World Footy News

The Melbourne Demons will certainly be a familiar face in the Northern Territory throughout the 2018 season as both their AFL and AFLW teams increase their combined presence. In the following press release from the AFLNT, the increased Demon visitations are highlighted along with reference to an article from Matt Burgon at the www.afl.com.au website which looks at the Demons working closely with a Northern Territory club at grass roots level.    

AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) is thrilled with today’s announcements that it will host five AFL games in 2018.

 

The AFL Women’s (AFLW) will be the first to kick off with a pre-season match on Saturday 13th January 2018 at TIO Stadium as part of the Adelaide Crows Women’s team pre-season camp. 

 Alice Springs will make history as it hosts its first ever AFLW game on Saturday 24th February at Traeger Park when the Melbourne Demons take on Collingwood at 5.40pm.  

The inaugural AFLW 2017 premiership team will then take on the Fremantle Dockers at TIO Stadium in Round 6 on Friday 9th March at 5.35pm.

Round 10 of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season will see the Melbourne Football Club host the Adelaide Crows at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs on Sunday May 27 at 2.50pm.

The Melbourne Football Club will then host Fremantle at TIO Stadium in Darwin in Round 16 on Saturday July 7 at 7.10pm.

AFLNT CEO Michael Solomon said, “We are thrilled to have five AFL games in the Northern Territory next year and to host an AFLW game for the first time ever in Alice Springs is very exciting for our football fans.”

“With seven NT players signed, and the team building on what has already been achieved on and off the field, people will be lining up to watch the exciting brand of football that the Adelaide Crows Women’s team play.”

Solomon said “The announcement of the AFL games in the Northern Territory shows we are committed to building strong links between local communities, grassroots football and the elite level,”

“We have worked closely with the NT Government and the clubs to reach this agreement so we are delighted to be continuing relationships once again.”

“Our gratitude goes to everyone involved including the Adelaide Football Club, Melbourne Football Club, the NT Government, the AFL and the people of AFLNT who have worked tirelessly to deliver this outcome” he said.

The work of the Melbourne Football Club in the Northern Territory is also highlighted by the connection with Central Australia Redtails based in Alice Springs. According to Matt Burgon on the www.afl.com.au website:

MELBOURNE has partnered with the Redtails, an Alice Springs-based football team, which aims to drive change in the Central Australia community.

The Redtails (men’s team) and Pinktails (women’s) are made up of players from Central Australia, from about “300 communities” in the area. 

General manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said Melbourne had been looking to formalise its relationship with a club in the Northern Territory, and the Redtails were the right fit for both parties.

“After playing the first AFL home and away game in Alice Springs in 2014 and being allocated the Alice Springs region as part of our Next Generation Academy, we have been looking at potential partnerships in the region,” he told melbournefc.com.au. 

“Once we spoke to Redtails president Rob Clarke about his program, how it started and the success stories, we felt that a partnership between the Redtails and Melbourne Football Club made sense and would have a positive impact on the community.

To read the full Matt Burgon story on the Melbourne Demons and the Redtails, go to the following link: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-10-27/melbourne-partners-with-redtails

The connection between the Melbourne Demons and the AFLNT has been a long time in the making. The following stories from 2013 give an insight into the goals of the venture. See AFLNT Board to evaluate community support for Central Australian Redtails as well as Northern Territory strengthens ties with Melbourne Demons