The National Football Game

The National Football Game is an early example of the uniquely Australian game of Australian rules football. Made by the National Game Company in 1900 the game is loosely based on an Australian rules football match.

The object of the game is for a player to score a goal by moving a marker (football) along a players path using the roll of a dice.

The game begins with the marker (the football) in the center of the board and players take turns to move the ball towards their goal on the roll of the dice. Each players progress is along a path and the goals are in each corner of the board. The next player rolls the dice and moves the ball back towards the center and can then begin along their path towards their goal. Players can have an extra throw of the dice on certain space (i.e. Free kick and behind) or by throwing a 6. To score a goal the player must throw the exact number by the dice to land on the goal.

Recorded in the National Archives of Australia dated 1900. Several versions are known to exist. The most common type is mounted on a square board. A much rarer smaller rectangular board version also exists.

Updates were continually made. For example, on the rectangular board the South Melbourne Football club is represented with a red and white hooped guernsey which was worn from 1897 to 1904. The Geelong team also shows hooped sleeves that were worn between 1902 - 1904, suggestion this version was dated between 1902 to 1904.

The Square board version shows the South Melbourne Football club with a red sash, Melbourne Football club with a Red central strip and Fitzroy Football club with a Maroon and light yellow Guernsey. These football Guernsey's were all worn in 1907. In 1912 numbers were added to the back of football guernseys which is not evident with these early versions of the game.

A third version of the game shows superimposed photos of Footballers over the background. St.Kilda football team now replaces Essendon as the side playing South Melbourne. The St.Kilda geurnsey has long black sleeves which were worn between 1924 to 1932, suggesting this was probably the last version of this game.