AFL chief says hands off Dreamtime clash

[WilliamPowell]

AFL chief says hands off Dreamtime clash

Greg Buckle
May 17, 2012 - 9:49PM
 
AFL chief Andrew Demetriou has dismissed suggestions the annual Dreamtime clash between Essendon and Richmond should be shared with other clubs.

Essendon host Richmond on Saturday night at the MCG with a crowd of over 80,000 expected for the eighth Dreamtime game which is the highlight of the league's indigenous-themed round of matches.

"It's an amazing game, the Dreamtime game," Demetriou said on Thursday night.

"Every time it has been played the crowd has been extraordinary. The pre-match (entertainment) has been incredible.

"There's a real anticipation around the game. It's another great concept by the great Kevin Sheedy (ex-Essendon coach) who was involved in it.

"It's a real celebration. I'm glad it's going to be nearly a sell-out."

Demetriou laughed off speculation on radio that other clubs were seeking the chance to compete in the Dreamtime clash.

"I haven't had any clubs come to us and put their (case forward)," Demetriou told ABC2's "The Marngrook Footy Show".

"It got talked about on radio this morning because we've got a lot of people talking about footy.

"What we try to do is we try to find a game or an event for every club throughout the year.

"If it's the opening game Richmond-Carlton, or the Dreamtime game or the Anzac Day game or even the Monday-night game St Kilda-Carlton, we try to make that an event.

"I hope the Dreamtime game stays with Richmond and Essendon. They really were the originators of the concept."

Demetriou said the AFL's objective was to have 100 indigenous players on club lists in a season within the next few years.

"We're at about 80 at the moment," Demetriou said.

He said the game was almost unrecognisable 20 years on from what it looked like in 1992 and he said massive changes would continue in the next couple of decades.

"Hopefully we'll have a real national footprint. We'll have a much larger penetration in NSW and Queensland and I suspect we'll be playing games overseas for (premiership) points," he said.

© 2012 AAP

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-sport/afl-chief-says-hands-off-dreamtime-clash-20120517-1ytr3.html

[Mr Magic]

Tiges get up and about and the Pies will be looking for a slice of our action.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Tiges get up and about and the Pies will be looking for a slice of our action.

No they won't we have been crap for years and they haven't want to tread on our toes with reference to Dreamtime.
It's just talk to fill the papers.
We'll keep round 1 with the filth and the Dreamtime game.
We just need to poo off Nought and the Eureka game. Now that's a lame concept with a lame footy club. Hardly inspires and IMHO not worth the publicity.
We are a big 4 club and games against the flith scums and bums is what makes us tick, not glorified regular season games against nothing footy clubs.

[bojangles17]

Credit to sheeds , was a great concept , great to be a part of it

[cub]

  the Eureka game             
What a croc

[tigs2011]

the Eureka game             
What a croc

At least it gives Nought their blockbuster for the season.

[tony_montana]

Tiges get up and about and the Pies will be looking for a slice of our action.

No they won't we have been crap for years and they haven't want to tread on our toes with reference to Dreamtime.
It's just talk to fill the papers.
We'll keep round 1 with the filth and the Dreamtime game.
We just need to poo off Nought and the Eureka game. Now that's a lame concept with a lame footy club. Hardly inspires and IMHO not worth the publicity.
We are a big 4 club and games against the flith scums and bums is what makes us tick, not glorified regular season games against nothing footy clubs.

I love it when u talk about nought like that tb, the utter contempt you hold that club in, really talks to me 

[Eat_em_Alive]

Nought had their blockbuster on mothers day at 1pm. All 5000 attendees had a great time at the stadium
 

We have the round 1 clash
We have dreamtime
We should go for  "good friday clash with collingwood" and share the takings each time- I'm not a fan of playing on good friday. But if the afl does end up doing something I think that's a reasonable suggestion. Two traditional rivals, two big fan bases.


Btw I always hear from rival club supporters that we shouldn't be involved in dreamtime because their club has more indegiounous players or tripe like. Absolutley no recogonition the club has got for the work they do including the facilities and learning centres down at ME bank centre

[Penelope]

unless any other clubs can fill the stadium with the colors black yellow and red then they can get stuffed.

the closest would be st kilda to replace essendon, but blending the colors of the aboriginal flag with white just doesnt sit right

...so they can all get stuffed

[Smokey]

Nought had their blockbuster on mothers day at 1pm. All 5000 attendees had a great time at the stadium
 

We have the round 1 clash
We have dreamtime
We should go for  "good friday clash with collingwood" and share the takings each time- I'm not a fan of playing on good friday. But if the afl does end up doing something I think that's a reasonable suggestion. Two traditional rivals, two big fan bases.


Btw I always hear from rival club supporters that we shouldn't be involved in dreamtime because their club has more indegiounous players or tripe like. Absolutley no recogonition the club has got for the work they do including the facilities and learning centres down at ME bank centre

As you say EEA, we have as much right as any other club and while these 2 clubs fill the MCG with 80+ screaming fans then there is no way the AFL is going to take it of us - just like the Anzac Day clash and just like the Round 1 clash.  Andy D likes the big crowds.

[one-eyed]

Ian Robson says spoilsports are dreaming

    Glenn McFarlane
    From: Sunday Herald Sun
    May 20, 2012

ESSENDON chief executive Ian Robson said the club would fight for the right to keep its annual Dreamtime clash with Richmond.

Robson dismissed suggestions the Saturday night prime-time fixture at the MCG should be shared, saying the Bombers and the Tigers had worked hard to turn the game into a must-attend event.

Last night's Dreamtime clash was a sell-out with 80,900 turning out, only the sixth time more than 80,000 have attended games between these sides.

Robson said Essendon and Richmond fans, as well as the indigenous community, had made it one of the most successful matches on the AFL calendar.

"It's an interesting way to acknowledge success ... to punish it," Robson said on Triple M, responding to suggestions Dreamtime should be shared.

"Look, it's a modern-day creation, but for us, it goes back to the work that Michael Long did with 'Sheeds' (Kevin Sheedy) in pioneering indigenous football."

Asked if the gate receipts should be shared, Robson said: "We do share it, with Richmond."

He said there were already two "socialist" elements of AFL football - the draft and the salary cap - and suggested there was no chance the club wanted to give any ground after the work it had done with Richmond to promote and celebrate the night.

It is a view shared at the AFL, with chief executive Andrew Demetriou saying the two clubs deserved to keep the fixture.

AFL's chief operating officer Gil McLachlan described the Dreamtime clash as almost as important as the Essendon-Collingwood Anzac Day game.

"The (Dreamtime) game is now getting as big as the Anzac Day game; it's become a real celebration," McLachlan said.

He said it was inevitable the AFL would one day see an indigenous commissioner.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/ian-robson-says-spoilsports-are-dreaming/story-e6frf9jf-1226361181070