Which two schools played the first recorded match of Australian rules football in 1858?

Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College played the first recorded match of Australian rules football in 1858.

The match took place in Melbourne, Victoria, on 7 August 1858. It is generally regarded as the earliest recorded game in the development of Australian rules football, although the code evolved gradually from several football traditions rather than appearing fully formed in one match.

The schools played a return match later that year, and their annual fixture became an important tradition. A commemorative match is still associated with the two schools and is often described as the world’s oldest continuous football competition.

The 1858 game is sometimes confused with the drafting of the first written rules. Those rules were codified in Melbourne in 1859, after early matches had already helped establish the game’s distinctive running, marking, and kicking style.