Marn Grook

Traditional Aboriginal Australian football — high-marking kicking game often cited as an ancestor of Aussie Rules.

🌤outdoor

What is Marn Grook?

Marn grook is a traditional Aboriginal Australian football game played by the Djab Wurrung, Gunditjmara and other peoples of western Victoria for centuries before European contact. Players contested a stuffed possum-skin ball with high leaping catches and long kicks. It is widely (though contentiously) cited as an inspiration for Australian rules football.

Quick facts

Category

Traditional & Cultural Sports

Type

Team sport

Players

20–100

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇦🇺 Australia

Estimated origin

Traditional Aboriginal Australia (Djab Wurrung, Gunditjmara; long pre-1858)

Olympic

No

Popularity

niche

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified