does anyone know if its only reserved seating, or can we grab general admission tickets also?
Sports bodies rally as AFL sets up $1m Dome game
Dan Silkstone | February 11, 2009
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/sports-bodies-rally-as-afl-sets-up-1m-dome-game/2009/02/10/1234028036925.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
THE AFL is hopeful a record crowd of more than 54,000 will turn out for the bushfire appeal match between Essendon and the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.
More than a month ahead of schedule and for a reason that nobody could have foreseen, the AFL has its first blockbuster for 2009. The Bulldogs and Bombers will clash in front of a packed house in a match that league boss Andrew Demetriou yesterday predicted would raise more than $1 million.
The atmosphere will be more like a final than a pre-season warm-up. Bombers captain Matthew Lloyd — who would not have played had the match gone ahead, as scheduled, in Darwin — will take the field. Yesterday, Lloyd said at least five other top Bombers were in the same position.
"There's no doubt that what we are playing for, being able to give something back has definitely had a bit to do with it for some of the players," he said.
Bulldog Robert Murphy was blunter: "There's probably about 45 players who would put up with a broken leg to get out there on Friday night and help out."
The Dome will be the focus for fundraising across the weekend with Melbourne Victory's semi-final match against Adelaide United also offering an opportunity to dig deep. The club yesterday announced it would donate $20,000 as well as auctioning off 20 player mascot positions. To bid for a Melbourne Victory mascot position call the club on 1800GOMVFC.
Victory players will observe a minute's silence and wear black armbands on the field, while the club's supporter groups are planning their own tribute. Football Federation Australia has also contributed $100,000 to the relief fund.
Firefighters and other emergency personnel will be given 1000 free tickets to the A-League clash, while affected families will also share 1000 free tickets.
Australia's sporting community has rushed to donate time, money and services for the bushfire relief, drawing praise from the State Government. Australian Olympic Committee chairman John Coates announced the AOC would donate $100,000, adding: "We have a special relationship with the people of Victoria who have a unique love of sport."
At the Adelaide Oval, cricketers from Australia and New Zealand observed a minute's silence, Cricket Australia announced it would give $100,000 and the Australian team donated their match payments.
Demetriou said the AFL had been inundated with calls from sponsors, players and clubs, wanting to help. "What we do best is we put on football games, so we set about trying to work out the best way to put a game on as quickly as possible to raise the maximum amount of money," he said. "We have never seen anything like this before in our lifetime and we hope we are never going to see it again."
The game will begin at 8.30pm and be shown live on the Seven Network. Viewers will have an opportunity to donate during the match and National Australia Bank staff will collect donations outside the ground. "We expect to raise in excess of a million dollars," Demetriou said.
All ticket sale revenue will be donated, including fees collected by booking agent Ticketmaster. Corporate box patrons and Medallion Club members will pay for admission. Profits from merchandise sales on the night will also flow to the relief fund and all Telstra Dome staff will work for free.
"We ask all football supporters, even if you don't barrack for these clubs, to come along," Demetriou said. "Every dollar you spend through the gate will go to the bushfire relief fund. This money is urgently needed."
The record football crowd at Telstra Dome is 53,459 for the Hawthorn-Carlton match in 2007, while the record is 56,605 for the 2001 rugby match between Australia and the British Lions.
"We want the record. We can get 54,000 people into the venue, I am certain," Telstra Dome chief executive Ian Collins said. The AFL hopes the match will be sold out by this afternoon.
Murphy — who will miss the match with injury — said he had been personally touched by the tragedy.
"My home town of Warragul is right in the danger zone," he said. "It is an honour to be helping people who are less fortunate."
Murphy said Saturday had been a harrowing experience for his family. "My sister was with a few friends up close to Buxton," he said.
"There was four pregnant girls having a weekend away, they got stuck in Buxton and just decided in a panic to jump in the car and take off. They made it out but if they hadn't jumped in the car they might not be with us. It's pretty scary."
Essendon will wear the bushfire appeal phone number in place of its shorts sponsor on the night. The Bombers will also auction five jumper-and-shorts sets worn by players during the match.
SPORTING GESTURES
AFL
■ NAB Cup match, Essendon v Western Bulldogs, tipped to raise $1 million plus on Friday night.
■ Richmond raised $50,000 selling photographs with players.
■ Essendon will wear Bushfire Appeal phone number on shorts.
CRICKET
■ Cricket Australia donated $100,000.
■ South Australian cricket gave $25,000.
■ The Australian team donated match fees from yesterday's game against New Zealand.
