[1] Participation per capita has fallen from 18% in 2017 when it had the highest rate for a team sport in Australia[2] to 3.4% in 2024 and fourth behind soccer, basketball and cricket.

Under the 2020 arrangement with the Gold Coast Suns and Melbourne FC, the NT receives two matches in Darwin (Marrara Oval) and one in Alice Springs (Traeger Park) each year.

In the AFLW, Danielle Ponter of the Rioli-Long family is the most prominent NT player, having kicked the most goals and played the most games.

Australian rules began to gain favour in the Northern Territory late 1880s due mainly to South Australia's involvement in intercolonials with Victoria.

[7] Reuben Cooper Snr, an Iwaidja person, is credited with introducing Australian rules football in Darwin in 1915 after learning the game while boarding at St Peter's College, Adelaide.

Australian rules was introduced to Port Keats (now Wadeye) by Father Richard Docherty with the commencement of the local mission Werntek Nganayi in 1935.

[15] John Pye and Andy Howley introduced Australian rules football to the Tiwi Islands in 1941, which grew to become the most popular sport there.

[16] Within a couple of decades, the major Australian leagues began to take an interest with the first player offered a contract being Joe Saturninas in 1955[17] followed by the more successful David Kantilla in the SANFL and later by Maurice Rioli in the VFL.

[20] In 1991, Darwin hosted the first Arafura Games, the first international competition to include Australian rules football, and local teams have competed against nations from around the world.

[citation needed] In 2002, a record crowd of 17,500 attended an AFL pre-season practice between the Indigenous All-Stars and Carlton Football Club.

[citation needed] However, in a deal struck with the Northern Territory government, Melbourne based Western Bulldogs AFL side has played several home games a year at Marrara Oval.

[citation needed] In 2004, Alice Springs main ground Traeger Park was re-developed and has hosted several AFL exhibition matches.

[citation needed] In 2007, a representative side began in earnest a campaign to join a major league, the SANFL, WAFL or QAFL with the new team split between Alice Springs and Darwin.

A decision was reached in late 2008, with the Northern Territory Football Club, known as the Thunder, formed to field a team in the Queensland competition from the 2009 season onwards.

In 2012, the Wilurrara Tjataku Football League was established due to the substantial obstacles faced by remote communities to travel to Alice Springs.

Darwin is also home of the Flying Boomerangs, the junior indigenous side, which has toured the world to play matches against other countries.

[1] In 2017, AFLNT reported 44,729 direct participants in Australian rules football through official competitions or programs, which makes up 18% of the NT population.

Notable Territorian players in the AFL include: Shaun Burgoyne, Michael McLean, Daryl White, Aaron Davey, Cyril Rioli, Joel Bowden, Brad Ottens, Mathew Stokes, Ronnie Burns, Peter Burgoyne, David Kantilla, Jared Brennan, Matthew Whelan, Daniel Motlop, Richard Tambling, Gilbert McAdam, Fabian Francis, Xavier Clarke and Dean Rioli.