1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,480
Speaker 1: I would have heard of speaking last week about the

2
00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:06,800
Speaker 1: decision by the Allice Springstown Council will to not allow

3
00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,680
Speaker 1: those football games to be happening on their fields. So

4
00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,960
Speaker 1: essentially they had said that they no longer support the

5
00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,480
Speaker 1: Central Australian Football League being played on the fields that

6
00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,239
Speaker 1: they usually would be played on due to the issues

7
00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,000
Speaker 1: that they've had in the town with crime and anti

8
00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,680
Speaker 1: social behavior. Now they were saying, and they'd said on

9
00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,600
Speaker 1: the show, the counselor had said on the show that

10
00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,600
Speaker 1: they just needed a bit of respite. Joining me on

11
00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,360
Speaker 1: the line right now is Sam Gibson, who is the

12
00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:38,239
Speaker 1: head of AFL here in the Northern Territory.

13
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,560
Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Sam.

14
00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,080
Speaker 3: Morning Katy, Thanks having me on.

15
00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:43,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks so much for your time.

16
00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,720
Speaker 1: Sam. What's the current situation when it comes to the

17
00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,720
Speaker 1: footy being played in Central Australia.

18
00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, look, obviously the decision of the our Springstown Council

19
00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,760
Speaker 3: last week, well first it's not one that you know,

20
00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,320
Speaker 3: we're all that through week and certainly don't support the decision.

21
00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,560
Speaker 3: I mean, as it stands now their support for the

22
00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:12,399
Speaker 3: community competition in Central Australia has been withdrawn, which would

23
00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:15,880
Speaker 3: not allow us access to obles to be able to

24
00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:20,600
Speaker 3: play that competition that's been played down there for many years.

25
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:25,360
Speaker 3: And you know where we're sort of working with key stakeholders,

26
00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:31,319
Speaker 3: hopefully with the intent of commencing some pretty urgent discussions

27
00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,160
Speaker 3: around how to ensure that you know, we're not taking

28
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,840
Speaker 3: football away from the young men and women of Central Australia.

29
00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,240
Speaker 1: And so Sam, I know that afl NT have said

30
00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,080
Speaker 1: that realistically you would like to call for an urgent

31
00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,840
Speaker 1: summit to take place to discuss some of the options

32
00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,760
Speaker 1: that might be available so that so that people can

33
00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:53,680
Speaker 1: still play footing.

34
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's that's our intended next step. And you know

35
00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,360
Speaker 3: we've we've had a lot of discussion and there's been

36
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,640
Speaker 3: a lot of feedback come to us from the community,

37
00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,320
Speaker 3: you know, in the last week or so, you know,

38
00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,000
Speaker 3: around ensuring that you know that we're looking at a

39
00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,800
Speaker 3: way forward. You know, there's a lot of stakeholders in

40
00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,160
Speaker 3: Central Australia and you know a lot of them are

41
00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,960
Speaker 3: on the same page in terms of the role football

42
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,000
Speaker 3: does play in the community and the good that it brings,

43
00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,720
Speaker 3: you know, the people who engage with it. So you know,

44
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,919
Speaker 3: that's that's what we're calling for. And and you know,

45
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,680
Speaker 3: hopefully we can bring stakeholders to the table and work

46
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:31,280
Speaker 3: something out.

47
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,320
Speaker 1: Sam, what do you make of, you know, of the

48
00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,160
Speaker 1: comments that had been made by Michael Little, who is

49
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,720
Speaker 1: indeed the Alla Springstown counselor, when he brought Ford that

50
00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,080
Speaker 1: motion saying that you know that they that they need

51
00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,960
Speaker 1: that respite and that they want to pause they want

52
00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,079
Speaker 1: to put that pause on the competition for one year

53
00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,560
Speaker 1: because of the current crime crisis that he's engulfing the town.

54
00:02:55,440 --> 00:03:00,040
Speaker 3: Well, look, firstly, we certainly understand what Alice Springs and

55
00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:01,760
Speaker 3: and the people of our Springs are going through at

56
00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,639
Speaker 3: the moment. And we've got long ties with the town

57
00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,000
Speaker 3: and Central AUSTRAINMA broadly. You know, we've got eight staff

58
00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,440
Speaker 3: there in our Springs, and you know, and football's a

59
00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,160
Speaker 3: really important part of it, and we see the football

60
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,920
Speaker 3: needs to player a proactive and a positive role. I

61
00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,880
Speaker 3: guess the challenge we've got with it is, you know,

62
00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,120
Speaker 3: there's no real evidence to support the fact that you know,

63
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,800
Speaker 3: the community competition adds to to crime in our springs.

