TLPG wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 11:09 pm
4. And saw Marn Grook being played by the First Australians.
I'm not saying they started it. I'm saying it had an influence - and speaking as a historian I find it hard to believe it didn't. It makes no sense given that union bears no resemblance to our game and Marn Grook does. Gaelic football does to and for the record while it wasn't codified until later (1870's) it was still about as an idea surely?
No influence at all.
And several of the early rules of Canterbury, Rugby and Blackheath had rules very similar to Australian rules.
The first rules of association football allowed kicking through the posts and catching the ball for a free kick by making a mark.
And a Description of the Rules of Football as played at Shrewsbury School (1855).
1. Each side could consist of twelve, or of an unlimited number.
2. A match was decided by the best out of three 'games' (i.e. goals).
3. A goal could be kicked at any height.
4. A player who caught the ball direct from a kick could take a 'hoist' (i.e. drop kick); otherwise the ball might not be handled.
5. No one might stand wilfully between the ball and his opponent's goal.
Lots of similar but different games played in the english schools.
Tom Wills had significant contact with local aboriginals in 3 colonies as a child, youth and an adult before and after his English trip, on a cultural, personal and sports basis.
He was a prolific writer, mentions many things about aboriginal sporting prowess, but never mentions any form of native football.
The mark/catch and kicking practices were well established in some the English public schools when the members of the rules committee attended them.
Some historians have mentioned the influence of irishman Tom Smith in the formation of the first rules.
Thomas Smith was the Irishman who was part of the first Melbourne rules committee.
He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, formally and officially known as College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth.
This is a Protestant established University to promote the ideals of the English establishment and
suppress local tradition, beliefs and practices. It did not support, or allow any native practices including sport.
Until 1793 Catholics were prohibited from attending and after that date admission was via a process of vigorous religious testing that very few Catholics passed, they were still banned from any teaching or authority positions.
In 1871 the catholic authorities of Ireland banned all Catholics from attending this college.
Smith graduated from the university around 1852 and arrived in Victoria 1858.
Irishman in name only, grew up in a Protestant, heavily English dominated, environment where it very unlikely he was aware of much if any of the Irish culture.
At this time there is no record of any organised Irish football being played, as generally, Irish culture was suppressed. Mob, village and town football was certainly played on occasion and in some parts of the country was referred to as caid.
At the time Trinity College played a game akin to early rugby but with sufficient enough differences that when an English student from Rugby College, Charles West, watched a game in the 1850’s he commented that it was “Rugby of sorts”.
The other first rules committee members were also English educated gentleman, Wills was born in Australia but spent his higher education years in England. He was an outstanding sportsman and played both cricket and football at rugby, and cricket, and possibly football at Cambridge, both colleges played a significantly different style of game.
