Australian rules football in New South Wales

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 (17 June 1865)
Registered players	80,572
Clubs	260
Club competitions
Sydney AFL AFL Hunter Central Coast AFL Canberra AFL Sapphire Coast AFL South Coast AFL North Coast AFL North West AFL Central West Farrer Football League Riverina Football League Northern Riverina Football League AFL South Coast Hume Football League Broken Hill Football League
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 80,572 registered players, it has the third most of any jurisdiction.

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. They have long standing rivalries with Victoria accounting for them in 1923, 1925, and in 1990 under State of Origin rules at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and Queensland which was evenly contested from 1884. WR 'Billy' McKoy holds the record for the number of representative caps for New South Wales with 31. Sydney hosted national carnivals in 1914, 1933, 1960 and 1974. The underage Blues also claimed Under 19 national championships in 1974 and 1975 as well as a Division 2 title in 1993. The team's 1993 merger with ACT to become a composite side ended over a century of representative competition.

Two clubs based in the state capital Sydney currently compete in the professional Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW): 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").

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.

History

First clubs and matches (1861–1867)

The Federal Football Club was formed at the Imperial Hotel in Wagga Wagga in 1861, making it the oldest Australian rules football club outside of Victoria and the oldest football club of any code in New South Wales, however little else of the early history of the club now known as the Wagga Tigers is known. Its first recorded interclub matches did not appear for at least another decade.

Richard Driver, founding president of the Sydney Football Club, Sydney's first, which formally adopted the code in May 1866

On 26 May 1865, calls were put out to form a Sydney Football Club. The club was incorporated on 17 June 1865 with Richard Driver as its first president and up to 60 members, of whom were mostly cricketers. It played its first match shortly thereafter in Hyde Park, Sydney, and in August against the Sydney University Football Club. Another club, the Australian Club also competed with the Sydney FC in 1865. Though it is not known under what code, de Moore (2021) notes that according to accounts it was very similar to the Victorian code but with an influence of rugby. Early matches were low scoring, cancelled mid game, and were subjected to frequent disputes over the rules. The Sydney University club is often noted as "The Birthplace of Australian Rugby" in 1863; however, historical records show its incorporation in 1865 and that it did not begin playing regularly under rugby rules until 1869.

At its first annual meeting on 8 May 1866, the Sydney Football Club announced that it had formally adopted the Victorian football rules and encouraged Victorian clubs to travel north for intercolonial matches. On 26 May 1866, the rules were published in Bells Life in Sydney. The Australian Club formally adopted the code shortly after.

Unlike football in other colonies, early football in Sydney struggled to take root. During the 1860s, Sydney being a much smaller city had a handful of clubs compared to at least a dozen active at the time in the code's heartland in the Victorian colony of Melbourne. As was the case for the fledgling contemporary Brisbane Football Club in the Queensland colony, Sydney's clubs (unlike those of Melbourne and Adelaide in the colony of South Australia) struggled to recruit enough football players for organised matches. Without intercolonial competition and with few playing, newcomer clubs soon disbanded. The growing city of Newcastle, however defied the trend, revising the Rules of Football (the Victorian Rules), and publishing it in its press.

One of the first Sydney schools to adopt the code was Newington College in 1867 by its then headmaster and ex-Geelong FC vice-president George Metcalfe.

In 1868, a new Sydney Football Club was founded also adopting the Victorian rules, citing their popularity in Melbourne as the main reason for the choice. Few details survive of their matches apart from one held against the 60th Queen's Own Regiment on 11 July 1868.

Rugby rebellion and the Southern Rugby Football Union ban (1868–1876)

Some players, I am aware, can't swallow the idea of adopting the Victorian Game, simply because it is supposed to hail from the sister colony.

Reporter, The Sydney Mail

A strong rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne has existed since the Victorian gold rush, when the latter first outgrew its older sister. With the rapid growth of Victorian rules, Sydney journalists panned it in 1868, protesting that the "old English game of football" would be preferable to Sydneysiders than any game imported from the rival colony. As a result, following the end of Metcalfe's term at Newington College, the school in 1869 had switched codes, and in doing so became the first Australian school to play rugby union. The Sydney Football Club would soon suffer the same fate as its predecessor and disappeared completely. Sydney University also began to heavily promote rugby football over the Victorian code in 1869.

Rugby clubs could manage just four matches prior to the 1870s, however it was being successfully integrated into schools and later began producing organised senior competition. Soon after, it spread throughout the colony. Some clubs continued to experiment with playing under Victorian rules which threatened the control of rugby authorities. Subsequently, in 1874 the newly formed Southern Rugby Football Union (SRFU) instituted a ban on its member clubs from playing any matches under those rules. This led to the extinction of the Victorian code in Sydney. In the Riverina closer to Victoria however, clubs were able to somewhat survive it. The Albury Football Club (founded in 1876 under Victorian rules) did so by crossing the border to play against northern Victorian clubs though even it was all but defunct the following year, requiring resuscitation some time later. Other early northern Riverina clubs such as Wagga were left with little other option than to organise local scratch matches as most other clubs in the colony were adopting rugby. Calls from Victoria in May 1877 for intercolonial tests were dismissed by the SRFU in an effort to prevent the Victorian code from being promoted in Sydney.

Intercolonial football and establishment of competitions in the Riverina, Sydney, Newcastle and Broken Hill (1877–1893)

Harry Hedger the former Waratahs Southern Rugby Union player, who founded the NSWFA in Sydney in 1880, was also a key player in the founding of the NSWFL in 1903 and its first life member in 1905.

In June 1877, Sydney's Waratah Rugby Football Club (formed in 1873 but now defunct) accepted a challenge from Victoria's Carlton Football Club to reciprocal matches in their respective codes, and in doing so, risked expulsion from the union. The SRFU refused to sanction the match, and fearing the effect of promoting the Victorian code, fixtured a competing match at Paramatta. The match, hosted by Waratah, was played at the Albert Ground under rugby rules in front of 3,000 spectators—then the largest ever football crowd in Sydney—was won by Waratah 2–0. Defunct newspaper publication The Argus noted that the Victorians were not lacking in skills, just their knowledge of the game. The second match was played in front of a smaller crowd of about 1,500 at the Albert Ground with the result being Carlton 6–0. Among the best players were George Coulthard, who showed a particular prowess in both codes despite having never played rugby. When Waratah toured Victoria in July 1878, a crowd of 8,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground witnessed Carlton and Waratah draw scores in rugby, while a smaller crowd of 6,000 witnessed a surprise victory against Carlton by 2 goals in Victorian rules.

Waratah Football Club (pictured in 1890); the club was pivotal in the revival of Australian rules in Sydney from the 1870s.

By 1880, Waratah and other Sydney clubs began initiating proposed changes to rugby amid growing dissatisfaction over the game's rules. Rugby interests, however, repeatedly rejected suggestions to switch codes or even play intercolonial matches under alternating rules against Victoria despite the NSW Cricket association making its grounds available for the proposed matches. In response, the proponents of the Australian game, led by Harry Hedger and George Walker, formed the New South Wales Football Association (NSWFA) in 1880. One of the vice-presidents of the SRFU resigned from his position to take position on the newly formed NSWFA board. Among the founding members were Sydney (the third club by that name) and East Sydney. In 1881, the first Australian rules game between NSW and Victoria was played in Sydney. The NSWFA only had a few clubs, including Waratah which switched codes in 1882. A splinter University club from the rugby club, the Sydney University Australian National Football Club also formed in 1887 to join the competition. From 1889, clubs competed for the Flanagan Cup. Despite this, the Sydney Rugby Football Union, seeing the new competition as a threat, enforced a strict ban on every one of its member clubs playing Victorian rules.

In the Riverina several clubs had formed prior to 1882 including two in Wagga and Albury and one in Narrandera however they initially struggled to coordinate with nearby clubs due to the SRFU ban. The first recorded match there was in 1881 between Federal (Wagga) and Albury Football Club in Wagga, just a year before the first rugby matches were held in the region. Local competition between clubs commenced in earnest in 1884 around Wagga Wagga which became the Wagga Football Association.

Northumberland Football Club, Newcastle premiers in 1887. The club was founded in 1881 and was the first club to adopt the code in the Northern District.

The game was introduced to Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1883 when the Wallsend and Plattsburg Football Club was formed by miners from Ballarat, though some sources claim that it has been played in the Northern District even earlier than 1881. In 1883, a touring South Melbourne Football Club defeated a combined Northern District team by only one goal. In 1888, a touring defeated Wallsend by 10–5. The following year, Wallsend defeated Fitzroy. The Northern District Football Association around Newcastle began in 1886, with teams from 1888 competing for the Black Diamond Cup, Australia's oldest existing and active sporting trophy. Five clubs were established in the Newcastle area: Newcastle City, Wallsend and Plattsburg, Northumberland, Lambton, and Singleton.

South Melbourne was the second club to visit New South Wales in 1883, defeating the Sydney Football Club by just a single goal in front of a large crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and in a goal in front of 600 spectators during a game against East Sydney Football Club. Waratah played against South Australia in 1884 at Moore Park.

New South Wales competed against Queensland in 1884, initially losing to its northern neighbour before gaining primacy in their 1886 matches. It also competed against a touring New Zealand Native football team on 29 June 1889, with the result being a 4–4 draw.

Australian football was first played in Broken Hill in 1885 between Day Dream and Silverton. Informal competition began in 1888 between four clubs. The Barrier Ranges Football Association formed in 1890, which later became the Broken Hill Football League.

The NSWFA had trouble gaining access to enclosed grounds and gate receipts. With its two clubs divided, it collapsed in 1893.

Post-Federation, NSW Football League era (1903–1917)

A match between VFL clubs Fitzroy and Collingwood at the SCG in 1903 attracted more than 20,000 spectators. The league would not see crowds like this in Sydney for another 50 years.

With the Federation of Australia, the Australian code in Sydney was revived. The NSW Football League, later the NSW Australian Football League (NSWAFL), was formed on 12 February 1903 at a meeting held in the YMCA Hall in George St. The competition started with extreme enthusiasm with a total of 11 clubs signing up to contest the opening season in 1903 (including: East Sydney FC, Ashfield Electorate FC, North Shore FC, North Sydney FC, South Sydney FC, YMCA FC, Paddington FC, Redfern FC, West Sydney FC, Newtown FC, Sydney FC and Balmain FC), with East Sydney taking out the first premiership with a 6-point win over North Shore. The NSWAFL promoted the game in schools and lobbied for VFL exhibition matches in Sydney to promote the code.

The first Victorian Football League match played in Sydney was with Fitzroy Football Club 7–10, defeating the Collingwood Football Club 6–9 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 24 May 1903. The large attendance of 20,000 saw the exhibition hailed as a success and inspired the league to continue scheduling more matches in Sydney. However, follow-up matches quickly began to attract cynicism from the Sydney football public, as a VFL push when Geelong Football Club 8.7 (55) defeated Carlton Football Club 6.9 (45) at the SCG a few months later. The matches were seen by the Sydney media as an attempt to force-feed the Victorian game to Sydneysiders who had plenty of rugby to attract their ongoing interest. The crowd of 5,000 was much smaller than those of rugby games in the city. In 1904, Melbourne Football Club 9–17 (71) defeated Essendon Football Club 6–3 (39) in front of 6,000 people. Without any interest, top-level VFL disappeared from Sydney for decades.

