The Canberra Connection

redshank

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Love to see to see these kids getting picked up when they may well not have without the academies.

NSW/ACT competing in TAC Cup is what made the difference. The last time NSW/ACT had a bag full of draftees was the Lenny Hayes/Mark McVeigh era and the last year they played TAC Cup. The academies are great but TAC Cup is how they get exposure to the recruiters.
 

Ichabod Noodle

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Two Canberra boys drafted, first to be drafted since Tutt five years ago, both from Belconnen.

Everyone forgets Josh Bruce. I realise he wasn't drafted, but he's from Canberra and playing AFL. It's only an historical oddity with the prelisting rules associated with a start up club that he wasn't "drafted".
 
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fabulousphil

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http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...e-to-produce--afl-talent-20141205-120rm4.html

Four Canberrans joined AFL lists in the past nine days, ending a five-year draft drought in the process of producing the biggest haul of ACT talent since 1996.

Jack Steele (Greater Western Sydney), Logan Austin (Port Adelaide), Aaron Vandenberg (Melbourne) and Ivan Soldo (Richmond) now have the chance to join the likes of Tutt and Josh Bruce at the highest level.

It means there are now seven Territorians in the AFL, eight if you include Carlton's Dennis Armfield, who moved to Perth when he was seven.


Armfield is a stretch IMO, think he is Kiwi born anyway, but good news for footy in the ACT.
 

Experimental

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Guys, accomodation in Canberra is filling up fast for ANZAC Day next year. If you're planning on getting down there for the 100 year commemoration and our game against the Suns, I suggest you book ASAP.
So conflicted about this. Really want to drive down, but I'm not sure it'll be worth the long roadtrip. Thanks for the heads up !
 

inamedthegiants

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So conflicted about this. Really want to drive down, but I'm not sure it'll be worth the long roadtrip. Thanks for the heads up !

Fly direct mate. Where else would you want to spend the 100 year anniversary of the Gallipoli landings than our nations' capital?
 
Apr 23, 2012
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Fly direct mate. Where else would you want to spend the 100 year anniversary of the Gallipoli landings than our nations' capital?
Where it actually happened?

I was hoping if be able to go see the game, but if the past few years are anything to go by, I'll probably be working :(
 
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fabulousphil

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Article in CT about Canberra's six team comp from next season.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/spo...a-firstgrade-competition-20141219-12am6s.html

Eastlake and Ainslie are in the NEAFL, but they will also field teams in the AFL Canberra 1st Grade, along with Queanbeyan, Tuggeranong, Belconnen and Gunghalin.

I think it is going to be very difficult for teams such as Tuggers and Gungahlin to compete in the long term, clubs such as Ainslie, Eastlake, Belconnen and QBY have licensed clubs that turn over millions of $$,( those teams have 3 or 4 licensed clubs each) Gungahlin literally runs out of a shed.

Canberra football i guess like any other league has the have's and have nots.

I understand Eastlake has bought a parcel of land out in Gungahlin with the intention of building another licensed club ( read pokies) realistically how will this help Gungahlin Jets.
 
May 13, 2012
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I think it is going to be very difficult for teams such as Tuggers and Gungahlin to compete in the long term, clubs such as Ainslie, Eastlake, Belconnen and QBY have licensed clubs that turn over millions of $$,( those teams have 3 or 4 licensed clubs each) Gungahlin literally runs out of a shed.

Canberra football i guess like any other league has the have's and have nots.

I understand Eastlake has bought a parcel of land out in Gungahlin with the intention of building another licensed club ( read pokies) realistically how will this help Gungahlin Jets.

History tells us that you are right on the first point.

I think it's a bit disappointing that Eastlake would open a club in Gunghalin (Ainslie already have one there), on the other hand, the Vikings have clubs everyhwere, so it's probably pretty hard to stop clubs from growing when they are successful.

Ainslie and Eastlake will have their hands full with the NEAFL team, meaning Queanbeyan and Belconnen should be in very strong positions to contend for the flag.

I hope tuggers and Gunghalin can hang on in there and be competitive.

In recent decades it has been really hard for the Canberra top league to have five or more competitive clubs at any one time.

By the way, I know you have some familiarity with Canberra footy, but I think the Gunghalin footy club might have its roots in the East Canberra Jets who used to play in the old Monaro comp.
 

fabulousphil

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History tells us that you are right on the first point.

I think it's a bit disappointing that Eastlake would open a club in Gunghalin (Ainlies already have one there), on the other hand, the Vikings have clubs everyhwere, so it's probably pretty hard to stop clubs from growing when they are successful.

