The following is a story from the Coburg Football Club’s website which looks at how two of its Muslim footballers balance their celebration of Ramadan and football. Towards the end the article also looks at a cross-section of the cultural backgrounds of a club in suburban Melbourne – their case is not unique as the multicultural growth in footy goes from grass roots to the highest level. It is nevertheless an interesting example. The story by Adrian Dixon can be found at: http://coburgfc.com.au/lions-stars-embracing-culture/

 

One aspect that the Coburg Football Club prides itself on is its diversity with regards to its multiculturalism.

 

As the suburb of Coburg is based in the City of Moreland, there are many different cultures that represent the municipality, whether it be the background of their heritage or what religion they believe in.

 

And while the AFL encourages its clubs, at both league and state level to promote their multicultural stories among its players and staff, it provides great publicity for clubs like the Lions in order to increase its awareness.  

On the back of nearly four million viewers in China for the Power's Round 5 clash against Geelong, Port Adelaide, the AFL and CCTV have entered a partnership which will see one AFL game per week for the remainder of the 2016 home and away season broadcast on the world's biggest television network.

As part of the agreement, one in every three games will involve Port Adelaide. CCTV will also broadcast any final if Port Adelaide is a competing club.

Port Adelaide will continue to produce its weekly 30-minute AFL Show which documents Port Adelaide SANFL recruit Chen Shoaliang's dream of one day playing AFL. The show also showcases highlights of five AFL games from the weekend, as well as the top five marks, goals and tackles from each Round.

 

This weekend sees the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round played across the nation. Features of the weekend include the wearing by AFL clubs of indigenous design jumpers at all matches and a host of activities across the nation at all venues. The Northern Territory is a major part of the events with their annual clash in Alice Springs featuring the Melbourne demons and the Port Adelaide Power. The following press release from the AFL outlines the Alice Springs event.

 

AFLNT is pleased to announce the Northern Territory Minister for Sport and Recreation, The Hon. Nathan Barrett MLA, will be hosting a free barbecue lunch for all football fans at TIO Traegar Park this Friday 27 May following an AFL Super Clinic in the Red Centre.

 

(Picture: Sir Doug Nicholls - www.afl.com.au )

Our friends at The Footy Almanac (in particular Marius Cuming, Phil Dimitriadis and John Harms) are seeking to crowdfund restoration of the grave of Tom Wills, one of the fathers of Australian Football.  Read on for more details as originally published at www.footyalmanac.com.au. 

Australia’s first sporting legend and the father of Australian football lies in a crumbling grave in a Melbourne cemetery.

With a largely unknown but extraordinary life story, Tom Wills deserves a final resting place in better condition.

With the blessing of the Wills family, The Footy Almanac is now raising funds to renovate the gravesite of our first cricketing hero who also gave Australians our own spectacular game.

The project will cost about $15,000 and with millions of AFL supporters and cricket lovers, the Australian public should be able to do the right thing by this man and restore his gravesite to its former glory.

The Australian Rules footballing world has reacted with shock and also support for Hawthorn’s star forward, Jarryd Roughead. After having had a melanoma removed from his lip during the 2015 season, Roughead returned to the field. But this season he has been struck down by knee surgery, and this week during a routine check the melanoma has returned. Roughead’s playing future is now in doubt until the results of a biopsy determine the next course of action.

 

It is rare that a player has to go through such a public health scare during their playing career. But there is an enormous groundswell of support for the star Hawk.

 

 

World Footy News joins with those sending Jarryd and those close to him messages of best wishes, concern and support.

WE HAVE CONFIRMED WITH THE SYDNEY SWANS THAT THIS IS OPEN TO CLUBS IN AUSTRALIA ONLY.

The Sydney Swans are pleased to announce the Volkswagen Grassroots Grants program is back for 2016 with another $10,000 up for grabs for community AFL clubs.

The Swans and Volkswagen have again teamed up to offer 10 grants of $1000 each to help community clubs with initiatives such as facility improvements, new footballs, guernseys or training equipment.

For the chance to win a share of the $10,000, clubs should visit www.sydneyswans.com.au/vwgrassrootsgrants  and fill out the online application form by Sunday 29 May.

AFL Media Release

The AFL is pleased to announce the appointment of a Women’s Football Advisory Group.

Chaired by AFL Commissioner Major General Simone Wilkie, the 10-member group will meet quarterly to provide input in the inaugural national women’s competition which will commence in 2017.

AFL General Manager Game and Market Development Simon Lethlean said the panel will help shape recommendations for the new league.

There will be no repeat of the scenes in 2010 when Collingwood and St Kilda played out a draw in the first Grand Final that year.  Players collapsed and fans scrambled as everyone realised they would all be back to do it again the following week. 

Footy clubs around the world also realised that the grand final party they had just held, would be back on the following week.  For many clubs their best fundraising activity of the year - holding a live grand final viewing party - could be done all over again.  Other benefits for overseas viewers (beyond the benefits of having one more game televised live) were that they would be a chance to get a ticket if they wanted to make a late dash to watch the replay in person.

The story gained great media coverage around the world too, enhancing the image of the tough physical game that would come back and do it all again the following week.

But this will not happen again it seems.  The AFL announced on Tuesday it would no longer use a replay for any drawn match in the Toyota AFL Grand Final.

 

 

The following article from the AFLNT (AFL Northern Territory) details the selection of the top 100 footballers from this often underrated footballing goldmine. The AFL has been graced over the years by names such as Rioli, Long and Burgoyne – all heralding from the Northern Territory.

 

Following months of robust discussion and committee debate, we are pleased to announce the top 100 footballers for the Northern Territory Government AFLNT Team of the Century.

 

The list includes NT football identities that established their careers on the national stage and also pays respect to the local men who made their name in the Territory.

 

Featuring in the Top 100 is Michael Long, winner of two AFL Premierships with the Essendon Football Club, a Norm Smith Medallist and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee. Long heralds from local club St Mary’s where he was also a two-time premiership player.

At the recent National Diversity Championships in Townsville, I was allowed access to the Northern Territory Kickstart teams coach’s bench during their Preliminary Final against the Victoria/Tasmania team. It was a match of two well performed teams, and the winner would go on to play the Western Australia juggernaut in the Grand Final. There was a lot riding on the match, but their coaches were generous in letting me have a close up view of what happens inside that inner sanctum of coaching.

Northern Territory coach, Shannon Motlop, knows a thing or two (or three) about footy. After a 54 game career at the North Melbourne Kangaroos, including an AFL premiership in 1999 with them, he went on to be recruited by the Melbourne Demons as a replacement for Troy Broadbridge who tragically died in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Stints playing and coaching across country Victoria added to his repertoire of practice.