The first played on the North Coast was at Lismore in June 1903 was between two local teams and initially proved popular.

In contrast to the reception of the game at professional level, the grassroots level was having enormous success, growing the game in the schools with 48 in Sydney, including all the Roman Catholic schools playing Australian Football, by 1905.

In 1907, New South Wales defeated South Australian powerhouse Port Adelaide Football Club 8–9 to 5–14 in front of 4,000 spectators at Sydney Showground. Another South Australian club, Norwood Football Club, toured with Victorian club Carlton, playing a match in front of 7,000 at the Showgrounds. North Adelaide Football Club also toured in 1910 to play against New South Wales at Erskineville Oval, which attracted 2,000 spectators. In 1911, Geelong toured and played a combined Sydney side at Alexandria in front of 6,000 spectators. Dally Messenger contributed to the paid football code of rugby league; as a result, rugby established itself into the culture of Sydney in 1908.

Although Australian football remained popular, the NSWAFL was still denied access to enclosed grounds, and the new professional code of rugby league further lured players from Australian rules. By 1911, however, Australian rules were supported more than the rugby union, according to The Referee.

• 
  Broken Hill representative team that toured Adelaide in 1904
• 
  The new NSWFL grandstand at Alexandria in 1912 was available for just a few years before the NSWFL was shut out of the ground.
• 
  Combined Sydney played Geelong FC in front of 6,000 in 1912 at Alexandria.

Interwar popularity surge, interstate success, and proposed Rugby League amalgamation (1918–1939)

New South Wales' had their first ever victory against Victoria by 15 points at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1923. It proved not to be a once off as the Blues repeated the feat in 1925.

Popularity peaked in 1921 when attendances at the Sydney competition grew from hundreds to thousands. While increased gate takings were funding an increase in playing standard and junior development, the local league had exclusive access only to Erskineville Oval and Hampden Oval, relatively small grounds, and had difficulty scheduling matches used by the rugby authorities.

During the 1920s, funded by a NSWAFL in Sydney and a thriving schoolboys competition, NSW defeated Victorian sides on several occasions at home, notably Melbourne Football Club on 28 July 1923, the VFL at the SCG in 1923, and again at Erskineville Oval by one point on 15 August 1925.

The Australian National Football carnival of 1933 was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Several matches drew large crowds, particularly those involving New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and West Australia.

Following the successful interstate football carnival in 1933, a proposal by the New South Wales Rugby League to amalgamate Australian football and rugby league was investigated. A report, with a set of proposed rules known as Universal football, was prepared by the secretary of the NSWRL, Harold R. Miller, and sent to the Australian National Football Council. A trial game was held in secret, but plans were never instituted.

Three of the original NSWAFL clubs are still in existence and currently play in the Sydney AFL: North Shore, East Sydney (now UNSW-ES), and Balmain, but the league remained almost entirely amateur with limited audience following and sponsorship.

• 
  East vs. Newtown Trumper Park Oval, 1931
• 
  A New South Wales player marks over a West Australian opponent in the goal square at the 1933 Sydney Carnival held at the SCG.
• 
  Newcastle vs. Sydney North Shore at the Newcastle Showground in 1935

Post-war decline and VFL intervention (1940s–1970s)

Richmond vs. Collingwood match at SCG in 1952

World War II proved a massive setback for the code in Sydney; the government insisted that the league cease operations. Struggling Sydney clubs were propped up by visiting servicemen from traditional Australian rules states. Despite this, between 1953 and 1957, the game survived in parts of Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollongong. Several junior clubs and leagues were established. The St. George and Sutherland Shire Junior Australian Football Association was established in southern Sydney and consisted of Penshurst Junior Australian Football Club (JAFC) Panthers, Miranda JAFC Bombers, St. Patrick's Ramsgate (later Ramsgate JAFC Rams), Heathcote JAFC Hawks, Cronulla JAFC Sharks, Peakhurst, Como-Jannali, Boys' Town, Cronulla Blues, and St. Patrick's Sutherland.

Top level VFL returned to the SCG on 14 June 1952 when Collingwood 10–12 (72) defeated Richmond 5–6 (36) in front of 24,174 spectators in wet conditions as part of "National Day Round". Another match in the same round in Albury at the Albury Sports Ground attracted a record crowd of 15,000. However, the league would not return for another decade.

In the early 1960s the game began to set roots in parts of the state it had not been played in before. The first game played in New England occurred in Armidale between the University of New England and Moree in 1962 which grew briefly to 3 teams and regular competition from 1963. The game also became established on the South Coast at a senior level with the establishment of the South Coast AFL in 1969.

The NSWAFL, under immense pressure due to dwindling interest had called upon the VFL to help jumpstart the code. In response in 1967 the VFL arranged a television broadcast arrangement to Sydney for the first time via Channel 2 replays watched by approximately 70,000 Sydneysiders. The league also VFL agreed to play annual matches at the Sydney Cricket Ground to assist in lifting the profile of the local competition. As part of this initiative in 1967 Essendon played Geelong in front of 23,777; in 1968 St Kilda played Carlton in front of 22,472; and in 1969 Melbourne played Collingwood in front of 14,610. However falling interest and gate takings saw the league pull out of the Sydney experiment once again.

In 1971 the VFL game of the round was broadcast live into Sydney for the first time on TCN 9 with an average audience of around 100,000.

Establishment of a Sydney VFL team and relocation of the Swans (1976–1981)

In 1976, Melbourne journalist Jim Main began to break a story that a leading Melbourne businessman who had relocated to Sydney, Mannie Bongornio, had been meeting with Allen Aylett about luring a VFL club to Sydney. The idea began to gain traction and in 1977, Ron Barassi proposed the VFL setting up a club in Sydney, which he offered to coach believing that it would help spread the code in the state. Upon becoming league president, Aylett had the league investigated playing Sunday matches at the SCG. The VFL scheduled 2 premiership matches for the SCG in 1979. One of them, between the previous year's grand finalists North Melbourne and Hawthorn, drew a record 31,395 to the gates. Researching and testing the market, the VFL scheduled four matches for the SCG in 1980 with an average attendance of 19,000. In April 1980, the VFL stated that its market study showed there was sufficient support for a Sydney team, finding that there was an increase in television ratings in Sydney and sustained attendance at matches and that it intended to have a team in Sydney, possibly as soon as 1982. Fitzroy Lions, in a financial struggle, was prevented from conducting a feasibility study into the possibility of moving to North Sydney; a proposal was put forward, but was voted down by its board in 1980.

The game was first played in the Coffs Harbour area as late as 1978. The North Coast Australian Football League was formed in 1982 and grew rapidly with up to eight clubs by 2000.

A 1981 report by Graham Huggins concluded that there was an "untapped market in Sydney which represented an excellent opportunity for the league." The report claimed that 60,000 people in Sydney had stated that they would regularly support the new club: 90% of these supporters would watch VFL on television from Sydney, 80% of these supporters had not attended rugby, and 92% believed that Australian rules could become popular in Sydney. Following the report, the VFL announced that the league had decided to put a team in Sydney in 1982. Financially struggling VFL club South Melbourne, fearing a missed opportunity to establish a new market, announced its decision to play all 1982 home games in Sydney. After playing, the VFL formally approved the Swans shift to Sydney on 29 July 1981, becoming the first team based outside of Victoria.

In 1981 and 1982 the code expanded into the Central West with clubs established in Parkes, and Dubbo followed by clubs in Cowra, Orange and Young commencing the Central West Australian Football League.

One team town, Sydney Swans era (1982–2012)

In 1982, the club was renamed the Sydney Swans. The relocation of Swans from South Melbourne to Sydney included sponsorship away from the local Australian rules football clubs and leagues, and there was an initial decline in the sport locally. The Swans' debt, much of it to the AFL, not only hung over attempts to establish the Sydney Swans but now burdened Australian rules football in New South Wales.

In 1983 five clubs in on the southern coast formed the Sapphire Coast Australian Football League.

During the mid 1980s there was a small increase in professional players recruited from Sydney, one of the highest profile of which was Russell Morris who debuted in 1984. Up to this point however the majority of the Swans players were either Victorian or from the Riverina. This began to change as the Swans were given a dedicated zone from which to recruit players from the local competition. One of the first locally recruited players was Mark Roberts who debuted in 1985.

On 31 July 1985, Dr. Geoffrey Edelsten, through Powerplay Limited, bought the Sydney Swans for $2.9 million in cash with debt payments, funding and other payments spread over five years. Powerplay was floated and sold shares to supports and the public, but with only a licence for the team and debts, the uptake was poor. Within less than twelve months, Edelsten resigned as chairman, and by 1988, the licence was sold back to the VFL for just $10. The AFL appointed a board to operate the team in order to take control of the club's financial losses. Board members Mike Willesee and Craig Kimberley, together with Basil Sellers Peter Weinert as a consortium known as the Private Ownership Group, purchased the licence and operated the Sydney Swans until 1993, when the AFL again took over ownership of the team.

The impact of the Swans on the Sydney Football League was heavy. The competition had built up a following and was semi-professional. That changed with the Swans introduction as supporters left the local competition. Among the casualties was the historic foundation club Newtown which folded in 1987.

In 1988 the number of schools playing the code was 110, which had grown to 160 in 1994.

With substantial monetary and management support from the AFL, the Sydney Swans continued and with player draft concessions in the early 1990s, and fielded a competitive team throughout the decade.

Sydney's first Grand Final appearance, Super League War and AFL audience growth (1996–1998)

The Swans under Ron Barassi successfully recruited Tony "Plugger" Lockett in 1995 who became a cult figure in Sydney, with an instant impact and along with the Super League war ravaging Sydney's popular rugby league competition, helped the Swans to become a powerhouse Sydney icon. Lockett's heroics spearheading the club included the Preliminary final in which his kick after the siren saw the Swans win by a point against Essendon to secure a spot in the 1996 Grand Final, the club's first since moving to Sydney. While the club ultimately lost the 1996 AFL Grand Final to North Melbourne, the publicity of the Grand Final saw audiences peak and a great many Sydneysiders experiencing the sport for the first time. Average home crowds for the Swans peaked at 36,612 in 1997.

With two rival national rugby league competitions running in 1997 saw the popularity of the Swans reach new heights as disenfranchised rugby league fans began to take an interest in the code. AFL audiences grew dramatically and average home crowds for the Swans peaked at 36,612 in 1997.

