News coming out of Pre Season training !

[The Crows Nest]

Just wondering if any news coming out of clubs from the pre season. The Crows look good plenty of numbers and plenty of young blokes down there , on top of the old veterans which is good. Crows look good this year in all three grades !!!!! HOT TIP !!

Just wondering how other clubs were travelling , how new recruits are fitting in , new coaches going etc. Any news ?

[NorthShoreAngel]

i cant wait till the season its going to be great

[Tiger Cub]

The Tigers have started training for 2006. It is a very young squad with a number of new players. Players are coming up from the Balmain 18's and several coming over from Riverview to play with the club. Looks like a redevelopment year but if we are able to recruit a few more experienced players the TIges might be a bit of a dark horse. In any case they are supporting Sydney juniors as they move into Sydney football.

[Scooped]

Good to hear Tiger Cub. Some of the Riverview guys can play, they had some fine talent on display in the GF last year. Where do all of the Riverview graduates end up? Didn't they have a few in the RAMS squad in 05'.

[Tiger Cub]

There is certainly some talent at the school. Not sure how many they had in the RAMS program last season but I believe they may have several again this season (from speaking with the boys). In terms of where the players end up when they have finished seems to depend on the coach. Apparently a lot of the players went over to Pennant Hills when Penno was involved with the school. A player from Tigerland coached them last season so several have come over due to that link.

[trouble]

tigers have got to be odds on favourite for wooden spoon wouldnt they, they have still lost some players again havent they?

[Tiger Cub]

It is always hard to tell how a club is going to go this early in the season. Although the Tiges have lost a few players they have also gained a couple (as is the tendancy in Sydney Football). As I have mentioned in my previous posts it is going to be a very young side and it will be interesting to see how the boys adjust to senior football.

Needless to say with the Riverview U18's (1st last season) combining with the Balmain U18's (6th last season) there will be an overall improvement in the senior football at the club this season. I am sure this will be enough to get Balmain off the bottom.

In terms of new players Craig Morrison returns to the club after playing in a premiership side in Geelong, a very good player who will bring some experience and versatility to the side.

Looking forward to seeing what 2006 will bring!

[Rafters]

Wollongong Lions are on the lookout for some quality players to back up lots of talented young fellas who are looking for a bit of guidance/direction following the retirement of club legend Trev Burnett at the end of last season.

Those interested should contact Leigh Forsyth (0413 603 203) & he will fill you in on the plans for the club this season.

I am sure that he will make provisions for those that live in Sydney and would struggle to make training.

As Club of the Year points shows, you will hardly find a better run club than the Lions. The committee is a non-playing one with some excellent brains amongst them.

Makes it alot easier to focus on just footy when you only need to bother about showing up & not need to bother about politics etc etc.

Footy ground facilities at North Dalton Oval are continuously improving - mainly thanks to the club's efforts which continued over the off-season.

[Pekay]

All the best to Trevor Burnett in his life after footy...Phelan,Snow Podbury Medallist-he was only short a Coleman and Brownlow!!! Do the Lions look at any talent from the South Coast FL,or do the better players from the district make their way to Dalton anyway Rafters?

[Rafters]

Originally posted by Pekay
Do the Lions look at any talent from the South Coast FL,or do the better players from the district make their way to Dalton anyway Rafters?

No idea - I think it would be a natural progression for a good player to head to the Lions now that they are in Premier League. By all means if you know of a few diamonds in that league let us know & I will get the recruitment squad onto them.

[tigers_town]

IF you want some guns look for some quality youth to come through. Tigers and Crows have heaps of it this year so perhaps you should start there!!!!!!!

I think Tigers will definetly be in the mix this year !!!!

SO to the Crows Macdougall , Santarossa , Holmes , @@@@ens , Harper all quality and it wouldnt surprise me if some clubs have a word to them.

[Pekay]

As the title says,the Nor-West Jets will compete in the Sydney AFL Division 2 for season 2006.With a deadline set by the League, and agreed to by us,we worked hard over the off season to meet the criteria put forward.Unfortunately,we could not meet the early January deadline,so have been put into Division 2 again.With a strong off field team ready to go(what we lacked last year)we head into 2006 as Defending Premiers of 2nd Div,with the aim to return to Division 1 in 2007.I would like to thank all at the League for their continued support of the Jets,in particular Brett Pettersen and Bob Robinson.We look forward to the challenges on and off the field that present themselves,and to those in Division 2,SEE YOU ON THE PADDOCK.Pekay.

[shearer]

Tigertown,

Im sure most clubs would love to have those young guys play for them but i assure you they are playing with St George in 2006.

