Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Marngrook mateship

20 minutes

Find Out: Here now, there then

25 minutes

Take Action: Changing the narrative

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

explore the historical origins of Australian Rules Football and its connection to the First Nations game, Marngrook
analyse how Marngrook and First Nations culture have influenced the development of AFL.

Success criteria

Students can:

explain how Marngrook influenced the development of Australian Rules Football
evaluate why the connection between Marngrook and AFL was historically ignored and why recognising it matters today.

Tune In: Marngrook mateship

Step 1

Divide the class into small groups (3-4 students per group). In their groups, students will play a quick game of ‘What am I?’ to guess what they are learning about in this lesson.

To begin, write the following clues on the whiteboard for the groups to decipher:

Clues:

This was a game invented and played by First Nations peoples for thousands of years.
It's often described as a ‘kick-and-catch’ game.
The game involved between 50 to 100 players and could last for days.
It is often believed that the game influenced the way early Australian Rules Football was formed, including its unique kicking style.

Step 2

Provide each group with 1-2 minutes to discuss. Next, ask each group to guess the name of the game based on the clues before inviting each group to share their answers with the class.

Step 3

Once the guessing is complete, transition into displaying the Visual Explainer about Marngrook. Explain that the game they just guessed was Marngrook, and now they’ll learn more about its history and connection to AFL.

Learning extension: Invite students to create a T-Chart to identify the differences between AFL and Marngrook.

Find Out: Here now, there then

Step 1

Divide the class into 3 groups. In their groups, your students will investigate a source of information about the connection between Marngrook and the AFL.

Group 1	Group 2	Group 3
AIATSIS – The AFL’s Aboriginal origins	NITV – Historians say newly found transcripts prove Marngrook’s influence on AFL	NFSA – Marn Grook: The Game

Learning support: Allocate students who require additional support to Group 3, as the source of information is multimodal and scaffolded.

Learning extension: Encourage students to investigate multiple sources of information.

Step 2

For this activity, students will be using the Here Now/There Then thinking routine to investigate their source about the Marngrook-AFL connection, and why it was historically overlooked, in the form of the table on the Student Worksheet. After reading or viewing their source, direct students to the Student Worksheet. In the ‘past’ column, invite students to list past stances, values and judgments about this topic. In the ‘present’ column, ask students to list the present stances, values and judgments about AFL originating from Marngrook.

Outline to students that they may need to conduct independent research to ensure that both past and present perspectives are included.

This routine encourages students to compare past and present perspectives, making it ideal for analysing how societal attitudes toward the connection between Marngrook and the AFL have evolved over time.

Step 3

Invite students to compare the ‘past’ and ‘present’ perspectives by writing their thoughts and observations into the ‘compare’ column. Invite paired students to share their findings with another pair from a different group, creating a jigsaw of information being shared across the class. Complete this exchange twice, allowing students time to ask each other questions.

Step 4

Next, ask the students to imagine they could travel back in time to when attitudes about this topic would be different again. Ask students, ‘If you were to add a 4th column that allowed us to record future stances, values and judgments about this topic – what would you hope to see?

Learning extension: Students can discuss why some histories become widely accepted while others are ignored.

Take Action: Changing the narrative

Step 1

Explain to students that they will be imagining a future where the relationship between Marngrook (a traditional First Nations game) and the AFL is universally acknowledged and respected. In this future, the contributions of First Nations cultures to the AFL are recognised, and all communities understand and celebrate this connection. Students will be tasked with changing the narrative to reflect this understanding in their chosen format:

Newspaper article: Write an article for a future newspaper that acknowledges and celebrates Marngrook’s historical influence on the AFL. The article should present facts and examples while imagining a future where this influence is widely accepted.
Poem: Compose a poem about the history of Marngrook, emphasising its power to unite communities, its connection to AFL, and its role in shaping the sporting culture of today.
Comic: Create a comic strip featuring an AFL icon who is educating a group of young children about the history and cultural significance of Marngrook and its influence on the AFL.

Step 2

Students will begin creating their chosen format whilst ensuring that their work is accurate, respectful and creative.

Step 3

Once the students have finished their drafts, invite them to exchange with a partner for peer review. In the review, students should look for:

Clarity of message: Is the influence of Marngrook clearly acknowledged?
Creativity: Did the student effectively use their chosen format to tell the story?
Respectful representation: Does the project demonstrate cultural understanding and respect?

Reflection

Step 1

In this activity, the teacher will read out the statements below about Marngrook and AFL history (some true, some false).

Ask students to share their thoughts using silent signals.

A ‘thumbs up’ indicates that the student believes the statement to be true. A ‘thumbs down’ indicates that the student believes the statement to be false. A thumb held sideways indicates that the student is unsure and would like to look into this further.

Statement	True or False
Marngrook was played with a ball made from possum skin filled with charcoal, and tied with kangaroo-tail sinew.	True
Tom Wills, often credited as the inventor of AFL, lived in the same area where Marngrook was played during his childhood.	True
Marngrook had goals similar to those in Australian Rules Football.	False
The AFL officially acknowledges Marngrook as a precursor to Australian Rules Football.	False
Marngrook was only played in Victoria by the Gunditjmara people.	False. It was also played in other regions, such as the Northern Territory.
The Sydney Swans annually contest the Marn Grook Trophy during Sir Doug Nicholls Round to honour Indigenous contributions to AFL.	True
The term 'mark' in Australian Rules Football, meaning a clean catch followed by a free kick, is believed by some to have originated from the Aboriginal word 'mumarki', used in Marngrook.	True. While not universally accepted, some claim that the term ‘mark’ in AFL is derived from the Aboriginal word ‘mumarki,’ which means ‘to catch’ in the context of Marngrook.
The rules of Marngrook and AFL are identical.	False. The games share similarities but are not identical.
Historians unanimously agree that Marngrook influenced the development of the AFL.	False. The connection is still debated among historians.
One of the main elements of Marngrook involved kicking the ball high into the air and leaping to catch it, which some say inspired AFL's marks.	True

Marngrook and First Nations Influence on the AFL

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