FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Monday, December 12, 2011
Herald Sun
AFL may push into China
By Matt Windley
THE AFL could stage games in China for premiership points as soon as 2016. AFL international development manager Tony Woods said there was a "genuine possibility" of clubs - likely to include Melbourne - playing games in China. Woods wants a Chinese player drafted in the next decade. Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions played an exhibition match in Shanghai in October 2010 and another match has been slated for either next year or 2013. The Demons have forged close ties with China and last month Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy flagged his interest in taking the Giants to China. "If you've got that type of energy behind it there's no reason why we can't aim for that type of outcome in the next three to five years," Woods said. "Ultimately, you've got to have two clubs who are really keen and driving it. It has to sit within our fixturing here and in the end it has to be a joint decision and endorsed by the AFL Commission. "Absolutely, playing a game there for premiership points in the future is a consideration." Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab said there was "no question" games would be played overseas, pointing to the NFL's push into London. "At some point there will be a venue, a time, a reason and there will be enough momentum behind it that there will be clubs prepared to host games in other countries. "It makes a lot of sense for that to be in China, given the number of levels we relate to China on."
The Age
Jimmy’s journey (Saturday, December 10)
By Martin Flanagan
ON MONDAY I went to Melbourne training and spoke to Jimmy Stynes. “How are you?” I asked. “Not too bad,” he replied. “How are you?” Relative to Jimmy, I'm fighting fit but I didn't state the obvious. Two weeks ago, Jimmy was told it was over, that he had, at most, three weeks to live. His wife Sam, a dynamic woman, organised one last party. Jimmy's 80 closest friends were invited. Caterers were hired, as was a guitarist, but the day before the party his specialist rang to say they had found something unexpected on one of his scans — his duodenal cancer had halved in size. Two days ago, Jimmy had another operation and the early reports are that it has gone well. It was the 23rd time they had cut a tumor from his body, the sixth time they had cut one from his brain. On Monday, I found Jimmy slightly distant but calm. Amazingly calm. This last operation has come with no promises, what it might do is buy him some extra time, a few months, and how was he spending that time? He was watching Melbourne train. When I asked Sam Stynes what the Melbourne Football Club means to her husband, she replied, “I've never thought about that — it's so ingrained in him. I've never thought of it as a separate entity to him.” Jimmy's the migrant kid whose footy club became part of him. When the club — one of the world's oldest and formerly a by-word for the establishment — was on its knees, he came back as president. There have been some rocky moments since, but Jimmy's got the Dees debt-free and back on the map. No one's talking them up for next season but no one's writing them off either.
Herald Sun
AFL may push into China
By Matt Windley
THE AFL could stage games in China for premiership points as soon as 2016. AFL international development manager Tony Woods said there was a "genuine possibility" of clubs - likely to include Melbourne - playing games in China. Woods wants a Chinese player drafted in the next decade. Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions played an exhibition match in Shanghai in October 2010 and another match has been slated for either next year or 2013. The Demons have forged close ties with China and last month Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy flagged his interest in taking the Giants to China. "If you've got that type of energy behind it there's no reason why we can't aim for that type of outcome in the next three to five years," Woods said. "Ultimately, you've got to have two clubs who are really keen and driving it. It has to sit within our fixturing here and in the end it has to be a joint decision and endorsed by the AFL Commission. "Absolutely, playing a game there for premiership points in the future is a consideration." Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab said there was "no question" games would be played overseas, pointing to the NFL's push into London. "At some point there will be a venue, a time, a reason and there will be enough momentum behind it that there will be clubs prepared to host games in other countries. "It makes a lot of sense for that to be in China, given the number of levels we relate to China on."
The Age
Jimmy’s journey (Saturday, December 10)
By Martin Flanagan
ON MONDAY I went to Melbourne training and spoke to Jimmy Stynes. “How are you?” I asked. “Not too bad,” he replied. “How are you?” Relative to Jimmy, I'm fighting fit but I didn't state the obvious. Two weeks ago, Jimmy was told it was over, that he had, at most, three weeks to live. His wife Sam, a dynamic woman, organised one last party. Jimmy's 80 closest friends were invited. Caterers were hired, as was a guitarist, but the day before the party his specialist rang to say they had found something unexpected on one of his scans — his duodenal cancer had halved in size. Two days ago, Jimmy had another operation and the early reports are that it has gone well. It was the 23rd time they had cut a tumor from his body, the sixth time they had cut one from his brain. On Monday, I found Jimmy slightly distant but calm. Amazingly calm. This last operation has come with no promises, what it might do is buy him some extra time, a few months, and how was he spending that time? He was watching Melbourne train. When I asked Sam Stynes what the Melbourne Football Club means to her husband, she replied, “I've never thought about that — it's so ingrained in him. I've never thought of it as a separate entity to him.” Jimmy's the migrant kid whose footy club became part of him. When the club — one of the world's oldest and formerly a by-word for the establishment — was on its knees, he came back as president. There have been some rocky moments since, but Jimmy's got the Dees debt-free and back on the map. No one's talking them up for next season but no one's writing them off either.