As a club that is proud of the fact that it produces its own we are not suprised that many clubs want to speak to our kids and offer them the world.

We see it as a compliment and while we understand that the league is an extremely cut throat competition now, when it comes to keeping the juniors that we want to develop further we will make sure that we do keep them.

Good luck with Balmain this year.

[Norris Lurker]

Originally posted by NorthShoreAngel
i cant wait till the season its going to be great

And to help you plan for the new season, the 2006 draw is now out for premier division. Some key features from the draw are:

* The season starts on Saturday 8th April, but then takes a week off over the Easter weekend. For Wests, who have the bye in round 2, it means a long break between their first and second games. North Shore's first-round bye means they have a much lesser break than other clubs between their first 2 games.
* Henson Park is again used as a showpiece ground, and hosts 11 H&A games plus the finals. The home & away games will all be played under lights, with 5 games starting at 6:30 and 6 as 4:00 twilight games.
* East Coast Eagles play their home games at Kelso Oval in 2006.
* Ground work at the Village Green will see it out of action in the second half of the season, with UNSW-ES playing home games at Alan Davidson, David Phillips Field and Henson Park.
* The first weekend in July is a general bye, with a rep game to be scheduled for that weekend.
* The grand final will be held on Saturday 9th September.

The opening round fixtures, on Saturday 8th April, are:
East Coast v Campbelltown (Kelso, 2pm)
Wollongong v Balmain (North Dalton, 2pm)
UNSW-ES v St George (Village Green, 2pm)
Wests v Pennant Hills (Henson Park, 6:30pm)
North Shore - bye.

It should be up on the Sydney AFL website by now, but if it isn't and anyone hasn't seen it and wants a copy, PM me with your email address & I'll send it through.

[NorthShoreAngel]

excellent thanks for that

[Norris Lurker]

Apologies to the people who emailed & PM'd me, I tried to email the draw through to you all but my email seems to be doing weird things and not all of them are getting through.

The draw should (hopefully) be up at the Sydney AFL website soon, and some clubs have already got it up on their websites. Particular thanks and credit to Wollongong, who put the draw up for download very quickly. It can be downloaded at http://www.wlions.com.au and I've also put it up at http://www.geocities.com/mds2005pics2/draw2006.doc

So far as I know, only the Premier Division draw has been released. I think the 1st & 2nd Divisions and the Under-18s fixtures are still being finalised.

[DLH]

The First Division draw is yet to be released as far as I'm aware. Penrith are in the throes of being turfed out from Dukes Oval due to continued whinging from the local cricket association about wear and tear of the centre wicket area. There is a resolution being put to Penrith Council on Monday night to this effect, and despite continued lobbying from the club, it looks like it's back to the bad old days of Greygums Oval.

So much for the AFL's ongoing "commitment" to the development of appropriate facilities in western Sydney. Their attitude has been to throw their hands up and do nothing at all to assist. Basically they couldn't care less, which directly contradicts what it is they're supposed to be trying to achieve.

[swansrock4eva]

Don't even get me started on the whole Dukes/Greygums thing! It's affected the whole Penrith area, from the Seniors, through the 18s to the Juniors, and with more rammifications in some parts than just who can train on which ground :mad:

[BeeEmmAre]

It would be interesting to know why the East Coast Eagles were booted off Alan Davidson Oval in favour of UNSW-ES if the Bulldogs are only going to use the ground twice for the year.

Also interesting to know why the NorWest Jets were given such an early deadline to find enough players for promotion when the draw is still not out almost a month later and, I believe, won't be out for another month at least?

[DLH]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
Don't even get me started on the whole Dukes/Greygums thing! It's affected the whole Penrith area, from the Seniors, through the 18s to the Juniors, and with more rammifications in some parts than just who can train on which ground :mad:

Absolutely correct, and it all comes down to a personal vendetta from one man who has nothing better to do than lobby Councillors about getting rid of our sport from the only decent facility we've had. It's been a personal obsession with this bloke and it looks like he's finally worn them down.

The AFL administration should also be ashamed of themselves for their complete inaction and lack of interest. I guess nothing's changed there either.

[tara]

Originally posted by BeeEmmAre
Also interesting to know why the NorWest Jets were given such an early deadline to find enough players for promotion when the draw is still not out almost a month later and, I believe, won't be out for another month at least?

Just another disgrace performance by the AFL up here. I wont be suprised to see more sides in third grade this year. The AFL is happy to promote Auskick and the Junior comps but refuse to support senior sides. Its all about TV money not the game anymore.

[swansrock4eva]

Originally posted by DLH
Absolutely correct, and it all comes down to a personal vendetta from one man who has nothing better to do than lobby Councillors about getting rid of our sport from the only decent facility we've had. It's been a personal obsession with this bloke and it looks like he's finally worn them down.

