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 The AFL (formerly known as the VFL ) was founded by Tom Wills, his cousin HCA Harrison, JB Thompson and WJ Hamersley. They originally advocated the game to keep cricketers fit in the off season. The first club formed for this new game was Melbourne Football Club, who played  in the first recorded game in the same year of their creation in 1858.

The VFL was established in 1896 and the following year just 8 teams, which were all from Melbourne, competed in the first season of the league. After more teams from different states joined the league, it evolved into the AFL.