Congratulations to the Brooklyn Dodgers of Aussie Rules, the South Melbourne Swans, on their first flag since 1933. They beat the Weagles in a four-point thriller today.

I’m a little surprised, but the official Swannies website hasn’t caught up with events, 25 minutes after the final siren. They’ll catch up.

Anyway, more important matters await tonight, the Tiges play the Dragons. And in the Premier League semi-final tomorrow the Jets play the Eels. And a special mention to the Sydney Bulls in the Jim Beam grand final tomorrow as well.

As a cricketer, James Hird is one of this country’s finest Australian Rules players. Seen here bowling for the Essendon Football Club in a corporate six-a-side match against the Australian Test team. You know as well as I do who won

Reports on this glorified advertisement for the “3″ mobile phone/privacy invader from the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Rupert.

Footy Fans Against Sexual Assault (FFASA) is a highly commendable cause. Founded earlier this year after a serious of scandals surrounding allegations of sexual assaults by NRL and AFL footballers, and the evidence of a culture that has been around for years. The FFASA is advocating, among many other things, that sporting teams hold a “purple armband” day, where they wear purple armbands demonstrating a committment to a united stance against sexual violence. Several NRL clubs have already taken part as have sporting teams from other codes. Some Australian Rules teams have done so, but none in the Australian Football League, who consider it “just another cause we are asked to support”.

Purple armband days will be conducted by the NSW Aboriginal Rugby League and the AFL Northern Territory this weekend. A press release from the FFASA gives details and I reproduce it in full:

Hi Footy Fans and Friends

The FFASA purple armband campaign is taking on a life of it’s own.

This weekend sees purple armbands on the arms of:

* over 1700 rugby league players from across NSW during games at the NSW Aboriginal Knockout at Henson Park and Redfern Oval in Sydney; and
* over 400 AFL players from throughout the Northern Territory during games at the 2004 Perkins Shipping Umpires Carnival at Marrara Stadium in Darwin.

Both these stands follow directly from the original action by the Australian Women’s Rugby League, Brisbane Broncos and Manly Sea Eagles at Suncorp Stadium earlier this year.

The NSW Aboriginal Knockout has extended the meaning of the purple armbands to include other forms of violence. They are also taking the campaign to a new level.

Besides the purple armbands, they have organised:

* educational material to be distributed over the weekend;
* Koori community support workers at the games and on a Hotline number; and
* a giant banner where players and supporters can make handprints signifying their opposition to family violence and sexual assault.

FFASA congratulates the NSW Aboriginal Rugby League community for making the campaign their own, as part of their “Blackout Violence” campaign, and taking the lead shown at the elite level of their sport so much further.

We also commend the AFL NT for continuing the stance of other Territory sporting teams from the AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Netball earlier this year.

With GF fever ebbing to a close this weekend, we encourage Sydney-siders and Darwinites to get along to these events and take in some footy with a conscience.

Knockout teams will also include footy greats, past and present, such as David Peachy, Nathan Blacklock, Cliff Lyons, Nathan Merritt and Ronald Price. See program details for both competitions below.

For a listing of FFASA Purple Armbands Teams see Purple Armband Teams.
(NB: Knockout and Umpires teams will be listed next week)

AFL Up-date

FFASA received a response from the AFL re: their strategy for dealing with sexual assault and harassment.

Unfortunately, their response raises more questions than answers.

For example, although the AFL is talking to representatives from the State-wide Committee for the Reduction of Sexual Assault, it remains unclear whether they are talking directly to representatives from the Committee with expertise in working with victim/survivors.

They also advised FFASA to take its concerns re: the Saints Get Real program directly to the Saint Kilda Football Club.

FFASA will follow-up both matters and bring you an up-date soon.