The AFL administration should also be ashamed of themselves for their complete inaction and lack of interest. I guess nothing's changed there either.

So then who the hell do we go to about it? I've lost my position with my club because they can no longer use Greygums except for Monday and Wednesday nights (when I already work) and I'm devastated!

[humphrey bear]

Its a fact that the NSW AFL has been greatly out of touch with reality for the last decade.

They are only interested in trying to get one or two players drafted each year so they can pat themselves on the back & Auskick numbers so they can artificially inflate the participation rates relative to other football codes.

Any infrastructure problems between these levels is just allowed to meander a long and is not deemed important enough for the custodians of the game in Sydney. As such the SFL and SFA suffer.

Anyone who thinks it will change with the Swans winning a premiership is dreaming.

[Pekay]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
So then who the hell do we go to about it? I've lost my position with my club because they can no longer use Greygums except for Monday and Wednesday nights (when I already work) and I'm devastated! you know where there is a place for you.......Its a grand old flag at Bensons.You know where to find me!!

[Pekay]

Originally posted by BeeEmmAre
Also interesting to know why the NorWest Jets were given such an early deadline to find enough players for promotion when the draw is still not out almost a month later and, I believe, won't be out for another month at least? Early deadline was agreed to by the Jets and the league,and was also made to keep the draw stable-we dropped pretty close to the season start last year,sending the Div 1 draw into chaos.So we agreed to do it early A.for other clubs,and B.for the admin at Jets.I wasnt prepared to put two teams in without MASSIVE PLAYER RECRUITMENT.Everyone used to love playing Hawkesbury or early NorWest because it was easy points,most of the time the magoos and ones were the very same team-and after years of 50 goal hidings,its extremely hard to retain players.So those days are behind us,and werent prepared to re-visit them,for the sake of making the draw look pretty.On the other hand,it gave me no opportunity to hit the UWS campuses out here,or any potential RAAF blokes,who were all on holidays,even after the deadline passed.But we need another year to consolidate our position, get some much needed funds and cash in the coffers,before we do anything.BMR-i was out with the girl on sunday,thats why i couldnt respond to your call-sorry bro.

[Pekay]

Originally posted by tara
Just another disgrace performance by the AFL up here. I wont be suprised to see more sides in third grade this year. The AFL is happy to promote Auskick and the Junior comps but refuse to support senior sides. Its all about TV money not the game anymore. My 250th post.heee yaaaaa.I agree Tara, its particularly hard for us and you,because of our defence force affiliation.Its been suggested to us that we lose the RAAF affiliation-that would spell the end of footy out here,without a doubt.I took on registrar in 2003,hoping to turn our list from RAAF reliance to RAAF supplement,using all civillians and filling the gaps with RAAF-it was a pipe dream.We need those boys as much as we need footy boots-they are essential to our survival.More teams in Div 2 is likely.I notice Mac Uni has Roses and Wookie from Goannas on their list-with their losses last year,how many more do they have?

[DLH]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
So then who the hell do we go to about it?

Not much more that can be done now. Council meet tonight and we have lobbied individual Councillors and lodged a written submission with each of them, although it doesn't look good as the Parks Manager has put forward a report with the recommendation that the senior club be moved.

The best the AFL could do was provide us with a link to the Penrith Council website and wish us all the best. It makes you wonder what certain people do in there to earn their money. The least they could have done was provide us with a bit of assistance in lobbying but it seems when you're talking grassroots senior footy you're on your own.

[tara]

Originally posted by DLH
Not much more that can be done now. Council meet tonight and we have lobbied individual Councillors and lodged a written submission with each of them, although it doesn't look good as the Parks Manager has put forward a report with the recommendation that the senior club be moved.

The best the AFL could do was provide us with a link to the Penrith Council website and wish us all the best. It makes you wonder what certain people do in there to earn their money. The least they could have done was provide us with a bit of assistance in lobbying but it seems when you're talking grassroots senior footy you're on your own.

They are public servents who do jack @@@@ all day. A few years ago when Peter Hiscock was on board things were better. He actually attended games and would see how things were at the coalface so to speak. Since he left I havent seen anyone from the AFL at any of our games. They are happy to Label clubs in the West as undisciplined and trouble makers without ever seeing a game. The fees keep on rising yet we get less in return - no umpires - no support promoting ourselves - piss poor insurance etc etc.

I would hate to have to go back to playing at Grey Gums, the playing surface isnt up to scratch. I broke my L2 Verterbrae there about seven years ago on an exposed sprinkler head, but didnt bother suing as im not a fan of litagation (although in hindsight I should have). I know of a few others who have done knees there slipping on the sprinkler covers. Hopefully you get to stay at Dukes because the facilities there are quite good.