First AFL premiership for Sydney and AFL expansion plans (1999-2011)

AFL pre-season matches began at North Sydney Oval between Sydney and Essendon in the early 2000s with a record 9,654 attending in 2005

On the back of four subsequent years of Swans finals appearances, junior numbers, stagnant for many decades, began to move in Sydney and across the state. The AFL in 1999 established the AFL NSW/ACT Commission Limited to govern its expansion in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The league began a strong push for a second team in Sydney, considering the proposed relocation of the North Melbourne Football Club as the best option, facilitating home matches in Sydney and dropping North Melbourne from its name to become the "Kangaroos" in an effort to grow the audience. However, poor attendance at the Kangaroos Sydney matches, low television viewership, and strong opposition from the Sydney Swans soon saw an end to the push.

Junior numbers began to increase, particularly in the south of Sydney and Wollongong Region from 1999.

Sydney's first AFL premiership team running through the banner at the start of the 2005 AFL Grand Final

After a period of success in Sydney, the Swans reached once again reached the Grand Final and won 2005 premiership against the West Coast Eagles taking the flag to Sydney for the first time. It also broke the longest premiership drought in the history of the competition.

In 2005, the AFL went on a Sydney-centric recruitment drive, offering a NSW scholarships program and young apprentice scheme. By 2007, at least two of the NSW and ACT scholarship recipients had been officially promoted to AFL rookie lists, qualifying them for selection in the senior squad in the event of long-term injury to listed players.

In 2008, the AFL stated their intention to establish a second team in Sydney to be based in the western suburbs, as part of the expansion of the competition.

The Swans again came to prominence with the club's win in the 2012 AFL Grand Final.

Two team era: Greater Western Sydney Giants and the AFL Women's (2012–)

GWS Giants banner at the inaugural "Sydney Derby" at Stadium Australia in 2012

The Greater Western Sydney Giants were established in 2011, playing a season in the North East Australian Football League prior to commencing competition in the Australian Football League in 2012. The Giants struggled in their early years, winning only three games in their first two seasons, but since then, made gradual progress up the ladder, culminating in a Grand Final appearance in 2019. Although the Giants have been somewhat successful on the field, despite more than $200 million in AFL investment, the club has made little impact in growing attendance, television viewership, or participation in the region.

During the 2010s there was a dramatic increase in AFL players coming from the Sydney region, and in 2007, a total of 11 AFL players identified themselves as coming from this region.

GWS was awarded a license for the inaugural AFL Women's season with the Sydney Swans, deciding not to bid for entry until later.

A new record crowd for women's Australian rules football in New South Wales was set at the North Sydney Oval on 27 August 2022 with 8,264 in attendance.

Sydney was awarded a license in 2021 and made its debut in round 1 AFL Women's Season 7 match against St Kilda at the North Sydney Oval. It set a new record for a crowd in a stand-alone women's Australian rules football in New South Wales on 27 August 2022, with 8,264 in attendance. In 2023, the Swans had the highest average home attendance of any club in the league, at 4,637 – over 500 clear of minor premiers Adelaide. This included a season-high attendance of 5,722 for their round nine clash against Collingwood at Henson Park. Also that season, the Swans conjured a remarkable turnaround; after going winless in its inaugural season in 2022, they finished eighth and defeated Gold Coast in its elimination final before losing to Adelaide by 67 points in the semi-final.

Audiences

Attendance Record

• 72,393 (2003). AFL Sydney Swans v. Collingwood Football Club at Stadium Australia, Sydney.

Attendances

In 2006, the Sydney Swans averaged 41,205 people through the gate per home match. In 2013, the average had decreased to 29,104, with the suggestion that this was partly due to the redevelopment of the Bradman Stand at the SCG.

Major Australian rules football events in New South Wales

• Sydney Derby, formerly called The Battle of the Bridge – Swans v Giants (held twice annually at ANZ Stadium starting in 2012)

Competitions

Club Competitions

AFL Sydney

Broken Hill Football League

Northern Riverina Football League

Hume Football League

Farrer Football League

Riverina Football League

AFL South Coast

AFL North Coast

AFL North West NSW

AFL Central West

AFL Sapphire Coast

AFL Hunter Central Coast

AFL Canberra

Central Murray Football League

Golden Rivers Football League

Millewa Football League

Murray Football Netball League

Ovens & Murray Football Netball League

Picola & District Football Netball League

Sunraysia Football League

Tallangatta & District Football League

Upper Murray Football Netball League

Queensland Football Association

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Location of regional governing bodies and active competitions (yellow is competitions run from other juridictions with NSW clubs with points indicating approximate epicentres of NSW clubs)

Men's

Active competition

League	Years with NSW clubs	Senior NSW clubs	Divisions	Headquarters	Notes
New South Wales Football Association	1880-1893	19	1	Sydney	Folded
Newcastle Australian Football League	1886-1999	21	1	Newcastle	Merged with Central Coast Australian Football League in 1999
Wagga Football Association	1888-1889			Wagga Wagga	Folded
Broken Hill Football League	1890-	4	1	Broken Hill	Affiliated with the South Australian Football Commission. Current clubs date to 1900
Murray Border Football Association	1895-1902	6	1	Barooga	Also known as the Federal Football Association
Ovens & Murray Football Netball League	1896-	4	1	Rutherglen, Victoria	Albury was the league's first NSW club followed by South Albury and Corowa by 1898
Wagga United Football Association	1897			Wagga Wagga	Folded
Murrumbidgee District Football Association	1897				Folded
Federal District Football Association	1897–1902	3	1	Cobram, Victoria	Folded
Wagga United Football Association	1898–1921			Wagga Wagga	Folded
Deniliquin Football Association	1900-1932	13	1	Deniliquin	Folded
McLaurin Football Competition	1901				Folded
AFL Sydney	1903-	22	7	Sydney
Southern Riverina Football Association	1905–1931	3	1	Berrigan	Folded
Greengunyah Football Association	1906				Folded
Corowa & District Football Association	1906–1907			Corowa	Folded
Central Riverina Football League	1907	3	1	Narrandera	Folded
Coreen & District Football League	1909-2007	7	1	Coreen	Folded
South West Football League	1910-1981	14	1	Riverina	Absorbed into Riverina District Football League / Farrer Football League two division system
Faithful & District Football Association	1920-1940	10	1	Kywong	Folded
Riverina Main Line Football Association	1922	7	1	Wagga Wagga	Folded
Riverina Football Association	1924-1929	7	1	Wagga Wagga	Folded
Northern Riverina Football League	1924-	5	1	Tullibigeal
AFL Canberra	1925-	6	4	Canberra	Queanbeyan and more recently from surrounding towns Cooma, Yass, Cootamundra, Batemans Bay and Murrumbateman
Central Hume Football Association	1928-1935	19	1		Folded
Central Riverina Football League	1930-1957	25	1		Folded
Murray Football Netball League	1932-	5	1	Shepparton, Victoria
Hume Football Netball League	1933-	12	1	Walla Walla
Albury & District Football League	1941-1981	19	1	Albury	Folded
Sunraysia Football and Netball League	1942-	1	1	Mildura, Victoria
Golden Rivers Football League	1945-	3	1	Kerang, Victoria
Milbrulong & District Football League	1945-1948	9	1	Milbrulong	Folded
Farrer Football League	1957-	9	1	Wagga Wagga
New England Australian Football League	1962-1984	7	1	Armidale	Folded
AFL South Coast Seniors	1969-	10	1	Wollongong
Picola and District Football Netball League	1969–	7	1	Picola, Victoria
North West Australian Football League	1970s-1993	7	1	Tamworth	Folded
Upper Murray Football Netball League	1971-	1	1	Corryong, Victoria
Illawarra Australian Football League	1975-1988	6	1	Wollongong	Folded
Central Coast Australian Football League	1976-1999	8	1	Central Coast	Merged with Newcastle Australian Football League in 1999
Millewa Football League	1980-	1	1	Mildura, Victoria
Riverina Football Netball League	1982-	9	1	Wagga Wagga
AFL North Coast	1982-	5	1	Coffs Harbour
AFL Central West	1982-	6	2	Bathurst
VFL/AFL	1983-	2	1	Melbourne, Victoria
Australian Football Championships night series	1983-1986	1	1	Melbourne, Victoria	Discontinued
Summerland Australian Football League	1984-2021	11	1	Ballina	Taken over by AFL Queensland as QFA Northern Rivers in 2011 before folding in 2021
AFL Sapphire Coast	1984-	4	1	Tilba
Tallangatta & District Football League	1988-	1	1	Tallangatta, Victoria
AFL North West NSW	1997-	4	1	Coffs Harbour
Central Murray Football Netball League	1997-	3	1	Swan Hill, Victoria
AFL Hunter Central Coast Seniors	2000-	15	1	Newcastle
Queensland Football Association	2009-	2	1	Brisbane, Queensland	Tweed Coast (Bogangar), Southern Stingrays (Ballina)
North East Australian Football League	2011-2020	4	1	Sydney	Amalgamated with the Victorian Football League in 2021
League Championship Cup	2011-2013	3	1	Melbourne, Victoria	Discontinued
AFLQ Northern Rivers	2014-2021	4	1	Byron Bay	Run by AFL Queensland. Folded
Victorian Football League	2020-	2	1	Melbourne, Victoria

Women's

Active competition

League	Years with NSW clubs	NSW clubs	Divisions	Headquarters	Notes
AFL Sydney Women's Premiership Division	1999-	9	1	Sydney
Southern NSW Womens League	2018-	8	1	Wagga Wagga
AFL South Coast Womens Premier Division	2018-	6	1	Wollongong

Junior

Active competition

League	Years with NSW clubs	Divisions	NSW clubs	Headquarters	Notes
AFL Sydney Juniors	2016-	Mixed: U8-U14; M: U8-U17; F: U9-U17	50	Sydney
Sydney Independent Schools Competition	2016-	M: U12-U18; F: U10-U12	68	Sydney
Talent League	2019-	Mixed: U19; M: U16-U18; F: U16-18	2	Melbourne

Representative teams

New South Wales team, 1908

Parade of the New South Wales team, 1933 Sydney Carnival

The New South Wales representative team, nicknamed the Blues, played Interstate matches against other Australian states and Territories. The team wore a blue uniform with a Waratah symbol badge and, until the 1970s, was the only representative team to buck the trend of sleeveless guernseys fit with the fashions in rugby. The Blues defeated the Victoria team in 1923 and again in 1990 under State of Origin rules at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Its final appearance was at the 1988 Adelaide Bicentennial Carnival on 5 March 1988 where it defeated Western Australia at Football Park.

In 1993, the game's new governing body, the AFL Commission created a composite team with the Australian Capital Territory, the NSW/ACT Rams to contest the 1993 State of Origin Championships. Captained by Wayne Carey all but 4 of the players were from New South Wales. Unlike the standalone team, the combined team did not experience any success. The state has not fielded a standalone senior men's team since.

NSW was an inaugural participant in the National underage titles. It competed from 1993 to 2016 as NSW/ACT, after which it was dropped from the national championships and instead competed in the TAC Cup (now Talent League).

