MEMBERS ON SPORTING STAGE - Melbourne Cricket Club

CLUB NEWS
BUMPER FOOTY
FIXTURE IN STORE
The relentless football news cycle
was most evident in October when
the 2009 AFL season schedule of
matches was released before a cricket ball
had even been bowled at the MCG. As
was the case in 2008, the MCG will host
46 home and away matches next season.
It will be an action-packed opening,
with four matches played at the ’G in the
fi rst round, starting with a clash between
Richmond and Carlton on Thursday
March 26. On the following evening the
grand fi nal replay between Hawthorn and
Geelong is bound to draw a big crowd.
Other notable features of the MCG’s
schedule include a fortnight without
matches over the weekends of June 13-14
and 20-21, the return of the Anzac Day,
Queen’s Birthday and Dreamtime at the
’G matches, a Geelong-Collingwood
Easter Thursday blockbuster and 14
matches involving Collingwood (the most
of any club), including two against both
Carlton and Essendon.
A full fi xture and operational details
about the 2009 AFL season will
complement the MCC newsletter in
early March.
MCC member Michael Inglis (second from left) became the lucky two-millionth patron for the
2008 AFL season on August 2. MCC chief warden Peter French (right) and Sharp Australia
sales manager Steven Field (left) presented Michael with a new television, courtesy of Sharp.
IRELAND’S CLEAN SWEEP
For the fi rst time since 2003,
the MCG hosted an International
Rules Series match between
Australia and Ireland on October 31,
exactly fi ve years to the day the ’G last
saw the hybrid game.
More than 42,000 fans descended on
the stadium, braving the cold and rain
throughout most of the second and
third quarters, to watch the close
encounter. The ’G looked a picture,
with ground staff doing a wonderful
job converting the arena to its new
confi guration and rejuvenating the turf
after thousands pounded it during the
Samsung Melbourne Marathon a
fortnight earlier.
After a hard-fought fi rst Test at
Subiaco, Australia was looking to
bounce back from a narrow defeat and
14 MCC NEWS
DECEMBER 2008
win in Melbourne. The Irish, however,
had other ideas and a gallant effort by
the Aussies in the fi nal term wasn’t
enough to stop Ireland winning by four
points and making it a clean sweep of
the series to take home the Cormac
McAnallen Trophy.
Stephen Gough presents a cheque for
$50,000 to Ladder general manager
Mark Bolton.
MCC SUPPORTS
WORTHY CAUSES
The MCC has continued its
support for community
activities, recently making
sizeable fi nancial contributions to two
very worthwhile ventures.
At the AFL Players’ Association
(AFLPA) Most Valuable Player Awards
night in September, MCC chief
executive Stephen Gough presented
$50,000 to the AFLPA to go towards its
Ladder project.
The club matched the gesture of Hall
of Fame Tribute game players who
donated their match fees to Ladder and
two other community projects. The
MCC donation came from the proceeds
of the same game in May.
Ladder was created in 2007 by the
AFLPA and AFL Foundation to address
the issue of youth homelessness across
Australia.
It aims to provide programs that will
give hope and inspiration, improving
the lives of homeless young people by
tapping into the resources of the AFL
and the players.
Ladder general manager, former
Essendon defender Mark Bolton, was
pleased to see his organisation receive
such strong support.
“I am very happy that, as one of the
game’s key stakeholders, the MCC has
joined the team,” he said. “I would like
to think that Ladder has the potential to
change lives, not only of the youth
involved in our programs but also the
players themselves, giving them a sense
of perspective and also fulfi llment that
comes from helping others.”
The club has also donated $20,000 to
St John Ambulance Victoria to fund the
purchase of new equipment to maintain
the high-level medical support available
to MCG visitors on event days.