Toast Thanks Heath

[sutcliffe's hotel]

Legend. As an interstate fan, Heath brought the club closer to us with easy access to great content.

Thrilled he got to belt out our victory song with the team in Launceston.

 

[berniemccarthy]

What a genuine gun is BoomerBrownlow_29. Wonderful job over a long time and under duress a lot of it. Many thanks for an outstanding contribution.

 

[bennymate]

Actually gutted, he recently got LDU to sign his guernsey for me which i am ever so grateful for and was an absolute rockstar at handling our media avenues, will be missed.

All the best with your new role at the NBL Heathos!

 

[Hojuman]

Legend Heath

Reckon we can put you up with the likes of Skull, Macca & June.

Always a true North man. Hope we see you at games.

 

[Sphynx]

Massive loss. The most respected media guy of any AFL club. NBL is a basket case (pun intended) and a huge challenge. Wish Heath well. Always had a great relationship with him even when we didn't agree. Respect!

The 00's want your quote back.

It's probably the fastest growing league in the country at the moment.

Has growing influence with the NBA as a feeder league for young players who don't want to go play college.

There's been American first rounders drafted out of the NBL into the NBA in the last 4 seasons. Including multiple top 10 picks.


Smart move. The NBL will be huge in 10-15 years.

 

[ferball]

Cheers Heath.

Top work.

 

[big_e]

I originally put this in the Commentary and Media thread, but thinking about it, he deserves a separate thread;

The cat is out of the bag; Heath O'Laughlin is leaving NMFC after 13 years as the media boss, to go be a big-wig at the NBL.

Heath indisputably made NMFC a better footy club, and the work he did behind the scenes to raise our profile in the media was massive.

Big loss. He's a true North man.

No Bull League?

Good on him, he's done a great job in some pretty trying circumstances.

 

[shinboner magic]

Big loss for the club.

We were market leaders due to his hard work.

 

[RightWingRoo]

Expect the NBL to have the best media department of any league in the country, because Heath is a gun at what he does. Disappointing to lose him, but he deserves the chance to chase new and bigger challenges.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Phillyroo can come out of his hiding spot now; that thread, those weeks around the Essendon/Geelong prelim are definitely the funniest and best memory of recent I have with North and this board

Heath kept the riff raff out.

 

[Marksup]

Thanks Heath. You could tell he was well-respected internally and he always used the media platform to go into bat on behalf of the club.

My favourite memory remains the “At training” saga in the lead up to the finals. He certainly made his presence felt in here during that period

 

[Passmore]

The 00's want your quote back.

It's probably the fastest growing league in the country at the moment.

Has growing influence with the NBA as a feeder league for young players who don't want to go play college.

There's been American first rounders drafted out of the NBL into the NBA in the last 4 seasons. Including multiple top 10 picks.


Smart move. The NBL will be huge in 10-15 years.

It'll never top the days of the NM Giants and the Twin Boulders (?) Scotty Fisher and Tim Dillon.

Maybe Heathos can bring the Giants back?

 

[DuckYeah]

NBL? Wtf? Thanks Heath. You gave us great insight to our club in your time. Heaps of appreciation.. but the NBL? Good luck

 

[Liam Boy]

NBL? Wtf? Thanks Heath. You gave us great insight to our club in your time. Heaps of appreciation.. but the NBL? Good luck

well he wouldn't have just gone to a different club. he can still barrack for north this way

 

[gokangas]

The 00's want your quote back.

It's probably the fastest growing league in the country at the moment.

Has growing influence with the NBA as a feeder league for young players who don't want to go play college.

There's been American first rounders drafted out of the NBL into the NBA in the last 4 seasons. Including multiple top 10 picks.


Smart move. The NBL will be huge in 10-15 years.

Yep, sorta. The junior pathways (late teens) are not working, teams go bust every year or two - constant set backs. Couldn't even get a FTA TV deal and Foxtel only bought some games. Game is struggling. Ironically in schools the game is very strong. They just don't have a good way of leveraging that once the kids move out of the school environs.

 

[Mcarcherey]

massive loss, has been a huge in getting the club to where it is today.

he'll be sorely missed.

 

[Tas]

Does he read BF any longer?

 

[Euge]

How lucky was I? Lucky to be offered the job at North, then be embraced by the wonderful North people and then luckiest move of all - having Heath come on board as our Media man. JB had mentioned that Heath (who was at Channel 9) might be interested in joining the club. The cards fell our way and he started in late 2008. I had never met him before going for a coffee and he had me at hello! Employed him on the spot. I don't think many clubs had been employing actual journos back then but we definitely started a trend. He is by far the best in the AFL. He is an innovator and built the North media team into one of the best in sport. More importantly, he was there to guide and support me when things were extremely tough in the trenches at North. Along with John Murphy, Adam Aiello, Cam Vale and Dino Imbriano we were almost invincible. He has become one of my best mates and whilst I am sad to see him leave the Roos, he has built a legacy that will last for decades. Best wishes buddy.

