Talking Footy

AFL advertising banners torn down in Beecroft and clubs suspect sabotage

Tom Westbrook
Hornsby Advocate
January 21, 2014 12:01AM



Noeleene Flynn with Aaron Flynn, 9, Evan White, 9, Jonathan Moran, 11, Luc White, 11 and Ben Francis,9, beneath one of their remaining banners beside Pennant Hills Rd. Photo: DAMIAN SHAW Source: DailyTelegraph

FOR the second year in a row banners encouraging youngsters to play Australian Rules at Pennant Hills have been torn down by vandals.

"It's clear to me it's someone who doesn't want AFL to be advertised," said Noeleene Flynn, recruitment manager at the Pennant Hills Demons' junior club.

"I think it's very anti-Australian spirit."

At St Agatha's, in Beecroft, and at Beecroft Primary School, Demons' banners, which cost around $400 each, have vanished on Saturday night after just three weeks on display. But advertisements for local soccer, cricket, league and rugby clubs remain untouched.

Pennant Hills AFL club has continually had its banners stolen or vandalised.

Last year, banners belonging to Westbrook, Hornsby and the Demons' juniors were slashed with a knife.

"After that we were able to repair them with tape from the back," Demons president Dean Moran said.

"Once they realised that, they started ripping them down completely."

"It looks like someone has got a vendetta against AFL," he said.

"There's no real vendetta of one club against another and I can't imagine that this sort of thing would be sanctioned by any of the clubs. It's probably just someone who doesn't like AFL coming in to New South Wales."

Sean Peter, a parent from the Hornsby-Berowra Eagles AFL club also suspected sabotage.

"Who else would take another banner down?" he said.

"It's either petty vandalism by people who are bored or people who don't like AFL - people from soccer or rugby league who might feel threatened by Australia's most popular sport moving into the area."

The Demons junior club, which caters to players aged eight to 17, was founded in 1966 and is run by volunteers - like most local sports clubs.

"I know AFL isn't the big sport here in Sydney," Mrs Flynn said.

"AFL is done on a Sunday because we know here in Sydney that a lot of people are involved in other sports."

She urged fellow committee members not to be discouraged by last year's vandalism and to purchase new banners and hang them. The second round of vandalism has left her disappointed.

"I can't see why anyone would be bothered to do this," she said.

Mr Moran reported both the 2013 and 2014 incidents to police and will set about fixing the remaining banners higher up in the trees beside Pennant Hills Rd.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslo ... 6806002006

AFLcrap1 wrote:

ANy proof at all that this is RL related .
Nah didn't thinkso ,but as usual Derpball likes to get in the news & feel relevant by mentioning RL.


Hey Beaussie why didn't you highlight this bit.

"I know AFL isn't the big sport here in Sydney," Mrs Flynn said.

"AFL is done on a Sunday because we know here in Sydney that a lot of people are involved in other sports."

Phelpsy wrote:

I don't think anyone claims AFL is huge in Sydney but by there being an actual league in that area does point to it having a presence. Compare that to nrl in non heartland areas.