The Yard

Two young Australian women in AFLW graphic tees at a suburban oval on AFLW match day
What Is AFLW? The Women’s Competition Explained
AFLW is the national women’s Australian Rules competition, launched in 2017. The history, the format, the clubs, and what makes it distinct from the men’s game. Read more...
Australian woman in AFL graphic tee checking the AFL ladder on her phone in a pub
AFL Ladder Explained: How Does It Actually Work?
Points, percentage, wins, the final eight — how the AFL ladder works and what determines who makes the finals when teams are level on points. Read more...
Australians in AFL graphic tees in a packed grandstand during AFL finals
AFL Finals System Explained: Every Format the League Has Ever Used
The current finals system, how it works, and every major format the VFL and AFL have used to decide a premiership across more than a century of finals football. Read more...
Two Australian men in AFL graphic tees in a pub, backing different states for State of Origin
State of Origin: The History of Interstate Football Rivalry
Before the national competition absorbed state loyalties, interstate football was a fierce and distinct beast. The history of State of Origin football and what it meant. Read more...
Australian woman and child in AFL graphic tees at the Melbourne Grand Final Parade
The AFL Grand Final Parade: History and Culture
The Grand Final parade through Melbourne’s CBD is one of Australian sport’s great annual rituals. Its history, its format, and what it means to the people who line the streets. Read more...
Four Australians in different graphic tees in a pub, showing good-natured AFL club rivalry
What Your AFL Club Says About You
A satirical cultural audit of every AFL club and the personality type that barracks for them. Fair dinkum analysis. Mostly. Read more...
Australians in AFL graphic tees standing outside the MCG on Yarra Park
The MCG: History of the Cathedral
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is the spiritual home of AFL football. Its history, its records, its Grand Finals, and why Australians call it the Cathedral. Read more...
Australian man in AFL graphic tee holding a Sherrin football at a suburban oval at dusk
The Sherrin: History of the AFL Football
The Sherrin has been the official ball of Australian Rules since the early 20th century. Its history, its construction, and why the oval shape shapes the entire game. Read more...
Australian woman in graphic tee standing in the Australian bush, reflecting on Marngrook
Marngrook: The First Nations Game Before the Game
Marngrook was a traditional ball game played by Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali peoples of western Victoria. Its relationship to the codification of Australian Rules football and why that connection matters. Read more...
Australian man in graphic tee standing at a heritage Australian rules football ground
The History of Australian Rules Football
From a single Melbourne club in 1858 to an 18-team national competition watched by millions — the complete history of how Australian Rules became what it is. Read more...
Australians in AFL graphic tees celebrating a spectacular mark at a suburban footy ground
The Greatest AFL Marks of All Time: Speccies, Hangers and Screamers
From Mark of the Year contenders to the marks that stopped a nation — the greatest speccies in AFL history, ranked and explained. Read more...
A man and a woman wearing AFL pre-season graphic tees in an Aussie pub
AFL Pre-Season Explained: Scratch Matches, Training and What It All Means
Scratch matches, the pre-season cup, and the murky art of reading a result that doesn’t really count yet. What actually happens before round one. Read more...
Two Australian men in AFL graphic tees discussing AFL trade period news
AFL Trade Period Explained: Every Term You Need
Picks, points value, free agency, last-minute deals — the trade period is the AFL’s annual silly season, where club lists are reshaped before the draft. Read more...
Australian man in AFL graphic tee at the MCG after the Grand Final, marking the Norm Smith Medal moment
The Norm Smith Medal: AFL's Grand Final Best on Ground Award
Awarded on the day, decided by media vote, presented to the player judged best afield in the biggest match of the year. The Norm Smith Medal explained. Read more...
Australians in AFL graphic tees watching the Brownlow Medal count on Night of Nights
The Brownlow Medal Explained: AFL's Night of Nights
The Brownlow is AFL’s highest individual honour — voted by the field umpires themselves. What it is, who can win it, and why the count night is must-watch television. Read more...
Australian man in AFL graphic tee sitting alone in an empty suburban footy grandstand
The AFL Wooden Spoon: A Complete History of Honourable Failure
Finishing last is not glamorous, but it has its own history, its own statistics, and its own strange dignity. The wooden spoon, explained. Read more...
Two Australians in AFL graphic tees in Melbourne CBD during Grand Final week
AFL Grand Final Week: The Complete Guide to the Language and Rituals
The parade, the entertainment, the footy shows, the public holiday — Grand Final week stretches the premiership decider across a city-wide ritual lasting most of a week. Read more...
Two Australians in AFL graphic tees standing in the MCG outer, reflecting on Grand Final history
AFL Grand Final History: Every Era, Every Dynasty, Every Great Moment
From the first VFL premiership in 1897 to the modern AFL era — the eras, the dynasties, and the moments that define the biggest day in Australian sport. Read more...
A woman and a man wearing AFL graphic tees in an Aussie football stand on Brownlow count night
AFL Brownlow Count Night: How to Watch and What to Expect
The broadcast, the format, the tension — the Brownlow Medal count is one of the few awards shows where nobody, including the players, knows the result in advance. Read more...