Jimboomba Redbacks players across a range of age groups got some lessons from Aussie Rules professionals on Tuesday night.
Rhys Matthieson and Rohan Bewick from AFL club the Brisbane Lions attended Redbacks training to put the under 6s, 8s, 9s, 11s, 13s and under 15s girls team’s through their paces and pass on some footballing knowledge.
Jimboomba Redbacks’ club secretary Rachel Maguire said the players had been looking forward to meeting the Lions duo.
“Once a year they come around to all the different club teams and have a training session, it’s one of the highlights of the year for the kids, seeing the players come out and getting to have a bit of a kick with them,” she said.
The visits are organised by AFL Queensland as a way for the professionals to give back to the game and AFL South East Queensland development officer Shaun Jasper who was on hand during the Lions visit said the training sessions are of mutual benefit to the league, and the clubs.
“The sessions are to grow the fan development of each club and to also grow the grass roots of the game, to make sure that the pathway from top to bottom is evident to everybody, and to make sure that the kids are staying involved in football in Queensland and no one is left out,” he said.
“For the players, club land is where they started as well so for a lot of guys nights like this bring up a lot of memories of where they started,and these days its a very professional environment for them but when you come out here you see that it’s just all about fun, I think the players just really enjoy being back out here and seeing that side of football again.”
