**Aussie Rules Football** (called 'footy') is one of the most popular
sports in [Australia](Australia "wikilink") and has had a long history
of trade unionists, environmentalist, LGBT and anti-racist activism
associated with it.

## Timeline of Struggles

  - 1883: Two Carlton players are suspended by the Carlton committee for
    misbehaving on a trip to Maryborough. In response, nine players
    refused to play any further games and the team's fortunes slipped
    until the players were reinstated.
  - 1911: Several St Kilda players went out on strike in protest at the
    club committee's banning of a former player and a present player's
    father from the change rooms prior to the match. The inner club
    wrangling saw Carlton win the following week's match by 20 goals.
  - 1914: Army recruiment officers trying to get people to fight in
    [World War I](World_War_I "wikilink") are frequently heckled and
    sometimes attacked during footy games.
  - 1928: Police are banned from playing AFL games with the Port
    Melbourne Club after a police shoots a striker during a strike in
    Port Melbourne.
  - 1970: Essendon players strike for a large wage increase, which they
    win
  - 1981: Umpires in the VFL strike over poor treatment from bosses
  - 1981: South Melbourne players strike for eight weeks over pay and
    conditions, they win their demands
  - 1995: AFL players threaten a strike, but don't strike after getting
    greater injury compensation
  - 1998: Numerous AFL players publicly condemn logging in Western
    Australia and stand for
    [environmentalism](environmentalism "wikilink") despite media
    slander.
  - 2012: Numerous AFL players publicly condemn homophobia in Australian
    and AFL culture.
  - 2013: Aboriginal AFL player Adam Goodes is attacked and booed at
    matches with racial slurs, numerous players condemn the racism and
    stand with him in solidarity.

## References

[1883-today: The radical history of Aussie rules
football](https://libcom.org/history/1883-today-the-radical-history-of-aussie-rules-football)
- libcom.org