OTHERS
■ Australian Olympic Committee donated $100,000.
■ Football Federation Australia gave $100,000, and Melbourne Victory $20,000 with auction on Saturday of 20 player mascot positions.
■ V8 Supercars Australia donated $100,000.
Western Bulldogs Robert Murphy's sister beats Buxton fire
Rebecca Williams | February 11, 2009 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25035037-19775,00.html
WESTERN Bulldogs star Robert Murphy has told of his fear for his sister's safety as bushfires raged during the weekend. As the AFL detailed plans to raise money for the relief effort, Murphy revealed his own experience after his sister, Bridget, and friends evaded trouble near Buxton, northeast of Melbourne.
"My sister was actually visiting friends up close to Buxton," Murphy said yesterday. "They were four pregnant girls having a couple of days away and they actually got stuck in Buxton.
"They decided, in panic really, to jump in the car and take off.
"They made it out, lucky enough . . . because if they had stayed they might not be with us. It was a pretty scary day, Sunday, for our family."
Murphy, from Warragul in west Gippsland, said the disaster had resonated with the football community.
"We have all been touched by it personally," he said.
"My home town of Warragul is right in the danger zone.
"You pick up the newspaper or talk to someone from family or friends or see the news report and I think it's really starting to hit home.
"It's only going to get worse before it gets better."
A month away from a return after knee surgery, Murphy won't be able to play in Friday night's clash against Essendon at Telstra Dome that will raise funds for the bushfire appeal.
But the Bulldogs forward will do his part, with players from all 16 clubs to help collect donations outside the ground.
"I'll be doing my small bit," Murphy said.
Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd would have sat out the match had it been played in Darwin as scheduled, but is looking forward to taking part.
"There will probably be another five players, including myself, that will now play the game who wouldn't have been otherwise," Lloyd said.
"Apart from just the travel, there's no doubt part of what we are playing for on Friday night . . . definitely had a bit to do with it for some of the players."
The Bombers will wear the bushfire appeal phone number as a shorts logo and will also donate all money from merchandise sales.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the league was confident of raising $1 million for the relief fund. Click here to buy tickets.
Demetriou and Telstra Dome boss Ian Collins said they hoped to break the AFL attendance record for the ground of 53,459 set in Round 12, 2007.
"We ask all football supporters, even if you don't barrack for a football club, to come along," said Demetriou, adding that Friday night's match was just the start.
"We intend, on-going, through the support of our clubs and the football family, to continue to do what we can do to help rebuild those communities and help rebuild their sporting clubs."
THE Western Bulldogs and Essendon have announced their squads for Friday's Bushfire Appeal Match.
ESSENDON
1 - Neagle, Jay
2 - Dyson, Ricky
3 - Gumbleton, Scott
4 - Watson, Jobe
6 - Monfries, Angus
7 - Jetta, Leroy
10 - McVeigh, Mark
11 - Zaharakis, David
13 - Lovett, Andrew
14 - Lonergan, Sam
15 - Dempsey, Courtenay
17 - Nash, Jay
18 - Lloyd, Matthew
19 - Hille, David
20 - Slattery, Henry
21 - Skipworth, Hayden
24 - Williams, John
26 - Hooker, Cale
30 - Ryder, Patrick
31 - Fletcher, Dustin
33- McPhee, Adam
36 - Slattery, Tyson
38 - Atkinson, Jarrod
39 - Hocking, Heath
41 - Quinn, Michael
42 - Lovett-Murray, Nathan
43 - Houli, Bachar
44 - Bellchambers, Tom
46 - Bock, Christian
WESTERN BULLDOGS
1 Jarrad Grant
4 Daniel Cross
5 Matthew Boyd
6 Brad Johnson
7 Shaun Higgins
9 Lindsay Gilbee
10 Nathan Eagleton
13 Daniel Giansiracusa
14 Callan Ward
15 Ben Hudson
16 Ryan Griffen
18 Brennan Stack
20 Josh Hill
22 Dylan Addison
25 Ryan Hargrave
26 Jamason Daniels
27 Will Minson
29 Easton Wood
31 James Mulligan
33 Tim Callan
34 Wayde Skipper
36 Brian Lake
37 Cameron Wight
38 Dale Morris
40 Jarrod Harbrow
41 Henry White
42 Liam Picken
43 John Shaw
44 Paul O'Shea
Rodney Eade happy to stay home
AAP | February 11, 2009 03:50pm
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25040025-19775,00.html
A HEAVY travel schedule has Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade glad to avoid a trip to Darwin for the club's opening NAB Cup match. With the Dogs facing two trips to Perth in the opening four rounds of the home and away season, Eade welcomed the switch of Friday night's game against Essendon to Telstra Dome as a bushfire relief fundraiser.