64
00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,120
Speaker 3: We haven't seen any of that evidence. When we're talking

65
00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,720
Speaker 3: about a competition which runs over eleven weeks and that

66
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,920
Speaker 3: includes finals you know, and hasn't been played since the

67
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,400
Speaker 3: late August last year. So there's a few things that,

68
00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,760
Speaker 3: you know, that we just can't get our head around,

69
00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,560
Speaker 3: and we've we've asked for that evidence, and we've we've

70
00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,240
Speaker 3: sort of asked for a really proactive discussion around how

71
00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,600
Speaker 3: football can be used to have a really positive impact

72
00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,000
Speaker 3: on the community, because we see that across the tear

73
00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,240
Speaker 3: and then that's where we're sort of hoping that the

74
00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,920
Speaker 3: conversation goes, how can we sort of work collaboratively to

75
00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,080
Speaker 3: address some of those issues and move forward.

76
00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:12,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, and look, this is a tough one.

77
00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,120
Speaker 1: I can sort of see things, I suppose, from both

78
00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,839
Speaker 1: sides of the fence, in the sense that you know,

79
00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,679
Speaker 1: I think sport is a phenomenal way to get people

80
00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,240
Speaker 1: engaged in the community in a positive way, and I

81
00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,919
Speaker 1: think we see it time and time again, not only

82
00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,080
Speaker 1: in the AFL, but in so many different kinds of sports,

83
00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,640
Speaker 1: particularly for young people. But then I can also see,

84
00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,400
Speaker 1: you know, from the other side of the fence that

85
00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,480
Speaker 1: obviously there has been some really bad issues in Alice

86
00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,040
Speaker 1: Springs and my take from what one of the counselors,

87
00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:45,839
Speaker 1: Mark Coffee, was telling us on the show last week

88
00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:47,599
Speaker 1: is that they just sort of need that bit of

89
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,640
Speaker 1: respite and they feel a bit concerned by people coming

90
00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,200
Speaker 1: in from various different communities. You know, not so much

91
00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,599
Speaker 1: the players, but I guess everybody that comes to watch

92
00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,320
Speaker 1: that it might cause some additional worries for one.

93
00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,560
Speaker 3: Look at and I understand that side of it. I

94
00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,360
Speaker 3: think some of the numbers that that I've heard reported

95
00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,039
Speaker 3: around how many people that do come in for the

96
00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:15,640
Speaker 3: football have been exaggerated a little bit. But that's that's okay.

97
00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,720
Speaker 3: We're going to We do understand the sentiment coming from

98
00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,160
Speaker 3: from counselors, you know. I guess for us, you know,

99
00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,839
Speaker 3: it is about ensuring that the focus is on the

100
00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,080
Speaker 3: role of the sport and ANFL in this case can

101
00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,760
Speaker 3: play a lot. We went we kind of took a

102
00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,640
Speaker 3: lot of changes in delivering the competition last year and

103
00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,960
Speaker 3: we reduced the number of matches in our springs by

104
00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:43,080
Speaker 3: about thirty percent. We removed the under eight in competition

105
00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,599
Speaker 3: to ensure that young people in communities are staying communities

106
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,520
Speaker 3: and in schools and things like that. And trust, it

107
00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,240
Speaker 3: wasn't that wasn't a popular decision with with the communities.

108
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,200
Speaker 3: In fact, they're wanting it back. We took on, you know,

109
00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:03,280
Speaker 3: some some new by laws around rewarding good behavior on

110
00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,680
Speaker 3: and off the field through through Premiership points, did a

111
00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,919
Speaker 3: whole heap of community education around that competition, and you

112
00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,599
Speaker 3: know what we saw. We saw seventy percent reduction in

113
00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,640
Speaker 3: reports and we had we had very few issues with

114
00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,400
Speaker 3: that competition last year compared to you know, other competitions

115
00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,080
Speaker 3: that we run. So I guess that's that's where we're at.

116
00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,479
Speaker 3: You know, we'd love to we'd love to be having

117
00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,680
Speaker 3: a more proactive conversation and how we can sort of

118
00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,120
Speaker 3: continue that sort of work. And I think the key,

119
00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,440
Speaker 3: the key here as it relates to the medium to

120
00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,240
Speaker 3: long term is you know a lot of stakeholders think,

121
00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,160
Speaker 3: including us, we'd love to see you know, the majority

122
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:48,040
Speaker 3: of this football return in a sustainable way to communities.

123
00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,400
Speaker 3: But you know, there's this significant infrastructure there for the

124
00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,640
Speaker 3: deficit that we need to address, and you know, we've

125
00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:01,479
Speaker 3: been having conversations with with stakeholders for the last twelve

126
00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,039
Speaker 3: to twenty four months about what that looks like to

127
00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,120
Speaker 3: sure that you know, we've got facilities in these communities

128
00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,960
Speaker 3: that can host football umpires, changer and change rooms, and

129
00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,800
Speaker 3: safe fields and you know, when we're playing there we

130
00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:20,480
Speaker 3: can access health services and drinking water, all sorts of things.

131
00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,080
Speaker 3: There's a massive deficit there that we need to see

132
00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,280
Speaker 3: addressed to enable this to happen sustainably.