I hope the various clubs band together to tackle the AFL's indifference head on. I would love to see the AFL ask the clubs what they need to become more viable, instead of just telling us about pipe dreams that we dont really feature in.

[Treefrog]

Originally posted by DLH
Not much more that can be done now. Council meet tonight and we have lobbied individual Councillors and lodged a written submission with each of them, although it doesn't look good as the Parks Manager has put forward a report with the recommendation that the senior club be moved.

Please let us know the result.
*crosses fingers*

[swansrock4eva]

Any word yet?

And I personally found the councillor with the large chip on his shoulder too.. Right old p***k that one!

[BeeEmmAre]

Originally posted by Pekay
Early deadline was agreed to by the Jets and the league,and was also made to keep the draw stable-we dropped pretty close to the season start last year,sending the Div 1 draw into chaos.So we agreed to do it early A.for other clubs,and B.for the admin at Jets.I wasnt prepared to put two teams in without MASSIVE PLAYER RECRUITMENT.Everyone used to love playing Hawkesbury or early NorWest because it was easy points,most of the time the magoos and ones were the very same team-and after years of 50 goal hidings,its extremely hard to retain players.So those days are behind us,and werent prepared to re-visit them,for the sake of making the draw look pretty.On the other hand,it gave me no opportunity to hit the UWS campuses out here,or any potential RAAF blokes,who were all on holidays,even after the deadline passed.But we need another year to consolidate our position, get some much needed funds and cash in the coffers,before we do anything.

I see exactly where you're coming from Pekay, I just thought you could have been given some more time if the draw makers weren't specifically waiting for you, that's all.


Originally posted by Pekay
BMR-i was out with the girl on sunday,thats why i couldnt respond to your call-sorry bro.

Don't apologise mate, just tell 'the girl' she cost you a free ticket to the cricket. ;)

[Pekay]

Originally posted by BeeEmmAre
I see exactly where you're coming from Pekay, I just thought you could have been given some more time if the draw makers weren't specifically waiting for you, that's all. i agree 100%



Don't apologise mate, just tell 'the girl' she cost you a free ticket to the cricket. ;) She's not imaginary mate,you've met her.Was way too smashed after saturday night to do anything.Good to see a bit of unity between bitter rivals on the paddock.We all have to work hard to bring all levels of sydney footy up to scratch.And a hell of alot more support from the powers that be.

[tara]

Originally posted by Pekay
She's not imaginary mate,you've met her.Was way too smashed after saturday night to do anything.Good to see a bit of unity between bitter rivals on the paddock.We all have to work hard to bring all levels of sydney footy up to scratch.And a hell of alot more support from the powers that be.

I can confirm she does exist. She came along on my bucks nite;) .

Be interesting to see if the AFL reply to questions raised of them arrising from the Unofficial Presidents meeeting.

[DLH]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
Any word yet?

And I personally found the councillor with the large chip on his shoulder too.. Right old p***k that one!

No luck I'm afraid.

We did our best, personally lobbied individual Councillors and were afforded a five minute speech to the Council meeting but all to no avail. The best we could do was get an amendment moved by the minority Liberal Councillors for a report to be tabled re the upgrading of the Greygums surface. They also moved a motion that the relocation be delayed pending further negotiations, however, the right old so and so you refer to made it clear that he was dead against it, and his Labor colleagues who form the majority went ahead and killed it.

Perhaps there's some good news for you though, there's a possiblity that the 18's might change back to Tues/Thurs training along with the seniors, whilst the junior club revert to Mon/Wed.

Very disappointing performance from Council but especially the AFL who are supposed to be on our side! They'll be hearing from us very soon when we express our displeasure more formally :D

[tara]

Originally posted by DLH
No luck I'm afraid.

We did our best, personally lobbied individual Councillors and were afforded a five minute speech to the Council meeting but all to no avail. The best we could do was get an amendment moved by the minority Liberal Councillors for a report to be tabled re the upgrading of the Greygums surface. They also moved a motion that the relocation be delayed pending further negotiations, however, the right old so and so you refer to made it clear that he was dead against it, and his Labor colleagues who form the majority went ahead and killed it.

Perhaps there's some good news for you though, there's a possiblity that the 18's might change back to Tues/Thurs training along with the seniors, whilst the junior club revert to Mon/Wed.

