AFL fans send heroes messages of support during Toyota AFL Grand Final week

Toyota AFL Grand Final week is the biggest week on the Australian sporting calendar for millions of Australians and for the first time fans across the nation can inspire their Grand Final heroes with a personal message of support, thanks to Telstra AFL HeroMessage®.

Music guru and legendary Saints fan Molly Meldrum, along with the “unofficial” mayor of Geelong, Billy Brownless today launched the Telstra AFL HeroMessage campaign by sending their personal messages of support to the grand finalists St Kilda and Geelong.

Molly’s HeroMessage, sent from New York this morning read, “It’s not so much, oh when the Saints go marching in, it’s a matter of when Nick and the boys go marching into the MCG. I promise I won’t faint like I did in 66, I’ll just shriek like a girl&.Go Saints!”

Brownless followed, “Go Stevie J, you’re my hero. All the best Catters, two out of three aint bad!”

Telstra will offer fans two ways to send their AFL HeroMessages during Toyota AFL Grand Final week. Fans can send text messages* to 0448 300 500 or in person at Telstra Fever Pitch, an interactive fan livesite at Melbourne’s Federation Square.

Telstra Chief Financial Officer, John Stanhope will present the team captains, Tom Harley (Cats) and Nick Riewoldt (Saints), with a bound book of all the Telstra AFL HeroMessages on behalf of fans across Australia at the 2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade on Friday 25 September.

“What better way to inspire and communicate your absolute best wishes than by sending a personal and heartfelt HeroMessage,” Mr Stanhope said.

“We know that athletes get an incredible thrill from receiving HeroMessages from fans and it really does inspire them to go that extra step in trying to achieve their ultimate goal.”

The Telstra HeroMessage program has been an enormous success with Australian sports fans for over two decades, with more than 70,000 messages sent to Australian athletes at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

This year the passion and fanaticism of AFL fans will be put to the test as they attempt to inspire and motivate their heroes in the lead up to the Toyota AFL Grand Final.

Telstra Fever Pitch, a marquee at Melbourne’s Federation Square, will be the centre of activity for fans during Toyota AFL Grand Final week. Here they can:

* Send an AFL HeroMessage
* Watch player interviews and signing sessions
* See guest appearances by AFL greats Kevin Sheedy, Alex Jesaulenko and Wayne Carey, as well as a host of high flyers and characters including Tony Modra, Mal Brown, Gary Moorcroft and Brett Allison.
* Enter the Telstra BigPond Sport Book of Legends promotion for the chance to win a VIP September Club 2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final package for two. AFL Authorisation Code: GFAFL09/118
* Fans interstate or those unable to head down to Federation Square will not miss out either. Celebrity interviews and live web cam coverage from the top of the Fever Pitch marquee will be streamed online from 21 September at www.afl.com.au/feverpitch.

* maximum 160 characters, standard SMS charges apply