Wow the lions win again. Can we dream of finals?

I think reason Geelong had their lowest crowd was because they were playing Port, plus all those renovations.
And fkn hell North ruined my perfect 9 AGAIN :x

I thought people turned up to see their team play not the opposition

I thought people turned up to see their team play not the opposition

What the fuck? Give up a 29 point lead to go down by 2 points at home. Jeebus.

Saints premiership star Rodger Head dies

by: Chris de Kretser From: Herald Sun July 11, 2012

ST KILDA'S back pocket in its only premiership team, Rodger Head, has died after a long battle with cancer, aged 73.

..Head, who became a prominent stockbroker, played 93 games for the Saints including the 1965 and 1966 Grand Finals.

A highly-rated schoolboy sportsman at Haileybury, Head's early football career was ravaged by injuries. He broke both his legs in 1960.

But it blossomed when he was shifted to the back-pocket.

After another groin injury, he retired in 1967 to pursue business commitments.

Head was an active corporate supporter of the Saints and very close to his premiership teammates.

It was his idea that the 1966 flag team should visit their ailing skipper Darrel Baldock in Tasmania. He and teammate John Bingley organised the reunion in 2009.

Battling prostate cancer, he was determined to celebrate his 70th birthday in a big way and organised a party at the Flower Drum for family, friends and his 1966 teammates.

And he joined Lindsay Fox in organising a reunion last year to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1961 St Kilda reserves premiership.

A celebration of his life will be held on Friday 10am at the Trevor Barker Beach Oval in Hampton.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/saints-premiership-star-rodger-head-dies/story-fn9eu7in-1226422866205

$15m academy helps AFL shore up its Aboriginal heartland

NewsJuly 12, 2012

$15m academy helps AFL shore up its Aboriginal heartlandMore articles by Tony Harper

The AFL took a big step towards shoring up its production line of talented Aboriginal youth from the Northern Territory with the announcement of a $15 million academy in Darwin on Thursday.

The Federal Government has committed $11m to the Michael Long NT Thunder Learning and Leadership Centre, with $1.5m coming from the AFL and $2.5m from the NT Government.

Federal Minister Simon Crean said $7.5m would come from the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) and $3.5 million through the Aboriginal Benefit Account – which distributes royalties from mining on Aboriginal land.

“This centre is about developing passion for sport but channelling it into life skills to reinforce the importance of education and closing the gap,’” said Crean.

The project was unsuccessful in the first round of RDAF, but the applicants learnt from the feedback, strengthened the partnership and persisted with the project, said Crean, adding: “partnership and persistence have paid dividends.”

The $3.5 million from the Aboriginals Benefit Account will enable the centre to provide a caring and supportive environment for remote Aboriginal students to undertake their studies and experience life in a major urban area.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of the AFL, Gillon McLachlan said the Learning and Leadership Centre was a significant development for AFL football in the Territory.

“The Northern Territory has long been a producer of elite talent, along with mass community engagement in football,” McLachlan said.

The Michael Long centre will include state of the art facilities including:

•Gymnasium;
•Swimming pool and recovery facilities;
•Lecture theatres and classrooms; and
•Accommodation for 70.
Long, a former player with the Essendon club and a leading Aboriginal voice in the sport, said the academy will assist young Territorians to become strong role models, having a positive influence on their peers.

“The Learning and Leadership Centre has been my dream for many years, and it will be a place where Territory kids can come to learn in a safe, modern environment but where they will also be immersed in footy, as it is our love of our national sport that unites us all,” Long said.

“The centre will become a vital focal point for young Indigenous Territorians, equipping them with the skills to become leaders.

“I am profoundly grateful for the support provided by the Federal Government, the NT Government, the Aboriginals Benefit Account committee and the AFL, who share my vision and passion for the project.”

Construction on the new centre will begin in coming months, and is scheduled for completion late next year.

http://sportbizinsider.com.au/news/category/stadia-and-infrastructure/15m-academy-helps-afl-shore-up-its-aboriginal-heartland/

Show me the Kanga

JAMES BRESNEHAN | July 12, 2012 12.01am

NORTH Melbourne has walked away with close to $2 million in earnings from what it describes as a "hugely successful" foray into Hobart.

In two games at Blundstone Arena, the Kangaroos have earned $1 million in appearance money and an estimated $1 million in game-day earnings in Hobart.

Last year the club recorded a net loss of $1.1 million.

While North's income per game in Hobart was about half of what Hawthorn generates in Launceston, the Kangas' chief operating officer Cam Vale said yesterday his club could not be happier with the first year of a three-year deal to play in the state's capital.

"I can't talk figures, but financially it's obviously been a tremendous return for the club from the funding partners and having a clean stadium to work with," Vale said.

"It has been a huge success. We are very happy with this first year.

"We went in with really good expectations and exceeded those expectations in nearly every aspect."

Saturday's sell-out clash with the West Coast Eagles was almost perfect, apart from the two-point loss.

"The weekend was the climax of all the work and all the interest from Hobart and Tasmania," Vale said.

"It was a sell-out crowd, there was an enormous amount of North Melbourne colour, not just at the ground but through the shops in the CBD.

"I felt a very strong North Melbourne home ground presence. The only disappointment was not getting over the line."

Vale said the Hobart project went a long way to helping the club's bottom line.

demolition" under way since December, it was a welcome boost.

"It's gone a long way to supporting the growth a football club needs," Vale said.

"AFL clubs are growing at extraordinary rates, so for us it's huge, a really big part of increasing our revenue and that supports our core business as an AFL club."

North Melbourne officials were so delighted with the club's first game against Greater Western Sydney at Blundstone Arena on Easter Sunday they changed venues for their sponsorship weekend and decided to bring their key partners to Hobart.

"We've taken them to Brisbane, Sydney and Gold Coast over the past couple of years, but Tassie outshone them all," Vale said.

"It was a fantastic week from start to finish except for the result, it was an awesome weekend."

The Kangaroos went from a previous best of 1300 Tasmanian members to this year signing a record 3800.

"The real upside for me from a business side is the membership. To have 3800 members in Tasmania this year, that's a tremendous business indicator for us," Vale said.


http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/07/12/345621_afl.html