111-474: The Rutherglen Football and Netball Club is an Australian rules football and netball club playing its home games in Rutherglen, Victoria , Australia . The current Rutherglen FNC was created after the merger of Ovens & Murray Football League sides Rutherglen and Corowa in 1979. Surplus players from the new Corowa-Rutherglen club reformed Rutherglen (initially as Rutherglen-Corowa) and played in
222-571: A Birthday Honours list at this time. Most Australian states and territories observe the King's Birthday on the second Monday in June, except in Western Australia and Queensland . As Western Australia celebrates Western Australia Day (formerly known as Foundation Day) on the first Monday in June, the governor of Western Australia each year proclaims the day on which the state will observe
333-638: A dominion , leagues were also established in the major cities. This renewed popularity helped encourage the formation of the Australasian Football Council , which in 1908 in Melbourne staged the first national interstate competition, the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival , with teams representing each state and New Zealand. The game was also established early on in the new territories. In
444-506: A royal proclamation issued on 5 February established the Queen's official birthday as the last Monday before 25 May, making the link between Victoria Day and the sovereign's official birthday permanent, though not expressed explicitly. Though the holiday was called Sovereign's Birthday , the 1957 proclamation itself designated the day as "the Queen's birthday". As such, in May 2023, following
555-557: A " privilege day " at this time of year, which is sometimes merged with the Spring bank holiday (last Monday in May) to create a four-day weekend. The King's birthday is the last remaining privilege day, the other 1.5 days having been abolished in 2014 and replaced by a 1.5 day increase in civil servants' annual leave. Parts of Scotland also mark Queen Victoria's birthday on the last Monday before or on 24 May. The King's official birthday
666-517: A century. State of Origin rules, introduced in 1977, stipulated that rather than representing the state of their adopted club, players would return to play for the state they were first recruited in. This instantly broke Victoria's stranglehold over state titles and Western Australia and South Australia began to win more of their games against Victoria. Both New South Wales and Tasmania scored surprise victories at home against Victoria in 1990. The term " Barassi Line ", named after VFL star Ron Barassi ,
777-490: A certain number of matches depending on the severity of the infringement. The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking , fast movement of both players and the ball, and high scoring. The sport's origins can be traced to football matches played in Melbourne , Victoria , in 1858, inspired by English public school football games . Seeking to develop a game more suited to adults and Australian conditions,
888-419: A game for either medical or tactical reasons. Players on the playing surface can be swapped with those on the interchange bench at any time. They must though pass through a designated "Interchange Area". In the event a player fails to pass through this area correctly, or if too many players from one team are found to be on the ground at a time, a free kick will be awarded to the opposing side. While there
999-399: A mark is taken, a small protected zone is established on the field, extending 10 metres (11 yd) either side of "the mark" and the player who marked the ball, with a small protected corridor between "the mark" and the player. The opposition player is permitted to jump, but is not allowed to move from their position on "the mark". Any other movements result in a distance penalty (50 metres in
1110-449: A player breaks a rule, a free kick is awarded to the opposing team, from the location that the misconduct occurred, or the ball's current location—whichever is closer to the team's scoring zone. As when a mark is taken, this location is called "the mark", and the same protections regarding the space apply. Queen%27s Official Birthday#Australia The King's Official Birthday is the selected day in most Commonwealth realms on which
1221-769: A positive note. George VI's official birthday in Canada was thereafter marked on various days between 20 May and 14 June. The first official birthday of Elizabeth II , daughter of George VI, was the last to be celebrated in June; the haphazard format was abandoned in 1952, when the Governor General-in-Council moved Empire Day and an amendment to the law moved Victoria Day both to the Monday before 25 May. The Canadian monarch 's official birthday in Canada was, by regular viceregal proclamations, made to fall on this same date every year between 1953 and 1957, when
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#17327987343131332-566: A proposed hybrid code of Australian football and rugby league , the predominant code of football in New South Wales and Queensland, was trialled without success. In Queensland, the state league went into recess for the duration of the war. VFL club University left the league and went into recess due to severe casualties. The WAFL lost two clubs and the SANFL was suspended for one year in 1916 due to heavy club losses. The Anzac Day match ,
1443-496: A public parade on Front Street in the City of Hamilton (with the first King's Birthday Parade since the death of King George VI held on 15 June, 2024), and by a Queen's Birthday Party at Government House . The Falkland Islands celebrate the actual day of King Charles III's birth, 14 November, as a public holiday. (November is a spring month in the southern hemisphere where the islands are located). In Saint Kitts and Nevis ,
1554-888: A pupil at Rugby School in England, and returned to his homeland a star athlete and cricketer. Two weeks later, Wills' friend, cricketer Jerry Bryant , posted an advertisement for a scratch match at the Richmond Paddock adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This was the first of several "kickabouts" held that year involving members of the Melbourne Cricket Club , including Wills, Bryant, W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson . Trees were used as goalposts and play typically lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed-upon code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in
