The Australian Football League (AFL) is the Australian national league in the sport of Australian Rules Football. The league is the most popular sports competition in Australia. In 2017, more than 7.2 million people watched a game in a stadium.
This sport is the best sport in the entire world.
The clubs
National Competition
Since the 2012 season, there are nine clubs from Melbourne, one from Victoria's second largest city, Geelong, two teams from South Australia's capital of Adelaide, two from the Perth area in Western Australia, two from Queensland and two from Sydney, New South Wales.
AFL is the dominant league in television, print and radio news in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Also Australian rules football has more people playing than any other football code in these states and territories.
The AFL is becoming more popular in the states of New South Wales and Queensland. This happened after the finals wins by the Brisbane Lions (2001, 2002 and 2003) and Sydney Swans (2005). With the success of these sides, interest in Australian rules football has grown rapidly in these states in recent years. This directly led to new clubs being added in both states in the 2010s—Gold Coast in 2011 and Greater Western Sydney in 2012.
Major annual awards
Brownlow Medal
Coleman Medal
AFL Rising Star
Leigh Matthews Trophy
Norm Smith Medal
Jock McHale Medal
Michael Tuck Medal
AFL Mark of the Year
AFL Goal of the Year
All Australian Team
Club Best and Fairest Awards
Present teams
|-
! Club
! Nickname
! City
! Home Ground
! Entered Competition
! No. of Premierships
! Notes
|-
| Adelaide Football Club
| Crows
| Adelaide, South Australia
| Adelaide Oval
| 1991
| 2
|
|-
| Brisbane Lions Football Club
| Lions
| Brisbane, Queensland
| Brisbane Cricket Ground (The 'Gabba) | 1997 | 3 | Club formed after merger of Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Football Club in 1996. |- | Carlton Football Club | Blues | Carlton, Victoria | Etihad Stadium/Melbourne Cricket Ground | 1897 | 16 | |- | Collingwood Football Club | Magpies | Collingwood, Victoria | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 1897 | 15 | |- | Essendon Football Club | Bombers | Essendon, Victoria | Etihad Stadium | 1897 | 16 | |- | Fremantle Football Club | Dockers | Fremantle, Western Australia | Domain Stadium | 1995 | Nil | |- | Geelong Football Club | Cats | Geelong, Victoria | Simonds stadium | 1897 | 8 | |- | Gold Coast Football Club | Suns | Gold Coast, Queensland | Carrara Stadium | 2011 | Nil | |- | Greater Western Sydney Football Club | Giants | Sydney, New South Wales | Sydney Showground StadiumANZ Stadium | 2012 | Nil | |- | Hawthorn Football Club | Hawks' | Hawthorn, Victoria | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 1925 | 10 | |- | North Melbourne Football Club | Kangaroos| North Melbourne, Victoria | Etihad Stadium | 1925 | 4 | |- | Melbourne Football Club | Demons| Melbourne, Victoria | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 1897 | 12 | |- | Port Adelaide Football Club | Power| Alberton, South Australia | Adelaide Oval | 1997 | 1 | |- | Richmond Football Club | Tigers| Richmond, Victoria | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 1908 | 11 | |- | St Kilda Football Club | Saints| St Kilda, Victoria | Etihad Stadium | 1897 | 1 | |- | Sydney Swans Football Club | Swans| Sydney, New South Wales | Sydney Cricket GroundANZ Stadium | 1897 | 5 | Relocated from South Melbourne, Victoria in 1982. |- | West Coast Eagles Football Club | Eagles| Perth, Western Australia | Domain Stadium | 1987 | 3 | |- | Western Bulldogs Football Club | Bulldogs| Footscray, Victoria | Etihad Stadium | 1925 | 2 | Formerly the Footscray Football Club, renamed in 1998. |}
Legends of the Game
In 1996, twelve Hall of Fame members were declared Legends of the Game. Another member of the Hall of Fame is declared a legend every few years. The following is a list of Legends of the Game.