Australian rules football during the world wars

On the home front, competitions like the Victorian Football League (VFL) went ahead during these wars, but faced many restrictions.

Their new colours of black, red and yellow were chosen as support to Australia's ally Belgium, where a group of St Kilda players were serving.

Both Geelong and South Melbourne returned to the league in 1917, while St Kilda and Essendon made their comeback in 1918.

The West Australian Football League (WAFL) continued to play throughout the war; however due to a lack of players and very poor on-field records North Fremantle and Midland Junction were forced to disband after the 1915 and 1917 seasons respectively.

The South Australian Football League (SAFL) suspended play in favour of a "patriotic competition" between 1916 and 1918.

Private Victor Laidlaw describes one such match between his 2nd Field Ambulance and the Light Horse in Cairo in January 1915: We had a great football yesterday (Aust.

[4]Lieutenant Lionel Short gave a vivid and amusing account of another game played on a field pockmarked by shells.

The game he wrote, was: ...more famous for its spirit than its skill.....Although there were some good men amongst the players, even League and Association members, they had little chance of showing their onetime prowess The melted snow made the ground as slippery as a banana skin, the obstacles impeded rushes, and the players themselves sadly lacked practice.

[10] Australian rules football was played by POWs throughout the Second World War, with competitions held in Singapore and Germany.

"[14] Many VFL players served in the armed services, and a number lost their lives, including Ron Barassi Sr., Bruce Sloss and Len Thomas.

Since 1995 a match between Collingwood and Essendon has taken place on Anzac Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a tribute to those who died serving their country.