10 Most Influential Footy Figures

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Allen Aylett: charismatic and entrepreneurial former president of the VFL who first introduced the game to the reality of sport as entertainment.

Ron Casey: Kangaroos chairman who in his career as a television executive shaped football's relationship with the medium.

Ross Oakley: former chief executive of the AFL and a guiding force behind the establishment and growth of the national league.

Kenneth Luke: president of the VFL for 16 years who decided to build Waverley Park and socreate for football negotiating leverage that is fundamental to the health of the code today.

John Kennedy: inspirational coach who popularised the virtues of pre-season training and foresaw the abolition of set positions on the field - a modern-game fundamental - who later became chairman of the AFL commission.

Jock McHale: coached Collingwood for 38 years for eight premierships.

Norm Smith: Fine Melbourne full-forward and legendary coach who delivered six premierships and one of the game's great periods of domination to the Demons.

Gary Ablett: Football would probably be the same without Ablett but the standards by which players are measured certainly would not. He is to our game what Nadia Comaneci is to gymnastics.

Ted Whitten: One of the best players of the century, Mr Football kept football and all of its weird cultural rituals entertaining and relevant for 25 years after his last game.

Ron Barassi: Great player and even better coach who continues to contribute to the game almost 50 years after making his debut for Melbourne in 1953.
 
I think you have mixed up power with influence.

Influence means you can change opinions of the masses but it doesn't mean you have the power to make changes. In a football sense Rex Hunt, Gerard Healy, Kevin sheedy have influence to shape the footy public's opinion, but Demetriou, Ron Evans, CEO's of clubs have the real power to change things.

Robert Walls had great influence by starting the huddle and having strategies for set plays and as a result, the way the game is played now, but he had very little power outside his playing group.
 

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Jamie said:
Ross Oakley: former chief executive of the AFL and a guiding force behind the establishment and growth of the national league.

What about his influence on trying to kick the then Footscray Bulldogs out of the national competition? Get f*cked, Oakley.
 
What about Mal Brown, he sure had the power back in the 70s to show Carlton who the real man on the football ground was..

But i'll give my vote to Mark Jackson, best clown ever to grace a football field, probably pulled in 1/2 million more supporters just by his antics.
 

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10 Most Influential Footy Figures

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