1.
South Australian National Football League
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The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL, is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia. Consisting of a single competition, the season is an 18-round home-and-away season from April to September. The top five teams play-off in a final series culminating in the final for the Thomas Seymour Hill Premiership Trophy. The league is responsible for the management of all levels of football in the state. This includes junior football, country football, amateur football and specific programs rolled out across schools, indigenous communities, the SANFL owns the 51,240 seat AAMI Stadium, formerly the largest stadium in South Australia. The stadium, which opened in 1974, was used for Australian Football League matches up until 2013. The stadium was the headquarters for the league from 1974–2013, the SANFL competition is the second highest attended Australian rules football league behind the AFL. The earliest recorded football club in South Australia was Adelaide Football Club, the early years of football were poorly organised and dogged by argument over which set of rules to adopt. In fact, after a match between Port Adelaide and Kensington in 1873, it was remarked that neither side understood the rules clearly, however, as the years progressed, there became a growing push for uniformity and structure in South Australian football. In 1877,12 of South Australias football clubs met to develop a set of rules. The inaugural 1877 season was contested by 8 clubs, South Park, Willunga, Port Adelaide, Adelaide, North Adelaide, Gawler, Bankers, Woodville, South Adelaide, Norwood joined the Association the following season in 1878, and went on to win the next six premierships. Norwood, South Adelaide and Port Adelaide together won 23 of the first 24 premierships, South Park, Willunga, North Adelaide, Prince Alfred College, Gawler, Kapunda, Bankers, Woodville, and Victorian all left the Association within the first 10 years. By 1886, the Association had been reduced from 12 to four clubs, the Association experienced a resurgence in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The addition of North Adelaide, West Adelaide and West Torrens and only the demise of Adelaide, in 1898, the Magarey Medal was awarded to the fairest and most brilliant player for the first time. Sturt joined the Association in 1901, but performed poorly initially, in 1902, Port Adelaide adopted its now famous black and white colours. In 1907, the Association changed its name to the South Australian Football League, Norwood and Port Adelaide continued their domination of the league, and were joined by West Adelaide and North Adelaide, between them, the four clubs won all premierships between 1901 and 1913. West Adelaide followed three straight wooden spoons from 1904–06 with four out of the five premierships from 1908–1912, the most successful period in West Adelaides history, Sturt won the first premiership of the post-World War I era, beating North Adelaide in the Challenge Final replay
2.
Australian rules football
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The main way to score points is by kicking the oval-shaped ball between the two tall goal posts. The team with the score by the end of the match wins unless a draw is declared. During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field, the primary methods are kicking, handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled, for example, throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick are awarded possession, possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick or mark is paid. Players can tackle using their hands or use their body to obstruct opponents. The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of players and the ball and high scoring. The sports origins can be traced to matches played in Melbourne, Victoria in 1858. Its annual Grand Final is the highest attended club championship event in the world, the sport is also played at amateur level in many countries and in several variations. The games rules are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFLs Laws of the Game Committee, there is evidence of football being played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. The earliest such match, held in St Kilda on 15 June, was between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar. Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School in England and his letter is regarded by many historians as giving impetus for the development of a new code of football today known as Australian football. Two weeks later, Wills friend, cricketer Jerry Bryant, posted an advertisement for a match at the Richmond Paddock adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This was the first of several kickabouts held that year involving members of the Melbourne Cricket Club, including Wills, Bryant, W. J. Hammersley, trees were used as goalposts and play typically lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in the British Isles. Another significant milestone in 1858 was a match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College, held at the Richmond Paddock. This 40-a-side contest, umpired by Wills and Scotch College teacher John Macadam, began on 7 August and it is commemorated with a statue outside the MCG, and the two schools have competed annually ever since in the Cordner-Eggleston Cup, the worlds oldest continuous football competition. Since the early 20th century, it has suggested that Australian football was derived from the Irish sport of Gaelic football
3.