Very disappointing performance from Council but especially the AFL who are supposed to be on our side! They'll be hearing from us very soon when we express our displeasure more formally :D

Bad luck. Im not looking forward to playing there again. Now I wish I had sued them (didnt at the time becuase I wanted to keep playing and didnt want to have to sue anyone but the council), they have a duty of care to ensure that the surface is in reasonable condition. Keep reminding them on those words Duty of Care, they seem to listen more intently when they know litagation could eventuate from their neglect.

Let us know when the AFL gets back to you if they ever do.

[DLH]

Originally posted by tara
Bad luck. Im not looking forward to playing there again. Now I wish I had sued them (didnt at the time becuase I wanted to keep playing and didnt want to have to sue anyone but the council), they have a duty of care to ensure that the surface is in reasonable condition. Keep reminding them on those words Duty of Care, they seem to listen more intently when they know litagation could eventuate from their neglect.

Let us know when the AFL gets back to you if they ever do.

I wish you had have sued them as well! Believe me, we also have examples of players requiring knee reconstructions and badly damaging ankles due to the state of that place.

The safety issue was the main theme that we pushed as we knew this was one of the few things that might get their interest. The term "duty of care" was certainly bandied about. This is how we managed to get the amendment up in regards to a further report being done on the surface.

A meeting is taking place this afternoon between Council, the Rams and the AFL (they're happy to get involved now it's a done deal!!) to thrash out these issues.

The whole thing is a sad indictment on the ability of this country's number one football code to wield any influence in Sydney at local level. Sod all assistance from the governing body doesn't help either.

[Treefrog]

It's disappointing, not to mention ridiculous that a game invented to keep cricketers fit during winter ON A CRICKET GROUND is not allowed to be played on one.

Someone I was speaking to today mentioned that a cricket pitch is in better nick after footy is played on it, as it gets muddy and helps bond together better when the summer comes around.

They also mentioned another place in Penrith they wanted to get permission to play at but the cricketers said no and Panthers agreed...bit too close to Panther Stadium... don't want to see a better sport so close to them!!

What a waste.
Maybe if everyone who has been injured could write a submission as to why it's a bad decision and how broke council will be if they get sued.... but I'm sure you guys have already tried everything you could.:(

[swansrock4eva]

Ok here's a copy of the email I put through to the council last night - basically going with the safety theme. It's a tad long, and I do apologise, but after the response from one particular councillor to this, believe me when I say, if you guys want reports etc into injury occurences, costs etc, and in relation to surfaces and conditions, let me know! Either PM me, or email me.

"Dear Penrith City Council, and its Councillors,



I am writing this email after learning of the contention regarding the use of Dukes Oval, Emu Plains, as an Australian Rules Football venue during the winter months. I am a long-time supporter of Aussie Rules, and although not a constituent of Penrith City Council, I currently work with a club in your own municipality, the Greater Western Power Under 18s. I write both from the viewpoint of a supporter, and also from a professional viewpoint, as an Exercise Physiologist, as well as a Level Two Sports Trainer with Sports Medicine Australia and a qualified Senior Coach in Australian Rules.



That this is even an issue causes me great concern. As a long-time supporter of Aussie Rules, I have seen first-hand the struggle to ensure our players, right across Sydney have venues that are safe for them to utilise in order to play their chosen sport. For every athlete of every age and ability level, a safe and well-tended environment is not a privilege but a right. By the phrase ?safe,? I refer to not only the condition of the surface itself, but also to the way in which surfaces are utilised, and the ways in which they are maintained. Injury data, even from the highest levels of sport, clearly indicate that a sound playing surface contributes to decreased rate of injury occurrence, as well as a decrease in the severity of injury and the amount of training and playing time missed due to injury. This, in turn, can help relieve costs associated with injuries, including to our health system, and even to your own municipality, by way of decreasing insurance premiums and reducing a council?s public liability in the event of injury. Dukes Oval is by far the best playing surface for Australian Rules Football in your area. Compared to the likes of Greygums Oval, Cook Park and Lukes Lane Reserve, Dukes Oval is well lit, a smooth and well-tended playing surface in a good location with easy access. Having spent a season with the Power at Greygums, although the general understanding for local clubs is to take what ground you can get, from a professional viewpoint, the surface at Greygums is hardly satisfactory, with exposed sprinkler heads, a rough, unkempt surface and, in some places, very little, if any, grass at all. Footage from matches there last year shows players running through dust rather than the green grass they should be entitled to, and the drought is hardly a good enough excuse for a ground to be in that poor a condition. Cook Park, while a good ground, is unlit and therefore unsuitable for night training sessions, and Lukes Lane Reserve is very much in the same vein as Greygums, however without even suitable lighting, leaving it not only a safety risk for players in terms of being able to see what they are doing, but also as a risk to children who often train there in the late afternoon or early evening during the height of winter.