1665-505: A second-tier status. The VFA merged with the former VFL reserves competition in 1998, adopting the VFL name. State of Origin also declined in importance, especially after an increasing number of player withdrawals. The AFL turned its focus to the annual International Rules Series against Ireland in 1998 before abolishing State of Origin the following year. State and territorial leagues still contest interstate matches, as do AFL Women players. In
1776-513: A select few ways as defined by the Laws of Australian Football, published by the AFL. The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a kick or a clenched fist (called a handball )—deemed a correct disposal. Failure to dispose of the ball in one of these two methods will result in a free kick to the opposing team. If the ball is not currently in a player's possession, it can be moved legally through
1887-620: A similar situation existing in Western Australia in the sport, the VFL pursued a more national competition. Two more non-Victorian clubs, West Coast and Brisbane , joined the league in 1987 generating more than $ 8 million in license revenue for the Victorian clubs and increasing broadcast revenues which helped the Victorian clubs survive. In their early years, the Sydney and Brisbane clubs struggled both on and off-field because
1998-498: A slightly modified version of the Victorian game in 1879. The South Australian Football Association (SAFA), the sport's first governing body , formed on 30 April 1877, firmly establishing Victorian rules as the preferred code in that colony. The Victorian Football Association (VFA) formed the following month. Clubs began touring the colonies in the late 1870s, and in 1879 the first intercolonial match took place in Melbourne between Victoria and South Australia . To standardise
2109-502: A statute to authorise the recognition of Queen Victoria 's birthday, 24 May, as a public holiday. After Victoria died in 1901, 24 May became Victoria Day and the official date in Canada of the reigning monarch's birthday changed through various royal proclamations: for Edward VII , it continued by yearly proclamation to be observed on 24 May, but, was 3 June for George V and 23 June for Edward VIII (their actual birthdays). Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936, three days before
2220-406: A technique known shepherding when the ball is within 5 metres (5.5 yd) of an opposition player. Shepherding involves the use of a player's body to push, bump or otherwise block an opposition player, providing they do not have possession of the ball. If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than 15 metres (16 yd) from another player's kick, by way of a catch within
2331-427: A uniform code known as "Victorian rules". In 1866, the "first distinctively Victorian rule", the running bounce , was formalised at a meeting of club delegates chaired by H. C. A. Harrison , an influential pioneer who took up football in 1859 at the invitation of Wills, his cousin. The game around this time was defensive and low-scoring, played low to the ground in congested rugby-style scrimmages. The typical match
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#17327987343132442-414: Is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field , often a modified cricket ground . Points are scored by kicking the oval ball between the central goal posts (worth six points), or between a central and outer post (worth one point, otherwise known as a "behind"). During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their bodies to move
2553-667: Is a public holiday in most British Overseas Territories (those parts of Britain's sovereign territory that lie outside the archipelago of the British Isles), including Anguilla , the Cayman Islands , Gibraltar , Montserrat , Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and the Turks and Caicos Islands , and the Crown Dependencies (which are not parts of Britain's sovereign territory, but are dependencies of
2664-405: Is analogous to a basketball center and as such rucks are typically the tallest player on the team. Lifting teammates is not allowed so the ruck may only jump to reach the ball. If the ruck does not take possession of the football, it must must be tapped or fisted, which is known as a hit-out. An effective hit-out that passes the ball to a teammate is known as a hit-out to advantage. In the event
2775-453: Is followed by sporting events and custom dancing, and the celebrations and parties go long into the night. The governor-general of Solomon Islands delivers a speech on the King's Birthday, and honours and medals are given to those who have done valiant things and great service for Solomon Islands and its people. The King's Official Birthday is a public holiday in Tuvalu. In Tuvalu, it
2886-733: Is in November, shortly after Remembrance Day . The King's Birthday weekend and Empire Day (24 May) were the traditional times for public fireworks displays in Australia. The sale of fireworks to the public was banned in various states through the 1980s and by the Australian Capital Territory on 24 August 2009. Only Tasmania and the Northern Territory allow the sale of fireworks to the public. The King's Birthday Honours List, in which new members of
2997-481: Is known about these early one-off games, evidence does not support a causal link with Australian football. In Melbourne , in 1858, in a move that would help to shape Australian football in its formative years, private schools (then termed " public schools " in accordance with nomenclature in England) began organising football games inspired by precedents at English public schools . The earliest match, held on 15 June,
3108-460: Is known as the Goal Line. Around the perimeter of the field, two white lines are drawn between the set of behind posts in an arc-shape, marking the field of play. Other field markings include: The 50m arcs, centre square, centre circle and goal square are used at the beginning of each quarter or after each goal. With each team permitted a maximum of six players in each 50m arc, with one in
3219-694: Is marked in London by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour , which is also known as the King's Birthday Parade. The list of Birthday Honours is also announced at the time of the Official Birthday celebrations. In British diplomatic missions, the day is treated as the national day of the United Kingdom. Although it is not celebrated as a specific public holiday in the UK, some civil servants are given
