Wolverhampton Wolverines play the game by their Aussie rules

But did you know there is another football team in the city, who are also named after Wolves, and play in gold and black as well?

But this team doesn't play with 11 players on the pitch, or in the English football pyramid for that matter, writes Jamie Brassington.

Instead they go by the rules of Australian football, where you can pass with your fists and tackle someone off the ball.

Introducing Wolverhampton Wolverines Australian Football Club, who for the last eight years have been representing the city in the Antipodean version of the sport, which is 'rougher and tougher'.

Here they field nine players on rugby pitches where they have to score between four posts instead of two.

The team was founded in 2009 by PE teacher Ian Mitchell from Codsall and in that time the team's popularity has continually grown.

Wolverines play in the Australian Football League Central and Northern England division, and last year came close to winning it.

They are currently in pre-season and soon will be host a charity shield competition in aid of Balls to Cancer, where teams from all over the country will come to the Black Country to compete.

AFL Football has been described as a mix of sports by Mitchell, as it combines styles from English football, rugby and basketball.

"It is a lot rougher than football or rugby," he said. "You are allowed to knock people out the way and tackle people off the ball to within five metres," he said.

"It combines a variety of sports, there is elements of basketball, rugby and football. There are also a wide variety of strengths that are useful to have in the game.

"In midfield it helps to have tall and short players. Tall players help to catch the ball and pass it to their team at the start of the match, which is kicked off with the ball being thrown in the air.

"But small players are quick and able to find space to run with the ball."

There is no goalkeeper in AFL, but there are defenders, midfielders and attackers.

Traditionally the sport is played as 18-a-side in Australia, Ian said, but because it is a 'minority sport' in England, he says it would be hard to field that many players at the moment.

He set up Wolverines following a trip to Australia in 2006, after he had finished his university education.

During his year-long journey, where he travelled with friends from Melbourne to the East Coast and West Coast, he developed a passion for the game.

"I found I wasn't enjoying playing football anymore," said Ian. "I was watching a lot in Australia and also played a bit there."

When he came back to the West Midlands, Ian joined an AFL team in Birmingham before setting up Wolverhampton Wolverines.

Since then he says there have been around 70 different players who have come through the team, with some going on to represent Great Britain at international level.

"Last season several of our senior men became European champions with the Great Britain Bulldogs and one of our girls did the same with the Great Britain Swans," said Ian. "This season several of the senior men are hoping to be selected to go down to Australia in August to represent Great Britain in the International

Cup."

He said the club was now focusing on producing women's and junior teams.

The club used to play their home games at Wolverhampton and Willenhall Rugby Club but now they are based at Bloxwich Rugby.

Wolverines compete in the AFL England's Central and Northern League, where they compete against Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Huddersfield, Merseyside and Tyne Tees.