Cricket
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Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a cricket field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard-long pitch with a wicket at each end. One team bats, attempting to score as many runs as possible, each phase of play is called an innings. After either ten batsmen have been dismissed or a number of overs have been completed, the innings ends. The winning team is the one that scores the most runs, including any extras gained, at the start of each game, two batsmen and eleven fielders enter the field of play. The striker takes guard on a crease drawn on the four feet in front of the wicket. His role is to prevent the ball hitting the stumps by use of his bat. The other batsman, known as the non-striker, waits at the end of the pitch near the bowler. A dismissed batsman must leave the field, and a teammate replaces him, the bowlers objectives are to prevent the scoring of runs and to dismiss the batsman. An over is a set of six deliveries bowled by the same bowler, the next over is bowled from the other end of the pitch by a different bowler. If a fielder retrieves the ball enough to put down the wicket with a batsman not having reached the crease at that end of the pitch. Adjudication is performed on the field by two umpires, the laws of cricket are maintained by the International Cricket Council and the Marylebone Cricket Club. Traditionally cricketers play in all-white kit, but in limited overs cricket they wear club or team colours. In addition to the kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by the ball. Although crickets origins are uncertain, it is first recorded in south-east England in the 16th century and it spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire, leading to the first international matches in the mid-19th century. ICC, the governing body, has over 100 members. The sport is followed primarily in Australasia, Britain, the Indian subcontinent, southern Africa, womens cricket, which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. A number of words have been suggested as sources for the term cricket, in the earliest definite reference to the sport in 1598 it is called creckett. One possible source for the name is the Old English cricc or cryce meaning a crutch or staff, in Samuel Johnsons Dictionary, he derived cricket from cryce, Saxon, a stick
4.
Adelaide
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Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia, and the fifth-most populous city of Australia. In June 2016, Adelaide had a resident population of 1,326,354 million. South Australia, with a total of 1, the demonym Adelaidean is used in reference to the city and its residents. Adelaide is north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, on the Adelaide Plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges which surround the city. Adelaide stretches 20 km from the coast to the foothills, and 94 to 104 km from Gawler at its northern extent to Sellicks Beach in the south. Named in honour of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, queen consort to King William IV, Colonel William Light, one of Adelaides founding fathers, designed the city and chose its location close to the River Torrens, in the area originally inhabited by the Kaurna people. Lights design set out Adelaide in a layout, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares. Early Adelaide was shaped by prosperity and wealth—until the Second World War, it was Australias third-largest city and it has been noted for early examples of religious freedom, a commitment to political progressivism and civil liberties. It has been known as the City of Churches since the mid-19th century, as South Australias seat of government and commercial centre, Adelaide is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are concentrated in the city centre along the boulevard of North Terrace, King William Street. Today, Adelaide is noted for its festivals and sporting events, its food and wine, its long beachfronts. It ranks highly in terms of liveability, being listed in the Top 10 of The Economist Intelligence Units Worlds Most Liveable Cities index in 2010,2011,2012 and 2015. It was also ranked the most liveable city in Australia by the Property Council of Australia in 2011,2012 and 2013, prior to its proclamation as a British settlement in 1836, the area around Adelaide was inhabited by the indigenous Kaurna Aboriginal nation. Kaurna culture and language was almost completely destroyed within a few decades of the European settlement of South Australia in 1836, however, extensive documentation by early missionaries and other researchers has enabled a modern revival of both language and culture. South Australia was officially proclaimed as a new British colony on 28 December 1836, the event is commemorated in South Australia as Proclamation Day. The site of the capital was surveyed and laid out by Colonel William Light. Adelaide was established as a colony of free immigrants, promising civil liberties and freedom from religious persecution. Wakefields idea was for the Government to survey and sell the land at a rate that would maintain land values high enough to be unaffordable for labourers and journeymen
5.
