Exhibition Matches
The first games of gridiron football in Australia occurred during World War II. Exhibition matches featuring American servicemen were played in the major cities and attracted interest and crowds.
A high profile match in Adelaide played on American Independence Day (4 July) 1942 by American servicemen attracted a crowd of 25,000.
Several matches were played in Sydney in 1943 and another high profile match was played in Brisbane in 1944, all featuring American servicemen. Another match was held in Melbourne at an unknown date during the war.
Matches of Austus were also played against Australian rules footballers featuring a set of compromise rules.
However the game did not take hold in Australia after the war.
Read more about this topic: American Football In Australia, History
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