Greens' Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has won Senate support for a motion calling on the ABC to maintain its broadcast of SANFL games.

The motion won support from all parties and was co-sponsored by Senators Penny Wright (Greens), Nick Xenophon (Independent), Anne McEwen (Labor) and Simon Birmingham (Liberal). See full text below.

South Australian National Football League

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia) (13:15): The matter I rise to speak on today is one of great importance to my home state of South Australia. As people here would know, I am not only a proud South Australian but also a proud football supporter. Despite the fact that my team, the Double Blues-Sturt-is at the bottom of the SANFL ladder, it is all right; we still have the best ground in the league in the heart of Unley.

Senator HANSON-YOUNG (South Australia) (11:57): I, and also on behalf of Senators Wright, McEwen, Birmingham and Xenophon, move:
That the Senate-
(a) notes:
(i) the future of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is in doubt, and
(ii) the South Australian Football Association was established in 1877 (later to become the SANFL) making it the oldest football league of any code in Australia and one of the oldest sporting codes in the world;
(b) recognises the coverage:

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