The Maroochydore Footy Club was a huge part of my life as a kid and I’ll be watching the Roos take on Noosa in their AFLQ Division Two match with plenty of interest.
My father Geoff played senior footy with Maroochydore when the Sunshine Coast Australian Football League was a strong competition, with Nambour, Caloundra, Noosa, and Maroochydore in particular having some great battles over the years.
I played all my juniors at Maroochydore through to under 16s.
My most vivid memories are of three grand final wins in a row – we got up by one, two and six points. It doesn’t get much better than that. Those close ones are extra special to win.
I was thinking about having a go at seniors with Maroochydore, but then a State Colts side was trialled for a year in the old Queensland State Football League reserves competition, and I was part of that.
It was an interesting experience being a bunch of 17-year-olds up against the men, and it was pretty tough going.
We won a few games but we didn’t have too much success, and I think they punted the idea the following year.
The AFL does have some great grass roots initiatives and this weekend is another one of them, with all players not involved in the Hall of Fame tribute match being asked to head out to a local game.
My Lions teammates from interstate have all inherited a team for the weekend, so I consider myself lucky to have ‘my’ team to follow.
As many of the guys have written in this column before, the commitment to the club at AFL level is pretty demanding, and you just don’t get much of an opportunity to get to a local game, particularly on the Coast.
So this is a real bonus for blokes like myself who have an attachment to a club, and others like Pat Garner who will be back at the Western Magpies, and Cheynee Stiller, who will be backing the Zillmere Eagles out at Mt Gravatt.
Daniel Dzufer will be coming up to Noosa with me, being another good Sunny Coast boy.
I have got absolutely no doubt that there should be a team from the Sunshine Coast involved in Queensland’s best competition, the AFLQ Velocity Sports Cup.
It would be great for footy in general, and particularly the people who love the game on the Coast.
I know it is on AFL Queensland’s radar to get a team up there, and it is important that when it does occur, that it is a strong and financially viable club from the outset.
You only have to look at the number of quality players from the Sunshine Coast who get a run in the AFLQ with Zillmere and the Suncoast Lions to see that we could field a strong line-up.
While I will very much enjoy the relaxed weekend at the local footy, I’m itching to get back out and have a kick myself.
I’m back in full training and it’s now just a matter of getting through each session and building up my fitness so I’m ready to go.
I should be right to put my hand up for next weekend.
It is very frustrating sitting on the sidelines when the team is playing and you feel like you are letting the team down in some ways by not being out there with them.
