Over 300 primary school students got the opportunity to learn from the best when the Brisbane Lions coached their Friday afternoon sport team a couple of Friday’s ago.
The Toowoomba Primary School competition has expanded greatly over the years, providing opportunities to play at two different venues, at multiple timeslots on a Friday afternoon.
The 9-a-side competition introduces many new players to the sport, acting as a catalyst for some of them to continue their involvement through playing club football.
19 Brisbane Lions players including triple premiership legend Ash McGrath, new recruit Stefan Martin and assistant coach Adrian Fletcher were on hand to pass on their knowledge as they each took charge of coaching a school team.
AFLQ Development Coordinator, Jeff Neumann said the kids got a massive thrill from meeting some of the ‘legends’ of the sport.
“Many of these kids are new to the sport and to get to meet a professional player so early on, hopefully they will continue their involvement in the game” said Neumann.
After their games all of the players received a free showbag full of Lions merchandise and got to ask the stars some questions about their careers.
Last Friday at the first round of matches after the visit, the skills of all players had noticeably improved, with some schools even playing attacking football down the middle of the ground, exactly as the Lions had taught them the previous week.
This story is the third in a series detailing the Lions visit to Toowoomba and the Darling Downs for their 2013 Australia Post AFL Community Camp.
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!
Last Modified on 25/03/2013 14:41
