Around 250 kids converged on the Byron Sports Complex on Friday to get among the football action with some of their favourite AFL heroes from the Gold Coast Suns.
Twenty-five players from the Suns lineup made their way south for a community football event at Ewingsdale, helping to promote AFL football on the northern rivers and just to get onto the paddock with the locals and have some fun.
Among the players guiding the northern rivers youngsters were Michael Rischitelli, David Swallow and Joel Wilkinson, and the kids got to not only meet the players but work on their handball skills and kicking skills, get shirts signed, munch on some sizzled sausages and, to top it off, they played a Suns versus the kids game as the sun set.
AFL Northern Rivers Juniors are looking forward to future growth of AFL on the northern rivers supported by their close working relationship with the Gold Coast Suns.
‘The support of the Gold Coast Suns and AFL football on the northern rivers was overwhelming,’ said AFLQ regional manager for the northern rivers Trent Ryan. ‘The number of people in attendance by far exceeded our expectations as organisers.’
The event also allowed for all junior clubs on the northern rivers to actively recruit additional club players for season 2013.