Ainslie and Eastlake will have their hands full with the NEAFL team, meaning Queanbeyan and Belconnen should be in very strong positions to contend for the flag.

I hope tuggers and Gunghalin can hang on in there and be competitive.

By the way, I know you have some familiarity with Canberra footy, but I think the Gunghalin footy club might have its roots in the East Canberra Jets who used to play in the old Monaro comp.

If we go way back i think the East Canberra jets have a connection to the Gungahlin Gallopers who used to run out of a pub out that way ( i think) 1980's (?), maybe Charnwood Inn (?), which was a pretty rough old place in the day.

I know before Gungahlin opened up ( housing) the Jets used to run out of Kaleen sports center.
 
May 13, 2012
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If we go way back i think the East Canberra jets have a connection to the Gungahlin Gallopers who used to run out of a pub out that way ( i think) 1980's (?), maybe Charnwood Inn (?), which was a pretty rough old place in the day.

I know before Gungahlin opened up ( housing) the Jets used to run out of Kaleen sports center.

I knew about the Kaleen connection, but didn't know about their history with the Charnwood Inn (never been there, but I can imagine what you're saying is right!)
 

fabulousphil

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I knew about the Kaleen connection, but didn't know about their history with the Charnwood Inn (never been there, but I can imagine what you're saying is right!)

Don't quote me, but that's where i think the Gallopers ran from, there may have actually been a RL team of the same name or perhaps sort of loosely affiliated, i imagine because they were in the Monaro comp that when they merged or folded players went to the jets. ( next closest team)

Charnwood was considered ( perhaps still is) a coppers nightmare, the suburb was chock full of Government hoses and plenty of long laneways which enabled kids, teenagers and others to escape the long hand of the law by slipping down them, jumping fences etc . ( cars did not fit) :D
 

fabulousphil

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Just to satisfy myself i looked up Gallopers through trove newspapers and returned this from the Canberra times in 1980

A RL club called Gallopers and a AF club called Gallopers, i think from memory they ran from the same Pub, could be mistaken though.

No East Canberra or Gungahlin AF teams in the Monaro league at that time, pretty sure the Gallopers became East Canberra and then Gungahlin.

Interesting to see Daramalan and St Eddies have teams in the Monaro comp back then.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/art...m=canberra gallopers monaro afl&searchLimits=
 
May 13, 2012
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Just to satisfy myself i looked up Gallopers through trove newspapers and returned this from the Canberra times in 1980

A RL club called Gallopers and a AF club called Gallopers, i think from memory they ran from the same Pub, could be mistaken though.

No East Canberra or Gungahlin AF teams in the Monaro league at that time, pretty sure the Gallopers became East Canberra and then Gungahlin.

Interesting to see Daramalan and St Eddies have teams in the Monaro comp back then.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/125613344?searchTerm=canberra gallopers monaro afl&searchLimits=

Quite interesting looking at that. 1980 is the year ANU dropped back from ACTAFL to Monaro.

I never knew there was a team called North Canberra.

Interesting to see the bottom four teams in Monaro First division: Harman, Bateman's Bay, St Eddies and Cooma.

The Monaro comp was quite big at that time.

I noticed West Canberra doing ok in the Reserve Grade of ACTAFL, within a couple of years, both seniors and reserves would be on the end of some frightful hidings on the way to merging with Belconnen.

You can see Sutherland at the bottom of Reserve Grade and U19s, they would become Tuggeranong one or two years later. They must have started building houses in Wanniassa and Kambah around that time.
 

fabulousphil

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Quite interesting looking at that. 1980 is the year ANU dropped back from ACTAFL to Monaro.

I never knew there was a team called North Canberra.

Interesting to see the bottom four teams in Monaro First division: Harman, Bateman's Bay, St Eddies and Cooma.

The Monaro comp was quite big at that time.

I noticed West Canberra doing ok in the Reserve Grade of ACTAFL, within a couple of years, both seniors and reserves would be on the end of some frightful hidings on the way to merging with Belconnen.

You can see Sutherland at the bottom of Reserve Grade and U19s, they would become Tuggeranong one or two years later. They must have started building houses in Wanniassa and Kambah around that time.

Certainly know your Canberra stuff, never knew about North Canberra either perhaps affiliated with Ainslie in some way ?, ex players perhaps.

Know a fair bit about West Canberra being flogged :)

Cheers.
 
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