I’m delighted to be joining you here today at the invitation of the Greater Western Sydney Giants Chairman, Tony Shepherd.

Tony, along with Giants CEO David Matthews and Head Coach Kevin Sheedy, have done a remarkable job in getting the club to the position it finds itself in today.

I can recall being here in Sydney just over 12 months ago as the Giants stood on the precipice of their inaugural AFL season and to see the huge strides they’ve made in that short space of time is really quite astonishing.

Significant relationships have been forged not only in the city’s greater west, but throughout Sydney and Canberra.

On the field, the Giants’ playing group – which boasts some of the country’s finest young athletes - has won the respect of the sporting community with a level of professionalism and application that belies their young years.

It’s pretty clear that significant on-field success is not too far away and in the meantime the club continues to win the hearts and minds of the sporting public here in Sydney.

These important strides have been made against a sea of challenges recently, some inherent in the birth of a club, some as a result of broader challenges facing every sport in this country.

Quite clearly the integrity of our game, like many others, has been under the microscope in recent months.

Since the release of the Australian Crime Commission’s report in February we have been swift to examine the practices of every AFL club and implement a raft of decisive measures to protect the integrity of our game.

We have audited every AFL Club, expanded the registration process, set about establishing a whistleblower service, beefed up our own integrity unit, and increased penalties for any breach of our integrity protocols.

We have met individually with the Presidents, Coaches and CEOs of the clubs to brief them and reinforce the standards we expect them to uphold to protect the integrity of our game.

We have now almost completed a second round of in-depth briefings with the clubs and their playing groups because we want there to be no doubt that short-cuts, and a ‘win at all costs’ mentality are not acceptable.

Fortunately, matters of integrity have been on our radar well before the ACC report came to light. We established an integrity unit way back in 2008, with intelligence and investigative capabilities, and have been bolstering this portfolio ever since in response to emerging threats and trends seen overseas.

We are currently encouraging every club to introduce an integrity function as a proactive measure to mitigate risk.

We also provide education to every player each season about their potential vulnerabilities to elements of society that might seek to exploit or corrupt them.

As I mentioned earlier, our response to the most recent challenges has been decisive and unequivocal, which should come as no surprise to those who have seen how we’ve always dealt with big issues.

We’ve never been afraid to meet challenges head on. We make no apologies for that.

Our fans simply wouldn’t stand for anything less - in fact they have come to expect it.

There is no other option if we are to safeguard and maintain our fans’ faith in the game.

Most recently this faith has been tested but it is clearly alive and well, as evidenced by the way our supporters have turned out in record numbers over the first three rounds of the AFL season.

They have voted with their feet and the message coming through loud and clear is that they believe in the game. The game is what matters most and the game will always come first.

In fact, the game has never been stronger. It has never been supported with more passion and has never had more potential.

You only need to look at the footprint the Giants have established here in Sydney to see the opportunity in wait.

The growth of the Giants across every measure, coupled with the wonderful Premiership success last year of cross town rivals, the Swans, means that Australian football in Sydney is stronger than ever.

The introduction of a second Sydney team in the Giants has undoubtedly given the game a significant shot in the arm here in New South Wales and also in Canberra.

Whether it’s a 35% increase in crowds, a 30% increase in memberships, an 8% uplift in participation numbers or a jump of 33% in TV ratings - the game grew significantly in 2012 off the back of the Giants’ entering our competition.

More broadly, the AFL is again on track to again achieve record Club membership levels in 2013, a goal that is supported by the Origin Big Kick In initiative that sees fans receive a free club membership or a $200 rebate simply by switching to Origin.

The knock on growth from the introduction of the Giants is further underlined by the fact that media coverage and exposure of the game in Sydney has never been higher.

Support from corporate Australia continues to go from strength to strength, as seen by the partnerships the Giants enjoy with brands like Skoda, Lifebroker, Dyldam, Lend Lease and Star Track, to mention just a few.

And the Giants have shown that they are ready to take the next step forward when it comes to their on-field performance.

Players such as Jeremy Cameron, Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio and Jonathon Patton have shown they will quickly become household names in years to come.

We have always said it is a long term proposition and success on the field won't happen overnight but so far we’ve been delighted with the Giants’ progress as a club.

They are playing in a world class venue in Skoda Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park which delivers a first class fan experience.

On top of this they are building a state of the art training and administration centre in the precinct which will also deliver programs to migrant communities in Western Sydney through their Life Learning Centre.

This is part of the Giants’, and the AFL’s, longstanding commitment to the community.

The success of our game is intrinsically linked to the community. It always has been.

We genuinely believe the AFL’s success is based on our connection with the people who love watching and playing Australian football. Without a strong community, we would not have a strong game.

Community football is the lifeblood of our game which is why we have more than 2600 community clubs fielding more than 12,900 teams each week, in 272 community leagues throughout Australia.

Our investment in grassroots and community football is key to showcasing our game to more Australians than ever before.

In simple terms, our game offers a meeting place in which people of any age and from all walks of life can come together.

Somewhere people can be part of something. Somewhere people can belong. Somewhere people can pursue a common purpose.

Today Australian football provides a platform for community programs engaging all members of society regardless of their gender, race, religion, political persuasion or sexual identity.

Our connection with and support for various parts of the community, such as the Indigenous community and the homeless community, has ensured social responsibility is at the core of our business.

And we take this role very seriously.

We’ve taken a position of leadership in the community by implementing policies around issues such as racial and religious vilification, illicit and performance enhancing drugs and respect for women.

Some people ask what these issues have got to do with sport. My answer is everything. 

You can’t claim to be a leader or leading organisation in this community if you don’t care about and embrace the notion of trying to build a better community.

The Giants know the value of investing back into the community.

They understand the opportunity for this club to become an integral part of the community of Western Sydney given its huge population and the diversity which reflects our game.

The Giants have built strong community partnerships in Western Sydney through programs such as the Lend Lease Giant Community Footprint program and the Lifebroker Gentle Giants initiative that focuses on local hospitals.

The club continues to foster a strong partnership with Blacktown and the 14 local government authorities in Western Sydney through its community programs and the Slater and Gordon Giants Academy, which is helping to foster young talent in Western Sydney, Canberra and southern NSW.

It’s through this academy that hundreds of kids from New South Wales and the ACT will get an opportunity to one day play Australian football at the elite level.

The impact of this country’s indigenous football code on the community continues to expand in a number of ways.

Economically, our game is a significant contributor to every state and territory around the country.

Last year, the estimated total economic contribution of AFL matches to host cities around Australia was more than $490 million dollars.

The contribution to Sydney alone was more than $39 million dollars last year.

Overall, the AFL generated $4.5 billion dollars in financial contribution to the Australian economy last year.

More than 156,000 Australian Football volunteers contributed 12.5 million working hours in 2012, worth the equivalent of $241 million dollars in labour effort.

The game continues to benefit the community in a myriad of ways and we are proud of that contribution.

We’re also excited by what lies ahead for Australian football and no more so than here in New South Wales and particularly western Sydney.

Thank you for your support for Australia’s game and specifically your support for the Giants.

This is a club that is standing tall, not just on the field but in the community.

There’s no question these are exciting times for the Giants and I look forward to sharing the journey with you.
Thank you.