In 1998, the first year of the Kelly Cup, only 80 teams competed. But, as always, there's a sting in the tail. The announcement of the spectacular progress in the NSW-ACT area coincides with an alarming survey at one of the traditional Victorian nurseries, a Melbourne Christian Brothers College. The CBC St Kilda survey, sparked by a visit by Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, reveals that 13 per cent of students have no meaningful interest in any AFL club. There's a lot of reasons why.
Ethnicity is one.
We're a very, very multi-cultural school. Campitelli said soccer and basketball had surpassed football as the most popular participant sport. Oh, a chap named McGuire, too. Eddie McGuire, who decided he wouldn't be content just playing for his favourite footy club, he would run it, and a television station. Everyone supported a team when we went to school.