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Australian Rules Football has a long history of Charity Matches where the players have dressed up in fancy dress and played football. These games were not played by elite footballers but by a wide range of everyday people. While researching old football matches these dress up games regularly appear, to the point where they deserves some attention.

Local hospitals frequently received the football fundraising and women as well as men got a go. These games might not be ‘elite’ but they provide a fascinating insight into history. Firstly the outfit trends over time changed as the world around changed. Secondly, what caused the end of this phenomena? Was it Television, or changes in attitudes?

In 1896, after a proposal by VFA Secretary T.S. Marshall, a group of teams broke away and formed the VFL. Why did they do this? why were some teams in and some teams out?

Winning the AFL Premiership is the height of Australian football, but what is it’s origin story. This article explains how in the early years of football in Victoria, the premiership evolved from a newspaper acclimation in an ad-hoc season of football in the early 1870s, into a points system run by the Victorian Football Association and finally into the winner of the Grand Final of a national competition that it is today.

Turmoil, argument, teams folding and teams appearing,even new competing competitions. The final years of the gold mining boom in Bendigo were interesting times for football in the town.

John Haygarth was an exciting Geelong footballer in the fifties. This article is the story of his football life, including his controversial departure from Geelong in 1959. The article includes an interview with John and photographs from his personal collection.

The story of Leslie Albert Johnson, better known as Len, is a tale of how one determined young man overcame hardship to become a ‘local hero’ with Essendon FC in his short VFL career. Len also left his mark as a country football coach, professional sprinter and a soldier who died on active service in Malaya in 1942.

Len’s story is uplifting but it is not without pathos and tragedy.

Fitzroy Memories with Frank Dear - Ken Mansell, 2004.

Winning the AFL Premiership is the height of Australian football, but what is it’s origin story. This article explains how in the early years of football in Victoria, the premiership evolved from a newspaper acclimation in an ad-hoc season of football in the early 1870s, into a points system run by the Victorian Football Association and finally into the winner of the Grand Final of a national competition that it is today.

In 1952, Collingwood Football Club officials told 16 year old Murray Weideman to ‘go away and come back’ the following season.........by the end of his career Weideman had played 180 games and coached 45 games for the pies, and yet more at West Adelaide. He was hard hitting and is an Australian Football Hall of Famer. This is his story.

Dan Minogue begins today his own story of his distinguished career. And a human, gripping story this great football personality has to tell! It is brimming with all the incident, thrills, humor and pathos which he has encountered during a quarter of a century as crack player and successful captain and coach. Turning back Time, Dan takes readers behind the scenes with him; into club rooms and on to playing fields as he lives again his hours of triumph —and disappointment.

Famous South Australian Umpire Johnny Quinn's reminiscences appeared in the News (Adelaide) in 1940. Quinn was famous for his smile and his gestures. He also took part in redrafting the rules of the game.

Originally appeared in The Argus 2-May-1908. Observer (Donald McDonald) the great Australian Journalist looks back at the best players in his 30 years writing on football.

Reminiscences of Tommy Wilson, captain of North Melbourne and a founder of East Fremantle. Covering the period from the 1890's to WW1.

Today, “The Mail” published the first of a series of articles by Bunton, which should prove of absorbing interest to all football followers and other sport fans. The first tells how he nearly became a cricketer instead of an ace footballer. Others will tell of the trafficking stir in which he was involved, personalities he has played against in three States, and other highlights of his career.

In this, the ninth of a series of great football dramas, is described the first League-Association clash — St. Kilda v North Melbourne, in 1915. It was a hectic, grisly affair, reeking with spite and roughness, and with only occasional flashes of real football.

Packed with hilarious incidents, it stand as the most comical football “match” that ever convulsed a crowd. Such was that burlesque, Victoria v. Queensland, at the Hobart Carnival in 1924.