Senior Men's Captains

NSWAFL Era

Name	Years as captain
Ralph Robertson	1908, 1911, 1914
Reg Ellis	1924
Arthur Gloster	1927
Dave Elliman	1930
Alan Smythe	1947
Alf Penno	1958

State of Origin Era

Laurie Pendrick	1979
Terry Daniher	1988
Wayne Carey	1993*

• as NSW/ACT

Players

See also: Category:Australian rules footballers from New South Wales

Participation

According to Ausplay the participation rate is 1.2%, with 80,572 players in 2024 up from 71,481 participants in 2023. Although it is one of the fastest growing sports in the state, the overall participation per capita is around one percent, the lowest for the sport in Australia. Prior to official Ausplay data, the AFL reported significantly higher participation numbers, reaching a peak of 177,949 in 2013 however these figures were inflated due to the inclusion of players from the ACT and participants in Auskick sessions (as many as 50,000) which could not be classified as regular players. Nevertheless, the code has grown substantially and it now has many more participants than rugby union, but trails behind soccer and rugby league.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics "Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, Apr 2009" estimated that there were only 18,000 Australian rules football participants however the ABS used a small sample size of 20,126 private dwelling in obtaining their data of participation numbers for the 2011/12 season.

Registered players
2007	2011	2016	2019	2022/23	2023/24
7,225	18,000	51,177	69,168	71,481	80,572

Australian football pioneer Tom Wills was born and raised at Burra

H. C. A. Harrison, the "Father of Australian Football" was born in Picton

Past Greats and Hall of Fame members

A number of notable players have been born in New South Wales or played the majority of their junior careers in New South Wales; many of these players have been from the traditional Australian rules football areas of Broken Hill or the Riverina. Australian football pioneers Tom Wills and H. C. A. Harrison were born in New South Wales in the 1830s.

Notable players from the Riverina include: Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Haydn Bunton, Sr. (Albury), who was the first player born in New South Wales to win the Brownlow Medal and the Sandover Medal, in 1931 and 1938 respectively; Bill Mohr of Wagga who kicked 735 league goals; the Daniher family from West Wyalong, particularly Terry Daniher and Anthony Daniher but also Neale and Chris who all played at Essendon for much of their career and represented the state on multiple occasions; Paul Kelly from Wagga the first New South Welshman to win the Brownlow; Shane Crawford (Finley) who won the Brownlow in 1999; and Wayne Carey (Wagga), who won the Leigh Matthews Trophy twice in the 1990s. Notable players from Broken Hill include Dave Low, Robert Barnes and Bruce McGregor, who all won Magarey Medals in the 1910s and 1920s, and Jack Owens, a three-time South Australian National Football League (SANFL) leading goalkicker.

Players from Broken Hill include Roy Bent, Steve Hywood one of the best back flankers ever to play the game, Dean Solomon, Brent Staker, and Taylor Walker.

Many notable players have also been recruited from Sydney, with Australian rules being played since 1880 and pre-dating other major sports. Despite the lack of media attention the game has received, Sydney has still generated many players of high quality. Notable Sydneysiders have included: Bob Merrick (a leading goal kicker in the 1920s recruited from East Sydney), Roger Duffy (1954 premiership player who was recruited from Newtown), Mark Maclure (multi-premiership player and Carlton FC captain), Michael Byrne (1983 premiership player with Hawthorn who was recruited from the Sydney club of North Shore), Mark Roberts (202-game AFL player from 1985 to 1999 who played junior football for Ramsgate AFC and senior football for St. George AFC before playing in the AFL for the Sydney Swans), Brisbane Bears, and North Melbourne, notably in their 1996 premiership, Greg Stafford (a 200-game player recruited from Western Suburbs in Sydney), Jarrad McVeigh (2012 AFL premiership captain) and his brother Mark (who played for Essendon), Lewis Roberts-Thomson (2005 and 2012 premiership player for the Swans) and Lenny Hayes (2010 Norm Smith Medallist), amongst others.

Some notable players made their name in leagues outside of Victoria include Lithgow born and Sydney raised West Australian Football Hall of Famer William "Nipper" Truscott, South Australian Football Hall of Famer Geoff Kingston and Balmain and Port Adelaide's Jack Ashley and West Torrens Dave Low.

• 
  Tom Hawkins, Geelong premiership player is from Finley
• 
  Isaac Smith, 4 time premiership player is from Cootamundra and Wagga
• 
  Keiren Jack, premiership player and former Sydney Swans captain is from Sydney.
• 
  Matt Suckling, premiership player, is from Wagga
• 
  Jarrad McVeigh Sydney Swans premiership captain is from the Central Coast
• 
  Adam Schneider Sydney premiership player is from Osborne
• 
  Lewis Roberts-Thompson Sydney Swans premiership player is from Sydney
• 
  Brent Staker played more than 150 AFL games, from Broken Hill
• 
  Brett Kirk, Sydney Swans premiership player and coach is from Albury
• 
  Lenny Hayes AFL Hall of Famer is from Sydney
• 
  Mark McVeigh, 232 AFL gamer is from the Central Coast
• 
  Dean Solomon, premiership player is from Broken Hill
• 
  Cameron Mooney 3 time premiership player is from Wagga
• 
  Shane Crawford Brownlow medallist and premiership player is from Finley
• 
  John Longmire premiership player and coach is from Corowa
• 
  Neale Daniher is from West Wyalong
• 
  Wayne Carey 2 time premiership captain is from Wagga
• 
  Statue of Paul Kelly, Brownlow Medallist Sydney Swans captain and rugby league convert was from Wagga
• 
  Mick Byrne is from Sydney
• 
  Roger Duffy in 1952, premiership player is from Sydney
• 
  Bill Mohr of Wagga kicked 735 league goals
• 
  Reg Ellis in 1932 was from Randwick in Sydney
• 
  Haydn Bunton Sr. in the 1930s was from Albury
• 
  Bruce McGregor in 1927 was from Broken Hill
• 
  Jock McHale in 1910 was from Sydney
• 
  Marshall Herbert was recruited from Redfern in Sydney in 1908
• 
  Bill Strang in 1907 was from Albury
• 
  Harry Lampe in 1905 was from Wagga

Men's

Current players

• 
  Taylor Walker, former Adelaide captain is from Broken Hill
• 
  Jarrod Witts is from Normanhurst in Sydney
• 
  Harry Cunningham is from Wagga Wagga
• 
  Luke Breust, Hawthorn premiership player is from Temora
• 
  Taylor Duryea, Hawthorn premiership player is from Corowa
• 
  Zac Williams is from Narrandera
• 
  Dane Rampe is from Clovelly in Sydney
• 
  Dougal Howard is from Wagga Wagga
• 
  Isaac Heeney is from Maitland
• 
  Jeremy Finlayson is from Culcairn
• 
  Harrison Himmelberg is from Wagga Wagga
• 
  Matthew Kennedy is from Collingullie
• 
  Callum Mills is from Northern Beaches in Sydney
• 
  Kieren Briggs is from Sydney
• 
  Harry Perryman is from Collingullie
• 
  Esava Ratugolea is from Griffith
• 
  Charlie Spargo is from Albury
• 
  Sam Wicks is from Manly in Sydney
• 
  Jacob Koschitzke is from Albury
• 
  Samson Ryan is from Pambula
• 
  Jacob Bauer is from Wollondilly Shire in Greater Western Sydney