As you may be aware, the decision to ban Aussie Rules football from Dukes Oval has impacted, not only on the Penrith Rams seniors and the Penrith Swans juniors, but also on virtually every other club in the area (and by this I speak not just of your council?s geographical area, but also the Blue Mountains, the Hawkesbury, Blacktown and even the outer Hills District). For example, given that they are a First Division Senior team, the Rams take priority, and therefore have chosen the second-best field in the area on which to train, and most likely play ? Greygums Oval. The Swans have followed suit, and are also training at this ground. Between them, they have successfully displaced the Greater Western Power from the ground on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, leaving them only Monday and Wednesday to conduct training, which places these athletes at risk in terms of match preparation and recovery anyway. Additionally, the scheduling nightmare between Cook Park and Greygums Oval to ensure that matches for the Rams, Swans, Power and Crows are all correctly scheduled and conducted is also going to put enormous strain on the grounds themselves ? think of the number of matches, the number of studded football boots, the number of movements in the areas and then multiply that by the 20-odd weeks of the football calendar, as there would conceivably be a bare minimum of two matches per week per venue between seniors, Under 18s and juniors. Add in the use of the grounds for other activities such as Auskick clinics, umpire training and clinics, coaching clinics and carnival matches, as well as school sports and general recreational use by residents then if there is concern over the state of Dukes Oval currently, perhaps concern should soon be redirected, as these grounds will NOT be able to facilitate such a variety of use over such a sustained period of time.



Further to this, as the condition of these surfaces degenerates, the risk of serious injury increases and so does your own council?s responsibility, not just to the athletes at the ?home? clubs, but also to every visiting athlete and their families, coming from possibly as far away as places such as Wollongong. Although I understand the concerns of the cricket club, surely the risk of reducing the number of available football fields far outweighs the risk of one field requiring more upkeep to maintain its current condition, or the increase in costs to maintain the upkeep at another two fields? Right around Sydney, it can be seen that cricket clubs and Australian Football clubs work together to help maintain surfaces and to help ensure that both their needs can be met with minimal disruption. Part of this bond comes from the fact that cricket, by definition is a summer sport, while Aussie Rules, by definition is a winter sport, but even when cross-over periods exist towards the end of the cricket season (or the Aussie Rules pre-season if you will), there are ways and means to ensure the ground?s condition remains good, while also ensuring both teams can train well enough to ensure quality performances in their respective competitions. Having completed work with the University of New South Wales/Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs Australian Football team, I have seen the competition for surface use first-hand, and have seen the ways in which it has been resolved, by agreements regarding the use of spikes or football boots in certain periods of the year, and by cordoning off the centre-square area containing the pitch and the tender field area surrounding it. While both clubs have been respectively inconvenienced by such arrangements, neither has been inconvenienced to the point of requiring the other to vacate completely, except in situations where the University itself requires time to recondition the pitch, an event which occurs very rarely.



Bearing in mind the significant risks posed by the removal of Dukes Oval as a footballing venue, I strongly believe that an alternative that addresses all parties' concerns can be found. "

[Treefrog]

*applauds*

Very well written.
I would have supported it!
;)

[swansrock4eva]

Keep supporting it - just cos the *person* won this round, doesn't mean they'll win again. Even though I'm not a Penrith local myself, I want to fight for footy in the West because there is just as much right to play out there as there is anywhere in the country, and just because one particular person believes they are right, and that they have the right to be as rude and self-serving as he is, doesn't mean he knows how to fight properly for something, with appropriate evidence. If he does, he certainly didn't show it - I can't post his response to that email here, but believe me when I say it was like waving a red rag at a bull - if I wasn't fired up before, I sure as hell am now, and have already let him know! I do have the access to the right information to prove the situation, and I plan to use it.

[BeeEmmAre]

Originally posted by Pekay
She's not imaginary mate,you've met her.Was way too smashed after saturday night to do anything.Good to see a bit of unity between bitter rivals on the paddock.We all have to work hard to bring all levels of sydney footy up to scratch.And a hell of alot more support from the powers that be.


That's not what the inverted commas meant.
I not only know who you are talking about and believe you, I think she is a very nice girl and you are extremely lucky.
It was an inference to you not using her name, and me just trying to be funny.
Sometimes, however, my jokes get easily missed.
No issues sir???

By the way, still no response regarding the Premier League (ECE) part of my original question.

[Oscar]

Brendan,

ECE using Alan Davidson last year was always a "stop gap measure" when Roger Sheeran Oval at Mac Uni became unavailable.

Whilst we knew that we would also need accommodation in 2006 as well, it was never any guarantee that Alan Davidson would be home.

