AFL must recognise Tasmanian who designed Final 8

AFL MUST RECOGNISE TASMANIAN WHO DESIGNED FINAL 8

In 1994 Tasmanian man Kim Crawford sent the AFL his idea for a Final 8.

The AFL told him it wasn’t interested. Six years later it introduced the system, without ever acknowledging it was Mr Crawford’s idea.

For 16 years, Mr Crawford, who lives in the Lyons electorate, has been asking the AFL to acknowledge his work by naming the Final 8 system the Crawford System. But he has been one man against a wealthy and powerful organisation.

Mr Crawford has plenty of evidence to prove the idea is his, including original documentation and even letters from the AFL that call it the Crawford System (issued before the AFL implemented the system).

We teach our children that sportsmanship is not about winning, but about how we play the game. Two years ago, Gillon McLachlan took the helm of the AFL as CEO, asserting he wants the game to belong to the people.

Heartened by Mr McLachlan’s desire to bring the beautiful game back to the people, I have today written to him to ask that he blow the final siren on this injustice and acknowledge Mr Crawford, a Tasmanian who simply loves his footy, as the author of the AFL’s Final 8 system.
Brian Mitchell MP | Federal Labor Member for Lyons