FFASA Petition
50 signatures to go …

Yours in football
Kath Haines
www.ffasa.org

2004 NSW ABORIGINAL RUGBY LEAGUE KNOCKOUT

Friday 1st October 2004 Redfern Oval

10:00 am – 12:00 pm: “TJ Hickey Memorial Junior Rugby League Competition

U6’s, U10’s, U12’s, U13’s, U15’s NSW Selection Trials

1:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Women’s Knockout Competition

ADULTS ENTRY FEE $6:00
SCHOOL STUDENTS OVER 12 $2:00
CHILDREN UNDER 12 AND AGED PENSIONERS FREE

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd October 2004 Redfern Oval & Henson Park

Saturday 8:30am: Official Opening and Welcome (Redfern Oval)

Games commence at 9:30 am on both days at both venues.

ADULTS ENTRY FEE $8:00
SCHOOL STUDENTS OVER 12 $2:00
CHILDREN UNDER 12 AND AGED PENSIONERS FREE

Monday 4th October 2004 Redfern Oval

Games commence at 9:00am: 2 Semi Finals, Under 16’s Final, Women’s Final, Grand Final

ADULTS ENTRY FEE $7:00
SCHOOL STUDENTS OVER 12 $2:00
CHILDREN UNDER 12 AND AGED PENSIONERS FREE

2004 PERKINS SHIPPING NTFL UMPIRES PRE-SEASON CARNIVAL

Marrara Oval, Darwin NT
Saturday 2nd October – Sunday 3rd October

Saturday 2nd October 2004

11.30am GATES OPEN
12.30pm Sthn Districts vs Western Aranda
1.10pm Palmerston vs Mutujulu (Docker River)
1.50pm Nightcliff vs Wanderers
Darwin vs Belyuen
2.30pm Waratahs vs Maningrida
Tiwi Islands vs Loser Game 2
3.10pm St Marys vs Loser Game 1
3.50pm Winner Game 2 vs Winner Game 1
Loser Game 4 vs Loser Game 6
4.30pm Winner Game 4 vs Loser Game 5
Winner Game 8 vs Loser Game 7
5.10pm Winner Game 5 vs Loser Game 8
5.50pm Winner Game 7 vs Winner Game 6

Sunday 3rd October 2004

9.30am GATES OPEN
10.30am Winners – Winner Game 10 vs Loser Game 12
11.10am Winners - Winner Game 11 vs Loser Game 13
Winners - Winner Game 12 vs Loser Game 10
11.50am Winners - Winner Game 15 vs Winner Game 13
12.30pm Winners - Winner Game 14 vs Loser Game 11
Winners – Loser Game 14 vs Loser Game 15
1.10pm Winners ¼ Final – Winner Game 17 vs Loser Game 18
Consolation Semi-Final - Loser Game 16 vs Loser Game 17
11.50pm Winners ¼ Final - Winner Game 16 vs Winner Game 19
Consolation Semi-Final – Loser Game 20 vs Loser Game 21
2.30pm Winners ¼ Final - Loser Game 19 vs Winner Game 20
Winners ¼ Final - Winner Game 18 vs Winner Game 21
3.10pm Winners Semi-Final - Winner Game 22 vs Winner Game 24
3.50pm Winners Semi-Final - Winner Game 26 vs Winner Game 27
4.30pm Annual Footballers 100 metre Gift
4.45pm Consolation Grand Final - Winner G23 vs Winner G25
5.30pm Winners Grand Final - Winner G28 vs Winner G29
6.20pm Announcement of Percy Ellis Medal Winner & Presentations

NB: AFL NT teams will purple armbands on Sunday 3rd October

I haven’t had time to write on the weekend, but hearty congratulations to Port Adelaide on their first AFL premiership.

It was good to see an all-non-Victorian grand final for the first time, but even better to see Brisbane, who have prospered under preferential treatment in the salary cap rules, having their colours lowered before winning four in a row.

It was a really classic encounter up till half time, and then the Power ran away with it. Poor Johnny Howard went for Brisbane because they were going for four premierships in a row, just like him. Hopefully that’s an omen.

Let’s do the paper rounds:
Paul Gough afl.com.au
Richard Hinds Sydney Morning Herald
Stacks of reports on The Age’s Realfooty site
Patrick Smith in Monday’s The Australian
unbylined AAP report
And of course there is the Port Adelaide FC website.

I found it amusing that HG and Roy’s call of the game on TripleJ could not be webcast because the ABC did not have the rights to broadcast football commentary over the internet. A sign of the boys being accepted into the mainstream?