AFL players from NSW

Currently on an AFL senior list

Player	NSW junior/senior club/s	Representative honours	AFL Draft	Pick	AFL Years	AFL Games	AFL (Goals)	Connections to NSW, Notes & References
Caiden Cleary	Glebe Juniors, Trinity Grammar, Newtown Swans, Sydney University, Sydney Swans Academy, Sydney		2023	#24	2024–	3	1	Raised in Sydney
Shadeau Brain	Finley		2023	Rookie (Category B)	2024–	8	0	Raised in Finley
Connor O'Sullivan	St Patricks Junior, Thurgoona, Albury	U17 (NSW-ACT)	2023	#11	2024–	1	0	Raised in Albury
Patrick Voss	Turvey Park, GWS Giants Academy		2023 (Preseason)		2024–	3	2	Raised in Wagga
Harvey Thomas	Turvey Park, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2023	#59	2024–	1	0	Raised in Wagga
Lachlan McAndrew	Manly-Warringah, St Augustine's College, Sydney Swans Academy, Sydney Swans reserves, Sydney		2021 (Mid Season rookie)	Rookie (#12)	2023–	1	0	Raised in Sydney
Marc Sheather	Killarney Vale, Pennant Hills, Sydney Swans Academy, Sydney		2020 (Rookie)	Category B Rookie	2023–	2	1	Raised in Forresters Beach, Central Coast
Jacob Bauer	Wollondilly Redbacks (U12), Western Suburbs (U17), Inner West Magpies, Sydney Swans Academy		2022 (Mid Season rookie)	Rookie (#10)	2023–	1	0	Raised in South Western Sydney
Harry Rowston	Griffith, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2022	#16	2023–	1	0	Raised in Binya and Griffith
Tylar Young	North Albury		2022 (Rookie)	Rookie (#26)	2023–	1	0	Raised in Albury
Campbell Chesser	Lavington		2022	#14	2023–	1	0	Raised in Albury (Lavington)
Patrick Parnell	Albury, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy	U16 (2018)	2021	Rookie (mid-season)	2022–	15	0	Raised in Albury
Daniel Turner	Albury		2021 (Rookie)	Rookie (#24)	2022–	1	0	Raised in Albury
Errol Gulden	Maroubra Saints, Sydney Swans Academy, UNSW-Easts, Sydney	U16 (2018)	2020	#32	2021–	40	32	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Braeden Campbell	Westbrook, Pennant Hills, Sydney Swans Academy, Sydney		2020	#5	2021–	22	3	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Alex Davies	–		2020	Pre-draft selection	2021–	18	8	Born in Wollongong
James Peatling	Pennant Hills, GWS Giants Academy, GWS Giants (VFL), Greater Western Sydney				2021–	29	10	Raised in Western Sydney
Cooper Sharman	Leeton-Whitton, GWS Giants Academy			Rookie	2021–	15	13	Raised in Leeton
Kieren Briggs	Pennant Hills, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2018	#34	2021–	9	3	Raised in Sydney
Samson Ryan	Merimbula, Pambula		2020	#40	2021–	1	0	Raised in Pambula
Nick Murray	Henty, Ganmain-Grong Grong Matong, GWS Giants Academy		2021 (Pre season)		2021–	29	1	Raised in Henty and Albury
Matt Rowell	–		2019	#1	2020–	42	10	Born in Sydney
Luke Parks	St Ives, North Shore, Sydney Swans Academy		2020 (Rookie)	Rookie (#8)	2020–2021	6	0	Raised in St Ives (Sydney) and recruited from Sydney
Sam Wicks	Manly Bombers Junior, Sydney Swans Academy, Manly Warringah Wolves/Giants, Sydney		2018 (Rookie)	Category B Rookie	2019–	59	42	Born and raised in and recruited from Manly (Sydney)
Nick Blakey	East Sydney Bulldogs, Sydney Swans Academy, UNSW-Easts, Sydney		2018	#10	2019–	105	33	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Lachie Schultz	Moama		2018	#57	2019–	108	123	Raised in Moama
Tarryn Thomas	–		2018	#8	2019–2023	69	56	Born and raised in Sydney
Jacob Koschitzke	Albury, Albury High School, GWS Giants Academy		2018	#53	2019–	36	45	Born, raised in and recruited from Albury
James Bell	Shellharbour Swans Junior, Sydney Swans Academy, UNSW-Easts, Sydney		2017	Category B Rookie	2019–	28	10	Born, raised in and recruited from Shellharbour
Liam Stocker	–		2018	#19	2019–	28	2	Born in Sydney (Camperdown)
Zach Sproule	Albury, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2016	Category B Rookie	2019–2022	17	13	Raised in Albury
Jarrod Brander	Wentworth District, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2017	#13	2019–2022	27	9	Raised in Wentworth
Michael Gibbons	Coolamon, Lavington			Rookie	2019–2021	3	2	Raised in Albury
Doulton Langlands	North Albury			Rookie	2019–2020	47	35	Raised in Lavington
Derek Eggmolesse-Smith	Wentworth		2018 (Rookie)	Rookie	2018–2021	9	0	Raised in Wentworth (Barkandji)
Elliott Himmelberg	-		2016	#51	2018–	41	41	Raised in Wagga
Charlie Spargo	Albury, GWS Giants Academy		2017	#29	2018–	83	52	Born, raised in and recruited from Albury
Esava Ratugolea	–		2016	#43	2018–	59	38	Born and raised in Griffith
Nick Shipley	Camden Junior, Kellyville Rouse Hill, St George, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2017	#65	2018–2021	6	0	Born and raised in Campbelltown and Macarthur
Josh Dunkley	–		2015	#25	2017–	140	67	Born in Sydney
Jack Buckley	Maroubra Saints, UNSW-Easts, Sydney Swans Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2017	Category B Rookie	2017–	15	0	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Harry Perryman	Collingullie-Glenfield Park, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#14	2017–	124	28	Born, raised in Collingullie and recruited from Sydney
Isaac Cumming	North Broken Hill, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#20	2017–	23	1	Raised in Broken Hill
Todd Marshall	Deniliquin, GWS Giants Academy		2016	#16	2017–	111	158	Raised in Deniliquin
Jamaine Jones	–		2016	#48	2017–2024	66	23	Born in Broken Hill (Barkindji)
Will Setterfield	Albury, Scots School Albury, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#5	2017–	36	10	Raised in Albury
Max Lynch	Jindera, Albury		2017 (Rookie)	Rookie (#15)	2017–	10	4	Raised in Jindera and Albury
Ryan Garthwaite	Lavington, Corowa-Rutherglen		2016	#72	2017–2021	14	0	Raised in Corowa
Ben Davis	UNSW-Easts, Sydney Swans Academy		2016	#75	2017–2022	11	1	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Jake Stein	St Dominic's College Penrith, Greater Western Sydney		2016	Category B Rookie	2017–2022	20	1	Born, raised in and recruited from Penrith (Sydney)
Harry Himmelberg	Mangoplah, NSW/ACT Rams, Greater Western Sydney		2015	#16	2016–	152	161	Born and raised in Wagga Wagga
Daniel Lloyd	Kilarney Vale, Greater Western Sydney		2016 (Rookie)	Rookie (#26)	2016–2023	101	75	Raised in and recruited from Central Coast
Callum Mills	Mosman Swans, Sydney Swans Academy, North Shore, Sydney	U18 (2014, 2015)	2015	#3	2016–	155	27	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Matthew Kennedy	Collingullie-Glenfield Park, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2015	#13	2016–	110	53	Raised in Collingullie, recruited from Sydney
Jacob Hopper	Leeton-Whitton, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2015	#7	2016–	114	42	Born and raised in Leeton, recruited from Sydney
Matt Flynn	Narrandera, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2015	#41	2016–	24	9	Raised in Narrandera and recruited from Sydney
Paul Hunter	Warners Bay		2016	Rookie (#13)	2016–2021	7	1	Raised in Redhead
Isaac Heeney	Cardiff, Sydney Swans Academy, Sydney		2014	#18	2015–	197	252	Born in Maitland, raised in Newcastle, recruited from Sydney
Jeremy Finlayson	Culcairn, Sydney Hills, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2014	#69	2015–	117	160	Born in Jindera, raised in Culcairn, recruited from Sydney (Yorta Yorta)
Dougal Howard	East Wagga Kooringal, Wagga Tigers		2014	#56	2015–	102	15	Born and raised in Wagga Wagga
Aaron vandenBerg	Tathra		2015 (Rookie)	Rookie (#2)	2015–2021	47	23	Raised in Tathra
Jordan Foote	UNSW-Easts, Sydney				2015–2018	6	1	Raised in Tathra
Jack Hiscox	Sydney University, Sydney				2015–2016	1	0	Raised in Sydney
Sam Naismith	Gunnedah, Sydney Swans Academy, North Shore, Sydney		2013 (Rookie)	Rookie (#59)	2014–2024	33	3	Born in Narrabri, raised in Gunnedah, recruited from Sydney
Jake Barrett	Temora, NSW/ACT Rams, Greater Western Sydney		2013	#97	2014–2018	23	19	Raised in and recruited from Temora
Dane Rampe	UNSW-Easts, University of New South Wales, Sydney		2013 (Rookie)	Rookie (#37)	2013–	251	9	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Zac Williams	Narrandera, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2013 (Rookie)	Rookie (#55)	2013–	151	46	Born, raised in Normanhurst (Sydney), recruited from Sydney
Dan Robinson	NSW/ACT Rams, St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney		2013 (Rookie)	Rookie (#51)	2013–2018	25	6	Raised in Sydney
Brandon Jack	Westbrook Junior, Pennant Hills, Sydney		2013 Rookie	Rookie (#58)	2013–2017	28	16	Raised in Sydney
Jarrod Witts	St Ives, Sydney University		2011	#67	2012–	178	38	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Harry Cunningham	Turvey Park, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2012 (Rookie)	Rookie (#93)	2012–	197	52	Born, raised in and recruited from Wagga Wagga
Michael Hartley	Penrith, Sydney University		2012 (Rookie)	Rookie (#87)	2012–2021	49	2	Born, raised in Sydney (Penrith)
Anthony Miles	Howlong, NSW/ACT Rams, Greater Western Sydney			Zone	2012–2020	88	31	Born in Albury, raised in and recruited from Howlong (Albury)
Jacob Townsend	Leeton-Whitton, NSW/ACT Rams, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney	U16, U18 (2010)		Zone	2012–2021	62	44	Born and raised in Leeton
Kurt Aylett	Leeton-Whitton, Greater Western Sydney			Zone	2012–2015	3	0	Born and raised in Leeton
Luke Breust	Temora, NSW/ACT Rams		2009 (Rookie)	Rookie (#47)	2011–	300	549	Born, raised in and recruited from Temora
Will Langford	East Sydney Bulldogs, UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs		2011 (Rookie)	Rookie (#85)	2011–2018	72	24	Born and raised in Sydney
Nathan Gordon	Baulkham Hills, East Coast Eagles, Sydney		2010 (Rookie)	Rookie (#71)	2011–2015	23	19	Raised in Sydney
Isaac Smith	Wagga Hawks, Wagga Tigers, Albury, NSW/ACT Rams		2010	#19	2011–2023	280	205	Born in Young, raised in Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga
Tom Young	Wollondilly Junior, Campbelltown, Sydney University, NSW/ACT Rams	U18 (2009)	2010	#104 (NSW Scholarship list)	2011–2014	28	5	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Jackson Ferguson	Pennant Hills		2011 (Rookie)	Rookie (#72)	2011–2013	1	0	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Taylor Duryea	NSW/ACT Rams		2009	#69	2010–	200	25	Raised in Corowa
Dustin Martin	Ingleburn Magpies Junior, Campbelltown		2009	#3	2010–2024	302	338	Raised in Sydney
Taylor Walker	North Broken Hill, NSW/ACT Rams		2007	#75	2009–	275	636	Born, raised in and recruited from Broken Hill
