Kirk hopes medal boosts Sydney AFL derby
SYDNEY, Feb 3 AAP – An overwhelmed Brett Kirk hopes the establishment of a best on ground medal in his honour for the AFL derby in Sydney will help make the game a special fixture.
Kirk’s beloved Sydney Swans take on the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the round one fixture at ANZ Stadium.
The former Swans skipper, a product of the Giants’ catchment area having been born in the southern NSW town of Albury, was honoured at a media function to mark 50 days until the historic fixture on March 24.
And Kirk said he hopes the medal can go some way to ensuring the derby goes on to become one of the key clashes in the AFL’s calendar.
“It just makes it more symbolic and that’s what we want it to do,” Kirk told AAP.
“We want it to be a big time in the footy calendar so each player from the clubs gear themselves up to play.
“It’s going to take time, Adelaide and Port Adelaide have had 100 plus years, they’ve been fighting for a long time.
“You probably can’t fabricate that stuff but I think there’s no doubt … the Swans wouldn’t want to drop an early game.”
Kirk, who played 241 games for the Swans from 1999 to 2010 and was a key member of the club’s 2005 premiership, said having the medal named after him had been a humbling experience.
“Nearly fell off my chair really,” he said about being told of the medal.
“To think I only played 12 months ago and to have something like this bestowed upon me, thinking about it I’m really proud of it.”
Publisher: AAPNewswire
03 Feb 7:27 PM
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