An open letter from Andrew Demetriou to all AFL supporters
Tonight the Australian Football League celebrates a historic occasion with the official launch of the 2012 Toyota AFL Premiership season, which for the first time is happening in the heart of Sydney.
On behalf of our 18 AFL clubs, the AFL would like to thank the more than seven million Australians whose support, passion, volunteerism and participation help make our game great.
We hope you share our pride in what Australian Rules football has been able to achieve since its humble origins in Melbourne over 154 years ago.
Your game has now become Australia's Game.
As we pause to remember the wonderful contribution of the late Jim Stynes, who lost his courageous battle with cancer earlier this week after a stellar career as a player and then as a community leader, we also look forward to a year which represents a coming of age as we welcome our 18th club, the Greater West Sydney Giants, to the AFL family.
The Toyota AFL Premiership season kicks off this Saturday night with the much anticipated Opening Round clash between the Giants and their cross-town rivals, the Sydney Swans.
Over the course of the year, Toyota AFL Premiership season matches will be played in every state and territory, from Cairns to Hobart, Gold Coast to Perth, Adelaide to Darwin, Launceston to Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Our game is now truly Australia-wide.
Australia's Game continues to provide opportunities for kids from all backgrounds to engage in healthy and active lifestyles. Across the country, community football clubs, schools and NAB AFL Auskick centres are preparing for the season ahead, nurturing and developing the future stars of our game.
In 2011, 7.48 million people attended Toyota AFL Premiership season matches and about the same number attended matches involving the more than 2500 community clubs which field more than 12,300 teams each week of the season in 273 leagues around Australia.
Of course, Australia’s Game continues to face challenges.
We need to build 18 strong AFL clubs, bed down expansion, and strengthen the community base whilst keeping the game spectacular, affordable and accessible for all. We also need to protect the integrity of the game and make the necessary decisions for the long term.
But we can tackle these challenges with confidence. To quote respected journalist and AFL Life member, Mike Sheahan, Australian Rules Football "is symbolic of a class-less Australia, for when the football is played, every person in the crowd, in front of the television screen, listening to the radio, is equal ... football is the end product of all that's typical of Australia - health, vitality, athleticism, optimism, flair, victory and defeat, and tribalism."
On behalf of the 18 AFL clubs and the hundreds of footballers who will compete in 2012 for the Toyota AFL Premiership, thank-you for your ongoing support and passion. You are the lifeblood of Australia's Game.
Andrew Demetriou
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Last Modified on 03/05/2012 12:21