Sheedy visits Wagga Wagga
GWS GIANTS coach, Kevin Sheedy, travelled to the Riverina yesterday to spruik the western Sydney club’s proposal to honour Australian farmers next month.
Marrar’s Langtry Oval provided the perfect setting for Sheedy to announce the GIANTS’ plan of holding the inaugural “Tribute to Farmers” match when they meet Geelong at Skoda Stadium on June 8.
The four-time premiership winning coach believes it is appropriate to honour Australians working on the land, paying tribute to the work they do in forming the very fabric of Australian society.
“In many ways farmers have been the backbone of this country,” said Sheedy.
“Australian football is also an important part of rural communities and we would like to recognise that with this match.”
Sheedy told The Daily Advertiser he was confident that the “Tribute to Farmers” can replicate the success achieved by the traditional Anzac Day and Dreamtime at the G clashes.
“For me, one of the great bridge-building exercises we’ve found in the past 10 to 20 years has been Anzac Day. It’s been a great game for the people of Australia in regard to celebrating the many men and women who were lost at war,” said Sheedy.
“We continued on with what is going to be this week, in regards to icon matches in the AFL, and that’s Dreamtime at the G.
“So we seem to be getting it right along the way and now we announce that we’ll be having a national farmers tribute game for the entire farming industry across the width and length of Australia.”
The GIANTS’ mentor spent the day meeting with farmers from Marrar’s rural community, encouraging them to come to Sydney for the long-weekend clash.
The GIANTS are expected to announce a range of other activities as part of their plan to honour farmers in the coming weeks.
Sheedy also raised the possibility of bringing more games out into the country as a way for the AFL to show its support for rural Australians.
“There are other games we could look at over a period of time where you can actually bring games into the country and celebrate.
“I think to me it’s always about the story of farming, the history of farming,” Sheedy said.
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