Victor P Taffa

During July 2009 I met with Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate and in a mutually recorded interview we discussed a number of issues.

I asked Lord Mayor John Tate his thoughts about Newcastle hosting AFL matches for Premiership Points. John Tate remarked “Victor the Black Diamond Competition is the oldest in Australia” and “The AFL has a good Business Plan.”

The AFL plays matches for Premiership Points in Canberra and Launceston while Newcastle has the Newcastle Knights and Newcastle Jets each with big followings.

Following my interview with the Lord Mayor I contacted the AFL and did not receive any negative feedback.

Further this is not to say that I oppose a Central Coast Bears team being admitted into the NRL. Both the AFL and NRL originally scheduled teams to play each other twice. The 20 English Premier League Clubs play each club twice for a season of 38 rounds. Perhaps when expansion of both the AFL and NRL is considered in the future each team should play each other once as our warmer climate would make playing conditions difficult and would clash with Cricket, Basketball, Athletics and Soccer.

In order to host AFL matches in Newcastle ground upgrades would be required. Given that half of the Black Diamond Cup round of fixtures that were scheduled for 22 May 2010 were postponed due to the poor condition of the playing surface financial injection to Newcastle sporting facilities would not go astray.

Western Sydney will launch its season in 2012 and if elected as the State Member for Newcastle on 26 March 2011 I will ensure that the grounds are upgraded and that AFL matches for Premiership Points become a permanent part of the AFL season fixtures card.