3330-470: Is no set uniform, the basic equipment for Australian football consists of a guernsey, shorts, socks and boots, with additional pieces of apparel such as headbands and gloves additionally being permitted. Players may wear certain pieces of protective equipment, such as helmets or arm guards, if approved by the relevant controlling body. Mouthguards are strongly recommended for all players. Players are not permitted to wear jewellery, or other materials which
3441-493: Is officiated by at least five match officials, known as an umpire . These match officials are placed into three categories based upon their roles and responsibilities, with varying minimum numbers of Umpires required depending on position: At AFL level, a video score review system is utilised. Only umpires are permitted to request a review, and only scoring shots and potential scoring shots are permitted to be reviewed. An Australian rules football may only be propelled forward in
Rutherglen Football Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
3552-563: Is the second-highest-attended club championship event in the world . The sport is also played at amateur level in many countries and in several variations . Its rules are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFL's Laws of the Game Committee. Australian rules football is known by several nicknames, including Aussie rules, football and footy. In some regions, where other codes of football are more popular,
3663-783: Is used. The ball must be inflated to a pressure of 69 kilopascals (10.0 pounds per square inch). There are no defined laws regarding what material a ball must be made from, but standard AFL match-used balls are produced by Sherrin using cowhide leather. While there is no standard colour of the ball, red and yellow are most common and the only colours used at AFL level. Yellow is used for games beginning after 3 pm or in an enclosed stadium, due to its greater visibility, and to assist score reviews. Unlike other forms of football which are played on rectangular fields, Australian rules football playing fields are oval-shaped, and are between 135 and 185 metres (148 and 202 yd) long and 110 and 155 metres (120 and 170 yd) wide. At either end of
3774-427: Is usually celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year. Tuvaluans celebrate it with church services and prayers, singing " God Save the King " and " Tuvalu mo te Atua ", flag hoisting, public speeches, a Royal Salute, and a parade. As the King's Birthday is a public holiday, all government offices, educational institutions, and most businesses are closed for the day. As of 2021 , Tuvaluans also celebrated
3885-615: The Coreen & District Football League for 13 years. A stint in the Ovens & King Football League followed before moving to the Tallangatta & District Football League . The club dropped the Corowa part in its name in 2002. The original Rutherglen FC was established in 1877, with the first recorded match being against Wahgunyah Football Club on Wednesday, 3 June 1877. Football
3996-573: The Melbourne Football Club published the first laws of Australian football in May 1859. Australian football has the highest spectator attendance and television viewership of all sports in Australia, while the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's only fully professional competition, is the nation's wealthiest sporting body. The AFL Grand Final , held annually at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ,
4107-639: The Order of Australia and other Australian honours are named, is released around the date of the King's Birthday weekend each June. Belize celebrates the birthday of the King annually in May. The day is known as Sovereign's Day , and is marked by parades in Belize City. Horse races, conducted by the National Sports Council, are held in Belize City's National Stadium and Orange Walk Town's People's Stadium. A cycling race, also arranged by
4218-639: The birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those countries. It does not necessarily correspond to the date of the monarch's actual birth. The sovereign's birthday was first officially marked in the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1748, for King George II . Since then, the date of the king or queen's birthday has been determined throughout the British Empire and, later, the Commonwealth of Nations , either by royal proclamations issued by
4329-407: The field umpire has deemed to be either potentially dangerous or increase the risk of injury to other players. Australian rules football is played with an ellipsoid ball, between 72 and 73 cm (28 and 29 in) in long circumference, and 54.5 and 55.5 cm (21.5 and 21.9 in) in short circumference. For women's competitions, a smaller ball size of 69 and 53 cm (27 and 21 in)
4440-471: The militia was held on the King's birthday, in the most central or most convenient place in each district, and every able-bodied man between the ages of 18 and 60, aside from Quakers , Mennonites , and other pacifist sects, was to take part. The drill ended with three cheers for the King before the participants were free to mingle about; they were known to engage in horseshoe pitching contests , wrestling matches, and settling old scores by fights before, in
4551-573: The "MCG of the Bush". Since joining, the club's jersey has been varied slightly to re-introduced the white monogrammed "RFC" of the Redlegs along with keeping the navy blue and white hoops of the Cats. While the club still hasn't tasted premiership success at senior or reserve levels after playing a number of final series, the club won its first Tallangatta & District Football League Premiership in 2007 when
Rutherglen Football Club - Misplaced Pages Continue
4662-710: The 1991 season the club left the New South Wales-based Coreen & District football League for the Victorian Ovens & King Football League , based around the greater Wangaratta area and encompassing many former gold-rush communities. It spent 11 seasons in the Ovens & King Football League, where neither the senior side nor the reserve side contested a grand final. However, the Under 16s contested four grand finals from 1999 to 2002, claiming
