Press Release for ABC TV
ABC TV has pulled off the recruitment coup of the 2011 AFL season by signing up the increasingly popular Marngrook Footy Show.
For the past four years the weekly Australian Rules Football program has been screened on Melbourne’s community TV channel 31, and on NITV, in some regional and rural areas. ABC TV will screen the Marngrook Footy Show across the nation each week at 7.30pm on ABC2, starting on Wednesday, March 23rd, before moving to Thursday nights.
The family-friendly footy show has an engaging mix of personalities, humour, analysis and information with an emphasis on Indigenous players, history and culture. The show is full of all the relevant footy information, including all the teams for each round of the AFL, as well as news and analysis of footy issues and detailed match previews. There’s also live music each week from some of the biggest names in the Australian music industry.
Marngrook Footy Show boasts some tremendous TV talent with a rotating panel chock full of passion, expertise and earthy wit from the likes of Grant Hansen, Alan Thorpe, Gilbert McAdam, Ronnie Burns, Chris Johnson and Glenn James.
Marngrook Footy Show also features female reporters Leila Gurruwiwi and Shelley Ware who hit the road every week to bring viewers exclusive interviews with players, stories from all the clubs, and Tiddas Tips, as well as the news and injury updates. A recent recruit has been “Grooka”, the show’s mascot, who like every other possum gets up to plenty of mischief.
Marn Grook – ‘Game Ball’
The meaning of Marn Grook translates to ‘Game Ball’.
In the 1840s the founder of Australian Rules Football – Tom Wills – observed a game of Marn Grook and thought it would be a good way for Australian cricketers to keep fit during winter. Evidence supports that Marn Grook was being played primarily by the Djabwurrung and Jardwadjali clans in Victoria's Western District and became the inspiration for Australian Rules Football.
The traditional game was played with a ball made from possum skin about the size of an orange which was filled with pounded charcoal and/or grass and was tied hard with Kangaroo sinews. This was kicked and tossed by two opposing teams of up to 50 players.
Since 2002 the annual clash between the Sydney Swans and the Essendon Bombers has been played for the impressive Marn Grook Trophy.