Mr KIELY - 2005-02-16
The Bulldogs AFL team has adopted the Territory as their second home. Can the minister tell Territorians what we can do to further support the Bulldogs in the Territory?
ANSWER
I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. Madam Speaker, knowing that you are a passionate Melbourne supporter, I thank you for your kind permission this afternoon to allow me to don the somewhat unparliamentary attire of a Western Bulldogs scarf.
I am proud to stand here today as we enter the second year of our agreement with the AFL and, importantly, the second year of our growing relationship with the Western Bulldogs. We have been lucky enough to witness a fantastic game with the AFL’s Aboriginal All Stars as they battled it out with the Bulldogs on 5 February.
It was heartening to see …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr AH KIT: Did someone rattle a bucket over there? It was heartening to see that, despite the All Stars …
Mr Elferink: They want your good side, Jack.
Mr AH KIT: I am better looking than most of you!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members of the opposition!
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, it was heartening to see that, despite the All Stars’ local popularity for obvious reasons, there were many supporters in the crowd barracking for the Bulldogs, not least the supporters of the Ngukurr Bulldogs from my own electorate.
It is terrific how Territorians have embraced the Bulldogs as their own and, even if people have another team as their first supporting preference, Territorians are getting behind the Bulldogs in return for their loyalty to the Northern Territory. I know that the Bulldogs have recognised this and are eager to see this relationship grow. The Bulldogs logo is: ‘Together, passionate, forever’. That is certainly how they have approached making friends in the Territory.
Territorians love their footy. We follow local teams with passion, and some hero worship their AFL teams. I now urge Territorians to support the Territory’s own, the Western Bulldogs, as our adopted side. Members will have noticed that our very own Chief Minister, by her own sad admission, a die-hard Sydney Swans supporter, has recently become the No 1 supporter of the Territory-based LeasePlan Western Bulldogs Long Distance 7 membership club. Not only has the Chief Minister lent her support to the Bulldogs, but the Treasurer, my colleague, the honourable Syd Stirling, a Bombers man to his bootstraps, and I, a dyed-in-the-wool Port Adelaide supporter, have also signed on the dotted line to support the Doggies as our adopted Territory side.
I believe it is important that we recognise the work done by the players and officials from the Western Bulldogs in the Territory. Every time these players visit, they run remote and local community camps. We have also seen them again relocate a premiership game to Darwin this year against Carlton on 18 June, and they will make public appearances, including visits to our hospitals and schools, as a part of their activities.
In further support of the Bulldogs, I have membership application forms here that I will table, and call on all members of this House, and those people listening in today, to really get behind the Bulldogs and join the supporters club. I hope to get 100% membership of members in this House. I am not asking members to abandon their usual teams, but I am asking that we give the Doggies a fair go, for they are certainly giving the Territory a fair go in bringing the AFL premiership games to the Territory.
Territorians need to show how willing we are to be in this partnership. It is now up to all of us to take the next step and get behind the Bulldogs as our home team so we can ensure this relationship continues to grow. Let us entrench them as the Territory’s side, and encourage the AFL to hold more and more fixtures in the Territory over the coming years. This was always a bold initiative and is one that contributes significantly towards this government’s commitment to building on the Territory’s great lifestyle. Go the Doggies!
Madam SPEAKER: And minister, I was pleased to see the member for Araluen obviously indicating that she would be happy to support that.
Ms Carney: I am happy to discuss it with him later on, Madam Speaker.
ANSWER
I thank the member for Sanderson for his question. Madam Speaker, knowing that you are a passionate Melbourne supporter, I thank you for your kind permission this afternoon to allow me to don the somewhat unparliamentary attire of a Western Bulldogs scarf.
I am proud to stand here today as we enter the second year of our agreement with the AFL and, importantly, the second year of our growing relationship with the Western Bulldogs. We have been lucky enough to witness a fantastic game with the AFL’s Aboriginal All Stars as they battled it out with the Bulldogs on 5 February.
It was heartening to see …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr AH KIT: Did someone rattle a bucket over there? It was heartening to see that, despite the All Stars …
Mr Elferink: They want your good side, Jack.
Mr AH KIT: I am better looking than most of you!
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Members of the opposition!
Mr AH KIT: Madam Speaker, it was heartening to see that, despite the All Stars’ local popularity for obvious reasons, there were many supporters in the crowd barracking for the Bulldogs, not least the supporters of the Ngukurr Bulldogs from my own electorate.
It is terrific how Territorians have embraced the Bulldogs as their own and, even if people have another team as their first supporting preference, Territorians are getting behind the Bulldogs in return for their loyalty to the Northern Territory. I know that the Bulldogs have recognised this and are eager to see this relationship grow. The Bulldogs logo is: ‘Together, passionate, forever’. That is certainly how they have approached making friends in the Territory.
Territorians love their footy. We follow local teams with passion, and some hero worship their AFL teams. I now urge Territorians to support the Territory’s own, the Western Bulldogs, as our adopted side. Members will have noticed that our very own Chief Minister, by her own sad admission, a die-hard Sydney Swans supporter, has recently become the No 1 supporter of the Territory-based LeasePlan Western Bulldogs Long Distance 7 membership club. Not only has the Chief Minister lent her support to the Bulldogs, but the Treasurer, my colleague, the honourable Syd Stirling, a Bombers man to his bootstraps, and I, a dyed-in-the-wool Port Adelaide supporter, have also signed on the dotted line to support the Doggies as our adopted Territory side.
I believe it is important that we recognise the work done by the players and officials from the Western Bulldogs in the Territory. Every time these players visit, they run remote and local community camps. We have also seen them again relocate a premiership game to Darwin this year against Carlton on 18 June, and they will make public appearances, including visits to our hospitals and schools, as a part of their activities.
In further support of the Bulldogs, I have membership application forms here that I will table, and call on all members of this House, and those people listening in today, to really get behind the Bulldogs and join the supporters club. I hope to get 100% membership of members in this House. I am not asking members to abandon their usual teams, but I am asking that we give the Doggies a fair go, for they are certainly giving the Territory a fair go in bringing the AFL premiership games to the Territory.
Territorians need to show how willing we are to be in this partnership. It is now up to all of us to take the next step and get behind the Bulldogs as our home team so we can ensure this relationship continues to grow. Let us entrench them as the Territory’s side, and encourage the AFL to hold more and more fixtures in the Territory over the coming years. This was always a bold initiative and is one that contributes significantly towards this government’s commitment to building on the Territory’s great lifestyle. Go the Doggies!
Madam SPEAKER: And minister, I was pleased to see the member for Araluen obviously indicating that she would be happy to support that.
Ms Carney: I am happy to discuss it with him later on, Madam Speaker.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016