Nic Naitanui	–		2008	#2	2009–2023	213	112	Born in Penrith
Ryan Davis	Willoughby Wildcats, North Shore Bombers, NSW/ACT Rams		2008	#62	2008–2017	35	19	Raised in Sydney
Tony Armstrong	Brocklesby-Burrumbuttock, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2007	#58	2008–2015	35	2	Born and raised in Albury (Barranbinya)
Craig Bird	NSW/ACT Rams, Nelson Bay, Sydney	NSW/ACT U18 (2007)	2007	#59	2008–2017	157	59	Raised in Nelson Bay
Tom Hawkins	Finley		2006	#41 (father-son)	2007–	359	796	Born and raised in Finley
Kieren Jack	Pennant Hills, Sydney	NSW/ACT U18 (2005)	2005 Rookie	Rookie	2007–2019	256	166	Born and raised in Sydney
Matt Suckling	East Wagga-Kooringal, Wagga Tigers		2007 (Rookie)	Rookie (#22)	2007–2020	178	85	Raised in Wagga
Ed Barlow		U15 (2006)	2006 (Rookie)	Rookie (#60)	2007–2011	34	22	Raised in Tathra
Bryce Campbell	Wagga Tigers		2006	#7	2007–2008	8	1	Raised in Wagga
Malcolm Lynch	Saint Ignatius College				2007	2	0	Schooled in Sydney
Dylan Addison	St George, Greater Western Sydney	U18 (2005)	2005	#27	2006–2015	93	30	Raised in Sydney
Sam Gilbert	-		2005	#33	2006–2018	208	38	Raised in Terranora
Setanta Ó hAilpín	–		2011	#79	2005–2013	88	82	Born in Sydney
Daniel Pratt	–		2000	#42	2004–2011	119	10	Born in Sydney
Jarrad McVeigh	Killarney Vale, Pennant Hills, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2002	#5	2003–2019	325	201	Born and raised on the Central Coast
Brent Staker	West Broken Hill, NSW/ACT Rams		2002	#37	2003–2015	160	119	Born and raised in Broken Hill
Adam Schneider	Osborne, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2001	#60	2003–2014	228	259	Born in Wagga, raised in and recruited from Osborne
Lewis Roberts-Thomson	North Shore, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2001	#29	2003–2014	179	54	Raised in Sydney
Paul Bevan	Western Suburbs, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2003 Rookie draft	Rookie (#64)	2003–2011	129	39	Raised in Central Coast and Sydney
Henry Playfair	Holbrook, North Shore, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2001	#41	2003–2010	68	43	Born and raised in Holbrook
Daniel Cross	St Patricks Junior, Albury High School, Albury		2000	#56	2002–2015	249	34	Raised in Albury
Chris Hyde	Barooga				2002–2008	93	39	Raised in and recruited from Barooga
Aaron Rogers	St George, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		2001	#26	2002–2004	2	0	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Justin Koschitzke	Brocklesby		2000	#2	2001–2013	200	247	Born and raised in Albury
Stuart Bown	West Broken Hill				2001	4	1	Born and raised in Broken Hill
Mark Hilton	North Albury				2001	1	0	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Aaron Henneman	Corowa				2000-2006	58	5	Raised in and recruited from Corowa
Ben Fixter	Ungarie, Wagga Tigers, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		1999	#6	2000-2005	54	11	Raised in Ungarie
Lenny Hayes	Pennant Hills, NSW/ACT Rams		1998	#11	1999–2014	297	95	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Mark McVeigh	Killarney Vale, Pennant Hills, NSW/ACT Rams		1998	#9	1999–2012	232	107	Raised on the Central Coast and Sydney
Brett Kirk	North Albury, Sydney			Rookie	1999–2010	241	96	Born and raised in Albury
Nick Davis	Ramsgate, St George, NSW/ACT Rams, Sydney		1998	#19	1999–2008	168	235	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Ray Hall	Balmain, Woy Woy, NSW/ACT Rams				1999–2007	99	28	Raised in Sydney
Ben Hollands	North Albury				1999	8	5	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Mark Alvey	–				1998–2005	59	31	Raised in Curlwaa
Adam Chatfield	Pennant Hills	U17 (1997)	1997	#23	1998–2001	1	0	Raised in Sydney
Cameron Mooney	Turvey Park, NSW/ACT Rams		1996	#56	1997–2017	221	297	Born and raised in Wagga
Josh Wooden	Lockhart, NSW/ACT Rams		1997	#24	1997–2007	96	18	Raised in Lockhart
Adam Houlihan	Corowa				1997–2004	94	99	Recruited from Corowa
Stefan Carey	Pennant Hills, Sydney	U17 (1993)			1996–2000	48	23	Raised in Sydney
Leo Barry	Deniliquin, Sydney	U17 (1993)	1994	Zone selection	1995–2009	237	56	Born and raised in Deniliquin
Justin Crawford	Tocumwal, Sydney	U17 (1993)	1994	Zone selection	1995–1998	46	32	Born and raised in Finley
Nigel Lappin	-		1993	#2	1994–2008	279	174	Born in Corowa
Brett Cook	Central Broken Hill				1994–1999	43	12	Raised in Broken Hill
Tim Hargreaves	Berrigan				1994–1998	62	69	Raised in Berrigan
Damian Lang	Leeton, Sydney				1994–1998	8	5	Raised in and recruited from Leeton
Andrew Bomford	North Shore, Sydney		1994	Pre Season (#22)	1994–1996	28	9	Raised in Sydney
Peter Green	Barellan				1994	1	0	Raised in Barellan
Greg Stafford	Western Suburbs, Sydney				1993–2006	204	141	Raised in Sydney (Ashbury)
Nathon Irvin	Mangoplah				1993	1	0	Raised in Mangoplah
Shane Crawford	Finley	1993	1991	#13	1992–2008	305	224	Raised in Finley
Ben Doolan	Albury, Sydney				1991–1999	101	11	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Darren Holmes (footballer)	Lavington, Sydney				1991–1996	63	9	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Neil Brunton	Holroyd-Parramatta, Sydney	1992, 1993			1991–1995	71	10	Raised in Sydney
Jamie Lawson	Wentworth, Sydney	1992, 1993			1991–1995	61	29	Raised in Wentworth
Paul Kelly	Wagga Tigers, Sydney	1992, 1993			1990-2002	234	200	Born in West Wyalong, raised in Wagga
Brett Hungerford	Tooleybuc				1990	2	0	Raised in Tooleybuc
Wayne Carey	North Wagga	1990, 1993 (c)			1989–2004	272	727	Born and raised in Wagga
John Longmire	Corowa-Rutherglen				1988–1999	200	511	Born, raised in and recruited from Corowa
David Willis	Henty, Sydney				1988–1991	25	3	Raised in and recruited from Henty
Michael Kennedy	Queanbeyan				1988–1990	23	3	Raised in and recruited from Queanbeyan
David Brown	Pennant Hills				1988–1990	12	18	Raised in Sydney
John Brinkkotter	Barooga		1986	#10	1988–1989	5	1	Raised in and recruited from Barooga
Gerard Butts	North Albury				1988–1989	3	0	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Chris Daniher	Ungarie, Ariah Park-Mirrool, Coolamon	1988, 1990, 1993			1987–1997	124	40	Born and raised in West Wyalong
Leon Higgins	Tocumwal				1987–1996	122	80	Raised in and recruited from Tocumwal
Darren Bennett	-		1988	#13	1987–1993	78	305	Born in Sydney
Peter Baldwin	Finley				1987–1990	5	1	Raised in Finley
Chris Duthy	South Broken Hill		1986	#37	1987	3	0	Raised in Broken Hill
Billy Brownless	Jerilderie	1998–1992, 1993			1986–1997	198	441	Born and raised in Jerilderie
Michael Gayfer	Corowa-Rutherglen	1993			1986–1993	142	1	Raised in Corowa
Grant Bartholomaeus	Forbes	1988			1986–1997	4	0	Raised in Forbes
Robert Caprioli	North Broken Hill, St George, Sydney	U17 (1984)			1986	1	0	Raised in Broken Hill
Graham Jones	Western Suburbs, Sydney				1986	1	0	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Mark Roberts	St George, Sydney				1985–1999	202	169	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Paul Spargo	Albury				1985–1993	90	118	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Rudy Yonson	North Albury				1985	3	3	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Hilton Kotzur	Walbundrie, Sydney				1985	1	0	Raised in and recruited from Walbundrie
Russell Morris	North Shore	1990, 1993			1984–1994	159	84	Recruited from Sydney
David Murphy	Finley, Wagga Tigers	1988, 1993			1984–1993	90	118	Born, raised in Finley and recruited from Wagga
David Honybun	Coleambally	1988			1984–1992	60	41	Raised and recruited from Coleambally
Paul Hawke	Wagga Tigers, Sydney	1988			1984–1991	114	102	Born in, raised and recruited from Wagga
Arthur Chilcott	Western Suburbs, Sydney				1984-1985	13	14	Raised in Illawarra, recruited from Sydney
Tony Hughes	Albury, Sydney				1984-1985	6	2	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Robb Hawkins	Finley				1984	3	0	Raised in Finley
Darren Jackson	Finley				1984	2	1	Raised in Finley
Peter Densley	Scots School Albury				1984	11	4	Recruited from Albury
Brian Winton	Wentworth				1983	47	11	Raised in and recruited from Wentworth
Simon O'Donnell					1982–1983	24	18	Born in Deniliquin
Jack Lucas	Ariah Park Mirool, Sydney				1982–1984	19	18	Raised in Ariah Park
Anthony Daniher	Ungarie, Turvey Park, Sydney	1988, 1990, 1992, 1993			1981–1994	233	80	Born and raised in West Wyalong
Dennis Carroll	Albury, Sydney	1988, 1992			1981–1993	219	117	Born and raised in Ganmain
Darryl Henderson	Corowa, Sydney				1981–1983	14	0	Recruited from Corowa
Glenn Coleman	Southern Districts, Sydney	1988, 1992, 1993			1980–1993	194	115	Raised in Sydney
Andy Bennett	Central Broken Hill				1980–1985	35	19	Born and raised in Broken Hill
Stephen Eather	Turvey Park				1980–1981	5	0	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Victor Hugo	Narrandera				1980	2	0	Raised in and recruited from Narrandera
Robert Anderson	Queanbeyan				1980–1984	16	6	Recruited from Queanbeyan
Neale Daniher	Ungarie	1990			1979–1990	82	32	Born and raised in West Wyalong
Wayne Carroll	Ganmain, Queanbeyan, Mangoplah				1979–1985	56	57	Raised in Ganmain
Max Kruse, Sydney	Leeton				1979–1985	88	32	Raised in and recruited from Leeton
John Durnan	Narrandera				1979–1982	22	2	Raised in and recruited from Narrandera
Kim Kershaw	Wagga Tigers				1979–1982	9	0	Raised in and recruited from Wagga
Mark Fraser	Turvey Park				1979–1981	20	1	Raised in and recruited from Wagga
Phil Bradmore	North Shore				1978–1981	15	17	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Russell Campbell	Ganmain				1978–1980	4	3	Raised in and recruited from Ganmain
Mick Byrne	North Shore	1988			1977–1989	161	150	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Wayne Evans	Grong Grong Matong				1977	11	7	Recruited from Matong
Terry Daniher	Ungarie, Ariah Park-Mirrool	1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993			1976–1992	313	469	Born and raised in West Wyalong
Gary Gray	Albury				1976	2	0	Raised in Albury
Colin Hounsell	Collingullie, Sydney				1975-1985	122	98	Born and raised in Wagga, recruited from Collingullie
Rod Coelli	Ardlethan				1975	3	0	Raised in Ardlethan
Mark Maclure	East Sydney				1974–1986	243	327	Raised in and recruited from Sydney as teenager
Peter Doyle	Berrigan				1974–1978	38	15	Raised in and recruited from Berrigan
Jack Hawkins	Finley				1973-1981	182	20	Recruited from Finley
Michael Hawkins	Finley				1973	2	0	Raised in Finley
Steve Hywood	South Broken Hill				1972	13	0	Raised in and recruited from Broken Hill
Neil Brown	Albury				1972	2	0	Raised in Albury