No, I’m not having delusions. I realise that Essendon are out of the 2004 AFL premiership after their appalling effort against Geelong on Saturday night.

The North Shore Bombers are the Sydney AFL premiers for 2004 after winning the grand final at Henson Park yesterday. They received the Bill Hart Cup after defeating the St George Crows 10-11 (71) to 7-4 (46) in front of about 1000 or so people (including Di, Adara and myself… and Bartholomew, no photos alas due to battery problems).

The Crows, and I have trouble recalling the legend of “St George and the Crow”, led at half-time after a low-scoring first quarter, but the Bombers stormed ahead after the long break and held on in the final quarter. It was their first flag since 2001 despite being runners-up in each of the last two grand finals.

This year is, in fact, the centenary of North Shore’s first premiership win, beating Balmain in the 1904 final. North Shore were known as the Bears until beginning their affiliation with Essendon. This year was their tenth flag in a season in which they only lost two games.

Best on ground in the grand final was the Bombers’ Daniel McPherson, who played 111 games for the Swans between 1994 and 2003.

The Bombers also won the reserve grade grand final, beating the Pennant Hills Demons. The official program for grand final day lists among the Bombers reserve grade squad in the number 57 jumper, one Pat Rafter. He played a couple of games earlier in the season in the seconds.

After his performance at Flushing Meadow this morning, maybe the Bombers could find a place for Lleyton Hewitt next year.

I watched the third quarter of North Shore’s major semi-final win over the Uni of NSW/Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs at Henson Park a fortnight ago while walking Bartholomew. As it happens, it was the winning quarter. Last week’s preliminary final between the Bulldogs and St George was played in astonishing conditions with two hailstorms during the game (no I wasn’t there, but the Fox Footy Channel showed highlights later in the week).

The unofficial Sydney Swans fansite, redandwhiteonline.com, has photos of the hailstorm at Henson Park during the preliminary final.

Highlights of the Bombers-Crows grand final will be shown on Fox Footy NSW on Friday September 17 from 8.30pm.

Looking at Essendon’s other affiliates: the Bendigo Bombers made the finals in the VFL but were eliminated by Tasmania in the first week. Tassie’s ambitions of their first Victorian flag came to an end yesterday when they lost to Sandringham, who will meet Port Melbourne in the grand final next Sunday. The Redland Bombers finished seventh in the ten-team AFL Queensland, while the Lauderdale Bombers won just four games and finished second-last in the Tasmanian Southern Football League.

Looking at some other aussie rules results over the past couple of weeks, the Wollongong Lions won the euphemistically-titled First Division of the Sydney AFL when they beat Sydney University on Saturday. In the Victorian Women’s Football League, the St Albans Spurs 6-9 (45) beat Melbourne University 1-7 (13) in the grand final at te Ted Whitten for their first flag. (Spare a thought for the East Geelong Eagles whose winless season in Division One ended with a for/against percentage of 7.52%.) St Kilda won the VWFL Division Two, and Berwick Division Three.

Papua New Guinea, and the University Bulldogs completed an undefeated season on September 4 when they defeated Wests 13-14 (92) to 4-4 (28) in the National Capital Rules Football grand final.

The BARFL (as in “barfl of drunken aussie expats”) grand final on August 21 saw the West London Wildcats defeat the Wimbledon Hawks 14-12 (96) to 5-2 (32). In Scotland, the SARFL is a three-team competition, and they timed their grand final to coincide with the Edinburgh fringe festival. The Edinburgh Old Town Bloods beat the Glasgow Sharks in a close battle 24-25 (169) to 2-4 (16). And the wooden spooners? The Edinburgh University Body Snatchers.

No, not the Jets/Bluebags. The Newtown Breakaways are the premiers of the SWAFL for 2004. That’s the Sydney Women’s Australian Football League.