4773-612: The 2010s, the AFL signalled further attempts at expanding into markets outside Australian football's traditional heartlands by hosting home-and-away matches in New Zealand, followed by China. After several failed bids since the early 1990s for a Tasmania-based AFL team, the Tasmania Football Club secured the 19th AFL license in 2023, and is set to compete by 2028. In a standard match, a team may consist of anywhere between 14 and 18 players who may be permitted on
4884-464: The AFL). The player who was awarded the mark may then choose to either dispose of the ball over "the mark" or may choose to attempt disposal via a different method, in which case the field umpire will call "play on"—a verbal instruction to continue play. "Play on" may also be called if the umpire deems the player awarded the mark to be taking an unreasonable amount of time to dispose of the football. Once
4995-472: The AFLW using 17 minutes per quarter. For any given match, two timekeepers are appointed to officiate the duration. The timekeepers record all relevant statistics for the match, such as total quarter duration and score by each team. Additionally timekeepers are required to sound a siren prior to and at the conclusion of each quarter until such time they are acknowledged by the field umpires. To stop and recommence
5106-641: The ANFC, and later the Australian Football Championships (AFC) ran a night series , which invited clubs and representative sides from around the country to participate in a knock-out tournament parallel to the premiership seasons, which Victorian sides still dominated. With the lack of international competition, state representative matches were regarded with great importance. Due in part to the VFL poaching talent from other states, Victoria dominated interstate matches for three-quarters of
5217-782: The British Crown), including Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands , and the Isle of Man . Bermuda formerly marked the occasion with a public holiday but in 2008 the Progressive Labour Party government of the territory decided the day would be, beginning the following year, replaced by National Heroes' Day , despite protests from some residents of the island, who signed a petition calling for retention of The Queen's Official Birthday. The Queen's Official Birthday continues, nonetheless, to be marked by
5328-539: The British Isles, "others by no rules at all". Another milestone in 1858 was a 40-a-side match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College , held at the Richmond Paddock. Umpired by Wills and teacher John Macadam , it began on 7 August and continued over two subsequent Saturdays, ending in a draw with each side kicking one goal. It is commemorated with a statue outside
5439-583: The Irish game evolved in a similar direction. Another theory, first proposed in 1983, posits that Wills, having grown up among Aboriginals in Victoria, may have seen or played the Aboriginal ball game of Marn Grook , and incorporated some of its features into early Australian football. There is only circumstantial evidence that he knew of the game, and according to biographer Greg de Moore's research, Wills
5550-403: The June holiday was reserved to mark Elizabeth II 's Diamond Jubilee as Queen of Australia , after which the holiday then for three years reverted to its traditional date in line with the other eastern Australian states. However, starting in 2016, Queensland celebrates the holiday on the first Monday of October. Norfolk Island celebrates Bounty Day on 8 June, so King's Birthday is held on
5661-543: The King's Birthday Honours List. The King's Official Birthday is a public holiday in Solomon Islands . In Solomon Islands, it is usually celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year. It is regarded as one of the most important events of the year in Solomon Islands. The day starts with the police marching band performing in the capital city of Honiara . Rallies are held all over the islands, which
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#17327987343135772-459: The King's Birthday Honours list and military ceremonies. There were proposals, with some political support, mainly affiliated with Labour , to replace the holiday with Matariki (Māori New Year) as an official holiday. In 2022, the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act declared Matariki as an official holiday separate from the Queen's Birthday, making said proposals obsolete. The idea of renaming
5883-526: The King's Birthday, based on school terms and the Perth Royal Show . There is no firm rule to determine this date, though it is usually the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October. Some regional areas of Western Australia celebrate the King's Birthday public holiday on alternative days for locally significant dates or events. In 2012, Queensland celebrated the holiday in October, as
5994-752: The MCG at the Parade Hotel, owned by Bryant, and drafted ten rules: "The Rules of the Melbourne Football Club" . These are the laws from which Australian football evolved. The club aimed to create a simple code suited to the hard playing surfaces around Melbourne, and to eliminate the roughest aspects of English school games—such as "hacking" (shin-kicking) in Rugby School football—to reduce the risk of injuries to working men. In another significant departure from English public school football,
6105-503: The MCG, and the two schools have since competed annually in the Cordner–Eggleston Cup , the world's oldest continuous football competition . Since the 1920s, it has been suggested that Australian football may have been derived from the Irish sport of Gaelic football . However, there is no archival evidence in favour of a Gaelic influence, and the style of play shared between the two modern codes appeared in Australia long before
6216-576: The Melbourne rules omitted any offside law . "The new code was as much a reaction against the school games as influenced by them", writes Mark Pennings. The rules were distributed throughout the colony; Thompson in particular did much to promote the new code in his capacity as a journalist. Following Melbourne's lead, Geelong and Melbourne University also formed football clubs in 1859. While many early Victorian teams participated in one-off matches, most had not yet formed clubs for regular competition. A South Yarra club devised its own rules. To ensure
