Watch some of the oldest surviving footy vision from City Oval
by Melanie WhelanBALLARAT Swans have released some of the earliest vision recorded of an Australian Rules football match.
The Swans worked to digitise footage of the club's 1911 clash against Geelong Football Club to celebrate its 150-year milestone. One decade on and the Swans have posted the full clip, found in state archives, to mark the club's 160th anniversary.
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The oldest surviving footage of an Australian Rules football match is believed to be the 1909 Victorian Football League grand final between Carlton and South Melbourne.
This match, on April 17, shows the Swans hosting VFL-club Geelong at City Oval with the Cats prevailing, 15.24 (114) to 4.8 (32).
Ballarat, the third oldest continuous running Australian football club, was part of the then-Ballarat Football Association and had an affiliation with the Victorian Football Association.
Hundreds packed City Oval grand stands and you can see players running on to the ground, one holding the hand of a child, in similar custom to today.
Stay tuned as The Courier delves into more Ballarat Swans' history next week.