From www.illnews.com.au
Illawarra Mercury
March 18th, 2002
St. George Board targeted
The Return to Kogarah group is stepping up its campaign to get St George Illawarra to abandon Aussie Stadium and use Kogarah Oval as their Sydney home base.
About 500 people turned out to a meeting on the weekend to add their weight to the push to return to Kogarah Oval.
Three members of the R2K group - Lachlan McLean, Zoran Mitrevski and former Kogarah deputy mayor Fay Samuel - are running for election to the board of the St George Leagues Club as part of the campaign.
If they can get a member onto the board, R2K's candidate will push for an immediate return to Kogarah Oval for 50 per cent of home games and for the leagues club to work with Kogarah Council to assist with the financial costs of developing the ground.
R2K will also lobby for Red V members to be given full voting rights.
The ballot for the leagues club board is being held this week and an outcome is likely to be announced on Friday. R2K spokesman James Connolly said the Dragons supporters at the rally were hopeful of one day getting their wish.
"They were all very positive, very optimistic. We had many people from the Illawarra," he said.
"When Lachlan McLean announced he was running for the board, the entire auditorium burst into applause. It was the second biggest cheer of the night."
The biggest ovation at the meeting was reserved for guest speaker, star rugby league player and commentator Frank Hyde.
"The basis of his speech was that he couldn't fathom why a district that has been so good to rugby league could not have a football team (play in the area)," Connolly said.
Dragons official Robert Stone spoke on behalf of the joint venture club.
Stone said the major problem with Kogarah Oval was its shortage of corporate boxes compared to other venues.
Connolly said Aussie Stadium was "not a home ground" and the Dragons were losing plenty of paying customers by playing there.
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