Significant People In The Australian Lacrosse History

Despite the earlier uncivilized form of lacrosse, the people, who saw the potential of the sport to be more of leisure game, were optimistic that it will soon be a worldwide hit. The French were the first to embrace the recreational glory of lacrosse and were considered the forefathers of the sport. In the 1970s, the opening of the International Lacrosse Federation initiated a global reception of lacrosse and made a big mark in sports industry of many nations including Australia. That same optimism of the French discoverers was no different to a boy’s dream of one day playing lacrosse in a land where it has not been played. And the rest, they say, is Australian lacrosse history.

One summer afternoon of 1875 at the height of Victorian gold rush in Australia, Lambton Mount, son of a migrated gold miner, finished a whole game of football with anxiety and boredom. The match between Carlton and Melbourne turned out to be dull for Mount and recalled his childhood memories of playing lacrosse to be more pleasurable.

Australian lacrosse history has it that in 1876, Mount sent a letter of request to an Australian newspaper to publicize his plans of importing lacrosse sticks from Canada. This ignited the beginning of Australian lacrosse and the eventual formation of the Melbourne Lacrosse Club. The following years were crucial to the Australian lacrosse history. Within a span of three years, four organizations were formed and totaling to 120 players. The Victorian Lacrosse Association in July 1879 governed the rules of the participating teams.

The lacrosse fever spread southwards in 1885 and thus started the South Australian Lacrosse Association (now called Lacrosse SA) in 1888. In Western Australia, the game of lacrosse was first played in 1890. A significant part of the Australian lacrosse history was in 1899 when coastal teams engaged in an exhibition game. It was then accepted by many as a regular sport and was drawing crowds up to 10,000.

A sudden ripple of change occurred in the Australian lacrosse history after the two World Wars. Lacrosse almost died out due to unavailability of sport equipment and increased prices of cost. Many, however, were persistent and were able to revive it in a few years. Today, places like Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide are supporting the lacrosse sport with utmost standards in competition.

Australian lacrosse history reveals that women also played a vital role in the sport’s success in the region. The year 1962 signaled the inauguration of the Australian Women’s Lacrosse Council or AWLC. The organization aimed to promote lacrosse in women and standardized rules and specifications.

In 2004, an all-men lacrosse tournament called the Australian Lacrosse League (ALL) was launched. ALL is contested by three states: Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. The ultimate goal of ALL to have all states participating in the league is yet to be accomplished.