Local club players got a thrill when they went to sign-on for the 2013 season on Saturday when they were greeted by a handful of Brisbane Lions at their local club.
The Brisbane Lions had arrived in Toowoomba for the 2013 Australia Post AFL Community Camp the day before and visited numerous schools right across the Darling Downs.
After their Saturday morning training session, the Lions players were split up, attending each of the local football clubs to help recruit players to play club football in 2013.
Players were on hand to pass on some of their knowledge and have a kick with junior and senior players alike, while also agreeing to the much sought after autographs and photos.
At Glenvale State School, Mark Harvey’s kicking clinic was a hit with some of the teenage South Toowoomba Bombers, explaining the specifics of developing an elite kicking technique.
While over at Roddies Oval, the Lions players gained an insight into the club spirit which is fostered as the club nears completion of their new clubhouse, despite numerous setbacks.
Matthew Leuenberger was a hit with the kids at Pittsworth’s sign-on day as he held up marking bags for kids to take speccies somewhere near his chest and Jonathan Brown provided a huge drawcard for members of the public to see the Lockyer Valley Demons soon-to-be new home ground at Cahill Park.
AFLQ Club Coordinator Christopher Davis says it was a unique chance for the local clubs to bring people to their club to meet the professionals.
“For the Lions to be able to be in attendance at our local clubs, it gives them a fantastic opportunity to not only reward their returning members, but crucially sign-on new ones who were thinking about playing in 2013.”
Although Lions players weren’t able to be in attendance at Goondiwindi or Kingaroy, the Chinchilla SUNS were lucky enough to get a visit from Brent Moloney & Matt Maguire as they raised money selling hotdogs at the bi-annual MelonFest. The players also took a couple of lucky residents through a fast-paced run at the Melon Skiing, much to the delight of thousands of onlookers.
Although you can no longer meet the Lions players at your club, it is not too late to sign on to play club football in 2013, with many junior teams just beginning training for their first match on Saturday April 6th.
The AFL Darling Downs season kicks off on Saturday April 6th and it’s not too late to register to play at your local club. Simply head to the Clubs section on www.darlingdowns.aflq.com.au to find your local club today!
This story is the second in a series detailing the Lions visit to Toowoomba and the Darling Downs for their 2013 Australia Post AFL Community Camp.
Last Modified on 13/03/2013 12:45
