Victoria vs South Australia (1879)
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox Australian rules football match
| year = 1879
| competition = Victoria v South Australia
| match_type = Intercolonial Series
| image = File:Intercolonial Football Match 1879.jpg
| image_size =
| home = Victoria
| home_abbr = VIC
| home_colours =
| away = South Australia
| away_abbr = SA
| away_colours =
| home_score = 2
| away_score = 0
| date = 1 July 1879 – 5 July 1879
| stadium = East Melbourne Cricket Ground
| attendance =
| umpire =
| coin_toss =
| kick_end =
| prematch =
| anthem =
| halftime =
| postmatch =
| norm_smith =
| jock_mchale =
| network =
| commentators =
| last =
| next = 1880
}}
The 1879 Victoria v South Australia involved a series of two matches with teams representing Victoria and South Australia. The matches were played in Victoria at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground. These two matches are recognised as the first games of intercolonial Australian rules football.{{Cite web|title=Chronology|url=https://www.afl.com.au/about-afl/chronology|access-date=2020-10-29|publisher=AFL Media}}
Game 1 (1 July)
= Teams =
Some players selected in the initial squad for South Australia were unable to make the trip to Victoria for the series. These players included Thomas Smith from Port Adelaide, A. Mehrtens from South Adelaide, W.H.J. Dedman from Norwood. Conversely, W. Knill, W. Osborn, C.E. Warren were unable to play the game for the Victorians.{{cite news|date=7 June 1879|title=Football. South Australian Football Association|volume=XXXVI|page=5|newspaper=Adelaide Observer|issue=1966|location=South Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160121387|accessdate=30 October 2020|via=National Library of Australia}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ |
| John Gardiner (captain)
|Alfred McMichael (captain) |
| George Coulthard
|Robert Absalom |
| Paddy Gunn
|Thomas Blinman |
| Millar
| |William Bracken |
| Herbert Bryant
|Edward Colbey |
| William Goer
|Martin Considine |
| Robert Sillett
|Richard Coonan |
| Frank Lording
|W. Davis |
| G.V. Cooke
| |George Downs |
| Billy McLean |
| Harry Downes
|Thomas Green |
| Minchin
| |A.T. Harrison |
| Jimmy Robertson
|W. Hughes |
| Thomas
| |Kirk Kennedy |
| J. Gibson
|A.M. Pettinger |
| Arthur Ley
|Joseph Pollock |
| Young
|Louis Suhard |
| Murphy
|Joseph Traynor |
| Rannard
|Turner |
| Mackenzie
| |Julian Woods |
- Victoria def. South Australia (7–0).{{cite news|date=7 July 1879|title=Football.|volume=XI|page=3|edition=Second|newspaper=Evening Journal|issue=3197|location=South Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197727582|accessdate=27 October 2020|via=National Library of Australia}}
- Venue – East Melbourne Cricket Ground.{{cite news|date=2 July 1879|title=Intercolonial Football Match|page=5|newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne)|issue=10,308|location=Victoria, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5949048|accessdate=27 October 2020|via=National Library of Australia}}
- Attendance – 10,000.
- Umpire – Jas. Slight.{{cite news|date=7 July 1879|title=Football|page=3|newspaper=The Age|issue=7612|location=Victoria, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199371101|accessdate=27 October 2020|via=National Library of Australia}}
Game 2 (5 July)
The second game was played under the rules of the South Australia Football Association which were almost identical to that of the Victorian Football Association but for the allowance of high tackles.
| class="wikitable"
|+ ! colspan="2" |Victoria{{cite news|date=12 July 1879|title=Football|volume=XI|page=3|newspaper=Evening Journal|issue=3202|location=South Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197727827|accessdate=5 November 2020|via=National Library of Australia}} ! colspan="2" |South Australia{{cite news|date=12 July 1879|title=Football|volume=XLI|page=12|newspaper=Leader|issue=1228|location=Victoria, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198003121|accessdate=5 November 2020|via=National Library of Australia}} |
| John Gardiner (captain)
|Alfred McMichael (captain) |
| George Coulthard
|Joseph Traynor |
| Murphy
|Joseph Pollock |
| Billy McLean
|Louis Suhard |
| Rannard
|A.T. Harrison |
| J. Gibson
| | |
| Harry Downes
| | |
| G.V. Cooke
| | | |
| Thomas
| | | |
| Kirby
| | | |
| McKenzie
| | | |
| Cooper (IN)
| | | |
- Result – Victoria def. South Australia (4–1).{{cite news|date=12 July 1879|title=Football|volume=XLIV|page=7|newspaper=South Australian Register|issue=10,190|location=South Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43093892|accessdate=5 November 2020|via=National Library of Australia}}
- Venue – East Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Attendance – 8,000
- Umpire – Jas. Slight.