Most readers would know that East Coast have been nomads now for the last six years, after leaving Charles MacLaughlin Reserve in Baulkham Hills because of its size. Absolutely no other reason ...

They would also know that we have now finalised arrangements with the Council for our own purpose built AFL complex at Kellyville on Withers Rd. The efforts which have gone into these negotiations have been lengthy and mammoth. And with cooperation from all parties including the NSWAFL, Cricket NSW and the Council, 2007 will see the Eagles playing on their own ground for the first ever time in their 12 year history. All AFL Clubs in Sydney should be pretty happy to have a game scheduled at Withers Road in the future.

Indeed, negotiations are now proceeding with Council to further upgrade the already impressive plans agreed upon.

For 2006 the League asked us to play out of Kelso, owing to the UNSW/ES need for a ground because of the upgrade happening at the Village Green. Whilst we would have preferred to stay at Alan Davidson, we looked at the bigger picture and in the spirit of cooperation, we accepted the Kelso offer. As it turns out we only have four home games scheduled there, with the rest at Henson Park. A position we are very comfortable with.

Whilst we hope that 2006 will be a good year for us on the field, we can't wait to settle into long term rights from 2007 on ...

[DLH]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
Keep supporting it - just cos the *person* won this round, doesn't mean they'll win again. Even though I'm not a Penrith local myself, I want to fight for footy in the West because there is just as much right to play out there as there is anywhere in the country, and just because one particular person believes they are right, and that they have the right to be as rude and self-serving as he is, doesn't mean he knows how to fight properly for something, with appropriate evidence. If he does, he certainly didn't show it - I can't post his response to that email here, but believe me when I say it was like waving a red rag at a bull - if I wasn't fired up before, I sure as hell am now, and have already let him know! I do have the access to the right information to prove the situation, and I plan to use it.

Well done for adding a supportive voice. I'd be disappointed but not completely surprised if you got an aggressive response. Certainly the reaction we received before the Council meeting by the cricket official concerned was at best, "colourful". What goes around comes around though hopefully.

The crux of the issue is that the local cricket administration have pledged to spend $12,000 on the centre wicket area before next cricket season, and they refuse to do so if we're still in residence as their assertion is that the money they spend will go down the drain because we'll ruin it.

An effective management plan would negate this issue to a large extent (the juniors are still able to play there without being affected, apparently this use is OK!) As I said, there's a personal vendetta there that I won't go into, and when you've got time on your hands to constantly harrass Councillors they eventually get sick of you and you get your way.

[tara]

Originally posted by DLH
Well done for adding a supportive voice. I'd be disappointed but not completely surprised if you got an aggressive response. Certainly the reaction we received before the Council meeting by the cricket official concerned was at best, "colourful". What goes around comes around though hopefully.

The crux of the issue is that the local cricket administration have pledged to spend $12,000 on the centre wicket area before next cricket season, and they refuse to do so if we're still in residence as their assertion is that the money they spend will go down the drain because we'll ruin it.

An effective management plan would negate this issue to a large extent (the juniors are still able to play there without being affected, apparently this use is OK!) As I said, there's a personal vendetta there that I won't go into, and when you've got time on your hands to constantly harrass Councillors they eventually get sick of you and you get your way.

Playing on Rosedale Oval we know all about how precious the cricketers are about their pitch. Suprisingly however at training last night I discovered there is a new currator their and the ground is in pretty good shape and soft. This bloke actually likes the fact that football is played on the wicket during the winter. Apparently the mess made of the pitch by football actually helps bond it together better for a better pitch in the cricket season. Now im not an expert but given its the grounds currator that said it and it sounds reasonable so im prepared to believe it.

So in short maybe talk to a few indepentant currators and find out their opinions and present them to the cricket association. Given Rosedale has first grade cricket played there, its currator could be a good place to start.

[tara]

Also we respect that training there during preseason in boots will rip the surface up and therefore only train in runners and we never enter the pitch area until after seasons end (expect to retrieve stray footys).

[DLH]

Originally posted by tara
So in short maybe talk to a few indepentant currators and find out their opinions and present them to the cricket association. Given Rosedale has first grade cricket played there, its currator could be a good place to start.

We've done this, unfortunately said cricket official's best mate is Tom Parker who happens to be the curator at the SCG. The advice he gave to Council, quite conveniently of course, was that, and wait for this, it would take two full-time curators to keep the ground up to scratch.

Absolute rubbish of course, but it happened to suit the argument.

We had an agreement that we would keep off the wicket area for training where at all possible and we kept our side of the bargain. I can't say the same for cricket though. Before the Holroyd game, said official was spotted "flooding" the pitches on the day before the match which made the centre square conditions unreasonable given the fine conditions.