Charles Sturt
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Captain Charles Napier Sturt was a British explorer of Australia, and part of the European exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide and his expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers, establishing that they all merged into the Murray River. He was searching to determine if there was an inland sea, Charles Sturt was born in Bengal, British India, the eldest son of Thomas Lenox Napier Sturt, a judge under the British East India Company. At the age of five, Charles was sent to relations in England to be educated, an aunt made an appeal to the Prince Regent and, on 9 September 1813, Sturt was gazetted as an ensign with the 39th Regiment of Foot in the British Army. Sturt saw action with the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War and against the Americans in Canada, Sturt was gazetted lieutenant on 7 April 1823 and promoted captain on 15 December 1825. With a detachment from his regiment, Sturt escorted convicts aboard the Mariner to New South Wales, Sturt found the conditions and climate in New South Wales much better than he expected and he developed a great interest in the country. The Governor of New South Wales, Sir Ralph Darling, formed an opinion of Sturt and appointed him major of brigade. Sturt became friendly with John Oxley, Allan Cunningham, Hamilton Hume, Sturt was keen to explore the Australian interior, especially its rivers. Sturt received approval from Governor Darling on 4 November 1828 to explore the area of the Macquarie River in western New South Wales and it was not, however, until 10 November that the party started out. It consisted of Sturt, his servant Joseph Harris, three soldiers and eight convicts, on 27 November Sturt was joined by Hamilton Hume as his first assistant, humes experience proved to be very useful. A week was spent at Wellington Valley breaking in oxen and horses, 1828–29 was a period of drought and there was difficulty in getting sufficient water. The courses of the Macquarie, Bogan and Castlereagh rivers had been followed, and though its importance was scarcely sufficiently realized, the party returned to Wellington Valley on 21 April 1829. The expedition proved that northern New South Wales was not an inland sea, in 1829 Governor Darling approved an expedition to solve this mystery. Sturt proposed to travel down the Murrumbidgee River, whose upper reaches had been seen by the Hume, in place of Hume, who was unable to join the party, George Macleay went as a companion rather than as an assistant. A whaleboat built in sections was carried with them which was assembled, in January 1830 Sturts party reached the confluence of the Murrumbidgee and a much larger river, which Sturt named the Murray River. It was in fact the river which Hume and Hovell had crossed further upstream. Several times the party was in danger from the Aborigines but Sturt always succeeded in appeasing them, Sturt then proceeded down the Murray, until he reached the rivers confluence with the Darling. Sturt had now proved that all the western-flowing rivers eventually flowed into the Murray, in February 1830, the party reached a large lake which Sturt called Lake Alexandrina
6.
Port Adelaide Football Club
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The Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, Port Adelaide, South Australia. The clubs senior team plays in the Australian Football League whilst its reserves, Port Adelaide is the oldest professional football club in South Australia and the fifth-oldest club in the AFL. Since the clubs first game on 24 May 1870, it has won 36 South Australian league premierships, the club also won the Champions of Australia competition on a record four occasions. In 1997, the joined the Australian Football League as the only pre-existing non-Victorian club—and subsequently added the 2004 AFL Premiership to its achievements. By the late 1860s Port Adelaides river traffic was growing significantly causing John Rann, Mr. Leicester, the Port Adelaide Football Club was established on 12 May 1870 as part of a joint Australian football and cricket club with the first training session taking place two days later. It played its first match against a team called the Young Australians on 24 May 1870 at inaugural club president John Harts family property in Glanville. Football in South Australia at this stage was yet to be organised by a single body, in 1877 Port Adelaide joined seven other clubs to form the South Australian Football Association, the first league of its type in Australia. It competed its first few seasons wearing magenta guernseys and white shorts, in 1878 the club hosted its first game against the recently established Norwood Football Club with the visitors winning 1-0. A rivalry between these clubs would soon develop into one of the fiercest in Australian sport, in 1880 the club moved to Alberton Oval. In 1881 the club played a team for the first time against Carlton at Adelaide Oval. Later that year the club travelled to Victoria and played its first game outside South Australia against Sale, during the 1882 season Port Adelaide overcame Norwood for the first time after nine previous attempts winning by 1 goal at Adelaide Oval. In 1884 Port Adelaide won its first SAFA premiership, ending Norwoods run of six premierships, on 25 May 1885, Port Adelaide played its first game at the MCG against South Melbourne, drawing with the eventual VFA premiers in front of 10,000 spectators. In 1887 immense interest led into the Round 8 meeting against Norwood as the two matches between the clubs resulted in draws. Norwood won in front of a then-record 11,000 spectators at Adelaide Oval, during 1889 the club played against the Richmond at Punt Road, with Port prevailing by a goal. The 1889 SAFA season ended with Port Adelaide and Norwood equal top, Norwood went on to defeat Port Adelaide by two goals. In 1890 Port Adelaide won its second SAFA premiership and would go on to be crowned Champions of Australia for the first time after defeating VFA premiers South Melbourne. During the 1890s Australia was affected by a depression and many players were forced to move interstate to find work translating into poor on field results. By 1896, the club was in crisis and finished last causing the clubs committee to meet with the aim of revitalising the club
7.
