‘Ridiculous’: Several Roos greats to ‘boycott’ club’s 100th-year event over AFLW celebration

Off-field drama has emerged ahead of North Melbourne’s centenary celebrations next Thursday night, with reports some of the club’s 1975 VFL premiership team are boycotting the event due to the simultaneous celebration of last year’s AFLW premiership.

The Kangaroos informed those invited to the celebration a month in advance before the club’s fixture with the Western Bulldogs, where all six of North’s 300-game players will be recognised on the Marvel Stadium turf.

But the likes of premiership player Sam Kekovich and Grand Final hero John Burns are not expected to be in attendance, discontent with last year’s AFLW side sharing the spotlight. The celebrations for the club’s 100 years align with the 50th season since the club’s inaugural V/AFL flag.

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Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, Herald Sun journalists Jon Ralph and Lauren Wood dissected the bizarre stand-off that threatens.

“Sonja Hood has tried and failed to convince Sam to try change his decision ... but he’s just not interested in that. His stance is he feels the club attitude is representative of a club that doesn’t revel in the ‘Shinboner’ history,” Ralph began

“My understanding is a really big slice of that frustration surrounds the fact that they have to share that event with the AFLW premiers of last year.

“They feel like... not that their were of a bigger quality than that, but (males) versus females. It’s a challenging perspective. They (also) haven’t invited all of their CEO’s of the last 30 years, which I feel they should’ve done.”

As per the Herald Sun’s report on Tuesday morning, only club patron Greg Miller is expected to attend the event as a former chief executive.

It makes for an awkward handling of relationship for North Melbourne between not just former players, but also a number of high-profile, off-field figures etched into Arden Street history.

“I personally think it’s ridiculous ... the reality of this is, it’s actually not a premiership reunion. It’s a centenary event that was the first VFL premiership that the club won (and) this was the first AFLW premiership that the club won — and it was a really significant occasion,” Wood continued.

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“The club has poured huge amounts of time, effort and money into developing this women’s football program. (They are) really in the ground floor with that relationship with Melbourne University.

“This is a sign to the future of this football club, and the reality is, that AFLW is now part of the football club. It is part of the football landscape.

Ralph ended by saying: “You’re going to have to embrace all the girls who want to follow the premiership dream of those girls ... some of the 1975 (premiership) heroes haven’t done that at all.”

North Melbourne’s win over Carlton at the MCG last Saturday afternoon takes the club’s win tally for the AFL season to four — the most they’ve had in the men’s side since 2019.

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