Your Excellencies
Prime Minister
Premiers
Distinguished guests one and all

The 2011 Toyota AFL Premiership Season has been a truly historic year for Australian football.

A year when we witnessed a new era for our game.... A year when our game was embraced by more people than ever before.

We saw President Barack Obama handball a Sherrin to Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the White House.

And Prince William handball to Jim Stynes during a visit to Victoria’s flood affected communities.

When you add up the President and future King of England’s handballs, you still have two more than Kevin Bartlett recorded in his entire career.

In 2011, history was created with the introduction of the AFL’s 17th club - the Gold Coast Suns, playing at Metricon Stadium.

We reached an historic broadcast rights agreement that will see the game shown live on more platforms via the Seven Network, Foxtel and Telstra and across more parts of Australia than ever before.

In 2011 we also welcomed the announcement of a new stadium in Perth and the green light was given to the redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval... historic projects that will change the face of football in those states and create a new history of their own.

In 2011 we tackled a bold and ambitious agenda to take our game to a new level.

To make our game even greater.

Importantly we did it together, in partnership.

Working with many of you in this room, be it clubs, players, broadcasters, sponsors, government and supporters, we took generational decisions that will shape the history of our game for decades to come.

Both Collingwood and Geelong know the importance of working together. The importance of not just hard work but also team work.

They also know the importance of history.

Today Collingwood has a chance to win back-to-back flags and equal Carlton and Essendon’s record of 16 premierships.

It’s almost enough to make me want to pull on a navy blue jumper again.

To Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, CEO Gary Pert and coach Mick Malthouse - congratulations on a wonderful season and reaching yet another Grand Final.

In particular we wish Mick and Nanette all the best in his final game as senior coach and congratulate him on a wonderful coaching and playing career spanning 40 years. Only the legendary Jock McHale has coached more games.

Join me in congratulating Mick and the Collingwood Football Club.

To Geelong president Colin Carter, CEO Brian Cook and coach Chris Scott, congratulations on yet another magnificent season.

The critics had their doubts about Geelong at the end of 2010 but you never doubted yourselves.

To have won 104 of your last 124 games is an outstanding achievement in any era of the game but perhaps even more so in an expanded national competition.

Success today would see Chris Scott become the first coach since Allan Joyce in 1988 to win a premiership in his first year of senior coaching.

Please join me in congratulating Chris and Geelong on a fantastic season.  

As the 2011 Toyota AFL Premiership season draws to a close, it’s time to once again reflect on the game and those who’ve made it great.

Those who’ve created history.

I’m the first to admit that when I joined the AFL Commission eight years ago I was concerned that the game I love might be starting to resemble a game better known to those north of the border.

How things have changed.

Helped along by a series of rule changes instigated by Adrian Anderson and the Laws of the Game committee, congestion has been reduced, the game has opened up and we’ve seen a return to long kicking and contested marks.

In 2011 we witnessed some truly exciting footy.

Games like last week’s preliminary final between Collingwood and Hawthorn and the semi-final between Carlton and the West Coast Eagles.

Players like Dane Swan, Buddy Franklin, Chris Judd and Gary Ablett, just to name a few.

Congratulations to Dane on winning this year’s Brownlow Medal. Today he’ll be out to defy 81 years of history by becoming the first Collingwood player since Harry Collier to win a Brownlow and premiership in the same year.

This year also saw the return of the 'specky'. Indeed, there may never have been a better year for high marks, among them Andrew Walker, Nic Natanui, Ricky Pettard and Andrew Krakouer.

In the end, Krakouer was judged to have taken the mark of the year, capping off one of the more remarkable stories of 2011 - a story that showed the game doesn’t just have the capacity for forgiveness but also for redemption.

There have been many other great stories in our game in 2011, perhaps none more so than Tadhg Kennelly. His journey from County Kerry to AFL footballer is a remarkable one.

Join me in wishing him and all other retiring players, including Leigh Brown, Barry Hall, Daniel Bradshaw, Brady Rawlings, Craig Bolton, Ryan Houlihan and Cameron Mooney, all the best for the future. 

This year we also farewelled some great names including Bob Davis, Darrell Baldock, Stuart Spencer, Sean Wight and Allan Jeans.  All were pioneers for the game. All are names etched in its history.

In his last interview for a documentary on the 1971 Grand Final, 'Yabby’ Jeans said, and I quote: "All I say to the people of today is you are entitled to make as much money out of the game as you can. But you must promise us one thing. That you leave the game in such a state so the next generation has the same opportunity as we did."

It was a powerful reminder of the importance of strong values, of the importance of leaving the game and the community in better shape than we found it.

It was demonstrated earlier this year with the way football responded to the floods in Queensland and Victoria. And being at the International Cup I saw how the teams from Japan and New Zealand took comfort from the game and how it helped bring people together following their own disasters.

One man who embodies strong values is Jim Stynes. Unfortunately Jim can't be with us today but he’s in our thoughts and we wish him well.

Also in our thoughts is Jill Lindsay, without whom Grand Final day this year isn't quite the same.

Today we also farewell from the AFL Commission two men who’ve given so much to our game for more than five decades. Men who’ve played such an important part in its history.

Whether it be as champion players, coaches, club presidents or AFL Commissioners, Bob Hammond and Graeme John have always cared deeply for the game first and foremost.

We thank them for their outstanding contribution.  We wish Bob and Jill and Graeme and Dianne all the best.

I also want to thank my other fellow commissioners, AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou and all of his team for all their hard work in what has been another challenging, busy and exciting 12 months.

Andrew, I notice that according to the Financial Review you’re now Australia’s eighth most powerful leader and continuing to rise. Julia and Tony - you’ve been warned.

I also want to pay tribute to Jeff Kennett, who is retiring as Hawthorn president after a very successful six years for the club on and off the field.

As you know, when Jeff was elected, he promised to keep a low profile and we can only assume he will continue to stick to his promise now that he’s retiring.

I also want to acknowledge Network Ten on 10 years of excellence in football broadcasting. They have captured historic moments in the game that will stay with us forever.

Who will ever forget Steven Quartermain’s call of Leo Barry’s mark in the Sydney Swans' history making 2005 premiership win?

I’m sure their coverage of today’s Toyota AFL Grand Final will ensure they go out on a high.

We’re delighted Ten’s former head of sport David White could be with us today and to chief operating officer Kerry Kingston - thank you to everyone involved for the positive role you’ve played in the game over the past decade, in particular pioneering AFL coverage in the Northern States.

Congratulations on a job well done.

In 2012, more history will be made when the GWS Giants become the 18th team in the AFL competition.   We know it will be challenging. It even may take a generation to truly succeed.

But we are confident it will, and it won’t be at the expense of our heartland.  

As we announced this week, the heartland will continue to be supported by an historic new allocation of funding for development and an equalisation strategy to ensure the future viability of all 18 clubs so they can compete for premierships.

Today, Collingwood and Geelong have the opportunity to achieve greatness. To create history.

There is no bigger, more exciting, more eagerly anticipated day in football than this.

Everything tells us it should be a classic.

Just after five o’clock today we will know who will be the 2011 Toyota AFL Premiers... or will we?

Whatever the result, more history awaits.

May the best team win.

Thank you.