The laws of Australian rules football were first created by the Melbourne Football Club in 1859 and have been refined over the years as the sport evolved into its modern form. The laws significantly predate the advent of a governing body for the sport. The first national and international body, the Australasian Football Council (AFC), was formed in 1905 and became responsible for the laws, although individual leagues retained a wide discretion to vary them. Since 1994, after the establishment of a nation-wide Australian Football League (AFL), the rules for the game have been maintained by the AFL Commission through its AFL Competition Committee.