The Australian Football League, or AFL, is the most popular sporting event in the country. It has a long and proud history and is growing bigger all the time. For anyone interested in the Australian Rules games of today, an understanding of where they come from is important. The history of the League is very entertaining and helps people to understand its current structures and functions. The AFL history below is hardly comprehensive, and further reading on the subject is greatly encouraged, but it does give interested parties a good place to start.