The Louisville Cats came into existence in the summer of 1996 when Louisville resident and Aussie Rules enthusiast, John Harrell, found a spark of interest on the Internet from the Cincinnati area in terms of playing a game of Australian Football. Little did 'Papa John' know what was ahead of that first communication. Papa John posted flyers around the Louisville area, and built enough interest to have a 15-man squad ready to play the Cincinnati team in the first ever game of Australian Football played in the United States. Played in Louisville at Cherokee Park, Cincinnati defeated the Louisville team 19-19-133 to 1-5-11.
"Papa John" Harrell
That spark first started by "Papa John" has now swept the country with over 50 Australian Football Clubs and a governing body, the United States Australian Football League, now in existance.
Trevor Church, left, and Chris Parsley (club co-founders)
Louisville was the first club in the country to receive assistance from an Australian Football League club, receiving jerseys and footballs from the Geelong Football Club in the fall of 1996. The Cats' finest moment may have come in 1997, when it teamed with the Nashville Kangaroos, then in its formative moments, to finish runners-up in the inaugural National Championships in Cincinnati.
