Shirley has knocked back an offer from new AFL franchise Gold Coast FC and will instead join Ainslie on a one-year deal.

http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-1051-0-0-0&sID=54793&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=10814678&sectionID=54793

Seems Ainslie might be starting to spend some of their millions, but at any rate its a bit of a boost for the code in ACT

The juniors playing locally is probably just a cost thing – it’s a fair hike from the Bay to Mallacoota!

Maybe the ACTAFL should bring Batemans Bay out of hibernation, might get a few retired players back for the road trip.

i am aware of transport issues to this ground and cricket pressures, but 15k will i reckon provide a great atmosphere and Blacktown is definetly GWS territory, homebush is far to big for them.

Wonder what will happen as Fitzpatrick’s company now owns/leases ? homebush stadium.

Joke accepted mate!

Crickey, I hope your right. I think the game is going to go gang busters in NZ myself. The time is ripe for the Australian diaspora to profile the code to great effect in this respect.

Does anyone know how many Schools are being infiltrated by our game in NSW, esp since the Hawks have tapped into this potential GR in NZ?

The NZ Herald has even given this a plug – on their web site anyway.

Cheers

I would say that with GWS now just down the road ACT will see more resources, i mean lets face it Canberra is nearly a suburb of Sydney these days (attempted joke)

I worked with Jimmie Black and conned him into playing a couple of indoor hockey games once, which tested his fitness out suprisingly. What a terrific Rover/Follower he was. I remember he and Eddie Blackaby playing blinders when we beat the big V at Manuka all those years ago. Kevin Cowboy Neal was inspirational as well on the day.

A bloke by the name of Peter Kenny went to St Eddies with me and played for Manuka. He was recruited by Carlton however a series of Injuries put pay to an otherwise promising career. I reckon there could well be room for him as well on this ACT/ Qbyn team of the century.

Pip

I think there may well be a few rookies yet to be confirmed from the ACT, which bodes well for the GR of the game here. I sincerely hope that the AFL start honouring this demographic more, at least above and beyond that of their preoccupation with NZ currently. The ‘Australian’ has an article detailing Hawthorns involvement and expectations for the game there, which is quite disturbing if you hail from a small Footy demo ie ours or even moreso the NT.

I am more than happy for NZ to be considered as a future demo for developing and recruiting promising young AFL athletes however I am very opposed to any off shore elite base being established in one of their major cities, at our expense, as I continue to postulate. I would expect AFL supporters around the country to show solidarity in supporting regions ie as ours, if this indeed presents as a real threat, in pressuring the AFL to honour its heartlands, first and foremost.

Cheers

Perhaps the coach and manager also have to at least have the same last names as one of the players (i.e. their someones dad) to make sure no one sneaks in an accademy team

Just regular suburban u13’s, who got the most freakish cluster of talent. The Wagga/Ainslie effect.

MC is right though, Hayfield need to be investigated.

I can now think of one club team that could challenge. I don’t remember the age group or the club name but I remember in Robbie Slater’s book their is a photo of his junior futbal team and it also contains Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh.

I’m aware that plenty of junior clubs are to be found all over Australia producing good talent for their respective sports, but you won’t find too many original junior trophies in existence with three illustrious names on it.

But if they exist – let’s hear about it – if nothing else – it’s a great topic!! (and I’m talking for all the codes – an original perpetual U13 trophy).

Ebert and Cornes came in 1979, Ebert just shy of 30, and Cornes was 31. A bit ambitious???
We got 5 games from Cornes and a serviceable 25 from Ebert.

In 1982, we got Jim & Phil Krakouer, Bruce Abernethy and Craig Holden.

We were a real foreign legion around then.

Pip wasn’t making out that Ainslie FC were putting the Geelong Falcons to shame every year in the talent producing stakes but 2 super stars and another good player all on the same trophy… that is a pretty amazing occurance.

My local Futbal team have the stub showing Matt Mackays (Bne Roar) first registration on display…not quite as good as Ainslie’s effort

Tony Wynd would just about have to be the very best Canberra product never to have had a go at AFL footy – he was just that tiny bit too late for the draft (he would have been about 22 when the draft first started).

He was good enough to make the 1988 tour of Ireland.

If I’m not mistaken, he is a distant relative of Scotty Wynd.

Note no Micky Conlan or one of my favourites Edney Blackaby, Craig Bolton probably was not playing when the team was picked

http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/australian_capital_territory.htm#Left Half Forward Flank

alas, G.Cornes and R.Ebert get rated in Victoria based on 6-20 games at North Melb in 1979 as distinct to 300-400 games in Adelaide.

Like I said let’s put Geelong (best Vic club) up against Central Districts (best SA club).

Redb

I wasnt comparing Hird to every other footballer who has ever played the game, just as an ACT product they deserve some credit.

I might have Essendon goggles but I guarantee you James Hird is held in the highest regard by Bombers fans. Some of the things he did on a football field were amazing he could turn a game on his own and he did that at the highest level.

Throwing up some un-named SA players lacks any credibility – how can you seriously compare with your SA goggles on.

Sir Jim is not perhaps God but I bet they were on first name terms

Redb

The only reason the national league stemmed from the VFL was money. Melbourne had a lot more money and the VFL clubs were better funded than the SANFL & WAFL clubs but again, as proved via State of Origin, both SA and WA were able to compete with Vic on a regular basis, it had nothing to do with a lack of quality players or support.

2) Who cares what names are on a U13 trophy? U13 means nothing. I won a badminton tournament at U13 level, I didn’t turn into one of the greats.

If Hird and Buckley had of been in the same year, only one of the names would have been on there, the only appeal of the club is that they had such talented players come through, whether they won the U13 B&F is irrelevant and as such, look at the talent that Port has had, it is miles above your beloved Ainslie FC.

3) They have U18s and U16s but I guess that means they aren’t as good as Ainslie in the mighty ACTAFL?

2. And even if you wish to categorise Port as a little suburban club – do they run an U13 team?

3. And if they do run an U13 team – is their a perpetual U13 B&F trophy floating around with some big names on it?

If not – what on Earth are you talking about?