Page 4908 - Week 11 - Thursday, 21 October 2010
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code. You can see the success. Canberrans in particular like successful teams. We need to have in place, for those kids that follow Aussie rules, a number of games played here in Canberra colours to give them something to aspire to. I can attest to this. I played Aussie rules in the mid-1960s in Sydney. I can recall a game—
Ms Le Couteur: In the mid-sixties?
MR SMYTH: Yes, the under 7s, 1966.
Mr Barr: I didn’t realise you were that old, Brendan.
MR SMYTH: There is laughter. It was under 7s and under 8s, St Patrick’s primary school, Kogarah Aussie rules club. We won. I was in two grand finals. I saw St Kilda do a demo match in Sydney—the whole team. We all barracked for St Kilda for the rest of our lives. Now, 44 years later, I may be the only one that kept that vow and I lived to see the St Kilda grand final. Seeing those guys playing and the standard that they played at just inspired young kids. Our team was coached by one of the fathers at my primary school. Our greatest victory was 144 to nil win against Greenacre who were coached by the local nun. There was a little inter-religious rivalry there. But we had something—we had an example; we had something special. That is what we need in this city.
When I came to Canberra in 1969 I played a couple of seasons for Woden-Manuka. It does not exist anymore. At that stage there were probably 20 or 24 teams, or 20 or 24 clubs, in the local area. We had the ACTAFL and the Monaro league. A lot of Aussie rules was played. Really, south of Goulburn at that stage was Aussie rules territory. I think that decisions made by the AFL let Aussie rules in the territory and southern New South Wales down.
You can see it because the followings have travelled to the best teams in the territory. They go to the Raiders, they go to the Brumbies and they follow that success. People like success and they like seeing the highest level of the sport. That is what GWS are offering us. They are offering us a chance to see 40 games in the next 10 years and to see that level of sport. They are giving our kids something to aspire to, to be thrilled by, and an incentive to train harder.
Apart from all the other benefits about pride in the city, getting the kids to join, issues of inclusion and addressing issues of mental health, which organised sports does, it really is a time of great pride and everybody should be behind it. I hear Mr Hargreaves has just joined so that will make two from the Labor Party. I know that Mr Rattenbury has joined. Are there another three, Mr Rattenbury, so that we can get these last 10?
Mr Barr: The Treasurer’s a member.
MR SMYTH: The Treasurer. So we have got three out of the seven members of the Labor Party. Madam Assistant Speaker, you can speak for yourself when we have finished. It is about leadership and it is about helping those guys who are doing a good job for us to do this. Dave Pembroke and Gary Buchanan are here, as well as Mr Quade, the president. Welcome, Mr President, in that capacity.
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