OUR game grew from one outrageous, and courageous idea.

150 years ago in the tiny town of Melbourne, far from just about anywhere else in the world, a group of passionate young men decided to create a game of their own.

It is remarkable that they succeeded, and the legacy they have left us – that great things can come from courageous thinking.

As we embark on an exciting new journey for that game they created, it is important that all of us represented in this room – administrators, players, coaches, supporters, stakeholders – take hold of that courage, and the spectacular optimism of our forebears, and drive our game into a whole new generation of success.

Optimism and ideas have always been part of what drives Kevin Sheedy, and it was a natural fit that we should ask Kevin to write the foreword to the magnificent book created to celebrate our 150 years of diversity, carefully titled, The Australian Game of Football.

Kevin wrote the following:

“The most courageous people in this next decade will not be the people playing, but the people in charge of our game’s future.

“They don’t manage alone. Give them the encouragement to have a bold vision, and support them, push them to make great decisions to support that vision. There are so many ways we can go, so much is ahead of us, so much is to be done.”

I had no idea Kevin had written those words until the book arrived on my desk, but they are so true, and so connected to the charter that has directed our game from the beginning.

We must remain single-minded, and courageous as we develop our game, and remain open to ideas from all directions to continue to grow our game for another 150 years.

Our founders started with nothing but an idea. 

We are in the middle of the most successful era in our history – it is the perfect time to invest for all time, to be aggressive, but to do it with care and respect for where we have been.

We must be courageous.

This is a perfect time to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and where we can go.

Where we have been is one unyielding curve of growth based on one idea after the other.

Here are just a few of those big ideas, from the first fifty years. Remarkably, the ideas that drove our game 150 years ago, remain true today:

LET’S have a game of our own, said Wills and Thompson and Hammersley, and Smith, in 1858. Within twenty years, games were played in the suburbs of Melbourne before 10,000 people. The growth has never stopped, and our goal remains to continue that growth, unabated.

Make sure the game is entertaining and available to all, men and women. In 1859, James Thompson, not only a founder, but one the great spruikers of the game, wrote: “Every provision has been made for the comfort of ladies who may wish to enjoy a view of this most manly of pastimes but also to afford every facility to the public for advantageously viewing the game.”

Today we have a roofed stadium, the MCG as a world-class structure, and hundreds of millions of dollars being invested in stadia across the country – an investment that will continue for all time.

CELEBRATE the champions, and celebrate the game, and its evolution.

In 1875, a reporter reflected on changes to the game in its first two decades: “The ball was not picked up as often as now, for the simple reason that the beautiful ‘drop kick’ has superseded the very ugly and ancient mode of propelling the ball, the ‘punt’ kick. Nothing can be prettier than to witness an active player take the ball on the first bound, dodge around two or three assailants, and send the leather sphere soaring through the air, and lodge between 50 and 60 yards away.”

It has always been so, and with the advantages of modern media, our game is followed and understood by any supporter, anywhere in the country.

TAKE the game beyond the boundaries of Victoria. In 1908, the Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin, in a toast to football said: “The time when there was a Victorian game is not far distant. I well remember it, and it is a great gain to find that displaced - and replaced -  by the game played wherever the sea washes the shores of Australia, and all the interior between.”

As you are well aware, that remains the number one idea of the current generation. But we need the help and ideas of all to make sure that we take our game to the right places, at the right time, with the right resources, the right attitude and the right values.

These remain the foundation stones on which our game is played and managed – to entertain, to provide comfort for our supporters, to celebrate our game and our champions, and to drive growth.

But there is more that needs to be done beyond those core beliefs set out by our founders – we have a responsibility to the community – the entire community, and not just those of us here tonight representing football.

I know we have not always succeeded, and there have been times when we have either failed, or ignored our responsibilities, but I can assure you that we will do everything possible to ensure that never happens again.

I am proud of what the AFL game has done in not just building bridges between black and white Australians, but also welcoming people from all lands to participate in our indigenous game, just as our fore fathers did, 150 years ago.

Again, I call on the words of  Kevin Sheedy:

“The vine of Australian football has taken us all on a beautiful pathway of self-development and connection to a wonderful country. Football has pushed our conscience. The power to dream and imagine, to live with hope, is powerfully demonstrated as our game encourages all of us to connect to our beautiful indigenous Australians.

“Over many years,” wrote Sheedy, “indigenous people in many lands have seen injustice in a multitude of ways, but mostly about lack of equality and opportunity.

“Let us hope we continue to show the way in Australian Football – to make our game the architecture in human relationships.”

What a beautiful thought. I’ll repeat it, and make it our bugle call for 2008 and beyond.

This is the next great idea we must pursue: “to make our game the architecture in human relationships”.   

So how can we do this as we advance our ambitious plans for growth.

Here goes:

As we seek locations for new teams, we will make it our number one priority to engage with the local community. We must engage, whether it be in south-east Queensland, the western suburbs of Sydney, the heart of Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth or in a yet unknown place or places anywhere in the world, we must engage.

Whatever we do will take account of the needs of our supporters, old and new. We have made extraordinary steps in that regard in recent years, but we must never forget the needs of our supporters, and particularly those who not only support the AFL competition, but the thousands of volunteers who bring on the next generations of champions.

Our supporters exist because of our clubs, and we will continue to work with our clubs to find ways to make them stronger, to make them secure against outside forces.

Our game is financially strong, and it must continue to invest not just in green fields but what has made us the most dynamic sporting competition in Australia – our 16 clubs.   

We will never lose sight of the fact that our game is the ultimate, engaging entertainment experience, and our ever-evolving rules will always reflect those guidelines.

Every policy we enact with our players will take consideration of its impact on the broader community. We must take the positive influences of our Racial and Religious Vilification laws as a model for all we do, in Codes Of Conduct, behaviour on an off the field, the way we conduct ourselves as people, and members of the community. 

We open our hearts to governments across the land to assist in any social endeavour that can benefit from the strength of Australian Football.

As Kevin Sheedy wrote: “… make our game the architecture in human relationships”.

And finally, an invitation to all our supporters.

Tonight we launch the ultimate ideas forum – on the internet at 150years.com.au – inviting every Australian to submit their views on where we are, where we can be, and how we can get there.

During the next six months, we will have dedicated staff sifting through ideas, analysing the opportunities that come from the community, and forcing action.

At the end of this year, in November, a conference of all people in our industry – players, coaches, administrators, media, corporate partners, and supporter representatives – will take place.

It will be the final sounding point of a year of ideas, but in truth, it will be just the beginning of the next 150 years.