Col Anderson	Mulwala				1972	2	0	Raised in Mulwala
Ross Henshaw	North Albury				1971–1983	167	11	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Phil Baker	Finley				1971–1979	106	125	Raised in Albury
Trevor Carrodus	Lockhart				1971–1972	3	3	Raised in Lockhart
Frank Gumbleton	Ganmain				1970–1979	147	19	Born, raised in and recruited from Ganmain
Reg Gleeson	Osborne				1970–1976	128	11	Born and raised in Albury
John Pitura	Wagga Tigers				1969–1977	139	95	Born, raised in and recruited from Wagga
John Duthie	Albury				1969–1972	11	5	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Lindsay Jacob	Walla Walla, Corowa				1969	2	2	Raised in Walla Walla
Peter Chisnall	–				1968–1976	80	14	Raised in Corowa
George Lakes	West Broken Hill				1968–1972	55	22	Recruited from Broken Hill
Ross Elwin	Leeton				1968–1970	10	6	Recruited from Leeton
Greg Lambert	Corowa				1966–1979	167	22	Recruited from Corowa
Barry Richardson	–				1965–1974	125	134	Born in Albury
Geoff Strang	Albury				1965–1971	88	0	Raised in Albury
John Perry	–				1964–1974	83	27	Born in Albury
Mick Dowdle	Jerilderie				1964–1971	98	89	Raised in and recruited from Jerilderie
Barry Fitzgerald	Sydney Naval Depot				1963–1965	35	4	Recruited from Sydney
Geoff Doubleday	North Albury				1963	1	0	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Ron Birch	Wagga Tigers				1963	1	0	Raised in Wagga
Neville Forge	Walla Walla, Albury				1962	2	0	Raised in Walla Walla
Tom Carroll	Ganmain				1961–1963	55	143	Born and raised in Ganmain
Jim Carroll	Ganmain				1961–1962	2	2	Raised in Ganmain
John Fox	Marrar				1960–1965	60	7	Recruited from Marrar
Bob Chisolm	Berrigan				1960–1962	22	20	Raised in Berrigan
Brian Chisholm	Berrigan				1960	12	1	Raised in Berrigan
Dick Grimmond	Albury				1959-1964	102	6	Raised in Albury
Phil Gehrig	Moulamein				1959-1960	16	11	Raised in Moulamein
Doug Clarke	Liverpool				1958-1959	8	7	Raised in Sydney
Bill Box	Whitton				1958	9	4	Born and raised in Whitton
Jim Broockmann	Finley				1958	3	0	Raised in Finley
Terry Ingersoll	Western Suburbs				1957-1958	17	36	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Bill Clements	Berrigan				1957-1959	14	2	Raised in Berrigan
Bill Byrne	Corowa, Mangoplah				1957	1	0	Raised in Corowa
Vin Bourke	Henty, North Albury				1957	1	0	Born and raised in Henty
Allan Jeans	Finley				1955–1959	77	26	Born, raised in and recruited from Finley
Bill Barton	North Albury				1955–1956	2	2	Raised in Albury
Neil Davies	Balmain, Central Broken Hill				1955	2	1	Born and raised in Broken Hill
Peter Curtis	Coolamon, Griffith, North Albury				1955	2	1	Raised in Coolamon
Bob Henderson	Deniliquin				1953–1962	137	1	Raised in and recruited from Deniliquin
Terry Gleeson	Berrigan				1953–1962	100	27	Raised in Berrigan
Brian Gleeson	Berrigan				1953–1957	70	47	Raised in Berrigan
Ian Egerton	Deniliquin				1953–1957	56	7	Raised in and recruited from Deniliquin
Roger Duffy	Newtown				1952–1958	117	117	Raised in Sydney
Ray Houston	Eastern Suburbs				1952-1955	34	4	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
John Harding	East Sydney				1952-1954	27	7	Raised in Sydney
Roy Williams	Queanbeyan				1952	8	7	Raised in and recruited from Queanbeyan
Lance Mann	Albury				1951–1959	80	22	Recruited from Albury
Ray Ednie	Berrigan				1950-1953	56	7	Raised in and recruited from Berrigan
Max Jeffers	Tocumwal				1950	6	5	Raised in and recruited from Tocumwal
Jack Gaffney	Broken Hill YCW, South Broken Hill				1949–1953	80	0	Raised in and recruited from Broken Hill
Alan Stevens	–				1948–1950	22	1	Born and raised in Sydney (Coogee)
Laurie Carroll	Ganmain				1948–1959	11	2	Born and raised in Ganmain
Arthur Hodgson	-				1948–1952	76	7	Born in Sydney
Chris Carroll	St George, Central Broken Hill				1947–1948	13	18	Born and raised in Broken Hill
Allan Strang	Albury, St George				1947–1948	15	17	Born and raised in Albury
Jack Eames	South Albury Juniors				1946	14	1	Born and raised in Albury
Stan Obst	West Albury				1945	2	0	Born and raised in Albury
Bill Wood	Albury, South Sydney				1944–1951	115	294	Raised in Albury, recruited from Sydney
Ron Hall	St George				1944–1947	17	2	Recruited from Sydney
Les Gregory	Albury				1944–1946	2	0	Born in Howlong raised in and recruited from Albury
Kevin Deagan	RAAF Sydney				1944–1946	5	2	Recruited from Sydney
Merv Brooks	–				1943–1944	2	0	Born in Ariah Park
George Withers	Culcairn				1943	2	0	Born in Holbrook
Reg Garvin	Newtown				1942	130	33	Born raised in and recruited from Sydney Surry Hills
Jim Matthews	Albury				1942	6	3	Born in Culcairn, raised in Albury
Ivor Clay	Henty				1941-1946	31	19	Recruited from Henty
Bert Clay	Henty				1940-1951	157	48	Recruited from Henty
Jack Cliff	West Broken Hill				1940-1942	32	8	Raised in Broken Hill
Dom Seymour	Albury				1939	2	0	Born and raised in Albury
Tom Davey	–				1939	2	0	Born and raised in Albury
Reg Garvin	Newtown				1937–1946	130	33	Born, raised in (Surry Hills) and recruited from Sydney
Norm McDermott	–				1937–1939	21	13	Born in Albury
Jack Hacker	Oaklands				1937–1944	111	7	Born in New South Wales, recruited from Corowa
Vic Carroll	Corowa				1937	12	2	Raised in Corowa
Perc Bushby	–				1936–1948	142	46	Born in Narrandera
Bernie Hore	–				1936–1940	60	2	Born and raised in Albury
Alf Hacker	Oaklands				1936–1943	24	0	Born in Urana, recruited from Corowa
Denis Ryan	Albury Rovers				1935–1939	70	64	Born and raised in Albury
Alby De Luca	-				1934-1936	42	21	Born in Woolongong
Brian Goodhart	North Broken Hill				1934-1935	15	4	Raised in Broken Hill
Colin Braid	South Broken Hill				1934	1	0	Raised in Broken Hill
Alfred Andrew-Street	–				1933–1934	6	0	Born in Sydney (Bondi)
Noel Barnett	West Albury, Albury Rovers, St Patricks Junior				1933	11	2	Born in Holbrook, raised in Albury
Bert Clarke	Albury, Corowa				1933	4	2	Raised in Albury
Colin Strang	East Albury				1933	2	3	Born in Sydney, raised in Albury
Stan Castles	Sydney				1932	2	3	Raised in Sydney
Jack Loes	-				1932	4	0	Born and raised in Tumbarumba
Charlie Kolb	Albury Rovers				1932	3	1	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Ken Bracken	St George				1932	1	0	Raised in Sydney
Haydn Bunton Sr.	Albury Rovers, Albury, West Albury				1931–1942	119	207	Born and raised in Albury
Gordon Strang	Jindera, East Albury				1931–1938	116	108	Born in Sydney (Waverley), raised in Albury
Doug Strang	Albury Rovers, East Albury				1931–1935	64	180	Born in Sydney (Waverley), raised in Albury
Jack Hanson	South Broken Hill				1931–1933	29	0	Born and raised in Broken Hill
Jack Anderson	Balldale				1931–1933	42	46	Raised in Balldale
Alex Clarke	Albury				1931–1933	15	0	Raised in Albury
Jack Hayes	South Sydney	1927, 1930			1931	13	7	Born and raised in and recruited from Sydney
Lionel Hastie	Newtown				1931	13	15	Recruited from Sydney
Alex Fraser	East Albury				1931	3	0	Recruited from Albury
Doug Ayres	Newtown	1927, 1930			1931	1	1	Born and raised in Sydney (Randwick)
Fred Davies	Eastern Suburbs	1927			1930–1934	63	11	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Bill Mohr	Royal Stars, Federal				1929–1941	195	735	Born and raised in Wagga
Clarrie Hearn					1929–1935	92	90	Born in Tocumwal
Maurie Hunter	St Patricks Albury				1929–1933	81	159	Raised in and recruited from Albury
Ray Usher	Albury, Eastern Suburbs	1927			1928–1933	82	2	Recruited from Sydney
Jack Haw	Leeton				1928–1929	13	6	Recruited from Leeton
Bob Smith	Newtown	1927			1928	16	0	Born, raised and recruited from Sydney
Bill McDowell	–				1927–1928	11	7	Born in Albury
Bill Donald	Hume Weir				1927	3	0	Recruited from Hume Weir
Frank Bult	East Sydney				1927	20	4	Recruited from Sydney
Tom Everuss	South Broken Hill				1926	17	0	Born, raised in and recruited from Broken Hill
Les Witto	West Broken Hill				1926	6	0	Born, raised in and recruited from Broken Hill
Lindsay Beck	South Broken Hill				1926	2	0	Born, raised in and recruited from Broken Hill
Hope Evans	Albury				1925	7	0	Recruited from Albury
Charlie Whitely	Hume Weir				1925–1926	2	1	Born and raised in Albury
Alby Anderson	Mangoplah, Royal Stars, Wagga United Football Association				1924–1926	14	7	Born and raised in Wagga
Jim Tarbotton	Railways				1923–1926	37	1	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Tim Archer	Mangoplah				1923–1924	22	12	Born and raised in Wagga
Gordon Hislop	Balmain	1922			1923–1924	22	0	Recruited from Sydney
Tom Elliot	Junee Junction				1923–1924	11	2	Recruited from Junee
Syd Hutcheson					1920	11	0	Born in Wagga
Paddy Kelly	Paddington				1920	7	0	Recruited from Sydney
Bob Merrick	East Sydney				1919–1926	59	181	Born and raised in Sydney (Darlinghurst)
Ivor Warne-Smith	-				1919–1932	146	110	Born in Sydney
Chris Laird	Paddington				1918–1922	59	99	Recruited from Sydney
Harry Morgan	–				1914-1921	86	191	Born in Parramatta
Bert Chapman	–				1914	7	1	Born in Sydney
Reg Ellis	Y.M.C.A.	1911, 1924 (c)			1913–1920	53	1	Born and raised in Sydney (Randwick)
Johnny Allan	–				1913	10	2	Born and raised in Albury
Charlie Armstrong	–				1912-1919	45	4	Born and raised in Holbrook
Paddy Abbott	Albury				1911–1917	62	2	Born and raised in Albury
George Anderson	–				1911–1917	104	8	Raised in Wagga
Clarrie Dall	Redfern				1911–1912	9	9	Recruited from Sydney
Les Frauenfelder	Albury				1910	2	2	Recruited from Albury
Arthur Caldwell	–				1908	8	1	Born in Young
Marshall Herbert	Redfern				1908–10	51	8	Recruited from Sydney
John Stephenson	Balmain				1907	10	0	Recruited from Sydney
Frank Boynton	-				1906–1910	39	14	Raised in Balranald
Harry Lever	-				1905–1922	218	6	Born in Parramatta
Frank Dunne	Albury				1905	1	1	Recruited from Albury
Bill Strang	Albury				1904–1913	69	80	Born in and raised in Albury
Peter McCann					1904–1907	2	0	Born in Blayney
Joe Johnson					1904–1906	55	15	Born in Newcastle
Syd Wright	Albury				1904	3	0	Born in Sydney (Petersham) and raised in Albury
Peter McCann	Albury				1904	2	0	Born in Blayney and raised in Albury
Arthur Percy	Albury				1904	2	0	Born in and raised in Albury
Jock McHale	–				1903–1920	261	18	Born and raised in Sydney (Botany)
Arthur Adamson	–				1902–1903	28	0	Born in Gulgong, recruited from Broken Hill
Stan Watsford	–				1900	2	0	Raised in Albury
Bob Kenny	Sydney				1899	2	0	Raised in Sydney
Harry Lampe					1899-1907	135	57	Born and raised in Wagga
Tommy Ryan					1899-1904	66	71	Born in Sydney
Conrad ten Brink	Albury				1898	12	10	Raised in Albury
Stan Enfield	–				1897	3	3	Born in Sydney

