Who was the first Indigenous Australian player in the VFL, now the AFL?

Joe Johnson was the first Indigenous Australian player in the Victorian Football League, the competition now known as the AFL.

Johnson played for Fitzroy and made his VFL debut in 1904. He was a member of Fitzroy’s premiership teams in 1904 and 1905, making him the first Indigenous player to win a VFL premiership as well as the first to appear in the league.

For many years, later Indigenous stars were sometimes incorrectly described as the first Indigenous VFL or AFL players. Gavin Wanganeen, Nicky Winmar and Michael Long were highly influential players from later generations, but they followed Johnson by many decades. Their careers helped increase recognition of Indigenous footballers and their broader cultural influence.

Johnson’s story is connected to the early history of Fitzroy, one of the VFL’s founding clubs. His achievements were not always widely acknowledged in popular football histories, which is one reason the milestone is especially important to identify accurately.