In 1877, the colony officially adopted the code in order to compete in the very first intercolonial representative football match in Australia against Victoria.

The first governing body, the South Australian Football Association (now SANFL) formed on 13 April 1877, remains the oldest in Australia.

The SANFL remains the second most attended league worldwide in the sport and attracts a television audience larger than that of some AFL clubs.

Since 1991 South Australia has attracted an average AFL premiership season attendance of 35,919, second in the country, boosted with the 2014 upgrade of the Adelaide Oval the state's flagship venue.

In women's Australian rules, AFLW player Erin Phillips is most notable with 2 league best and fairests, while Ebony Marinoff has the most games and Ashleigh Woodland has the most goals.

The first recorded game of any "football" in South Australia was that of 'Caid' played in Thebarton by people of the local Irish community in 1843 to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

In 1844 there was debate amongst the South Australian Legislative Council whether it be allowed that "foot-ball" be played on Sundays, with arguments against preferring the quiet worship of God.

[5] In 1854 at the opening of a new school in Morphett Vale, at the end of the first day the students played a game of football amongst other activities.

[6] In 1855 William Anderson Cawthorne illustrated a series of images documenting South Australia's indigenous people including a pair of playthings, one being a sling and the other being a ball, referred to in Kaurna language as Pando.

[7][8] St Peter's football matches were played between Frome Road and Adelaide Bridge, on a similar site to the current University Oval.

[9] In June 1855 the Sunday School associated with St Jude's Church in Brighton included football for its children's activities.

[11] In 1857 a football match was held in Glenelg as part of the annual Commemoration Festival to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the proclamation of the colony of South Australia.

[15] For the Prince of Wales Birthday the Drapers Assistants Association included a football game in their festivities at Waterfall Gully.

[19] In 1862 the newly formed Modbury and Tea Tree Gully Football Club was invited to play a match against the Adelaide team.

In fact, after a match between Port Adelaide and Kensington in 1873, it was remarked that neither side understood the rules clearly, and there was uncertainty over which team had won.

The following clubs - North Parks, N.A Juniors, Kensington, Kent Town, Albion, Triton, and West Torrens were represented.

[23] The South Australian Junior Football Association was officially formed following meetings held at the Hamburg Hotel on 17 and 24 March 1885.

It was decided to limit the Association to 10 clubs - Coromandel Valley, Prospect, Creswick, Medindie, Hindmarsh, Kingston, Lefevre's Peninsula, Semaphore, Albert Park, and Fitzroy.

The post war years saw the code become a part of everyday life with mass media providing greater coverage than ever before.

In 1982 the SANFL approached the VFL in regards to entering two sides, Port Adelaide and longtime major rival Norwood, in the Victorian league.

[28] From this point Port Adelaide restructured the club in regards to economics, public relations and on-field performance for an attempt to enter the league in 1990.

[29] In 1987 the West Coast Eagles and Brisbane Bears were admitted to the Victorian Football League leaving South Australia as the only mainland state without representation in the VFL.

[36] A practice match organised by Port Adelaide and Geelong on 25 February at Football Park attracted at over 30,000 spectators and illustrated the potential of a South Australian side in the newly renamed national competition.

Subsequently, the SANFL clubs, led by Glenelg and Norwood, urged Justice Olssen to make an injunction against the bid, which he agreed to.

[31] In total the SANFL spent $500,000 in legal fees to stop Port Adelaide's entry into the AFL, with the latter simply unable to compete in the court room.

[32] "These twenty blokes, everyone who has helped us, are sensational people and all the views that you have read in the press the one thing that really matters is that there will always be a Port Adelaide Football Club.

Apart from Jack (John Cahill) and the players there are a couple of individuals out there who are responsible for that and make sure you enjoy tonight because the good times will not happen again.

Those players being Bruce Abernethy, Simon Tregenza, David Brown, Darren Smith and Scott Hodges, with the last three joining Port Adelaide's inaugural AFL squad in 1997.

don't short circuit a Port Adelaide proposal which clearly seems better than any other"In 1994 the AFL announced that South Australia would receive a licence for a second team based in the state.

[49] "In my opinion coming second [not getting the second South Australian AFL licence] means you die"On 2 October Port Adelaide won the 1994 SANFL Grand Final, its fifth in seven years.