THE SIGHT of a packed MCG on Toyota AFL Grand Final day was a heart-warming reminder of how far we've come after two years of interruptions to enjoying the game we all love.
But not every footy fan around Australia is able to get to the AFL finals in person, so Toyota ensured the September spirit was alive and well around the country with the 2022 AFL Premiership Cup Tour.
Held over 21 days and culminating in Yarra Park in Grand Final week in Melbourne, the Toyota AFL Premiership Cup tour travelled across NSW, Queensland, the Northern Territory and regional Victoria, visiting towns and football clubs hard-hit by natural disasters in recent years.
For the first time, footy fans in the NT were able to enjoy the excitement of finals with the arrival of the premiership cup, which visited sites in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs, generating some incredible moments.
The Bridge Toyota dealership in Darwin had a visit from AFL legend Michael Long, who spent the day engaging with local families and young fans to help share in the finals excitement.
Caz Mariano, marketing manager of Bridge Toyota said the day provided a source of inspiration for the local community.
"Having the Premiership Cup here in Darwin was such a fantastic opportunity for the community as a way of inspiring local footy players, especially young children, to be a part of the finals someday, maybe as a fan but hopefully as a player," Mariano said.
"All levels of footy enthusiasts had their fun share of taking photos of the AFL premiership cup and interacting with Michael Long. We’re a bit far away from the major footy action so the event definitely provided the ultimate finals feeling for everyone.”
A huge part of Toyota's support for community footy is the annual Toyota Good For Footy Raffle, and the Miranda Junior Bombers in Sydney's southern suburbs were one of the star fundraisers, notching more than $20,000 for their club.
The Toyota GFF Raffle raised a total of more than $1 million shared between over 700 community football clubs around Australia, continuing the event's proud history of supporting local clubs.
And as the Tour came to a close in Grand Final week in Melbourne, Toyota ensured the spirit of local footy came to the Festival of Footy in Yarra Park outside the MCG.
The Toyota Good For Footy Clubhouse brought the iconic feeling of community footy clubrooms to the MCG, featuring an honour wall recognising the efforts of every local club that Toyota has assisted throughout the program.
Toyota also put on a sausage sizzle each day of the Footy Festival, raising more than $3000 for young people around Australia.
And to cap the celebrations off, Seven commentator and former VFL/AFL goalkicking champion Brian Taylor helped Toyota give the final two tickets to the Toyota AFL Grand Final away to a die-hard Geelong supporter who had driven all the way from South Australia in the hope of seeing the game.
Toyota Australia chief marketing officer Vin Naidoo said celebrating local footy clubs throughout the AFL finals was a perfect opportunity to highlight to fans the importance of supporting grassroots football within their communities.
"Grassroots footy is an integral part of local communities and we wanted to celebrate the work individual volunteers and clubs provide for the game. It brings people together, helps to foster inclusion and builds the skills that are needed for our next generation of champions," Mr Naidoo said.
"With the excitement surrounding the return of the Toyota AFL Grand Final to the MCG in Melbourne, it was a fantastic chance to inspire the younger generation of fans and the local community to get involved with their local footy club - whether that’s supporting, volunteering or playing for their local team."