We've argued all of this as best we could, unfortunately we were doomed to failure from the start without the backing of some dollars to help us in our argument, money we just don't have.

[tara]

Sorry to hear that (2 full time - what a joke).

Know any solicitors or cops. Could always bring up some dirt on one of them. Even better if you have a couple of Aboriginals playing with you play the land rights card;) .

[swansrock4eva]

DLH,

In pretty much every insurance case, it is required that THREE individual experts provide their independent opinions on a matter, and from there, a majority of 2-1 exists (except in rare cases). Having said that, if you can get two, if not three curators saying that Tom Parker's report is unreasonable (which, having seen it, it most certainly is), then it again falls on this councillor's shoulders to "defeat" you by sheer weight of evidence (i.e. he'd need another 3 independent curators to back up Parker's statement). And should anything to do with all of this end up in a court or with an insurance company as a claim, they will demand to see his outweighing evidence by way or disputing a claim against the council. If he cannot produce it, basically he's in it over his head on behalf of the council and its constituents.

Additionally, seeing as he clearly did not produce a shred of injury-related evidence either way (which I have pointed out to him in no uncertain terms, with no response of course), the same deal applies.

So, if YOU can produce the data in your favour, your ass is the one protected, and his is the one exposed for all to see. Point that out to a council just as afraid of liability issues as everyother council in Sydney, and you have a good starting point for victory.

I have some journal articles already on the issue, as well as several EPs and physios willing to produce professional testimony regarding the injury risks posed by the likes of Greygums. I can get more information and further professional backup if it's wanted, just say the word and I'm on it.

Another point,which I made in a PM to Tara, is to contact the groundskeepers at whichever council Everly Park (in South Granville) falls under - the ground has cricket, little athletics, soccer and Aussie Rules on it, and is in brilliant nick year-round. How do they do it? At the very least, it will provide a potential plan for how to best care for Greygums if it gets a make-over.

[BeeEmmAre]

Originally posted by Oscar
For 2006 the League asked us to play out of Kelso, owing to the UNSW/ES need for a ground because of the upgrade happening at the Village Green. Whilst we would have preferred to stay at Alan Davidson, we looked at the bigger picture and in the spirit of cooperation, we accepted the Kelso offer. As it turns out we only have four home games scheduled there, with the rest at Henson Park. A position we are very comfortable with.


Thanks for that Pete, I just found it interesting that the Bulldogs are only going to use it once for the year.
Of the Eagles' four Kelso games, none clash with that match, although they have a Sunday Kelso in the same round as the Bulldogs' ADO.
Unless South Sydney Cricket Club jacked up, you probably could have stayed put - and continued to use the superior corporate facilities to those which Kelso provides.
That's all I'm getting at mate.

[NorthShoreAngel]

Gore hill oval looks great at the moment

[Norris Lurker]

For people from First Division, the draw for 2006 is now up on the Sydney AFL's website - click on the Administration and Downloads section and it's up as a Word document.
Tara's South-West Sydney are off to Gipps Rd for their season opener, while DLH's Penrith will host Sydney Uni.

[tara]

Thanks Norris.

[DLH]

Originally posted by Norris Lurker
while DLH's Penrith will host Sydney Uni.

Thanks for that mate.

So a nice easy start to the season then!!

[Rafters]

Originally posted by Norris Lurker
For people from First Division, the draw for 2006 is now up on the Sydney AFL's website - click on the Administration and Downloads section and it's up as a Word document.
Tara's South-West Sydney are off to Gipps Rd for their season opener, while DLH's Penrith will host Sydney Uni.

Seems interesting that rounds 1 & 12 are split rounds - even more interesting is that in round 13 the 4 fresh teams play the 4 teams backing up from rnd 12. Anyone know the reason for that?

I have also heard a whisper that one of the clubs may struggle to fill 2 sides this year, circa Nor West 2005, which may cause a major disruption like last year's "4 byes & a washout season".

[One more crack]

Originally posted by Rafters
Seems interesting that rounds 1 & 12 are split rounds - even more interesting is that in round 13 the 4 fresh teams play the 4 teams backing up from rnd 12. Anyone know the reason for that?

I have also heard a whisper that one of the clubs may struggle to fill 2 sides this year, circa Nor West 2005, which may cause a major disruption like last year's "4 byes & a washout season".

Rafters, you wouldn't happen to be talking about a 'Whisper' from out West???? I've heard a similar thing.

If we are referring to the same club, you will know that they only have themselves to blame. But it's still a very unfortunate thing to happen as I have been partly involved with them and there junior club since the mid 80's.

DM