Australian football at the 1956 Summer Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1956 Summer Olympics demonstration match |
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| Date | 7 December 1956, 4:10 pm | |||||||||||||||
| Stadium | MCG | |||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 30,000 | |||||||||||||||
| Umpires | Les Wenker | |||||||||||||||
The 1956 Summer Olympics were held in Melbourne, Australia. This was a very special event for Australian rules football. For the first time, and so far the only time, this exciting sport was part of the Olympic Games! It was shown as a "demonstration sport" to a large crowd.
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Australian Rules Football at the 1956 Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sets rules for the Olympic Games. They said that each host city must show two special sports. One sport had to be popular in the host country. The other sport had to be from a different country.
Australian rules football was chosen as the "national" sport for Australia. Baseball was picked as the "foreign" sport. This meant that both sports were shown to the world at the Olympics.
What is a Demonstration Sport?
A demonstration sport is a sport that is shown at the Olympics but does not count for medals. It's like a special exhibition. These sports are often included to promote them. They also let people see sports that might become official Olympic sports later.
The rules for players in demonstration sports were strict. Only amateur players could take part. This meant no professional athletes were allowed. So, the teams were made up of young talents, older experienced players, and athletes from local leagues.
The Big Match: VAFA vs. VFL/VFA
On December 7, 1956, a big game was played at the MCG. About 30,000 people came to watch. The game was between the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) and a combined team. This combined team had players from both the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the Victorian Football Association (VFA).
The VAFA team caused a big surprise! They won the match by 26 points. This was an upset victory, meaning they were not expected to win.
Key Players in the Game
Geoff Hibbins, the captain of the VAFA team, was thought to be their best player. He played a great game. Dick Fenton-Smith and Ray Pettigrove were the top goal-kickers. They both scored four goals each for their teams.
Many players from this game went on to have successful careers. They played in the main Australian football leagues for many years.
How the Game Changed TV
This special Olympic match was very important for Australian football. It helped change how the sport was shown on television. A special TV crew was hired just for the Games. They learned new ways to film and broadcast the game. This helped make future football broadcasts even better for fans.
Why Australian Rules Football Hasn't Been Back
Australian rules football is mostly popular in Australia. It is not played much in other countries. Also, the Olympic Games later stopped having demonstration sports. Because of these reasons, Australian rules football has not been part of the Olympics since its one-time appearance in 1956.