6327-401: The Monday after the second Saturday in June. Christmas Island has other holidays and does not hold a King's Birthday holiday at all. The day has been celebrated since 1788, when Governor Arthur Phillip declared a holiday to mark the birthday of the king of Great Britain. Until 1936, it was held on the actual birthday of the monarch, but, after King George V died, it was decided to keep
6438-411: The National Sports Council, is held between the cities of Belmopan and Cayo. There is a flag-raising ceremony among other events held at schools and universities to commemorate Sovereign's Day. The monarch 's birthday has been observed in Canada since the reign of King George III , when it, 4 June, was considered "the most important holiday of the year in early Upper Canada ." The annual muster of
6549-618: The Ovens and King board. The clubs took an appeal to the Victoria Country Football League and won the right to join the Tallangatta & District Football League for the 2004 season. The Victorian Tallangatta & District Football League is based around the small towns and farming districts near Tallangatta with every finals match being held at the Sandy Creek Oval , locally referred to as
6660-651: The Queen's Birthday weekend to Hillary weekend, after mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary , was raised in 2009. The King's Official Birthday is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea . In Papua New Guinea, it is usually celebrated on the second Monday of June every year. Official celebrations occur at hotels in Port Moresby , and much of the day is filled with sports matches, fireworks displays, and other celebrations and events. Honours and medals are given for public service to Papua New Guineans, who are mentioned in
6771-409: The SANFL's Port Adelaide (1997), the only pre-existing club outside Victoria to join the league. In 2011 and 2012, respectively, two new non-Victorian clubs were added to the competition: Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney . The AFL, currently with 18 member clubs, is the sport's elite competition and most powerful body. Following the emergence of the AFL, state leagues were quickly relegated to
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#17327987343136882-595: The Sovereign's Birthday determined by proclamation depending on the Interpretation Act, which requires the Sovereign's Birthday to be observed either on the day itself or on a day proclaimed for its observance) except for being appointed to be observed on the same day; it is a general holiday in Nunavut and New Brunswick (there prescribed as a day of rest on which retail businesses must be closed ). Though
6993-2522: The Under 14s defeated Yackandanda by three points. Traditionally, the club does not play on the Queen's Birthday Weekend as the town hosts the annual Winery Walkabout . However, in 2016 the Corowa-Rutherglen Roos moved their OMFL and Round 11 match against the Wodonga Bulldogs to Barkly Park. The club's numbers have continued to grow each season, including club staff, supporters and sponsors. Premierships (3): 1984, 1986, 1990 Runners-up (5): 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991. Minor-premierships (2): 1987, 1990 Premierships (6): 1979, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988. Runners-up (5): 1980, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1991. Minor-premierships (4): 1980, 1987, 1990, 1991. Premierships (7): 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990. Runners-up (2): 1987, 1988. Minor-premierships (1): 1983. Premierships (1): 2001. Runners-up (3): 1999, 2000, 2002. Runners-up (2): 2010, 2013. Minor-premierships (2): 2010, 2013. Premierships (1): 2007. Runners-up (1): 2010. Minor-premierships (1): 2007. Best & Fairest - "Lewis Family Trophy" (3): 1986 (C.Killeen), 1987 (C.Killeen), 1991 (A.Morris). Best & Fairest - "Lewis Family Trophy" (5): 1982 (P.Davidson), 1984 (N.Holten), 1985 (P.Weir), 1987 (C.Edmondson), 1990 (D.Shiers). Best & Fairest - "Clyde Baker Medal" (3): 1996 (Tony Gayfer), 1999 (R.Milthorpe), 2001 (Scott Francis). Leading Goal Kicker medalist (2): 1996 (R.Robbins - 81), 1997 (P.Busch - 101). Best & Fairest - "Ross Schutt (Chronicle) Medal" (5): 1994 (K.Renshaw), 1995 (A.Morris), 2000 (B.Renshaw), 2001 (B.Renshaw), 2002 (D.Hatton). Best & Fairest - "Fred Jensen Medal" (4): 1994 (M.Dowdle), 1996 (S.O’Keefe), 1997 (A.Howard), 2002 (J.Seymour). Best & Fairest - "Barton Medal" (1): 2005 (B.Davis). Best & Fairest medalists (1): 2012 (M.Brennan - 36) Leading Goal Kicker medalist (1): 2010 (D.Van Berlo - 50). The following footballers played with Rutherglen Corowa FC prior to playing senior AFL football. The following footballers played VFL seniors prior to playing with RCFNC. Australian rules football Australian rules football , also called Australian football or Aussie rules , or more simply football or footy ,
7104-449: The accession of Charles III as King of Canada, a new proclamation declared "the celebration in Canada of the birthday of the sovereign to be Victoria Day", thus applying the official birthday to all future monarchs, regardless of gender, and, by replacing the Monday before 25 May with Victoria Day, making the connection with Victoria Day explicit. Nonetheless, the two holidays are entirely distinct in law (Victoria Day fixed by statute and
7215-429: The annual game between Essendon and Collingwood on Anzac Day, is one example of how the war continues to be remembered in the football community. The role of the Australian National Football Council (ANFC) was primarily to govern the game at a national level and to facilitate interstate representative and club competition. In 1968, the ANFC revived the Championship of Australia , a competition first held in 1888 between
7326-473: The ball from a kick (with specific conditions) are awarded unimpeded possession . Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick or mark is paid. Players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as pushing an opponent in the back ), interference when marking, and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties , or suspension for
7437-413: The ball. The primary methods are kicking , handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled; for example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground . Throwing the ball is not allowed, and players must not get caught holding the ball . A distinctive feature of the game is the mark , where players anywhere on the field who catch
