Ending months of speculation, the Gold Coast SUNS today announced Geelong champion midfielder Gary Ablett has confirmed he will join the club for the next five years. The 2009 Brownlow medalist, dual Geelong premiership player and four-time All Australian, is widely recognised as the best player in the AFL competition.

Gold Coast SUNS CEO Travis Auld said the announcement is the biggest endorsement of the new AFL team yet with Ablett joining recent player signings Nathan Bock, Nathan Krakouer, Michael Rischitelli, Campbell Brown and Jarrod Harbrow.

The AFL has provided us with the international broadcast schedule*. Please note there is no ICS broadcast into China. Please see below for details.

Kevin Sheedy, the GWS senior coach and a multiple premiership coach at Essendon, has once again thrown his weight behind supporting international growth. With reports that the AFL is set to reap $10 - $15 million from the Grand Final replay, CEO Andrew Demetriou has pledged that much of it will go to Game Development. However, numerous measures are likely to eat into that, including some extra money to be given to the participating paying players and probably free tickets will be given to under-privileged fans.

All worthy causes, but let's hope that AFL HQ also listens to Sheedy's call, "I hope the AFL contributes all the extra money to developing football in the northern part of Australia and overseas", in his article Collingwood faces bigger hurdle to rise again. An extra $3 million into the international department would go a long way to covering International Cup airfares, or employee a swag of development officers to set up junior and school programs in a handful of nations.

The AFL has appointed retiring Sydney Swans captain Brett Kirk as an AFL Ambassador, in particular with the brief to spend 6 months overseas promoting the fourth International Cup, set for August 2011.

Kirk was a member of Sydney's 2006 premiership side and has been arguably the AFL's most respected leader. A product of Albury in southern New South Wales, he has been well known for his spiritual approach to life and is reportedly a practicing Buddhist.

Kirk will contribute to the AFL website with blogs and video entries throughout his international travels. “I played my footy with a lot of passion and heart and I’m looking forward to bringing that into my next role and next phase in life. The role encapsulates a lot of different things, including going on a journey with my family and telling their story and taking people on an adventure through my eyes. I just want to help the AFL showcase to people what our game can do and work towards taking our game to other countries.”

The AFL wishes to advise arrangements for the replay of the 2010 Toyota AFL grand final are as follows: The replay of the 2010 Toyota AFL Grand Final between Collingwood and St Kilda will be played at 2.30pm on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at the MCG. Tickets will be on sale to members of the competing clubs at 9am Monday, September 27. Tickets for AFL members will be on sale 9am Tuesday September 28. Should any tickets be available after sales to club members, tickets will go on sale at 9am on Wednesday September 29 to the general public.

Tickets will be available from Ticketek via telephone or online at http://ticketek.com.au only.

After an epic four quarters that saw Collingwood lead for most of the game, St Kilda worked their way back to level scores very late in the last quarter before Collingwood goaled to get their nose back in front. A dribbled point to St Kilda tied the scores and time beat a definitive result, giving the first draw in the AFL era, with previous VFL draws in 1977 (Collingwood vs North Melbourne) and 1948 (Essendon vs Melbourne).

Unlike other finals there is no extra time, and the teams will return next week to play again, in what must be a logistical nightmare for the AFL, but a welcome one.



Final Scores:

COLLINGWOOD 4.2 7.8 7.13 9.14 (68)
ST KILDA 3.2 4.2 7.5 10.8 (68)

[Note that these details are for the first game, not the replayed match.]

The AFL has provided us with the international broadcast schedule*. Please see below for details.

Over in Perth, the WAFL Grand Final on the weekend just gone was one for the ages. A classic game of Australian Football. It also helped the WAFL record a second successive record season for attendances.

Andrew Krakouer provided further momentum to his case for a recall to AFL ranks with a 40 possession 4 goal BOG performance in the WAFL Grand Final.

[Note that these details are for the first game, not the replayed match.]

The Grand Final combatants are now set. Whether you are a Collingwood fan looking for them to improve on their dismal Grand Final winning record, a Saints fan looking for them to break their long drought or a neutral just wanting to watch the big game, finding somewhere to watch it when you are overseas is not always an easy task. Once again World Footy News is proud to present you with a wide list of venues to watch the 2010 AFL Grand Final around the world. Feel free to add any venues that are not listed below in the comments section and we will add them to the main list.

Please note: The information is entered here in good faith. worldfootynews.com is not responsible for any incorrect information posted to this story. Wherever possible attempt to check ahead to make sure the party you are planning on attending is still going ahead and has room for you. There have been cases of sell outs and late changes e.g. when a venue could not secure a telecast.

Collingwood Coach, Mick Malthouse was tonight announced as the AFLCA’s Etihad Airways Senior Coach of the Year in front of over 500 guests at the AFLCA’s Awards Night at Crown. Voted by his coaching peers, Mick won the AFLCA Award in his 27th year as a Senior Coach. Mick was the AFL’s inaugural Coach of the Year in 1991 and will lead his team into this Saturday’s Grand Final.

Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan, won his first AFLCA “Championship Moves Champion Player of the Year Award, breaking the stranglehold of Geelong star Gary Ablett who had won it on the 3 previous occasions. Swan finished in front of Luke Hodge with Joel Selwood in third position. Each Senior Coach voted on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis after each home and away game this Season. Police Minister Bob Cameron made the Presentation to Swan.