World War I
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World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and paved the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. The war drew in all the worlds great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war, Italy, Japan, the trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This set off a crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Within weeks, the powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Russia on 1 August. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, after the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that changed little until 1917. On the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, in November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. In 1915, Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, Romania joined the Allies in 1916, after a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918, the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives. By the end of the war or soon after, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, national borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or created, and Germanys colonies were parceled out among the victors. During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, the League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict. This effort failed, and economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation eventually contributed to World War II. From the time of its start until the approach of World War II, at the time, it was also sometimes called the war to end war or the war to end all wars due to its then-unparalleled scale and devastation. In Canada, Macleans magazine in October 1914 wrote, Some wars name themselves, during the interwar period, the war was most often called the World War and the Great War in English-speaking countries. Will become the first world war in the sense of the word. These began in 1815, with the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, when Germany was united in 1871, Prussia became part of the new German nation. Soon after, in October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between the monarchs of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany
8.
The Ashes
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The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The Ashes are regarded as being held by the team that most recently won the Test series, the term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, immediately after Australias 1882 victory at The Oval, their first Test win on English soil. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated, the mythical ashes immediately became associated with the 1882–83 series played in Australia, before which the English captain Ivo Bligh had vowed to regain those ashes. The English media therefore dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes, after England had won two of the three Tests on the tour, a small urn was presented to Bligh by a group of Melbourne women including Florence Morphy, whom Bligh married within a year. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of a wooden bail and it is not clear whether that tiny silver urn is the same as the small terracotta urn given to the MCC by Blighs widow after his death in 1927. The urn has never been the trophy of the Ashes series. However, replicas of the urn are often held aloft by victorious teams as a symbol of their victory in an Ashes series. Since the 1998–99 Ashes series, a Waterford Crystal representation of the Ashes urn has been presented to the winners of an Ashes series as the trophy of that series. An Ashes series is traditionally of five Tests, hosted in turn by England, as of August 2015, England holds the Ashes, having won three of the five Tests in the 2015 Ashes series. Australia and England have won 32 series each and five series have been drawn, the first Test match between England and Australia was played in Melbourne, Australia, in 1877, though the Ashes legend started later, after the ninth Test, played in 1882. On their tour of England that year the Australians played just one Test and it was a low-scoring affair on a difficult wicket. Australia made a mere 63 runs in its first innings, and England, led by A. N. Hornby, took a 38-run lead with a total of 101. In their second innings, the Australians, boosted by a spectacular 55 runs off 60 deliveries from Hugh Massie, managed 122 and this thing can be done, he declared. Spofforth went on to devastate the English batting, taking his final four wickets for two runs to leave England just eight runs short of victory. When Ted Peate, Englands last batsman, came to the crease, his side needed just ten runs to win, an astonished Oval crowd fell silent, struggling to believe that England could possibly have lost to a colony on home soil. When it finally sank in, the crowd swarmed onto the field, cheering loudly and chairing Boyle, when Peate returned to the pavilion he was reprimanded by his captain for not allowing his partner, Charles Studd, to get the runs. Peate humorously replied, I had no confidence in Mr Studd, sir, the momentous defeat was widely recorded in the British press, which praised the Australians for their plentiful pluck and berated the Englishmen for their lack thereof. A celebrated poem appeared in Punch on Saturday,9 September and it read, In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29 August 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances R. I. P
9.