7548-424: The birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales , who at the time was heir to the Tuvaluan Throne. Heir to the Throne Day was a public holiday in November. The monarch's birthday has been celebrated in the United Kingdom since 1748, during the reign of King George II. Even when their real birthday was in May or June, the celebration was often on a different date. Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910 and whose birthday
7659-410: The birthday of his brother and successor, George VI. The new King expressed to his ministers his wish that his birthday not be publicly celebrated, in light of the recent circumstances. However, the Prime Minister at the time, William Lyon Mackenzie King , the rest of Cabinet , and the Lord Tweedsmuir , the Governor General , felt otherwise, seeing such a celebration as a way to begin George's reign on
7770-442: The case of Sydney , denial of access to grounds, the influence of university headmasters from Britain who favoured rugby, and the loss of players to other codes inhibited the game's growth. In 1896, delegates from six of the wealthiest VFA clubs— Carlton , Essendon , Fitzroy , Geelong, Melbourne and South Melbourne —met to discuss the formation of a breakaway professional competition. Later joined by Collingwood and St Kilda ,
7881-435: The clock, the field umpires are required to signal to the timekeepers to indicate when the clock should be stopped or restarted. Between each quarter, a break is observed to allow players a rest period. Two six-minute breaks are observed between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. A longer 20-minute break is observed between the second and third quarter, commonly known as half-time . Each game
7992-461: The club was based at Barkly Park. It joined the Coreen & District Football League , based around the farming districts north of Corowa , New South Wales . The club enjoyed 13 short but successful seasons in the Coreen & District Football League, winning a total of 16 Premierships across the three respective grades, including three senior premierships from eight grand final appearances. After
8103-651: The club's sole premiership in 2001 over Bright by 29 points at the Tarrawingee Rec Reserve . The club officially changed its name to the Rutherglen Football Club in 2002, dropping the Corowa name 23 years after the merger. At the end of the 2003 season, the Beechworth Football Club and the Rutherglen Football Club applied for an application to join the Tallangatta & District Football League , but were refused by
8214-504: The clubs formed the Victorian Football League (VFL), which held its inaugural season in 1897 . The VFL's popularity grew rapidly as it made several innovations, such as instituting a finals system, reducing teams from 20 to 18 players, and introducing the behind as a score. Richmond and University joined the VFL in 1908, and by 1925, with the addition of Hawthorn , Footscray and North Melbourne , it had become
8325-490: The code took hold during a series of gold rushes . Likewise, when New Zealand experienced a gold rush , the sport arrived with a rapid influx of Australian miners. Now known as Australian rules or Australasian rules, the sport became the first football code to develop mass spectator appeal, attracting world record attendances for sports viewing and gaining a reputation as "the people's game". Australian rules football reached Queensland and New South Wales as early as 1866;
8436-450: The date of the King's Official Birthday is set each year. The Cook Islands , a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, also celebrates the holiday on the second Monday of June. Despite Fiji abolishing the monarchy in 1987, following a second military coup d'état , the Queen's Birthday continued to be celebrated each 12 June until 2012. That year, the military government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama announced
8547-535: The date on the second Monday in June. This has more evenly spaced out public holidays throughout the year. While George V's successor, Edward VIII , also celebrated his birthday in June, the three sovereigns since have not: George VI 's birthday was in December, very close to public holidays for Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Years; Elizabeth II's birthday fell shortly after holidays for Good Friday and Easter and very close to ANZAC Day , while Charles III 's birthday
8658-683: The establishment of the Corowa-Rutherglen Roos in 1979, after the merger of the Corowa Spiders and the Rutherglen Redlegs , a number of surplus players decided to form the Rutherglen-Corowa Cats (known in some record books as the Corowa-Rutherglen Cats). Wearing a navy blue and white hooped jersey along with navy blue shorts and navy blue and white hooped socks for the majority of its history,
8769-409: The field of play, it is deemed as a mark . To be awarded a mark, it must be deemed that the player sufficiently controlled the ball and took possession prior to it being touched, touching the ground, or in the case of a contest, being spoiled by an opponent. Upon a mark being taken, one opposition player may choose to stand on the point on the field where the mark was taken, known as "the mark". When
8880-413: The field, two sets of posts are erected in a straight line to indicate the scoring areas on the field, each with two kinds of posts, named the goal posts and the behind posts respectively. The goal posts are placed first, located 6.4 metres (7.0 yd) apart from each other, with a behind post being placed a further 6.4 metres to the side of each goal post. The name for the field line between two goal posts
8991-627: The first match in Darwin . The game went on to become the most popular sport in the Territory and build the highest participation rate for the sport nationally. Both World War I and World War II had a devastating effect on Australian football and on Australian sport in general. While scratch matches were played by Australian " diggers " in remote locations around the world, the game lost many of its great players to wartime service. Some clubs and competitions never fully recovered. Between 1914 and 1915,
9102-536: The formation of the Adelaide Football Club , the oldest football club in Australia outside Victoria. It devised its own rules, and, along with other Adelaide -based clubs, played a variety of codes until 1876, when they uniformly adopted most of the Victorian rules, with South Australian football pioneer Charles Kingston noting their similarity to "the old Adelaide rules". Similarly, Tasmanian clubs quarrelled over different rules until they adopted
