Brownlow bigger than Logies: Andrew Demetriou
Sports Confidential
From:Herald Sun
September 23, 201112:00AM
THE Brownlow Medal presentation is now the biggest entertainment event in Australia, AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said.
"It has surpassed the Logies," he said. "The industry it has created around fashion, nails, waxing, tanning - it's fantastic."
Demetriou, Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy and popular Richmond stalwart Matthew Richardson were panellists at the Melbourne Press Club football finals lunch.
But he said that on a personal note, this year's Brownlow ceremony would not be the same without Jill Lindsay, the AFL's long-serving first lady who died early this year.
Asked what she said when he read a round of games in the wrong order a couple of years ago, Demetriou said: "It started with F and finished with F."
* SPORTING a bright orange scarf and tie of his new club, Sheedy didn't miss any chance to spruik Greater Western Sydney and drew fulsome praise from Demetriou.
"From the day he was appointed he's done his best to do what he's been charged with doing - that is push the gospel of Australian rules football," said Demetriou. "He's the best at it - I've been up there and seen where he gets recognised."
But it didn't stop Demetriou having a dig at Sheeds over his overseas jaunt during the season.
When Sheedy sprouted that GWS had a zone as big as France and began naming places like Wagga, Canberra and Eden, Demetriou chipped in with "Marseilles, Nice, Burgundy and Paris". He didn't let up when Sheeds later mentioned fans north of the Murray.
"I'm thinking now St Tropez on the Riverina," Demetriou said borrowing from a famous Jack Dyer malapropism.
* SHEEDY didn't mince words when asked whether he could handle the role of senior coach after four years out of the game.
"I have no idea but I'll be calling the shots," he asserted.
Sheedy said that different tactics and innovations in the game were just a progression. "I don't think it will be that hard" to come to terms with, he said.
"It will be hard coaching a bunch of young players who are not strong enough to play AFL football."
He sounded a warning for Hawthorn and West Coast when discussing the players he would like to recruit to the club.
"I would personally get Buddy Franklin - he's the most marketable player," he said.
"He will probably only get jumped over in the next couple of years by Nic Naitanui."
Sheeds pointed out that Franklin and Naitanui would be huge coups for GWS given the area had the largest indigenous population in Australia and a vast Islander community.
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