Sydney Swans
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The Sydney Swans are a professional Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club has been based in Sydney since the South Melbourne Football Club was relocated to Sydney in 1982, Sydney was the first club in the competition to be based outside Victoria. The Swans have played their games at the Sydney Cricket Ground since 1982. The South Melbourne Football Club was founded in 1874 and was strong through the 1880s and it won three premierships in 1909,1918 and 1933 before experiencing 72 years without a premiership, the longest premiership drought of any club. The club broke the drought in 2005 and won another premiership in 2012, the inauguration date of the club is officially 19 June 1874, and it adopted the name South Melbourne Football Club four weeks later, on 15 July. In 1880, South Melbourne amalgamated with the nearby Albert-park Football Club, following the amalgamation, the club retained the name South Melbourne, and adopted the clubs now familiar red and white colours from Albert-park. Nicknamed the Southerners, the team was more known as the Bloods. The colorful epithet the Bloodstained Angels was also in use, the club was based at Lake Oval, also home of the South Melbourne Cricket Club. The match took place on 3 October 1896 at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground, Collingwood won the match, six goals to five, in front of an estimated crowd of 12,000. This Grand Final would be the last match South Melbourne would play in the VFA, the other clubs were St Kilda Football Club, Essendon Football Club, Fitzroy Football Club, Melbourne Football Club, Geelong Football Club, Carlton Football Club and Collingwood Football Club. South Melbourne was one of the founding clubs of the Victorian Football League that was formed in 1897. The club had success and won three VFL premierships in 1909,1918 and 1933. Ironically, the driver was a South Melbourne supporter. It was during this period that the team known as the Swans. The name stuck, in due to the clubs association with nearby Albert Park and Lake. After several years only limited success, South Melbourne next reached the grand final in 1945. The match, played against Carlton, was to become known as the Bloodbath, courtesy of the brawl that overshadowed the match, Carlton won the match by 28 points, and from then on, South Melbourne struggled. In the following years, South Melbourne consistently struggled, as their traditional inner-city recruiting district largely emptied as a result of demographic shifts, the club missed the finals in 1946 and continued to fall such that by 1950 they were second-last on the ladder
10.
Adelaide Oval
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Adelaide Oval is a stadium in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The stadium is used for cricket and Australian rules football, but also plays host to rugby league, rugby union, soccer. The Oval has been headquarters to the South Australian Cricket Association since 1871, the stadium is managed by the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority. Redevelopments between 2008 and 2014, costing $575 million, increased the seating capacity from 34,000 to 53,583. The Adelaide and Port Adelaide Football Clubs also returned to the stadium, in 2010, Austadiums. com called the Adelaide Oval one of the most picturesque Test cricket grounds in Australia, if not the world. In December 2009 South Australian Premier Mike Rann announced a $450 million government commitment to redevelop Adelaide Oval to enable AFL Football to be played there, in May 2011 Treasurer Kevin Foley announced an increase in government funding to $535 million. 1871 - The ground was established in 1871 after the formation of SACA, among those responsible for the original construction were John Pickering and Henry Sparks. 1877 - The first South Australian Football Association match that took place on the ground was between Adelaide Football Club and the Bankers, Adelaide won the match 4 goals to 1. 1877 – The first first-class cricket match played at the ground between South Australia and Tasmania on 10 and 12 November 1877, South Australia was victorious, winning by an innings and 13 runs. 1878 – The first century was scored by John Hill on 30 January 1878, John was the father of the great Clem Hill. 1884 – The first Test match played at the Oval was held from 12–16 December 1884, England beat Australia by eight wickets. 1885 – The first football game lit by light was conducted on the evening of 1 July 1885. 1889 – The first Grand Final in a major Australian rules football competition was played between Norwood and Port Adelaide, Norwood won the game 7.4 to 5.9. 1894 – In 1894–95 Albert Trott collected 8/43 on debut against England,1900 – The picket fence was put up surrounding the Oval in 1900. 1911 – From 5–12 August 1911 the Australian Football Council Carnival was played at the ground, the competing sides were SA, VFL, VFA, Western Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales. 1911 – The Adelaide Oval scoreboard, designed by architect Kenneth Milne, the clock was added in 1912 and the windvane in the 1930s. 1914 - The Port Adelaide Football Club defeated the Carlton Football Club for their fourth Championship of Australia title defeating the Victorian side by 34 points,9.16 to 5.6. 1931 – In 1931–32 Donald Bradman scored the highest score ever at the ground in Test Cricket, in the same game, Clarrie Grimmett collected fourteen wickets, the most ever taken in a Test match at the ground by a bowler
11.