9213-435: The goal square and four players in the centre square with one in the centre circle. If this is breached, a free kick is awarded. A game lasts for 80 minutes, split into four-quarters consisting of 20 minutes playing time, with the clock being stopped for stoppages in play such as scores, or at the umpire 's discretion, e.g. for serious injury. Leagues may choose to employ shorter quarters of play at their discretion, such as
9324-424: The knees (a low tackle or a trip ) or above the shoulders (a high tackle ), the team with possession of the football gets a free kick. Furthermore, tackles deemed to be dangerous by the umpire and those conducted from front-on while an opposition player has their head over the football are deemed to be prohibited contact, and will incur a free kick against the offending player. Additionally, players may perform
9435-548: The media mention only Victoria Day and the public are therefore almost totally unaware of the existence of the official birthday, the sovereign's official birthday is marked by the firing of an artillery salute in the national and provincial capitals and the flying of the Royal Union Flag on buildings belonging to the federal Crown , if there is a second flag pole available. The Canadian monarch has been in Canada for his or her official birthday twice: The first time
9546-568: The new national capital Canberra both soccer and rugby had a head start, but following the first matches in 1911, Australian rules football in the Australian Capital Territory became a major participation sport. By 1981 it had become much neglected and quickly lagged behind the other football codes. Australian rules football in the Northern Territory began shortly after the outbreak of the war in 1916 with
9657-598: The official birthday. Charles III , who was Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the throne at the time, and his wife, Camilla , in 2012 attended events in Saint John, New Brunswick , and Toronto , Ontario, marking the Queen's official birthday. In 2014, the couple attended a ceremony in Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island. Until 1936, New Zealand celebrated the actual birthday of the sovereign. After Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936, and George VI
9768-461: The phasing out of many of the game's kicking styles and the increasing use of handball; while presentation was influenced by television. In 1982, in a move that heralded big changes within the sport, one of the original VFL clubs, South Melbourne, relocated to Sydney and became known as the Sydney Swans . In the late 1980s, due to the poor financial standing of many of the Victorian clubs, and
9879-407: The player has disposed of the ball, or "play on" is called, normal play resumes. Rucking is the only specialist skill and is performed by a ruck, the term for designated players from each side to which umpire sends the ball to commence play. Only a nominated ruck may contest ball-ups and throw-ins. They are the only player allowed within the 10 metre circle at a centre bounce. Functionally the role
9990-429: The player penalised for ' holding the ball ', except if the umpire deems there was a lack of prior opportunity to do so. The ball carrier may only be tackled between the shoulders and knees from the front or side. If the player forcefully contacts the opposing in the back while performing a tackle, the opposition player will be penalised for a push in the back . If the opposition tackles the player with possession below
10101-436: The playing surface at any given time. Each team may have up to four interchange (reserve) players who may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game. Although some leagues in less populated areas may use as few as 12 players. In addition, some leagues notably including the AFL, have each team designate one additional player as a substitute who can be used to make a single permanent exchange of players during
10212-668: The preeminent league in the country and would take a leading role in many aspects of the sport. The time around the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901 saw Australian rules undergo a revival in New South Wales, New Zealand and Queensland. In 1903, both the Queensland Australian Football League and the NSW Australian Football Association were established, and in New Zealand, as it moved towards becoming
10323-530: The premiers of the VFA and SAFA. Although clubs from other states were at times invited, the final was almost always between the premiers from the two strongest state competitions of the time—South Australia and Victoria—with Adelaide hosting most of the matches at the request of the SAFA/SANFL. The last match took place in 1976, with North Adelaide being the last non-Victorian winner in 1972. Between 1976 and 1987,
10434-523: The sovereign or viceroy, or by statute laws passed by the local parliament. The date of the celebration today varies as adopted by each country and is generally set around the end of May or start of June, to coincide with a higher probability of fine weather in the Northern Hemisphere for outdoor ceremonies. In most cases, it is an official public holiday, sometimes aligning with the celebration of other events. Most Commonwealth realms release
10545-467: The sport across Australia, delegates representing the football associations of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland met in 1883 and updated the code. New rules such as holding the ball led to a "golden era" of fast, long-kicking and high-marking football in the 1880s, a time which also saw players such as George Coulthard achieve superstardom, as well as the rise of professionalism , particularly in Victoria and Western Australia , where
10656-472: The sport experienced a period of dominance in the former, and in the latter, several regions remain strongholds of Australian rules, such as the Riverina . However, by the late 1880s, rugby football had become the dominant code in both colonies, as well as in New Zealand. This shift was largely due to rugby's spread with British migration, regional rivalries and the lack of strong local governing bodies. In
