Australian rules football in the Northern Territory

Football in Darwin, 1916

A football match being played in Darwin in 1943.

Prior to separation from South Australia, during the 1870s and 1880s the local media reported almost equally on both Australian rules and rugby, there was a growing awareness of international rugby and also of both American football and soccer. Australian rules began to gain favour in the Territory late 1880s due mainly to South Australia's involvement in intercolonials with Victoria. Appart from the difficulties presented by distance and population, attempts to form a local football club were hampered by the lack of an oval, with the only oval in the territory being by destroyed white ants.[3] Following separation from South Australia in 1911, soccer was the first form of football played in the Territory, against sailors in 1912, however there were insufficient local footballers to field a full team.[4] The first rugby match was played on February 3, 1916, and an Australian rules match was also planned for that day but proved difficult to organise due to insufficient numbers.[5]

The first recorded match of Australian Football in Darwin was played in Saturday 12 February 1916 on Darwin Town Oval between Red and Blue (32) and Red and White (20).[6] It was followed by a second match the following Saturday organised as a Red Cross fundraiser.[7] The NT Football Association was formed shortly thereafter with its first regular competition matches beginning in March 1916.[8]

The Northern Territory Football League chose to play in the Northern Territory's 'wet season', primarily due to hard playing surfaces during the 'dry season'. Games were played on the Esplanade or Town Oval.[9] Most other leagues in Australia operate during the winter, but since the Territory does not have a winter, it is played at different times. The Wanderers Football Club were the founding members of the league in 1916.

John Pye and Andy Howley introduced Australian rules football to the Tiwi Islands in 1941, which grew to become the most popular sport on the islands. The Tiwi Islands Football League is a strong competition which feeds players into the NTFL. Skills of the TIFL players are widely celebrated. The TIFL Grand Final is the largest event on the island and a major tourist drawcard.

In 1991, Marrara Oval was increased in capacity, and became the new home for the NTFL and AFL matches. The first AFL pre-season fixture between Collingwood and West Coast was played in February 1992 in front of a crowd of 11,000 spectators.[10]

In 1991, Darwin hosted the first Arafura Games, the first international competition to include the sport of Australian Rules, and local teams have competed against nations from around the world. The city has hosted the games since.

Since the late 1990s, the Aboriginal All-Stars have captured the imagination of indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory, and have gained a huge amount of support.

Recent History

Central Australian Football League match at Traeger Park, Alice Springs.

Although the Territory would love to have a local team in the national competition, a small population and the lack of potential sponsorship means it is unlikely (but not impossible) that a team will be admitted to the Australian Football League at this time.

In 2002, a record crowd of 17,500 attended an AFL pre-season practice between the Aboriginal All-Stars and Carlton Football Club.

However, in a deal struck with the Northern Territory government, Melbourne based Western Bulldogs AFL side has played several home games a year at Marrara Oval.

In 2004, Alice Springs main ground Traeger Park was re-developed and has hosted several AFL exhibition matches.

In 2007, a representative side began in earnest a campaign to join a major league, the SANFL, WAFL or QAFL with the new team split between Alice Springs and Darwin. A decision was reached in late 2008, with the Northern Territory Football Club, known as the Thunder, formed to field a team in the Queensland competition from the 2009 season onwards. The Thunder now play in the NEAFL, an elite competition for clubs from Queensland, New South Wales and Canberra as well as the reserve teams of four AFL clubs (Sydney, GWS Giants, Brisbane and Gold Coast).

On 3 September 2016 the AFLNT named their team of the 20th century.[11]

Coach of the Century: John Taylor.

The Northern Territory was represented in early Interstate matches in Australian rules football, before being incorporated into the QLD/NT and then Australian Alliance representative sides. They won the Australian National Football Carnival (Div 2) Championship in 1988.

At Under 16 and Under 18 level, the territory fields teams in the national championships.

The Aboriginal All-Stars, a team composed of indigenous Australian players mostly from the AFL and all over the country, are based in Darwin. Darwin is also home of the Flying Boomerangs, the junior indigenous side, which has toured the world to play matches against other countries.

The Northern Territory Football Club formed in 2009 to play in the QAFL competition.

In 2017, AFLNT reported 44,729 direct participants in Australian Rules through official competitions or programs, which makes up 18% of the NT population. There are also around 15,000 more participants in AFL promotional activities.

Around half of all participants are in non-metropolitan areas of the Territory, and a growing 34% of participants are women.[12]

The Tiwi Islands is said to have the highest participation rate in Australia (35%) .

• Northern Territory Football League Grand Final
• Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final
• Arafura Games (quadrennial)
• Australian Football League Premiership Season (Melbourne 'home' games)

Over the years, the Northern Territory has produced an amazing array of talent for elite leagues such as the Australian Football League and South Australian National Football League, including many indigenous Australian players. Greats include Maurice Rioli, Michael Long, Daryl White, Ronnie Burns, David Kantilla, Dean Rioli and Nathan Buckley.

For a list of clubs in each league, see List of Australian rules football clubs in Northern Territory

• AFL Northern Territory
• Northern Territory Football League

• NT Team of the Century from Full Points Footy
• Even a Cyclone can't stop the footy