 

[Chadwiko]

How lucky was I? Lucky to be offered the job at North, then be embraced by the wonderful North people and then luckiest move of all - having Heath come on board as our Media man. JB had mentioned that Heath (who was at Channel 9) might be interested in joining the club. The cards fell our way and he started in late 2008. I had never met him before going for a coffee and he had me at hello! Employed him on the spot. I don't think many clubs had been employing actual journos back then but we definitely started a trend. He is by far the best in the AFL. He is an innovator and built the North media team into one of the best in sport. More importantly, he was there to guide and support me when things were extremely tough in the trenches at North. Along with John Murphy, Adam Aiello, Cam Vale and Dino Imbriano we were almost invincible. He has become one of my best mates and whilst I am sad to see him leave the Roos, he has built a legacy that will last for decades. Best wishes buddy.

Extremely well said.

(PS love seeing you at Marvel rocking the royal blue and white, Euge. You're a mensch.)

 

[Kangaroos techno]

Big loss. I always felt sorry for Heath because i think he was contained by a smaller budget. Other clubs had their shows on fox footy and youtube. If he got that same freedom and $$$ he would be the real deal and envied by other clubs supporters.

I appreciate the attempt at trying new things like the podcast and the quality and humour he put into the videos. That cunnington clip is excellent. We need more of that and sagas like the 'man vs. Majak' vids.

All the best.

 

[Tas]

How lucky was I? Lucky to be offered the job at North, then be embraced by the wonderful North people and then luckiest move of all - having Heath come on board as our Media man. JB had mentioned that Heath (who was at Channel 9) might be interested in joining the club. The cards fell our way and he started in late 2008. I had never met him before going for a coffee and he had me at hello! Employed him on the spot. I don't think many clubs had been employing actual journos back then but we definitely started a trend. He is by far the best in the AFL. He is an innovator and built the North media team into one of the best in sport. More importantly, he was there to guide and support me when things were extremely tough in the trenches at North. Along with John Murphy, Adam Aiello, Cam Vale and Dino Imbriano we were almost invincible. He has become one of my best mates and whilst I am sad to see him leave the Roos, he has built a legacy that will last for decades. Best wishes buddy.

We miss you, Euge. It was a great loss for our club to particularly lose you and Cam Vale, for some time it felt like our club was in limbo, being reactive rather than proactive. I think things are improving but when I think back to everything we achieved back then, in the period of time that it was achieved, it has been a monument to the hard work of you and everyone else at the club at the time.

I wish we still had that same hunger to be aggressive about what we wanted to achieve, every other week there was news about us doing this or that, things have been moving at a more pedestrian pace since you left.

I remember when Heath first streamed a pre-season game, I think he had to use his phone or something to uplink it, it really set the trend, I remember reading supporters of other clubs envious about what we were doing. Of course it is a whole AFL thing now.

 

[Sphynx]

Yep, sorta. The junior pathways (late teens) are not working, teams go bust every year or two - constant set backs. Couldn't even get a FTA TV deal and Foxtel only bought some games. Game is struggling. Ironically in schools the game is very strong. They just don't have a good way of leveraging that once the kids move out of the school environs.

Lol,

I think we need to look in our own backyard if your yardstick for a sport struggling is community pathways and clubs struggling.

Local AFL clubs are batting at the moment, Tasmanian football is dead etc.

The NBL is the complete opposite of struggling at the moment. It's partnership with the NBA is only getting stronger and the likes of Lamelo Ball and RJ Hampton have only further exposed the league for the top 18 year old NBA draft prospects.

It will be a genuine NBA feeder league in 10 years.

 

[Sphynx]

How lucky was I? Lucky to be offered the job at North, then be embraced by the wonderful North people and then luckiest move of all - having Heath come on board as our Media man. JB had mentioned that Heath (who was at Channel 9) might be interested in joining the club. The cards fell our way and he started in late 2008. I had never met him before going for a coffee and he had me at hello! Employed him on the spot. I don't think many clubs had been employing actual journos back then but we definitely started a trend. He is by far the best in the AFL. He is an innovator and built the North media team into one of the best in sport. More importantly, he was there to guide and support me when things were extremely tough in the trenches at North. Along with John Murphy, Adam Aiello, Cam Vale and Dino Imbriano we were almost invincible. He has become one of my best mates and whilst I am sad to see him leave the Roos, he has built a legacy that will last for decades. Best wishes buddy.

* me Euge, I doubt there's a more revered person by the North supporter base than yourself.

I sincerely hope you come back to North in some capacity once you achieve all you need to in your professional life.

We would love you on the board in the future.

 

[gokangas]

Lol,

I think we need to look in our own backyard if your yardstick for a sport struggling is community pathways and clubs struggling.

Local AFL clubs are batting at the moment, Tasmanian football is dead etc.

The NBL is the complete opposite of struggling at the moment. It's partnership with the NBA is only getting stronger and the likes of Lamelo Ball and RJ Hampton have only further exposed the league for the top 18 year old NBA draft prospects.

It will be a genuine NBA feeder league in 10 years.

Missing my point. International success of a few players isn't how I judge the comp. So what we have a few players playing at the highest level? The game here is struggling in the middle age groups. And I don't disagree junior AFL is struggling in some areas. Stand by what I said re NBL.

 

[Sphynx]

Missing my point. International success of a few players isn't how I judge the comp. So what we have a few players playing at the highest level? The game here is struggling in the middle age groups. And I don't disagree junior AFL is struggling in some areas. Stand by what I said re NBL.

No your missing my point.

The strength of the NBL, unlike the AFL, isn't fully reliant on the Australian grass roots system strength.

In fact, in the near future it's strength is going to be underpinned by the popularity of it's pathways into the NBA by American teenagers.