"There's no doubt about that, such a long flight (to Darwin), over five hours there and five hours back," he said.
"... Obviously we've got two long flights early in the year, so I think from that point of view it's a plus.
"But having said that you'd rather not have had the bushfires, there's no doubt about that."
The switch of venues means the club will play skipper Brad Johnson and fellow veteran Nathan Eagleton, who would both have skipped the trip to Darwin.
But they will also field plenty of youth.
Eade said Easton Wood, Brennan Stack, Jarrad Grant, Paul O'Shea and Henry White, none of whom have played an AFL premiership season match, would all be in the side.
Four other rookie-listed players - Jamason Daniels, James Mulligan, Liam Picken, and John Shaw - were named in the 29-man squad, to be reduced to 26.
The coach hoped at least one of the youngsters would do enough to stake a claim on a regular season berth.
"The main thing is that you like to get some good game time into the players in preparation for round one," he said.
"It's still a long way to go, it's still six or seven weeks until the opening round, we'll just share the gametime around.
"... Players playing who have played less than 10 games can hopefully put their hand up for a chance for round one, we'd like them to perform well."
None of this year's draft crop were included, while also missing will be reigning Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney and fellow stars Jason Akermanis and Robert Murphy, as well as promising young defender Tom Williams, all on the comeback from injury.
Eade said Williams was likely to play in the second round of the pre-season, the other three probably a week later.
Essendon included skipper Matthew Lloyd, as well as their oldest player, defender Dustin Fletcher, and No.1 ruckman David Hille, who has overcome a recent stingray barb.
The Bombers also named young pair Scott Gumbleton and Courtenay Dempsey, who have both spent most of the past two seasons sidelined by injury.
Three new draftees - David Zaharakis, Tyson Slattery and former Adelaide player Hayden Skipworth - and rookie-listed players Christian Bock and Michael Quinn were also picked.
Zaharakis was included despite mourning the death of his girlfriend, Melanie Shuey.
The 17-year-old sister of West Coast recruit Luke Shuey died in Melbourne on Sunday morning after being hit by a motorbike while crossing a road.
To help the only way they know: by playing on
Richard Hinds | February 12, 2009
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/sport-helps-by-playing-on/2009/02/11/1234028116872.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
ON SATURDAY night I watched a pre-season AFL game in a pub with a friend who had several family members living in bushfire-ravaged areas north-east of Melbourne. Sisters who could see flames from their properties. A father in a candlelit house he was refusing to abandon.
Unable to do much else, from time to time he walked outside to make a phone call. When the day's first grim statistics rolled across the screen — 30 believed dead, the toll expected to rise — I sensed him clutching his mobile a bit tighter. Just one of thousands helpless to do much else but hope, dial, and, if so inclined, pray.
During moments such as these sport and its pantomime drama has always seemed inconsequential. Which is why, in the face of real-world tragedy, the impulse has been to abandon games on the grounds of sheer triviality.
After the 9/11 attacks, most sports in the US were called off not merely because of travel restrictions or the fear of further carnage, but because it just seemed wrong to keep playing when so many had suffered. The common wisdom had been similar after natural disasters, the outbreak of war, assassinations and even the death of Princess Di — this is no time to play ball.
However, in the aftermath to the Victorian bushfires, as was the case after the 2004 tsunami, there has been a noticeable change in the way sport confronted catastrophe. Rather than departing apologetically from the scene, there has been a spontaneous, robust and well-considered belief that it was far more useful to stay on the field.
Not in an opportunistic way, using thin excuses about "providing a distraction" to keep the season on schedule. Nor in the increasingly common manner whereby support of an "official charity" is an image-building exercise. Rather, administrators, coaches and players from sports organisations large and small have reached the heartfelt and unanimous view that they are obliged to help — and that the best way to do so is by playing on.
Most visibly, Cricket Australia used Tuesday night's one-dayer against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval to raise funds for the bushfire appeal, with more than $6 million pledged. As with the hundreds of club sides who will sizzle sausages and sell drinks to raise cash at their weekend games, it was a far more useful response than leaving on the covers as a mark of respect.
Similarly, the black armbands worn by the Socceroos last night in their World Cup qualifier in Japan heightened consciousness — if that is possible — of the disaster and will have had a few more hands reaching for pockets. If the game itself will seem hollow to some, then its scheduling does not seem so.
