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AFLMA Newsletter #3 :: 20
September 2001
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The Newsletter of the AFL
Members Association
In this issue:
1) AFLMA website launched
2) Join Up! Join Up!
3) AFLMA's own survey
4) Media Watch
5) What we have been doing
6) AFLMA activity over the
forthcoming week
7) Spreading the word
8) Contact details
AFLMA WEBSITE LAUNCHED
Last weekend the AFLMA set
up its own website, which you'll find at
http://www.aflma.com.
We believe this is an
important communications tool between the
AFLMA Committee and AFL
Members. On the site you'll find, among
other things, contact
details, an archive of our Press Releases
and Newsletters, and links
to newspaper articles about the AFLMA
and the AFL Membership.
Our webmaster (Ross Symons,
who has done a terrific job) tells us
that there were about 50
hits to the website prior to us telling
anyone that it exists.
People wanting the site to exist is a strong
sign that the AFLMA is an
idea that has arrived.
JOIN UP! JOIN UP!
The site also enables AFL
Members to join the AFLMA on line. Just
point your browser to
http://www.aflma.com/join.htm.
If you have previously given
us your details would you please
confirm your details via
this page. We have been collected your
details in a variety of ways
- in person, over the telephone and
through emails - and as a
result some items were missed. In
addition, entering the
information into our database has been a
difficult process.
By visiting the website and
entering the details yourself it will
save us a lot of work and
ensure that our database is complete.
While you are there please
enter the details of family members
who are also AFL Members.
Often someone joining the AFLMA will
mention that their
spouse/child is also an AFL Member, but leave
it at that. It is important
that we get their details as well.
You can also enter the
details for friends who don't have internet
access, but first ask them
if that's okay.
Please be assured that the
AFLMA takes your privacy seriously and
will not sell or make
commercial use of any data supplied by its
members.
AFLMA'S OWN SURVEY
The AFLMA is conducting a
survey that is open to ALL members. We
expect this to the first of
a series.
We would be very grateful if
you could take the time to fill in
the survey online at
http://www.aflma.com/AFLMASurvey.htm.
MEDIA WATCH
Over the past week we've
been receiving quite a few mentions in
the Media. Here are the
items we know about:
- Michael O'Brien was
interviewed on Triple M. A lot of you would
know that Brian Taylor is an AFL Member, but
I didn't know until
last Saturday that Eddie McGuire is also one
of us.
- Mike Sheahan devoted a
major article to the AFL Members' plight
in Friday's edition of The Herald-Sun, and
gave us good space on
Wednesday's edition.
- Rod Nicholson had an
article in The Sunday Herald-Sun.
- Two articles have appeared
on Stephen Mayne's Crikey email
newsletter http://www.crikey.com.au/columnists/aflma.html.
- and there have been many
mentions by Gerard Healy, David Hookes
and telephone callers on 3AW's 'Sports
Tonight'
If you want to read the
Sheahan's and Nicholson's articles you can
find links to them on our
website: http://www.aflma.com/press.htm.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING
About a fortnight ago AFLMA
Chair Michael Agrotis (he wasn't there
when we had the vote) wrote
to the AFL's CEO Wayne Jackson. The
main points of the letter
were to inform the League that we have
formed, to emphasise that we
wish to work with the AFL and to seek
an initial meeting. Within a
couple of days we received a positive
response. And on Saturday
Wayne Jackson publicly revealed the
contents of his letter, when
he told the Triple M radio audience
that "I have written to
the group and am very happy to meet with
them after our finals
series".
The AFLMA Committee see this
as a very important and encouraging
step.
AFLMA ACTIVITY OVER THE
FORTHCOMING WEEK
We are still focusing on
spreading the word and reaching as many
AFL Members as possible. We
believe that putting together a
large database of AFL
Members was an important part of getting
the AFL's ear, and it is
important that this activity continues.
Over the past few weeks we
have been leafletting outside the MCG.
The AFL have asked that we
cease doing so as it detracts from the
stature of the Preliminary
and Grand Finals. After some
discussion the AFLMA
Committee have decided to comply with the
AFL's request. We will,
however, still be meeting, from about
12:45, near "The
Legend" sculpture (at the foot of the steps,
below Gate 8). If you want
to meet us, for a relaxed, friendly
yarn, please come along.
We will also be promoting
the AFLMA at the Grand Final ticket
queues on Sunday and Tuesday
mornings. Are you and/or your
friends and relatives
joining these queues? If so, why don't
you help us out? Contact us
(on the details below or at the
MCG prior to Saturday's
match) so that we can discuss what we
are doing.
SPREADING THE WORD
Do you know other AFL
Members? People at your work, friends,
relatives, etc? Tell them
about us. Pass on our website address.
Email or give them a copy of
this Newsletter. Encourage them to
get in touch with us, via
the contacts listed below.
The Purpose of the
Association is simply "To promote the
interests of AFL
Members". Membership to open to any financial
AFL Member (Full, Restricted
and Absentee) and there is no cost
to join.
CONTACT DETAILS
Internet: http://www.aflma.com
Email: info@aflma.com
Telephone: 0412-125-533 or 0418-921-508
- Irwin Hirsh, on behalf of
the AFLMA Committee