Adrian Ballantyne
From: News Limited Network
March 01, 2013 9:40AM
MALE-dominated crowds and international supporters watching games in the middle of the ocean are the cornerstones of the AFL's season launch advertisement.
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Women appear in only one scene in the minute-long advertisement, which reprises the use of the AC/DC song Long Way to the Top from last year's launch ad.

The commercial shows people enjoying the game - including Nick Riewoldt's memorable kamikaze mark from nine years ago - in countries all over the world.

The attempt to portay Aussie Rules as a global game comes despite the AFL struggling to keep the International Rules alive in the past few years, let alone expand beyond Ireland.





http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/new-afl-takes-footy-to-the-world/story-e6frf9jf-1226588191111

So there is a professional AFL comp in Ireland:shock:
And here I was thinking that the only professional AFL competition was in Australia.
Gotta laugh at the ad-why would these people be seeing AFL on their tv beyond our shores anyway

Dean Rioli claims introduction of all-indigenous team in TAC under-18 competition is racist
Daryl Timms From:Herald Sun March 05, 2013 12:00AM

INDIGENOUS community leader Dean Rioli has labelled the introduction of an all-Aboriginal team in the TAC Victorian under-18 competition as racist.

Rioli, who played 100 games for Essendon, said there would be a public outcry if an all-white team was introduced.

"I don't really like the fact that they will be discriminating against a person," Rioli said from Darwin yesterday.

"If a young white kid was good enough to play, he can't play because he's obviously of a different race.

"To me, we want to stamp out any sort of discrimination and this is what this is."

The AFL announced last week the establishment of the Laguntas Indigenous Tigers program at Richmond's Punt Rd headquarters.

It will be supported by AFL Victoria and the Korin Gomandji Institute.

The Laguntas - the Aboriginal word for tiger - will play three games in the TAC Cup this year with more games likely in 2014.

Indigenous players tied to a TAC Cup side but who fail to get a game can play for the Laguntas Tigers.

While Rioli conceded the program aimed to halt the decline of indigenous players in the AFL, he said smart decisions, rather than rash ones, had to be made.

"With the numbers being down in the AFL on indigenous players compared to previous years, they are trying as many things as possible to increase that number but, at the same time, you have to do it the right way," Rioli said.

"You can't exclude anyone from being part of any organisation and that is exactly what this promotes."

Rioli said it was important indigenous people got a fair go, the same as non-indigenous people receiving a fair go in Aboriginal organisations.

"Imagine the uproar if you could only be white to play in this side," he said.

"It's just ridiculous."

Rioli, who is assistant coach of Wanderers Football Club, is involved in supporting indigenous people into employment in Darwin and working with Aboriginal businesses to become involved in gas and oil plants.

Rioli said he fully supported the Indigenous All Stars match, which features a team of indigenous AFL players. He also supports the Fitzroy Stars side that plays in Melbourne's Northern Football League.

"The Fitzroy Stars team have non-indigenous players playing and coaching, but if it is just all indigenous and you have to be indigenous to be part of it, to me that's just very wrong," Rioli said.

Former Geelong and Adelaide forward Ronnie Burns, who was born in Darwin, said an all-indigenous team would not work in the TAC Cup.

"The non-indigenous players would feel left out," he said. "The white kid next door could be as good as the indigenous kid. It's unfair for that young kid."

The new forceful contact below the knees rule is horrible.

:-S I'm surprised that such a statement is coming from an aboriginal player.

Because it is so logical?

I fully agree with him.

GWS memberships for 2013 now at 10,795

http://membership.gwsgiants.com.au/

GWS memberships at 10,662

http://membership.gwsgiants.com.au/

How is 133 memberships sold in four days noteworthy?

How is 133 memberships sold in four days noteworthy?

Is 10,795 some significant milestone perhaps?

N.B It is great to they're still selling memberships.

Really, from you? And damn levels are noteworthy in the match day threads?
Pot. Kettle. Black.

Really, from you? And damn levels are noteworthy in the match day threads?
Pot. Kettle. Black.

My damn levels are pretty low

He's just copying and pasting all the info from the BOM site you Sad. Grumpy. Fuck.

Honestly, does anyone on this forum care how many GWS memberships are sold?

Some people might be interested.

I didn't ask for your drivel trying to defend your spam. I didn't ask if anyone' might' be interested. I asked if anyone on this forum cared how many GWS memberships are sold.