Digital 1 2005 AFL Grand Final Function

Over 500 players, supporters and sponsors crammed into the Hotel Ritz Carlton's swank new ballroom on 24 September for the Jakarta Bintangs' 2005 AFL Grand Final Function, brought to you by the club's major sponsor, Digital 1. The event was a major success, coming after the disappointment of the last-minute cancellation of the 2004 function due to security concerns. The match itself lived up to expectations, with the Sydney Swans falling over the line in the final seconds in a nail-biting final against the West Coast Eagles for the interstate club's first premiership flag.

Five current and former AFL players attended the event as VIP guests (pictured, from L to R): former Essendon premiership player Paul Barnard, Geelong full forward Kent Kingsley, former Essendon great Terry Daniher, young Geelong talent David Wojcinski and former Sydney Swan Troy Luff. As well as providing analysis on the game, Daniher and Luff entertained the crowd with impromptu duets on stage with local dangdut star, Lillis Karlina.

The five AFL guests had a busy week in Jakarta, running two clinics for Indonesian juniors at Bintangs Park in Pancawati, West Java, and at Cibubur south of the capital, and joining players and sponsors for a golf day at Cengkareng. At the event, the Bintangs ran an entertaining video to mark the club's 10-year anniversary and a short film on junior Australian Rules Football in Indonesia produced by one of the country's top young directors. The club also updated supporters on its ongoing charity work in cooperation with the Australia-New Zealand Association (ANZA), while Digital 1 launched its quality new service. Many thanks to Donna Telfer, Belinda Brown, Ken Allen, Tim Hackfoort, Matt Stephens and others involved in staging such a successful event.