - The BEST MOMENTS from Round 1 | AFLW. The BEST MOMENTS from Round 1, published by AFL Women's. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2026, running 5 minutes.
  82. - The BEST MOMENTS from Round 2 | AFLW. The BEST MOMENTS from Round 2, published by AFL Women's. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2026, running 6 minutes.
  83. - Melbourne v GWS Giants Highlights | Round 2, 2026 | AFLW. Melbourne v GWS Giants Highlights, published by AFL Women's and concerning Victoria. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2026, running 6 minutes.
  84. - Sydney Swans v Euro-Yroke Highlights | Round 3, 2026 | AFLW. Sydney Swans v Euro-Yroke Highlights, published by AFL Women's and concerning New South Wales. The AFLW was announced in 2013 and launched in 2017 with eight clubs. Filed as a sport record, posted by AFL Women's in 2026, running 6 minutes.
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