As gratifying for those who have come to stereotype the modern professional athlete as selfish and self-absorbed is that much of the fund-raising efforts have been driven by players whose first response to the tragedy was "what can I do?". Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said several senior players who would normally miss an early pre-season game had asked to play tomorrow night when they learned the NAB Cup match against Essendon had been transferred from Darwin to Melbourne with the proceeds (expected to top $1 million) going to the bushfire appeal. Players from all 16 AFL clubs will rattle collection tins at the game.
The Australian cricket team yesterday toured the bushfire region en route to Brisbane. Another spontaneous gesture of support. Of course, as with those from the corporate, arts and other communities who have rallied, there should be no trophies awarded when those best placed to help simply do so. If the $200,000 pledged to the appeal by golfers Craig Parry and Nick O'Hern was exceedingly generous, it was also a reminder of the obscene wealth their sport can generate.
But those of us who are quick to condemn sportsmen who abuse their wealth and privilege should be as eager to acknowledge that, by grasping the moment rather than retreating self-consciously to the corner, sport has become more consequential rather than less so.
Western Bulldogs count blessings
Rebecca Williams | February 12, 2009 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25042107-19775,00.html
WITH two Perth matches in the first month of the season, Rodney Eade says the Western Bulldogs will benefit from not going to Darwin this weekend. While the focus of tomorrow night's match against Essendon is to raise money for bushfire victims, the Bulldogs coach said relocating the match to Telstra Dome was a plus for some of his senior stars.
The Bulldogs have included captain Brad Johnson and Nathan Eagleton, who would not have played had the match gone ahead in Darwin.
Defender Brian Lake and Daniel Giansiracusa have also been named after post-season hip operations.
But Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia confirmed last night that Ryan Griffen would miss after his father John passed away late Tuesday night after battling a brain tumour.
Griffen returned to South Australia last week to be with his family.
"Our thoughts are with the family at this time, we know what a close family they are," Fantasia said.
The Bulldogs head to Subiaco for the first match of the regular season against Fremantle and return in Round 4 to play West Coast.
"It's such a long flight (to Darwin), five hours up and five hours back," Eade said yesterday.
"That's why we were contemplating those guys (Johnson and Eagleton) not going because of the flight situation, not so much the humidity.
"Then we've got the two long flights (to Perth) early in the year. From that point of view it's a plus, but having said that you'd rather not have the bushfires."
The Dogs have named a host of untried players for the bushfire appeal match, with Eade confirming Jarrad Grant, Easton Wood, Brennan Stack, Paul O'Shea and rookie Henry White would play.
Rookies Jamason Daniels, James Mulligan, Liam Picken and John Shaw have also been included in the squad.
But the Bulldogs' top draft pick, father-son selection Ayce Cordy, will have to wait.
"As you'd imagine with a guy his build, he hasn't done all the training," Eade said.
"He's been in and out of training. He's not struggling to cope . . . but he's been up and down with how he's coped. Same with young Jordan Roughead. We're not going to rush those young guys."
Robert Murphy (knee), Adam Cooney (knee) and Jason Akermanis (calf) are unavailable, but Eade said he expected them to play later in the pre-season.
"Murphy's tracking on really well at the moment, fingers crossed. He's probably about three weeks ahead of schedule," Eade said.
"Coons is going well. He's just now into agility and speed work so he should be joining the main group as far as football probably in the next week or two.
"He'll be right for NAB third round. Murph will as well and Aker, I think, will be about the same."
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Rookies Jamason Daniels, James Mulligan, Liam Picken and John Shaw have also been included in the squad.
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A leader in the making has an old Dog's number
Martin Boulton | February 13, 2009
TWO days before raging bushfires devastated scores of communities across country Victoria, the Western Bulldogs visited Inverloch for an AFL community camp.
The welcoming Thursday night scene at the Inverloch-Kongwak footy club — where locals mixed freely with the players and coaches — left a firm impression on Shaun Higgins.
"Country footy, it's great stuff," he said after stepping off a trailer, which acted as a temporary stage behind the goals.
Country footy clubs, like the communities they represent, have been deeply scarred by the tragedy of the past week and images from last week's camp, where the locals embraced the Bulldogs, will surely replay in Higgins' mind as he prepares for tonight's NAB Cup match against Essendon.
The 21-year-old has been elevated to the Bulldogs' leadership group in just his fourth year at Whitten Oval. It's a promotion the former Rising Star nominee gladly accepted.
"It's a credit to him," said Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.
