On October 2, 1988, a meeting of the State Country Football bodies was held at Football Park in Adelaide where the Australian Football Council was formed.  John Spillane (South Australia) was elected President, Bud Byfield (WA) Vice President and Don Cole (Victoria) the third member of the executive.  The first Australian Country Football Carnival was schedueled to be played in Victoria in 1990.

1990 Shepparton 

1992 Port Lincoln 

1994 Geraldton

1996 Cairns 

1998 Bendigo

2000 Wagga Wagga 

2002 Riverlands (SA)

2004 Bunbury

2006 Gold Coast

2008 Shepparton 

2010 Canberra

2012 Wagga Wagga

The 2012 ACFC Carnival in Wagga Wagga was the last Country Football Carnival held between the states with Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria all withdrawing from future competitions at an ACFC meeting held at Princess Park in October 2012.  

Relations between South Australia and Western Australia have remained strong with the two states meeting annually to play a stand alone match.  

In a 2017 meeting held in Perth and following unsuccesful attempts to revitalise the Country Carnivals, remaining members of the ACFC voted to wind up the organisation started in 1998.