Hindmarsh to take fight to AFL

[Bluebags1908]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/

Love it! This battle is only going to make Rugby League stronger.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ake-fight-to-afl/story-e6frexnr-1225828052456

Hindmarsh to take fight to AFL

* By Phil Rothfield
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* February 09, 2010 12:00AM

NATHAN Hindmarsh - rugby league's most popular player - has been anointed as the face of the west as the NRL gears up for a full-scale war with the AFL for the hearts and minds of the footy faithful.

Parra's Hindmarsh versus the AFL's Kevin Sheedy. Bring it on, says the NRL.

The Eels workhorse has been signed to work full time out of the Western Sydney academy as the NRL fights to maintain its grip on the heartland territory it has dominated for more than a century.

"Hindy is really committing himself to it," the NRL's director of marketing Paul Kind revealed yesterday. "He'll have a desk at the academy and he'll be there at least two days a week."

But Sheedy claimed last night he had never heard of the NRL superstar.

"I've only ever heard of Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide," he said, showing

his ignorance of the size of the challenge facing Aussie Rules.

The Hindmarsh appointment will officially be announced at a press conference tomorrow.

"Nathan's the perfect fit for the position," said NRL boss David Gallop. "He's a hero not only to Parramatta fans but thousands of kids in the western suburbs who follow other teams.

"I'm sure he'll inspire the next generation of youngsters to play rugby league. To have a current player giving up his time to be our face of the western suburbs is an extra bonus in the competition with the other code."

The champion forward was not prepared to comment yesterday because of his commitment to the press conference tomorrow where officials are hoping to get maximum exposure.

But his Parramatta boss Paul Osborne said: "It's a great achievement for Hindy personally and acknowledges the contribution he has made to the Eels and our game.

"He will be remembered as one of Parramatta's greatest players and it's only fitting that he be used to promote the game in the west of Sydney. While the rugby league continues to produce people of the quality of Nathan Hindmarsh, we will always be in a much stronger position than any of our competitors when it comes to winning fans for our game."

The 30-year-old Test forward has long been regarded as the game's most popular player. He has won the Provan Summons Medal four times, a feature of the Dally M awards and voted for by the public.

Sheedy believes the NRL's targeted campaign is a boost to the region and a challenge for all the sporting codes to do better in the west. "I think it's important that all the codes get up and running," he said. "The best thing that will happen here is we will all get better.

"If we challenge each other we will get better and the kids will reap the benefits and so will the fans."

 

[Knightmare]

Shoddy didn't know who Hindy is? FMD, that AFL lot really have no idea how big a task they face in the west, do they? :lol:

 

[El Diablo]

But Shonky claimed last night he had never heard of the NRL superstar.

errr last time they did a survey nobody had heard of you. nobody.

what you do or don't know is irrelevant

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/n...is-firing-blanks/story-e6frfgh6-1225828024819

Another AFL gunslinger who is firing blanks

* By Paul Kent
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* February 09, 2010 12:00AM

LET me tell Kevin Sheedy, the AFL's gunslinger out west, who Nathan Hindmarsh is.

Hindmarsh spent more days in hospital then he would have liked last year when his youngest son, Rowdie, started contracting a succession of awful illnesses with names like meningococcal, pneumonia, whooping cough. While he was in hospital he met another sick young boy, Oscar Buhagiar, and five-year-old Oscar suffered a rare form of cancer that might claim him any day.

Two days before last year's Grand Final Hindmarsh went to Oscar's house to fulfill a promise made to a sick Oscar in hospital.

He played monster trucks and rode bikes with Oscar.

Hindmarsh is the guy who, coming out of the tunnel at Newcastle earlier in the year, looked up to see all these small arms reaching down and made sure he high-fived every one of them as he went back to the field. Those kids will remember that forever.

And he behaves like this every single day.

So let me tell Kevin Sheedy who Hindmarsh is - he is the most popular footballer in western Sydney.

The area Sheedy is trying to conquer.

The great new symbol of the Great Western Scam's ignorance shall now be Nathan Hindmarsh, who the GWS has no idea about.

You wonder if, as they so often look us in the eye and earnestly say, if they really know their market at all.

It is symbolic of their whole campaign.

Since Sheedy's appointment the franchise has been run on smoke and mirrors.

Even his appointment is a PR job.

He hasn't been successful as an AFL coach for six years yet the GWS knew his appointment would make the most noise, so he got the job.

