WITHOUT football, Luke Darcy would never have made the friends he has.

The former Bulldogs captain, who is now an AFL 150 years ambassador, says the best thing football ever gave him were lifelong friendships.

“My mates for life have all been made through footy. And that includes school because we loved our school footy,” he said.

Darcy grew up in South Australia, playing club football for South Adelaide and school football for Rostrevor College.

“A lot of those mates of mine from school play for Rostrevor Old Scholars in Adelaide, and that is their social life. It’s what they do every weekend,” he said.

“If I hadn’t gone down the AFL path I’m sure I’d still be having a kick with my mates that I went to school with. The idea of this community weekend is one of the best I’ve heard.”

Darcy said too much football was never enough when he was a child and he was more than happy to play for both club and school every weekend.

“I enjoyed the mix. The school team were your mates you were in class with every day and at the club level there were kids all from the south area of Adelaide,” he said.

“Some of the mates I made - like Kym Koster who I played footy with right through to when we were drafted by the Bulldogs. Matthew Rogers ended up with Richmond and we had this great connection back to the club we played with as kids.”

Darcy said community football has a fan appeal that might not exist at the top level.

“You grow up as kids and every one parks their cars along the ground. Just the community feel - everyone’s family is involved and the ability to go out and kick the footy at quarter time or half time and listening to what the coach has to say", he said.

“Community footy has that great social feel about it – for a lot of us that was our childhood. Some of my best memories from being a kid come from being involved in footy.”

Darcy, who retired from the Bulldogs last year said he was hoping to take in a bit more local football now that he does not have the demands of being an AFL player.

“When you’re playing the opportunity to watch park footy is hard. You might go and watch Werribbee who we were affiliated with, but I didn’t have the time,” he said.

“I’ve seen a bit of junior footy through doing clinics with the AFL. I’m sure community footy is going to be a big part of my life with two young boys who look like they are going to be involved in that as well.”