10767-406: The sport is most often called AFL after the Australian Football League , while the league itself also uses this name for local competitions in some areas. Primitive forms of football were played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. Compared to cricket and horse racing , football was considered a mere "amusement" by colonists at the time, and while little
10878-414: The substantial TV revenues they generated by playing on a Sunday went to the VFL. To protect these revenues the VFL granted significant draft concessions and financial aid to keep the expansion clubs competitive. The VFL changed its name to the Australian Football League (AFL) for the 1990 season , and over the next decade, three non-Victorian clubs gained entry: Adelaide (1991), Fremantle (1995) and
10989-691: The summer night, the settlers and their families visited the houses of their neighbours or patronised the taverns; for the latter, it was their most profitable day all year. For the officers, a dinner was held, during which toasts were made to the King, the Duke of York (the Commander-in-Chief), the Army and Navy, and the ladies. It was in 1845 that the Parliament of the Province of Canada passed
11100-613: The supremacy of the Melbourne rules, the first-club level competition in Australia, the Caledonian Society's Challenge Cup (1861–64), stipulated that only the Melbourne rules were to be used. This law was reinforced by the Athletic Sports Committee (ASC), which ran a variation of the Challenge Cup in 1865–66. With input from other clubs, the rules underwent several minor revisions, establishing
11211-412: The usage of other means, such as punching. While in possession of the ball, players may run with the ball, but are required to either bounce or touch the ball on the ground at least once every 15 metres (16 yd). Tackling is a technique employed by players used to force opposition players to dispose of the ball when they are in possession. Failure to dispose of the ball when legally tackled may see
11322-429: Was "almost solely influenced by his experience at Rugby School". A loosely organised Melbourne side, captained by Wills, played against other football enthusiasts in the winter and spring of 1858. The following year, on 14 May, the Melbourne Football Club was officially established, making it one of the world's oldest football clubs . Three days later, Wills, Hammersley, Thompson and teacher Thomas H. Smith met near
11433-460: Was 20 May 1939, when King George VI was on a coast-to-coast tour of Canada and his official birthday was celebrated with a Trooping the Colour ceremony on Parliament Hill . The second time was when Queen Elizabeth II was in Canada from 17 to 25 May 2005, to mark the centennial of the entries of Saskatchewan and Alberta into Confederation ; no government-initiated events, aside from those dictated by normal protocol, were organised to acknowledge
11544-556: Was a 20-per-side affair, played with a ball that was roughly spherical, and lasted until a team scored two goals. The shape of the playing field was not standardised; matches often took place in rough, tree-spotted public parks, most notably the Richmond Paddock ( Yarra Park ), known colloquially as the Melbourne Football Ground. Wills argued that the turf of cricket fields would benefit from being trampled upon by footballers in winter, and, as early as 1859, football
11655-485: Was allowed on the MCG. However, cricket authorities frequently prohibited football on their grounds until the 1870s, when they saw an opportunity to capitalise on the sport's growing popularity. Football gradually adapted to an oval-shaped field, and most grounds in Victoria expanded to accommodate the dual purpose—a situation that continues to this day. Football became organised in South Australia in 1860 with
11766-528: Was between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar. On 10 July 1858, the Melbourne-based Bell's Life in Victoria and Sporting Chronicle published a letter by Tom Wills , captain of the Victoria cricket team , calling for the formation of a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter. Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of rugby football while
11877-498: Was changed after Elizabeth II became Queen through the Sovereign's Birthday Observance Act 1952. Although that act makes reference to "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second", it was still in place in 2023, the first time that New Zealand observed the King's Birthday for Charles III . The Holidays Act 2003 refers to the holiday as "the birthday of the reigning Sovereign". King's Birthday celebrations are mainly official, including
11988-435: Was coined by scholar Ian Turner in 1978 to describe the "fictitious geographical barrier" separating the rugby-following parts of New South Wales and Queensland from the rest of the country, where Australian football reigned. It became a reference point for the expansion of Australian football and for establishing a national league. The way the game was played had changed dramatically due to innovative coaching tactics, with
12099-434: Was on 9 November, moved his official birthday to summer, in the hope of good weather. King George VI , born on 14 December, celebrated his official birthday from 7 to 12 June. Queen Elizabeth II 's official birthday was (usually) the second Saturday in June. King Charles III 's first official birthday was on 17 June 2023, the third Saturday in June; and his second on 15 June 2024, also the third Saturday in June. The day
12210-566: Was played intermittently in the club's formative years against other local towns and districts in the late 1870s and 1880s before it joined the Ovens And Murray Football Association in 1893 as one of four original teams. The club was based at Rutherglen's Barkly Park, located just off Reid Street and just north-west of the town's center. It was a powerhouse in the Ovens And Murray Football Association during its early days competing in many finals. Following
12321-411: Was proclaimed king on his birthday, 14 December, two King's Birthday holidays were celebrated that year. The second holiday that year caused some industrial confusion and loss. This led the government to introduce the Sovereign's Birthday Observance Act 1937. It set the official birthday to be the first Monday in June (which it has been to this day), and this was first observed in 1937. The legislation
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