Richmond Football Club
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The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. The club has won ten premierships since joining the competition in 1908, the club is currently ranked sixth in the competition for premierships won. Prior to 1965 the club played games at Punt Road Oval. Based in a traditionally working-class area, Richmond has long-standing rivalries with cross-town Melbourne-based clubs, Collingwood, the club has been home to four AFL Hall of Fame Legends, Ian Stewart, Kevin Bartlett, Royce Hart and Jack Dyer. A team of playing as Richmond is mentioned by the newspapers in the first years of Australian football. Tom Wills, one of the founders, was the clubs inaugural secretary and captain. This loosely organised group has no continuity to the present club, a number of teams formed in the Richmond area during the games rapid expansion of the 1870s and early 1880s. However, all played at a level and it was considered an anomaly that Richmond, one of Melbournes biggest locales. The wait ended when the Richmond Football Club was officially formed at the Royal Hotel in Richmond on 20 February 1885, a successful application for immediate admission to the Victorian Football Association followed. The club shared the Punt Road Oval with the Richmond Cricket Club, at first the team wore a blue uniform. One of the most important features of a nineteenth-century footballers uniform was his headgear, and Richmond opted for yellow and black striped caps, after a couple of years, yellow and black stripes replaced blue as the colours of the teams guernseys. The team was called the Richmondites, the Wasps or, most commonly. During the late 1880s, the VFA expanded rapidly, a booming economy and large numbers of immigrants made Melbourne the largest city in the Australian colonies. The city was mad with football and many tried to get admission to the VFA. Richmond struggled to make an impression and after a promising season in 1888. As the local economy slipped into depression in the early 1890s and the crowds began to dwindle. Richmond were not considered part of elite group, who usually voted together as a block at VFA meetings. A lack of commitment and focused effort was holding the Tigers back, in 1896, Richmond walked off the field in a match with South Melbourne at half time when they were a long way behind on a very wet day to protest the umpiring. Later in the season, the Tigers had their score annulled against Essendon when it was discovered that they had too many men on the ground, in the closing three weeks of the season, Richmonds gate takings amounted to just five pounds
12.
Football Park
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Football Park, also known commercially as AAMI Stadium, is an Australian rules football stadium located in West Lakes, a western suburb of Adelaide, the state capital of South Australia, Australia. It was built in 1973 by the South Australian National Football League, until the end of the 2013 AFL season, it served as the home ground of both the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Football Club. It also hosted all SANFL finals from 1974 to 2013 and it has a seating capacity of 51,240. Since 2014, it has not been used for any SANFL or AFL matches, as of 2017, it is still the headquarters and training ground for Adelaide Crows. Ground was broken for Football Park in 1971, giving the SANFL its own venue after years of playing out of the Adelaide Oval, the stadium hosted its first football game on 4 May 1974, an SANFL match between Central District and North Adelaide. The first goal was kicked by Norths Barry Hearl, but The Bulldogs won the game defeating The Roosters 21.13 to 16.13. Bench seating was added to the stadiums bowl section. The new roof gave the outer of the ground a number of under cover seats. Television screens showing the games in progress at the ground are also in place under the concourse roof, after long-term negotiations with the State Government and the local council, as well as local residents, the SANFL started building the grounds four light towers in late 1983. These were finished by early 1984, with all games in Adelaide moving from the suburban grounds to league headquarters for the next 16 years. The following year the stadium got its first video superscreen, although the old scoreboard located above the tunnel in the south-east corner remained in place as the main scoreboard. After years of speculation, Football Parks members grandstand was extended in 2001 with the opening of the new Northern Stand, the stadium has also hosted International rules football games between Australia and Ireland, as well as being used for rock concerts. Football Park also hosted a National Soccer League game during the early-mid 1990s, the record football crowd at Football Park was 66,897 when Sturt defeated Port Adelaide in the 1976 SANFL Grand Final, though police believe the attendance figure was closer to 80,000. To avoid a crush, spectators were allowed on the field between the line and the fence, and thousands were turned away by the police as the house full signs went up. The record Showdown attendance at Football Park was recorded at Showdown XIX on 10 September 2005 when 50,521 saw the Crows defeat the Power by 83 points in the 2005 First Semi Final. Football Park has a bus terminal for buses from Adelaide and surrounding suburbs, approximately 1000 buses were used to transport spectators to. This service now operates to and from Adelaide Oval, and is known as the Footy Express, for Showdown matches, when both of Adelaides sides play against each other, the number of buses were doubled. There is no railway line serving the site, but there have been plans to build a spur from the Grange line
