The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent and only fully professional men's competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition from the Victorian Football Association (VFA), with its inaugural season in 1897. It changed its name to Australian Football League in 1990 after expanding its competition to other Australian states in the 1980s. The AFL publishes its Laws of Australian football, which are used, with variations, by other Australian football organisations.
The AFL competition currently consists of 18 teams spread over Australia's five mainland states; an unnamed Tasmanian team will join the league in 2028. AFL Premiership Season matches have been played in all states and mainland territories, as well as in New Zealand and China to expand its audience.
The AFL premiership season currently consists of a 23-match regular (or home-and-away) season, which runs from March to September. The team with the best record at the end of the home-and-away season is awarded the minor premiership; the top eight teams then play off in a four-round finals series, culminating in the AFL Grand Final, which is normally held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground each year. The grand final winners are termed the premiers, the most important team prizes for which are the premiership cup and flag. Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon are the joint-most successful clubs in the competition, having each won 16 premierships.
Clubs[]
| Club | Location | Home stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | Adelaide, South Australia | Adelaide Oval |
| Brisbane Lions | Brisbane, Queensland | The Gabba |
| Carlton | Melbourne, Victoria (Docklands) | Docklands Stadium |
| Collingwood | Melbourne, Victoria (East Melbourne) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Essendon | Melbourne, Victoria (Docklands) | Docklands Stadium |
| Fremantle | Perth, Western Australia | Perth Stadium |
| Geelong | Geelong, Victoria | Kardinia Park |
| Gold Coast | Gold Coast, Queensland | Carrara Stadium |
| Greater Western Sydney | Sydney, New South Wales (Sydney Olympic Park) | Sydney Showground Stadium |
| Hawthorn | Melbourne, Victoria (East Melbourne) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Melbourne | ||
| North Melbourne | Melbourne, Victoria (Docklands) | Docklands Stadium |
| Port Adelaide | Adelaide, South Australia | Adelaide Oval |
| Richmond | Melbourne, Victoria (East Melbourne) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| St Kilda | Melbourne, Victoria (Docklands) | Docklands Stadium |
| Sydney | Sydney, New South Wales (Moore Park) | Sydney Cricket Ground |
| West Coast | Perth, Western Australia | Perth Stadium |
| Western Bulldogs | Melbourne, Victoria (Docklands) | Docklands Stadium |
Venues[]
| Stadium | Location | Tenant(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Docklands Stadium (Marvel Stadium) |
Melbourne, Victoria | Carlton Essendon North Melbourne St Kilda Western Bulldogs |
| Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne, Victoria (East Melbourne) | Collingwood Hawthorn Melbourne Richmond |
| Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium) |
Perth, Western Australia | Fremantle West Coast |
| Adelaide Oval | Adelaide, South Australia | Adelaide Port Adelaide |
| Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney, New South Wales (Moore Park) | Sydney |
| The Gabba | Brisbane, Queensland | Brisbane Lions |
| Kardinia Park (GMHBA Stadium) |
Geelong, Victoria | Geelong |
| Cararra Stadium (Metricon Stadium) |
Gold Coast, Queensland | Gold Coast |
| Sydney Showground Stadium (GIANTS Stadium) |
Sydney, New South Wales (Sydney Olympic Park) | Greater Western Sydney |
| York Park (University of Tasmania Stadium) |
Launceton, Tasmania | N/A |
| Bellerive Oval (Bludstone Arena) |
Hobart, Tasmania | |
| Manuka Oval | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | |
| Cazalys Stadium | Cairns, Queensland | |
| Marrara Oval (TIO Stadium) |
Darwin, Northern Territory | |
| Eureka Stadium (Mars Stadium) |
Ballarat, Victoria | |
| Traeger Park (TIO Traeger Park) |
Alice Springs, Northern Territory | |
| Norwood Oval | Adelaide, South Australia | |
| Summit Sports & Recreation Park | Mount Barker, South Australia |
Broadcasters[]
| Country | Network |
|---|---|
| Worldwide | ABC Australia |
| Australia | |
| Australia | Seven Network, Fox Footy, Triple M Melbourne, Triple M Adelaide, Triple M Perth, Triple M Sydney, Triple M Brisbane, 1116 SEN, SEN SA, 3AW, FIVEaa, GP4, K-Rock, 98.9 FM, ABC Sport |
| Oceania | |
| Pacific Islands | TVWan |
| Fiji | Fiji TV |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport |
| Papua New Guinea | EM TV |
| Africa | |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport |
| Americas | |
| Caribbean | SportsMax |
| Central America South America Mexico |
Star+ |
| Canada | TSN2 |
| United States | FS2, Fox Soccer Plus, MHz Worldview |
| Asia | |
| China | ICS, CCTV-5+ |
| Europe | |
| Europe | Eurosport 2 |
| Germany Austria Switzerland |
Sport1 |
| Ireland | TG4, BT Sport, BT Sport ESPN, UPC Ireland |
| Russia | Viasat Sport |
| Spain | Movistar+ |
| United Kingdom | BT Sport, BT Sport ESPN, Sky |
| Middle East and North Africa | |
| Middle East and North Africa | OSN Sports |
| Israel | Fox Sports |