THANK you.

God, it's good to be back …. For my sixth last season launch…..

Really back.

Back after a break.

Back with our main focus on the stars of the game and the magic of our game rather than the noise of the game.

Or ensuring we have a game at all.

This is the season we want.  And the season we need.  And the season our supporters deserve.

No trepidation.  No Covid measures.  No special rules.  No states with restricted crowds.

We can go to the footy and enjoy the greatest show on earth.

We can celebrate and simply enjoy the game and all its rituals, its quirks and its beauty.

Massive venues.  Massive crowds. A massive outlet.

There is a tangible energy to the lead-up to this season.

I have had the same sort of ticket requests for Round One as I normally have in the lead-up to the Grand Final.

It feels that big.

Public seating at Carlton v Richmond was sold out last week. The Anzac Day game was sold out early.  More than 150,000 tickets for Gather Round have been snapped up.

We are forecasting 355,000 for the opening round and more than 300,000 for each of the first four rounds - something we haven't done since 2019.

It's the same at Community level. Our participation is tracking well ahead of 2019's record levels.

Importantly Auskick is as well – with more girls and boys registered than ever before.

Victoria, WA, NT and Tasmania , football heartlands, are on track to break all-time community club records.

Queensland will soon become our third-highest participation state.

People just want the footy. In every sense.

The two tradies painting our lavish resort-style mansion – that is Herald Sun speak for house - Milan and Johnny - are good examples.  They are the proudest of Australians who arrived from Serbia in 2005.

They love this country.  They love their footy.

As I have been ranting about getting people into the office, I decided to try working from home and spent 45 minutes of every hour talking to Milan and Johnny.  As an aside and consequence, Milan and Johnny spent 45 minutes out of every hour not painting my lavish resort style mansion.

During our fifth coffee, Johnny burst out with "I can't wait for the footy."

When I asked why, the answer was: "Because it's footy, mate."

So why are we - like Hansel in Zoolander - so hot right now?

For a start we have the best game in the world, that's clear.

Last year the rule changes championed by Steve Hocking led to an open and exciting brand of football that had us sitting on the edge of our seats.  

Footy that showed off the best athletes in the world.

And in our equalised world, 2023 looks SO even, enabling more teams to look like a Finals chance, drawing in their supporters.

Remember the final Sunday of last year where we all waited to work out the final positions in the Eight.  It was electric.

And this year is tighter again.

And in a world of rising costs and interest rates, its accessible, $27 for adults and $5 for kids at the MCG and Marvel. We have held ticket prices for the last five years and seven of the last eight years and we also continue to ensure the cost to participate at community levels remains low and accessible. And our stadia are incredible, world class venues that people can access easily and sit in comfort, and where at Marvel, most F&B prices will be held again.

You know the people believe it's their game when the two big issues in the fans survey are wagering ads and rule changes - when we didn't have any rule changes.

And it increasingly speaks to a wider audience, particularly women. AFLW has been ground-breaking in so many ways.

The bit that doesn't get talked about is our legitimacy of conversation with women coming to the men's game.  It has been that way since the first ever game.

We lead the community on social issues. And those who yell at us to stick to football don't understand who we are and what we mean in the community – we don't lecture or tell others what to do.   We simply say to everyone in this country that we represent you, or we aspire to.  We make it known what we stand for, the AFL and our clubs.

It's why there will be more than 1.2m club members this year, another record. Sure it's about going to the game, but it's as much about that tribal and social connection our clubs have with a record number of people every year.

It's not a transaction.  It's about belonging and you don't get that if people don't know who you are and what you stand for.

That's why we are at record attendances, viewership and participation.

And, yes, people know we are flawed at times – and like everyone we don't get everything right -  but we are aspiring to be better always.

And this is why Tasmania is important. Because to be truly national and truly representative Tasmania needs a team.

And – with the support of the clubs and the Commission – we need a stadium.

Like in Adelaide.  Like in Perth.  Like on the Gold Coast, the stadium would not only transform football but transform the city. And the state.

And because the deal -  if we get there - will be good and because we can afford it and because as a code we make big decisions even if we know the execution is hard.

We would not be who we are if we avoided the challenges.

Our strong balance sheet and new broadcast deal has set us up for a stellar decade ….. if we invest it the right way.

As the revenue from the $4.5b TV deal kicks in in the coming years, we have a growing war chest that we will use to expand the game geographically and demographically.

Richard has spoken about the 10 per cent enshrinement of revenue going into game development.

• We want a football in every home around Australia. 
• We want footballs in every school around Australia.
• We want an equal number of boys and girls, men and women playing our game.

And we know we need an oval a week, every week to cater for that growth.

We are seeing those numbers lifting above pre-covid levels, particularly in Queensland where AFL – within a year or two - is on the brink of being the biggest code in the state.  Something unthinkable a decade ago.

Working with Governments and local communities.

Engaging migrant communities who currently have no or little awareness of  our game.

Bringing more girls to our game – as players, umpires, coaches, administrators.

We will continue to work with our players – men and women – to deliver a CBA that fairly recognises the skill and contribution of our champions and rewards them for the way they inspire, excite and engage.

And in striking that deal we will also balance the contribution of the army of volunteers who gift millions of hours every year to ensure our game is played from the tip of NT to the bottom of Tasmania.

This year it is exciting to work closely with our clubs to wipe away any and all references to covid and concentrate on bringing fans back to our games.  And bringing joy back to the game.

In new ways as well - it's a case of planes, trains and automobiles as the football world descends on Adelaide for the first ever Gather Round.

There is much to be excited about.   

New coaches and new old coaches – Brad Scott, Ross Lyon, Alastair Clarkson, Adam Kingsley.

New captains  - Dangerfield, Dawson, Moore, McDonald and Simpkin, Andrews and Neale, Merrett, Sicily and Pearce.

New rivalries.

And then there is just the joy you know will come from watching the likes of Buddy, Cameron, Cripps, Petracca, Bont, Bailey Smith, Bolton.

Bigger and Better.  Not just a great show.

The greatest show on earth.

It's why we love it and why it can't come quickly enough.

Because it's footy, mate.

We're back. And I can't wait.

See you at the footy.