Women's

Current players

• 
  Ruby Svarc is from Corowa
• 
  Cathy Svarc is from Corowa
• 
  Chloe Dalton is from Sydney
• 
  Amanda Farrugia was recruited from Sydney
• 
  Brenna Tarrant is from Blaxland
• 
  Nicola Barr was schooled in Sydney
• 
  Ashleigh Brazill is from Campbelltown
• 
  Erin McKinnon All Australian was recruited from Sydney
• 
  Rebecca Beeson was recruited from Sydney
• 
  Gabriella Pound is from Albury
• 
  Sophie Casey is from Holbrook
• 
  Jodie Hicks is from Hay
• 
  Maddy Collier was recruited from Sydney
• 
  Gabrielle Colvin is from Wagga

ALFW players from NSW

Currently on an AFLW senior list

Player	NSW junior/senior club/s	Representative honours	AFLW Draft	Selection	AFLW Years	AFLW Games	AFLW (Goals)	Connections to NSW, Notes & References
Holly Cooper	Wallsend West Jnr, Cardiff, Manly Warringah Wolves, Sydney Swans Academy, Sydney		2023	Expansion pre-sign	2024-	-	–	Raised in Newcastle
Cleo Buttifant	Turvey Park, GWS Giants Academy				2024-	1	–	Raised in Wagga
Zara Hamilton	GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney				–	–	–	Raised in Wagga
Teagan Germech	Bathurst, East Coast Eagles, GWS Giants Academy, Greater Western Sydney				2023–	1	–	Raised in Bathurst
Alice Mitchell	Pittwater, Mosman, Gunnedah, Sydney				2023–	1	–	Raised in Sydney
Tanya Kennedy	Inner West Magpies, UTS, Sydney				2023–	1	–	Recruited from Sydney
Brianna McFarlane	Lower Clarence				2023–	1	–	Raised in Yamba
Dominique Carruthers	North Shore, Macquarie University				2023–	1	–	Raised in Sydney
Madeline Hendrie	East Sydney, UNSW-Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Swans Academy				2023–	1	–	Raised in Sydney
Eleri Morris	Northern Districts, Wollongong, Inner West Magpies, GWS Giants Academy		2023	Supplementary (#13)	2023–	1	–	Raised in and recruited from Illawarra
Isadora McLeay	Willoughby-Mosman, North Shore, Greater Western Sydney				2023–	3	–	Raised in Sydney
Jessica Doyle	Pittwater, Manly Warringah, Sydney Swans Academy, Greater Western Sydney		2021	#49	2022–	24	12	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Zarlie Goldsworthy	Lavington Panthers, Western Magic, Greater Western Sydney		2022	#20	2022–	18	16	Raised in Albury
Eilish Sheerin	Inner West Magpies, Newtown Breakaways		2022	#58	2022–	22	1	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Ella Heads	Inner West Magpies, Sydney Swans Academy, Sydney				2022–	22	–	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Grace Hill	UTS				2022–2024	9	–	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Georgina Fowler	St Ives, East Coast Eagles, GWS Giants Academy				2022–	3	–	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Brodee Mowbray	Camden, Southern Power				2022–	12	3	Raised in Camden, Greater Western Sydney
Browdee Mowbray	Camden, Southern Power, Greater Western Sydney				2022–	20	4	Raised in Sydney
Ally Dallaway	East Coast Eagles, Greater Western Sydney				2022–	30	–	Raised in Sydney
Cambridge McCormick	Port Macquarie, Greater Western Sydney				2022–	18	–	Raised in Port Macquarie
Ally Morphett	Wagga High School, East Wagga-Kooringal, Greater Western Sydney, Sydney				2022–	16	1	Raised in Gumly Gumly (Wagga)
Jasmine Simmons	North Broken Hill, Gol Gol				2022–	8	–	Raised in Broken Hill
Ruby Sargent-Wilson	Southern Power, Sydney Swans Academy	U18 (2019)			2022–	4	–	Raised in and recruited from Wollongong (Woonona)
Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster	Wollongong				2022–	1	0	Raised in Wollongong (Wiradjuri)
Ruby Svarc	–				2021–	29	7	Raised in Corowa
Libby Graham	Manly Warringah Wolves, Greater Western Sydney				2021–	28	0	Raised in Sydney
Olivia Barber	New South Wales country U16 & U18		2020	#21	2021–2023	14	5	Born and raised in Balldale
Tarni Evans	Tathra, Queanbeyan, Greater Western Sydney		2020	#9	2021–	29	1	Raised in Tathra, recruited from Queanbeyan
Cathy Svarc	–				2020–	55	14	Raised in Corowa
Orla O'Dwyer	–		2019 Rookie	Rookie	2020–	55	21	Born in Sydney
Gabrielle Colvin	–		2019	#77	2020–	27	0	Raised in and recruited from Wagga Wagga
Lisa Steane	Nelson Bay, Greater Western Sydney, Sydney		2019	#23	2020–	39	0	Born, raised in and recruited from Nelson Bay
Georgia Garnett	East Coast Eagles, Greater Western Sydney		2019	#90	2020–	33	11	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Brenna Tarrant	Emu Plains Glenmore Lions (juniors), Kellyville Rouse Hill Magpies (juniors), East Coast Eagles (seniors), Sydney		2019	#72	2020–	37	1	Raised in Blaxland (Blue Mountains), recruited from Sydney
Emily Goodsir	East Coast Eagles, Greater Western Sydney		2019	#76	2020–	10	0	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Sarah Halvorsen	Newcastle City, Greater Western Sydney		2019	#61	2020–2021	4	1	Raised in Newcastle
Tarnee Tester	West Broken Hill		2019	#56	2020–2021	4	1	Born and raised in Broken Hill (Barkindji)
Alyce Parker	Holbrook, Thurgoona, Greater Western Sydney		2018	#12	2019–	49	8	Born and raised in Holbrook, recruited from Thurgoona
Chloe Dalton	Greater Western Sydney		2018	Rookie	2019–	32	8	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Jess Foley	–		2018	#30	2019–2020	13	4	Raised in Bega
Taylah Davies	Greater Western Sydney			Rookie	2018–	–	–	Born, raised in and recruited from Wollongong
Jodie Hicks	Greater Western Sydney		2017	#5	2018–	40	5	Born, raised in and recruited from Hay
Ashleigh Brazill	–		2017	#34	2018–	32	5	Born, raised in and recruited from Campbelltown (Sydney)
Stacey Livingstone	–		2016	#70	2017–	66	0	Born
Sophie Casey	Holbrook, Riverina		2016	Free agent	2017–	63	2	Born and raised in Holbrook, recruited from Wagga Wagga
Rebecca Beeson	Macquarie University, UNSW-Eastern Suburbs, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#32	2017–	50	10	Born in Sydney, raised on Central Coast
Gabriella Pound	Albury High School, Wagga Tigers		2016	#30	2017–	37	3	Raised in Albury
Erin McKinnon	Mosman, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#48	2017–	46	1	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Nicola Barr	Queenwood School for Girls, Sydney University, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#1	2017–	58	10	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Maddy Collier	UNSW-Eastern Suburbs, Greater Western Sydney, Sydney		2016	Priority	2017–	39	3	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Haneen Zreika	Auburn-Penrith Giants, Greater Western Sydney		2017 (Rookie)	Rookie (#1)	2017–	48	9	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Hannah Dunn	Queanbeyan, Greater Western Sydney			Backup	2017–	45	0	Recruited from Queanbeyan
Leah Kaslar	–		2016	#31	2017–2021	36	3	Born Caringbah (Sydney)
Ellie Brush	Greater Western Sydney		2016	Rookie	2017–2020	20	1	Recruited from Sydney
Amanda Farrugia	Macquarie University, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#64	2017–2019	21	2	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Renee Tomkins	Greater Western Sydney		2016	#96	2017–2019	12	0	Born, raised in and recruited from Sydney
Nikki Wallace	Sawtell Toormina Saints		2016	#114	2017	8	0	Raised in Coffs Harbour
Kristy De Pellegrini	Southern Power, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#81	2017	6	0	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Stephanie Walker	Sydney University, Greater Western Sydney		2016	#113	2017	3	1	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Codie Briggs	Newtown, Greater Western Sydney		2016	Free agent	2017	3	0	Raised in and recruited from Sydney
Monique Hollick	UNSW-Eastern Suburbs		2016	#136	2017	3	0	Raised in and recruited from Sydney

Principal venues

The following venues are the largest that meet AFL Standard criteria and have been used to host AFL (National Standard) or AFLW level matches (Regional Standard) and have hosted such matches in the last decade:

Sydney	Sydney	Sydney
Stadium Australia	Sydney Cricket Ground	Sydney Showground Stadium
Capacity: 82,500	Capacity: 48,000	Capacity: 25,500
Record: 72,393 (2003)	Record: 46,323 (2017)	Record: 21,924 (2013)
Sydney	Sydney	Albury
Henson Park	North Sydney Oval	Lavington Sports Ground
Capacity: 30,000	Capacity: 16,000	Capacity: 13,000
Record: 5,722 (2023)	Record: 9,654 (2005)	Record: 20,169* (2013)
Wagga Wagga	Western Sydney	Sydney
Robertson Oval	Blacktown ISP Oval	Drummoyne Oval
Capacity: 10,000	Capacity: 10,000	Capacity: 6,000
Record: 7,944 (2014)	Record: 10,000* (2011)	Record: 4,952 (2018)
Western Sydney
Tom Wills Oval
Capacity: 3,000

Sydney

• Sydney Cricket Ground
• Stadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park
• Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
• North Sydney Oval
• Blacktown ISP Oval, Rooty Hill
• Bruce Purser Reserve, Kellyville
• Ern Holmes Oval, Pennant Hills
• Henson Park, Marrickville
• Picken Oval, Croydon Park
• Trumper Park Oval, Paddington
• Monarch Oval, Macquarie Fields
• Village Green, University of New South Wales, Kensington
• Drummoyne Oval
• Gore Hill Oval
• Olds Park, Penshurst
• University Oval, University of Sydney
• Jubilee Oval, Carlton

Regional NSW

• Lavington Sports Ground, Hamilton Valley, Albury
• Newcastle Number 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle
• Coffs Harbour International Stadium, Coffs Harbour
• Narrandera Sports Ground, Narrandera
• North Dalton Park, Towradgi, Wollongong
• Robertson Oval, Wagga Wagga

Books

1. de Moore, Greg; Hess, Rob; Nicholson, Matthew; Stewart, Bob (2021). Australia's Game: The History of Australian Football. Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 9781-74379-657-3.
2. Blake, Martin (2013). The rise of the Swans : a decade of success : 2003-12. Melbourne, Vic.: Penguin Group (Australia). ISBN 978-1-921901-69-0. OCLC 829056262.

See also

• Representative matches in Australian rules football

External links

• The Hidden Story of Australian Rules in Sydney
• NSW Footy History
• Australian Rules Almost Held Sydney
• "NSW Team of the Century". Full Points Footy. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012.
• Sydney Australian Football Foundation – non-profit organisation assisting development of the code in Sydney