Eureka! Here's a grand idea
Kevin Sheedy | March 09, 2008
IT wasn't easy to call Collingwood after the brawl and belting in the 1990 Grand Final.
But I had an idea for the Anzac Day game and used courage to make it work. Now that match has become one of the greatest non-finals events and education days of the year.
"Dreamtime At The G" between Essendon and Richmond is getting bigger each year and, after 150 years, we have managed to find a way to put on a showcase to thank indigenous people for the talent in our game.
Now the Eureka game has the potential to become one of the most important fixtures.
This one is a classic because no one misses out.
The reason our game is great is because of the team work on the footy field.
Then there is the team work off the ground, where you are networking and building relationships. I've always said that in life you build bridges with people.
And every Australian works, from mums and dads to kids.
A surgeon works every day never being able to make a mistake. But I always wonder who's got the tougher job, the surgeon or the person who's putting up the last pane of glass at the top of the Eureka building.
Or the captain taking the fish out on a boat in treacherous seas, or a builder, or a chief executive or teacher or pilot or Australia Post worker.
We live in a lucky country and we should say thanks.
Some of these ideas came to me after growing up at Richmond with people such as Alan Schwab, Graeme Richmond and Tommy Hafey. They had excellent core values. In those days the administration made sure you never got ahead of yourself and cared about the people.
The reason for choosing Richmond and North Melbourne is simple. In my era those teams struggled to win premierships. They've still won eight and been to grand finals but they have enormous spirit and aren't like other clubs who are consistently wealthy.
They've both worked diligently to get this going for Round 2 and some of the suggestions thrown around the table have been marvellous. The great Aussie barbecue at Punt Road will be a highlight.
Just imagine if premiership coaches such as Hafey, Ron Barassi, Tony Jewell and Denis Pagan are interviewed before the game.
There were 25,000 people in that Ballarat region at the time of the 1854 Eureka rebellion, which shaped our history. They were from all over the world and it's important to recognise that. Gradually we can build awareness.
Eureka is aptly named because that's probably the first time anybody ever said we don't agree with what happened historically.
It's a genuine idea and we hope fans and corporate Australia will rally behind it.
In future I hope the games will be interspersed so we build up the interest and make it a point for people to get there. What I've learned from Anzac Day is if you do something for the right reason then Australian people will go.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23341625-19742,00.html
