AFL IGNORING GAME’S LINK TO GOLDFIELDS

I DON’T follow the AFL much, however I noticed some time ago, regarding the subject of the origin of Aussie rules, the links on the AFL website seemed to be a little economical with the truth.

In the 1980s, the then Hawke government commissioned a book to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of our nation — January 26, 1988.

Canberran academic John Molony got the nod and penned the History of Australia — The Story of 200 Years.

It’s an excellent account of our nation’s history, warts and all, and in one chapter he writes that Aussie rules had its roots not in the Melbourne parklands, but in fact a few days on horseback from Melbourne — in the Victorian goldfields, during the gold rush.

To add weight to that claim, he writes that names of field positions we have all grown up with — such as “pocket” and “flank” — originated from terms used in the mining industry.

The AFL website, however, has no mention whatsoever of the goldfields.

Also noteworthy is the omission of “rules” — apparently now our game is just called “Australian football” — that makes one wonder whether AFL House licks its lips whenever a young kid says, “Let’s got to the park and play some AFL”.

And perhaps it’s more romantic in the eyes of the AFL that the game originated a couple of M. Blight torps from the hallowed turf of the MCG, rather than a couple of hundred miles north of the city.

The AFL likes to see itself at the forefront of social issues, so it’s disappointing that AFL House feels the need to rewrite the history of Aussie rules to promote its own corporate agenda.

Brian Kelly