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With T20 and Auckland Nines, what about a shortened form of AFL footy?

Roar Pro
18th February, 2014
10

It was seventeen or eighteen years ago when I ran out in the “Inaugural Terrigal Twelves” pre season tournament.

A small sided invitational event which included some local rivals and unknown teams from afar.

And just like last weekend’s Auckland Nines, the Terrigal Twelves had its knockers.

The administration might of the Central Coast AFL that attempted to ban the umpires from officiating.

The local clubs that weren’t invited because they wouldn’t pay the entry fee.

Of course bitter rivals Bateau Bay Blues who entered with the sole objective of ensuring we pay them at the end.

Then there was the desperation as we held on to win the competition, fully aware we had no money left from the event kitty for the winners prize…

And not to forget, there were the local leaguies and rah rahs who thought of us as minority behind kickers. Sporting imposters, imposing on the local back pages.

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The Terrigal Twelves had everything going against it including the weather. Even the title was misleading, “Inaugural” would have suggested that the event would be an annual celebration of Aussie Rules on the Central Coast, the truth is, it didn’t even make it to its second instalment.

Having dodged a silver bullet and the embarrassment of not having any prize money left, we gave ourselves a treat by blowing at least double the winners prize money from the club’s account on celebratory booze back at the Hog’s Breath, the event sponsor!

Watching the Auckland Nines over the weekend and flicking between some NAB pre-season games, I figure that the AFL could learn a lot from the Terrigal Panthers in how to add meaning and life to the pre-season.

In a sporting world where the cricket matches are getting shorter, rugby teams are getting smaller and is the secret to success for the AFL’s pre-season to be an all guns blazing 18 team, 12 a-side, two day bonanza played under the roof at Docklands?

The festivities looked a sports fan’s treat in Auckland over the weekend.

A carnival atmosphere with fans of all 16 clubs enjoying each other’s company and the opportunity to stick it up more rivals than they had ever had the opportunity to do so before in one day.

Cheer on your team and ten minutes later, give it to your most hated rivals.

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I for one would be very happy to spend ten hours at an AFL carnival which includes every team under one roof. Struth, even Melbourne should do us some favours in February and we could even play a safe gamble and keep the roof open!

A successful, well attended event could also be used to part fund a couple of pre-season rounds to be played in the country. Call it a gift from the city to those in the bush.

The gift of footy.

It may not be the most testing environment in the pre-season, but fans are flocking to new, smaller and shorter formats of their sport. So Roarers get on board for 2015’s “Inaugural NAB Twelves”.

At least if it’s terrible, we can follow Terrigal Panthers lead and drop it as swiftly as it had started.

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