"Each of his three years he's had a major injury, which has affected his pre-season, but this time he's had a really good run (and) a very good pre-season.
"Areas he needed to work on he's worked diligently on, he's taken his running to another level and that gives us the option of not just playing him as a forward."
A move into the midfield, where he spent time playing junior football, is further reward for his strong pre-season.
"It's the first pre-season I've been able to have a full crack, without injury and when you can give it 100 per cent, it's always going to be beneficial," Higgins told The Age.
"To get through a season and play the way you want to, you need a full pre-season and I've had that, which gives me a good opportunity to have a consistent year."
His 2008 season was derailed by a broken ankle in round two. Picked up in the first round of the 2005 national draft, Higgins went on to play five games in his first year before fracturing his elbow.
He played 20 games in 2007, kicking three goals against Adelaide in round two before earning his Rising Star nomination against Collingwood in round eight.
If the disappointment of last year had a silver lining, it was the many hours he spent discussing the game's finer points with seven-time best-and-fairest winner Scott West as they shared months of rehabilitation together.
At Telstra Dome tonight he'll wear West's No. 7 guernsey for the first time, having accepted the old Bulldog's offer to hand back the No. 19 he wore in 32 games.
"I spent three years with 'Westy' watching how he went about it, but last year we both sat back, watched games from a different perspective and I learned a lot," Higgins said.
"I was drafted as a midfielder, played all my junior footy as a midfielder, so in the next year or two that's where I want to play the majority of my football."
Tonight he'll help advance the Bulldogs' 2009 campaign, but also play his part in the football community's efforts to assist the victims of bushfire.
Regarded internally as a future captain, he'll stand shoulder to shoulder with teammates in one of the most significant games of his life.
And the season is still six weeks away.
'Football family' to stand as one
Michael Gleeson and Dan Silkstone | February 13, 2009
IT MIGHT only be a NAB Cup game, but seldom has a game of football assumed the significance of tonight's Bushfire Relief match at Telstra Dome.
Captains from all 16 clubs yesterday took the extraordinary step of issuing an open letter, pleading with football supporters of all colours and loyalties to attend the match and to give generously.
"In times of adversity, we all need to come together, to reinforce that we are indeed all in this together. We are a community, and with community comes the responsibility that we help those in need," said the letter, issued through trhe AFL Players Association.
"We now understand that the bushfires are the worst peace-time disaster in Australia's history. We as the football family must act to do something to help."
Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, whose side takes on Essendon in the game, admitted that while winning was always a lower priority in pre-season games than regular-season matches, tonight it was even less about the on-field result as the off-field achievement.
"The game does transcend footy really. It's part of the whole mindset of wanting to help and doing something to help. We are a nation of pitching in and helping, and this is not the Bulldogs and Essendon, it is the whole footy community that wants to pitch in and help," Eade said.
"It is not about footy, it is about showing support for the fire victims. Money is one thing but there are other things that are important to people at the moment — from toiletries to clothes — but just as important is physically attending as a show of support to let people know we are with you and we are doing this together."
Hopes remain high that the match could sell out, with strong pre-match ticket sales suggesting a healthy turnout. By yesterday afternoon 24,000 tickets had already been sold — a midweek number that usually suggests a capacity crowd at Telstra Dome.
Those attending will witness a pre-game atmosphere unlike any. Some of the biggest names in the sport will be on show, not on the Telstra Dome turf but on the stadium concourse outside. Representatives from all 16 clubs — 60 in total — will stand outside the stadium collecting donations from arriving patrons. Among those rattling buckets will be club captains Chris Judd, Tom Harley, Sam Mitchell, Nick Maxwell and Chris Newman.
While Cameron Ling, Luke Hodge and interstate players including Fremantle's Des Headland and Josh Carr and Adelaide's Brett Burton will be here, while West Coast's Adam Selwood, whose family lives in fire-affected Bendigo, will also fly in for the game.
Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams has flown over to be among those shaking buckets to collect money and answer phones for the telethon, which will run during the game.
Message boards will also be erected outside the Dome allowing football fans to pen messages of support for bushfire victims and emergency service workers. The messages will be sent to bushfire-ravaged regions after the match.
All proceeds from the match — including merchandise sales and ticket booking fees — will be donated to bushfire relief.
St Kilda said yesterday that it would wear the Red Cross bushfire relief hotline number as a shorts sponsor during its match against the Brisbane Lions on the Gold Coast tomorrow night.
The club will also auction jumpers worn by its entire team on the night. Injured players and those not selected will collect donations outside the ground.