133
00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,800
Speaker 1: So Sam justin you know, on the fact that in

134
00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,640
Speaker 1: the past you have done things like you know, reducing

135
00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,000
Speaker 1: the tournament by thirty percent, and you know, and even

136
00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,239
Speaker 1: not having different games due to some of the issues

137
00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,120
Speaker 1: that you've seen in the communities. Where is AFL and

138
00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:49,440
Speaker 1: TE at now in terms of those talks or those

139
00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,680
Speaker 1: potential talks with the Alla Springstown Council and would you

140
00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,920
Speaker 1: be prepared to sort of do things a little bit

141
00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,840
Speaker 1: differently if it meant that those games could still go ahead.

142
00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, look at we're an open book on what can

143
00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,320
Speaker 3: be done differently. I mean, I think those changes we

144
00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,440
Speaker 3: went through last year sort of support that. You know,

145
00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,640
Speaker 3: we run a lot of competitions, Caddie, and you know

146
00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,360
Speaker 3: everyone looks slightly different and it's all to suit, you know,

147
00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,000
Speaker 3: the setting in the communities in which we play in.

148
00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,360
Speaker 3: So that's that's where we're we'd love to sort of

149
00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,960
Speaker 3: explore and discuss around what that looks like and the

150
00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,800
Speaker 3: role football can play. And you know, we're going back

151
00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,800
Speaker 3: twelve months ago having a conversation with different stakeholders down there.

152
00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,880
Speaker 3: How can we how can we support you know, people

153
00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,680
Speaker 3: returning to country following football, How can we support that,

154
00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,480
Speaker 3: you know that proactive education, all those sorts of things

155
00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,280
Speaker 3: that we can be party to throughout the season and

156
00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,960
Speaker 3: then the lead up to the season, and then moving forward,

157
00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,280
Speaker 3: how can we bring stakeholders together to make sure that

158
00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,240
Speaker 3: there is a plan that's put in place to build

159
00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:07,040
Speaker 3: a community capacity and and you know that's that includes

160
00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:10,880
Speaker 3: running umpire programs out in communities and mental programs, all

161
00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,320
Speaker 3: these sorts of things which which in addition to that

162
00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,440
Speaker 3: infrastructure piece I touched on, can can enable us to

163
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,080
Speaker 3: do this in a sustainable and safe and appropriate manner.

164
00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,920
Speaker 1: Sam, has there been any confirmation with the Allastown Council

165
00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,160
Speaker 1: or anybody else about a meeting with a fl NT

166
00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,120
Speaker 1: where you know, where is this going to go?

167
00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:35,040
Speaker 2: Where are we where are we at? What's next? Basically, Yeah,

168
00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:36,360
Speaker 2: it's a good question.

169
00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:38,200
Speaker 3: It's one we're getting asked a lot. I mean, I

170
00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,439
Speaker 3: think we're hoping to get that confirmation earlier this week

171
00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:45,480
Speaker 3: around coming back to the table and hopefully that includes

172
00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,640
Speaker 3: a few other stakeholders. You know, we've we've had a

173
00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:51,080
Speaker 3: lot of compact in the last week from you know,

174
00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:55,040
Speaker 3: from other local government authorities and land councils and you know,

175
00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,840
Speaker 3: various other football and non football stakeholders around how to

176
00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:03,679
Speaker 3: progress this. So hopefully we can concern you know, coming

177
00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:08,520
Speaker 3: together of different stakeholders in the next couple of days

178
00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,320
Speaker 3: and and then and then we can all put our

179
00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,880
Speaker 3: heads together and work on an appropriate solution.

180
00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,520
Speaker 1: Sam, before I let you go finals footy of course

181
00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,000
Speaker 1: here and in the top end, it is well and

182
00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:20,880
Speaker 1: truly underway.

183
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,160
Speaker 2: How'd it go on the weekend?

184
00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:29,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, big weekend, that's how I stadium. You know, Warri

185
00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,800
Speaker 3: Tarft going through in the men's and women's and they're

186
00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:36,559
Speaker 3: very impressive in both. You'd have to say their Premiership

187
00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,760
Speaker 3: favorites too across both of those competitions. And you know

188
00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,840
Speaker 3: we've got the Premium finals this weekend to see who

189
00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,720
Speaker 3: you know, we'll meet more Tara in the following weekend.

190
00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,239
Speaker 3: So look great, great crowds are really high standard of football.

191
00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:55,800
Speaker 3: You know, we have two weekends left, so it's it's

192
00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,480
Speaker 3: pretty exciting time to be in the top end. And

193
00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,720
Speaker 3: you know, hopefully see some good weather and big crowds

194
00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:03,920
Speaker 3: over the next couple of weekends.

195
00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,439
Speaker 1: Oh absolutely well, Sam Gibson, it is always good to

196
00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,840
Speaker 1: catch up with you the head of AFL here in

197
00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:11,959
Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Please do keep us up to date

198
00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:13,880
Speaker 1: and let us know how things are tracking when it

199
00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:16,760
Speaker 1: comes to Central Australia as well.

200
00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:18,199
Speaker 3: Thanks Katie, thank you,