How Tom Wills Shaped the Origins and Early Evolution of Australian Rules Football
Abstract
Thomas Wentworth Wills is the most important figure in the origin and early evolution of Australian Rules football. His life was shaped by intersecting forces: the sporting journey of the gifted athlete, the relationship between father and son, the tensions between colonial and Aboriginal societies, the everchanging place of colonial society within Empire, the impact of impaired mental health, and the damaging influence of alcohol in sport. His story extends well beyond the sporting boundary. The full extent of his role in the formation and early development of the Australian game reveals the more contentious disputes that his recent prominence has ignited, a prominence that has seen his life story resonate as a staple of Australian culture and history.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Physical Education and Sports Studies
Australian History and Society
Sports
Gender
and Society
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The International Journal of the History of Sport
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 9-10
- Pages
- 1220–1241
- Publication date
- 11 February 2026
- Language
- EN