When you follow the game and there's more action behind the scenes and in the court rooms and board rooms, you get to feel that the game's really in the doldrums. But then every once in a while you pick up and read a gem like this from Martin Flanagan - Pride, passion and a culture of inclusion prevail in footy's new heartland

Great reading, and a big part of what footy should be about.

As always another wonderful piece to lift the spirit. He understands people and this game so well.

He writes so well...the bit about "Matt" actually brought a hint of a tear to my eye. Did anyone on D'land get along to the game he is writing about?

Wow. I felt like i was there...

Flanagan is a journalism legend.

I had a couple of portraits I'd painted of Tom Wills kindly put up on the 'footy almanac' website by John Harms a couple of years ago. Martin saw them and got in touch with me, pointing me toward his John Button oration of 2011, a great essay about Tom Wills and his meaning to Australian culture. I had read his novel 'The Call', about T.W. as well, a must read for anybody interested in the genesis of our game. When it came to exhibition time, (and with a number of other footy inspired paintings on show), I asked him if he'd like to open my exhibition. He very generously agreed, giving those there a frankly riveting account of Tom Wills and his significance to Australia, his relationship to indigenous sporting culture and it's inclusion.

He is as he writes. His passion for and knowledge of Australian football from a cultural and historical perspective is I think singular, and as we all know, when the media is full of the irrelevant dross that distracts us from the pure thrill of our game, there's always Martin Flanagan to remind us how good our game and it's people can be. Long may he continue.

The blokes he's writing about deserve OAM's (Emad Elkheir and Ali Faraj), in fact I'd give one to Flanagan too. And I must admit, as self interested as I think the Giants Footy Club is (egro the motivating factor for reaching out), this will be far from their dumbest decision, good on em. Things that promote respect amongst the community (like sport) are worth tank divisions, police stations and jet aircraft for how valuable they are to our society. Its just a shame it's so bloody hard to quantify the value exactly.

He certainly has a fabulous grasp of life and of footy.

It is great to hear a good news story about inclusiveness and integration into our society when one hears so much about the sad violence and (two way) racism and division along ethnic / religious lines in parts of Western Sydney in particular. Perhaps footy can help to bridge some very large gaps - one can but hope, and his writings can but help.

I wasn't at the game but I've been at the ground and experienced some memorable games at Pitcher Park (I think spelt incorrectly in the article?). They used to play Sunday league games there in the 50s & early 60s and then it was also an amateurs venue known for supporters whose wrong side you didn't want to be if the home side was losing. I recall someone once wielding an axe there one day. Times have changed I guess.