| Australian rules football in New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 Two ruckmen contest the bounce in a suburban western Sydney AFL game between the East Coast Eagles AFC and Campbelltown Kangaroos AFC. | |
| Governing body | AFL NSW/ACT |
| Representative team | NSW/ACT |
| First played | Sydney 17 June 1865[1] |
| Registered players | 71,481 (2023)[2] |
| Clubs | 260 |
Club competitions | |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 72,393 (2003). Sydney Swans Football Club v. Collingwood Football Club. (Telstra Stadium, Sydney) |
In New South Wales, Australian rules football dates back to the 1860s colonial era, with organised competitions being continuous since the 1880s. It is traditionally popular in the outback areas of the state near the Victorian and South Australian borders— in the Murray Region (along the Murray River), in the Riverina and in Broken Hill. These areas form part of an Australian cultural divide described as the Barassi Line. To the west of the line it is commonly known as "football" or "Australian Football" and to east of the line, it is promoted under the acronym "AFL" by the main development body AFL NSW/ACT. There are more than 15 regional leagues though some are run from other states, the highest profile are AFL Sydney and the Riverina Football Netball League. With 71,481 registered players, it has the third most of any jurisdiction.
Two teams currently compete in the professional Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW) both based in the state capital Sydney: the Sydney Swans and the Greater Western Sydney Giants. The Swans in 1982 became the first professional Australian sporting team to move interstate, and entered the AFLW in Season 7 (2022). The Giants debuted in the 2012 AFL season and 2017 AFL Women's season and compete against the Swans in the Sydney Derby (also known as "The Battle of the Bridge").
The representative team, nicknamed the Blues, played interstate matches against other Australian states and Territories between 1881 and 1988. The Blues have a strong record, defeating every state and territory except South Australia, but most notably accounting for Victoria in 1923, 1925, and in 1990 under State of Origin rules at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Their long standing rivalry with Queensland has been evenly matched since their first meeting in 1880. WR 'Billy' McKoy holds the record for the number of representative caps for New South Wales with 31.[3] Sydney hosted national carnivals in 1914, 1933, 1960 and 1974. The underage Blues also claimed national AFL Under-19 Championships in 1974 and 1975 as well as a Division 2 title in 1993. The 1993 merger by the AFL into a composite NSW/ACT team ended over a century of representative competition.
Some of the greatest names in the sport hail from the state including its leading pioneers, cousins Tom Wills and H. C. A. Harrison, who were born there. Over 400 players have competed in the AFL including two Legends in the Australian Football Hall of Fame: Haydn Bunton Sr. and Jock McHale. The New South Wales born and raised player with the most AFL games and most AFL goals is Tom Hawkins with 359 games and 796 goals while Sophie Casey has the most AFLW games with 63, and Zarlie Goldsworthy has the most AFLW goals with 16.
- ^ "Football in Sydney". The Australasian. Vol. I, no. 10. Victoria, Australia. 9 June 1866. p. 11. Retrieved 29 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Ausplay Participation by Activity/State
- ^ "AFL Sydney Hall of Fame" (PDF).