Tag: afl

30th September 2014

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

British stars rock Grand Final crowd

It’s not unusual for the AFL Grand Final to attract a big name musician to entertain the almost 100,000 crowd. But it was the first time they’d had Tom Jones. Together with Ed Sheeran, the veteran star and one of the hottest current British talents wowed the fans before and after the game. The match […]

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1st October 2013

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Echuca – paddle steamer capital of the world

Echuca, “paddle steamer capital of the world,” sits on the banks of the Murray River, which divides Victoria and New South Wales. Most other state borders in Australia are arbitrary straight lines. The town flourished in the 1870s, when wool was shipped down the river from outback sheep stations, to be transferred by rail to […]

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2nd October 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

A Grand Final to Remember

In Australia, sport doesn’t get any bigger than the AFL (Aussie rules) Grand Final. In British terms it’s like the Premiership and FA Cup rolled into one.  99,683 of us were gathered in the cauldron of the Melbourne Cricket Ground -“the G” – last Saturday. I had been invited by my friend Paul Sheahan, former […]

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19th July 2012

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Geelong: identifying new economic opportunities

Traditional manufacturing centres in Australia and Britain continue to evolve as global supply chains are transformed. Geelong, Victoria’s second city, is responding to challenges which would be familiar in many British cities. Employment has been declining in its historical large manufacturing sectors like car-making and aluminium-smelting, not helped by the strong Australian dollar. Ford announced some further […]

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29th June 2011

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Go Cats: Watching Aussie Rules Football

I was invited to watch a holiday weekend footy match, another Australian tradition. I had decided that I needed to choose an Aussie Rules team to support, so I opted for the Geelong Cats (on the personal advice of the State Premier of Victoria, where the game is mostly played). Geelong President Colin Carter filled […]

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