Newtown beat Western Suburbs 10-12 (72) to 5-3 (33) in the grand final at Wagener Oval, Ashbury, last Saturday week. That’s about all I can tell you of the game because the otherwise unexpectedly fine SWAFL website doesn’t carry any more information than the final score. No details, no match reports, no congratulatory messages on the forum. And I don’t recall seeing any mention in any of the papers, which is a pity. The Breakaways’ own website hasn’t been updated since June, but at least they have a website.

swafl.org does tell me that Newtown also beat Wests in the 2003 grand final, as indeed they did in 2002 (which I believe was Newtown’s inaugural season).

Seven clubs competed in the SWAFL in 2004. Curiously, none of them are from north of the Harbour Bridge. The other five: Balmain, Eastern Suburbs/Uni of NSW, Sydney Uni, UTS/Darlinghurst and Camden.

Congratulations Newtown, let’s see the Breakaways make it a four-peat in 2005!

As if winning Euro 2004 and hosting the Olympics isn’t enough, the Greek national rugby league team beat the VRL 24-18 on Sunday. That’s the Victorian Rugby League. It was the early game to the Melbourne-Canterbury NRL fixture. For Greece, the game was a warmup for their big international clash with Italy on October 2 at Marconi Stadium, Fairfield. Which, I presume, is an Italian home game.

Newtown went down to Canterbury reserve grade 28-38 in the Premier League at Henson Park on Saturday. I would have been there except for the fact that I was recovering from a virus and had no voice (still don’t, actually). The Jets are now in ninth place with two away games (Cronulla and Manly) to play. Touch and go whether they will make the eight.

In the Jim Beam, Newtown lost to Ryde-Eastwood 20-22. They’re 10th in an eleven-team competition.

In England, National League Division Two: Gateshead Thunder 8, Workington 80 in front of 958 people. Ouch.

Cricket: Surrey drew with Kent. They can just about forget the Championship this year.

Rugby Union: Wobblies lost to South Africa 19-23. SA’s first tri-nations crown since 1998. Petersham lost to Campbelltown 12-53 in the Sydney Suburban RU Division 2 1st Grade. That’s their season finished.

Soccer: Crystal Palace 1 Everton 3. The Palace are 20th in the Premiership after two games. My fiver on them to take the title at 5000-1 is looking shaky. Still a week till La Liga begins.

Second last weekend of the NSW Winter Super League. Fraser Park Dragons beat the Hurstville City Minotaurs 2-1, Stanmore Hawks beat Ryde City 4-2. Manly have secured the minor premiership, Stanmore will be second. The Dragons are hovering around fourth and finish the league season at home to Macarthur next Sunday. (One day I’ll get to a game.) Womens SuperLeague grand final, Marconi Stallions beat Macarthur Rams 3-2 with an extra time golden goal. (How can two women’s teams be called Stallions and Rams?)

Australian Rules: Essendon lost to Sydney in the Marn Grook at Stadium Australia on Saturday night. This fixture used to be an annual gig for Di and I, but we haven’t been since Adara has been born. Maybe next year. In the Sydney AFL, the North Shore Bombers beat the East Coast Eagles and are runaway minor premiers (16-2). They meet Uni of NSW at Henson Park (!) next Saturday in the major semi. St George play Pennant Hills in the minor semi at the same ground on Sunday (sacrilege!). SWAFL: Wests beat Sydney Uni 5-16 to 4-2 in the preliminary final. Grand final next Saturday, Newtown v Wests at Wagener Oval at midday. Guess we won’t be going to that one.

Hurling: Nothing to report till the All-Ireland Final at Croke Park on September 12 between Cork and Kilkenny.

Camogie: All-Ireland semi-finals on Saturday: Cork 3-9 beat Galway 1-4 and Tipperary 1-10 beat Wexford 2-5. Final at Croke Park on September 19.

Baseball: Holroyd beat Petersham 8-2 in the Sydney Winter Baseball League preliminary final and will play Cronulla in the grand final at Petersham Oval next Sunday. The Little League World Series has begun in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with the championship game on August 29. I’m cheering for the Caribbean representatives, the Pabao Little League of Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, who have already won their first game against Guadalupe Linda Vista Little League from Mexico.

Lacrosse: The Philadelphia Barrage are the 2004 Major League Lacrosse champions after defeating the Boston Cannons in the Championship game in Boston on Sunday.