The Camps were introduced in 2003 to give people in regional and remote communities across Australia the opportunity to interact with AFL clubs in person.
They were also designed to encourage young people to join a local club and enjoy the sport at the grassroots level.
The following letter was sent to the AFL by German teenager Moritz Herthum who fell in love with Aussie Rules while in Australia on exchange. His testimonial spoke volumes about his AFL new experience.
The Lions certainly hope that this week's visit to the Sunshine Coast will help inspire more people like Moritz to continue their football dreams as well as convert others to Australian Rules football.
My year with AFL
- Moritz Herthum
“Isn’t that the game that is like soccer, but you’re allowed to use your hands too?” I asked my friend Brandon at school. “Ummm…yeah right!”
My name is Moritz Herthum and I am from a small town in Central Germany. This is my personal Australian Rules football story.
I spent the last 10 months in Australia on the Sunshine Coast as an exchange student. I love sport and I always knew that I wanted to play sport in Australia.
After a few months of settling down I had to decide what I wanted to play. Rugby? No, too stupid I thought. Cricket? No, too complicated. Soccer? No, too boring and I could play that anytime at home.
Then I remembered the conversation with Brandon at school when he told me about that sport he plays. I decided that AFL would be the best sport to play. It is fast, fun, hard and really typically Australian. I talked to Brandon about it. He said he’d take me to his club’s training sessions.
I started to watch AFL on TV and realised that I needed to learn a lot!
Nevertheless I liked the Brisbane Lions and especially one young, blonde guy called Daniel Rich from the beginning. Then, one week later I went to my first training session with the Kawana Park Eagles.
Brandon, my friend from school and later my host brother, can be described as my biggest influence and mentor. Before my first training session, he showed me the basic skills - kicking, handballing and bouncing. I quickly understood that this was going to be more complicated than I thought it would be.
The team gave me a very warm welcome and after 90 minutes of drills I was exhausted, dirty and very happy. I knew that I had made the right decision.
On the next Saturday, I played my first game. I thought it was too early for me, but Craig Kimberly - my coach - and Brandon convinced me that I should just enjoy the game and have fun.
Before the game, I got a brief introduction in all the positions and what ‘holding the ball’ was. Then a warm-up and the game started. I sat on the bench and of course I expected to sit there for most of the game. But after only five minutes Craig said, ”Moritz, mate, you’re on”.
I ran on with my adrenalin pumping as a forward pocket - everything happened very fast from there on.
There was a throw-in in our forward fifty. I stood there not knowing what to do. The ball came and I jumped, but didn’t get it. The umpire blew his whistle and said, ”push in the back, free kick Kawana”, and gave me the ball.
I still didn’t know what I was doing, but someone gave me the good advice to just take some deep breaths and then kick the ball through the two middle posts. I ran, I kicked…and I actually kicked it in for a goal.
The whole team came to me and congratulated me and gave me high fives. After the game, we laughed a lot and said that I am probably the first person ever to kick a goal with their first ever possession and their first kick longer than 20 metres.
Two months later, I had found a new host family. I now lived together with my team-mates Brandon and Jordan. The season still went on very well. I kicked a few more goals and really enjoyed being really muddy after the trainings and games.
On my birthday, I got to go to the AFL Queensland Sportsman Luncheon. This was a very special thing, as I also met Brisbane Lion Josh Drummond and former Hawthorn and Sydney player Spida Everitt.
In my school holidays, my family and I went down to the Gold Coast, because my host brother Jordan played there in the Queensland State Championships with the Suncoast Power. It was a very funny week, where I saw football at its finest. I was the water boy and I will especially remember the game against PNG and their ‘haka’.
Another thing I will remember for sure is the Brisbane Lions games at the Gabba. I had become a passionate Lions supporter and my Brisbane Lions Guernsey is still my pride and joy.
In August, I went to the last public training at the Gabba, and got my jumper signed by the players. I got photos with almost all the players as well as Vossy. I was really excited to meet my favourite player Daniel Rich. My best memory is the Final against Carlton where Brisbane came from behind and ended up winning after great goals from Daniel Rich and Daniel Bradshaw.
The season went on and soon we had to face the teams from Noosa, Caloundra and Maroochydore. I was surprised by the level of intensity. Soon, we adapted to the new conditions and could win at least once against each team.
Before our last game of the home-and-away season we already knew that the result of the game couldn’t change our table situation anymore. So one of Craig’s instructions was simply - “Don’t get yourselves injured before the finals!”
Then in the middle of the second quarter I took a huge bump from a Maroochydore guy and heard something crack in my shoulder. I knew something was wrong when I couldn’t lift my arm anymore.
Later the x-rays showed that I had cleanly broken my collarbone. I was really upset that I missed the finals, but the team’s support was great. I got so many phone calls and when I came to the next training with my arm in a sling, they really cheered me up. “This is footy”.
I always knew that AFL is a hard sport and injuries are part of it. My mum in Germany was quite shocked but she eventually got over it. The best thing to do is take it with a smile and see the positives, like that I got to drive in an ambulance for the first time!
I think the hardest part of my injury was that I had to watch my team play the finals without me. I couldn’t do anything to help them, which annoyed me.
They did a very good job, but we lost some more players due to injuries and we lost against Caloundra in the Semi Final. I was at the sidelines at every game and supported them as best as I could. This is what I think footy is about. That you stand together as a team.
But my AFL year was not over yet. First we had a Grand Final BBQ at our team manager’s house and I watched the Geelong v St. Kilda game together with my friends.
Then, one even more special night was on - the Kawana Park Eagles Presentation Night. After all the presentations were done, Brandon surprised me with a huge framed photo collage of me playing football. The whole team, the coach and the parents signed it.
I was stunned, happy and - of course - speechless. Then somebody whispered: “C’mon Moritz, speech!” So I had to go forward and give a speech in front of approximately 200 people. Who would have thought one year ago that I would end up on a podium with my new friends around me, with one of the biggest surprises in my life?
Concluding I can say that AFL has been one of the best things I have done in my year in Australia.
The experiences I had, the people I met and the fun I had are things I wouldn’t want to give away for a million dollars. It is such a good game that I am now looking forward to introducing it to my German friends. I already found out that we have our own league here - with 10 teams.
Sadly the closest team is about two hours away from me. So my next goal is to play for Germany’s national team. The team is a mix between 18 and 45 year-olds. I am invited to a camp where they are looking for players next year. Everything is very unorganised, but it is growing. It is going to be so much fun.
Thank you AFL for what you have done for me.
Click here to view the itinerary for the Brisbane Lions' visit to the Sunshine Coast on Thursday 4 February and Friday 5 February for the AFL Community Camp.