It has been using the threat of the AFL juggernaut to convince the rugby league heartland that it is only a matter of time until AFL strangles the NRL. Honestly, remove all the bluster from their announcements and what have they done?

How many kids are kicking around a Sherrin out west instead of a Steeden?

Every announcement is a stunt. A cheap grab for a headline at rugby league's expense.

They now plan a big function the night of the NRL's season launch. This is what you get in joints run on smoke and mirrors.

Sheedy's triumphant march into Sydney reminds us of another Napoleon from Melbourne, Eddie McGuire.

Wasn't he going to conquer this town?

The only thing the GWS has going for it is that we, as a group, keep falling for the spin.

It's time we opened our eyes.

 

[El Diablo]

Shandy gets pwned :lol:

 

[m0nty]

It's a bit rich of Kent to criticise Sheedy's media-based approach, because the Telly is the major culprit in giving him oxygen. And despite this article you can bet the Telly will keep on writing Sheedy and GWS stories.

 

[Hindyscrack]

Ignorance, Arrogance?

Nice scew up Shonky... I'd like to congratulate the AFL and GWS camps for allowing this Victorian to show their games true colours. They have no idea about the west at all... blinded by $$ signs that will never eventuate.

Come spend your money, then leave... The West will screw you for every penny that your willing to waste.

 

[El Diablo]

those stories are probably paid for by the AFL. they've done it in the past as was revealed in court during the C7 case

 

[Hindyscrack]

It's a bit rich of Kent to criticise Sheedy's media-based approach, because the Telly is the major culprit in giving him oxygen. And despite this article you can bet the Telly will keep on writing Sheedy and GWS stories.

Read the end of the article...

Sounds like a dig at his employers and others in the media who are riding the AFL's gravy train.

 

[m0nty]

Read the end of the article...

Sounds like a dig at his employers and others in the media who are riding the AFL's gravy train.

It suits the Telly now to fly the rugby league flag. When the next league scandal comes up, though, you can bet they'll stick the knife in good and proper like they always do.

 

[bartman]

Who is this Kevin Sheedy bloke again? He looks old enough to get the pension, maybe he only took this job while he waits for his superannuation to bounce back?

I grew up in Western Sydney, and he means nothing to me. Hindy on the other hand...

 

[Bazal]

Isn't Gavin Shiney in California searching for AFL stars yet? :lol:

Hindy is a fantastic man for this job

 

[Jankuloski]

I like this bloke, Paul Kent XD

And Hindy is the best role model for the kids, on and off the field!

 

[eagles4eva]

The AFL fools, let them come and spend thier money, the idiot who runs the show expects a 1billion TV deal, seeing that 7 and 10 are in the crap with cash flow it will be interesting to see what deal they get. Seems Foxtel have a ratings winner in the NRL and based on Population and coverage of NRL in NSW & Qld they will be hard pressed to pick up the financial gap left from a broke 7 & 10.... and i hate the media's constant dribble about AFL too

 

[El Diablo]

Who is this Kevin Sheedy bloke again? He looks old enough to get the pension, maybe he only took this job while he waits for his superannuation to bounce back?

I grew up in Western Sydney, and he means nothing to me. Hindy on the other hand...

this is why the AFL will fail

they have no idea that Shady isn't known and he certainly isn't making himself very appealing by rubbishing one of League's greats.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

I seriously never heard of Kalvin Shandy until someone posted a story on here about him coaching the AFL's GWS team. I still could not list all of the AFL teams, and yes, I was born in Blacktown, grew up in St Clair, spent some of my life in Parramatta, Richmond and now near Mt Druitt. AFL is nothing here.

 

[smacky]

I cant wait to see the GSW team start. Just to see how they will fail and how all their expectations and arrogance will fall. I wonder what types of crowds they will average their first yr maybe 3 or 4k?

 

[Hindyscrack]

lol @ Freddy too, calling the AFL capitalist pigs...

 

[MsStorm]

I cant wait to see the GSW team start. Just to see how they will fail and how all their expectations and arrogance will fall. I wonder what types of crowds they will average their first yr maybe 3 or 4k?

Actually I don't think they will fail. The AFL will make sure of that, they will pour millions of dollars into that team until its successful like the Swans.
Apparently they have already sold out their NAB Cup game against Carlton to be played at Blacktown.