Sherrin

Sherrin is a brand of football used in Australian rules football and is the official ball of the Australian Football League, designed to its official specifications. It was the first ball designed specifically for the sport. Sherrin footballs are manufactured by Spalding, owned by Russell Corp Aus P/L, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from cow hide lined and machine-stitched, but other sized models are often made in India or China, using synthetic rubber.

Specifications

FULL SIZE BALL (SIZE 5)

History

The first Australian rules football was invented by Thomas William Sherrin in 1880, when he was given a misshapen rugby ball to fix. He designed the Sherrin with indented rather than pointy ends to give the ball a better bounce. The sport known as football, or "footy", was rapidly increasing in popularity, and Sherrin footballs soon became the icon for being the first ball made for Australian rules football.