You also get seen in all the ""right"" places - I've attended the swanky best and fairest nights and season launches, Team of the Century dinners and Premiership dinners. All black-tie affairs and you can throw in the valet parking as well. On top of this there are the Brownlow Medal nights when we walk the red carpet, get photographed with the girl on the arm and generally ponce around thinking we are a little better than we actually are. Sadly, some actually think that this is life's norm – no wonder some struggle post-football when they are confronted by the real world.
You meet the Prime Minister at other events and mix with some of Australia’s most powerful business people. It’s a great life - the cars get a bit fancier and the wallet continues to bulge. Some players and coaches probably struggle to find ways to spend their $300, $400, $500, $700 thousand-plus a year.
I have been guilty...we've all been guilty of over-spending, splurging on the good life, living life in the fast lane and hitching a ride on the AFL gravy train. And I've attended all those functions that I mentioned above.
But last Monday night I arrived back in the real world. I attended the BEST FUNCTION I have attended - certainly over the past four years back at Essendon - and probably the best function in my time in football!!
And don’t start thinking Grand Hyatt, Hayman Island, Port Douglas or some such location. The people who I attended this function with won’t ever get to go to these places. They wouldn’t have the money – some may even not have heard of them. This function was held at the Melton Country Club.
I taught in Melton at the local high school for five years before my full time involvement in football started. Out there its a tough working class environment, high unemployment, kids on the street, many with drug problems. It’s the other side of the street, the side of the street not visited too often by us that are privileged in our current environment...but one that we should visit more often.
For these are hardworking people, strong, loyal people who are proud of their community. If they had a spare two dollars in their pocket they would most likely shout you a beer at the local club.The club is located in Melton South and it was there I witnessed first hand the real role of AFL football clubs in our community. Essendon is proud and successful football club mainly because it has never severed its ties with its people. Despite bulging bank balances, strong membership and 16 Premierships it has never lost sight of its place in the community. It currently has a very close business and community relationship with the Melton club.
On Monday night Essendon Football Club in conjunction with the Melton Country Club handed out $50,000 as part of its community grants program. The money went to needy associations, sporting groups and individuals. I was fortunate to be there, along with Graeme McMahon, Brad Teal, Neil McKissock and Travis Auld, to represent Essendon.
Those people in attendance had applied for grants and on the night about 150 people from all walks of life in Melton assembled in the club’s auditorium. I must admit I initially went along as asked, assuming, “oh yeah, another night away from the kids...another speech'. I came away stunned, proud, teary and angry, yes, angry and a little embarrassed.
Proud that my club was helping out. Teary, because as I will tell you later, it was an amazingly moving ceremony. Angry because we live a life that sometimes neglects people who face difficulty because we have it all. We don’t do enough.
Can I go through some of the grants made:
Natasha Jones was prematurely born with Cerebral Palsy and the grant she received was for $3500 to by her a bed that stimulates her muscles and helps her get out of bed. This tiny girl with the aid of walking sticks forced her way with courage and pride to the stage to accept the grant.
The Vietnam Veterans needed $190 for lights for their memorial and a vandal proof cover. Who the hell would vandalise a Vietnam memorial? The West Melton Brownies only wanted $300 for backpacks to take the kids on hikes.
The Coburn Tennis club was granted $1200 for a couple of nets and a lock up shed so that the community could use the facility. The Melton Cancer Support Group was granted $1500 for a TV and a video just to make someone’s life a little happier. The Melton Football Club juniors wanted $1200 to buy plastic drink bottles so that passing around of the containers wouldn’t spread colds, flu and other illnesses. The Melton Volunteer Fire Brigade was granted $1200 for four mobile phones for their fire trucks so they could better protect their community.
And the Melton Kindergarten was granted $5000 for sails to shade the kids from the heat of February and March. The lady that received this was speechless she so happy.And then there was the amazing schoolteacher who has dedicated her life to the education of local youth. She cried with pride and fist pumped the air when two kids, Angela and Cameron (suffering from Muscular Dystrophy and Cerebral Palsy), were awarded grants so that laptop computers would make the learning process easier because they are unable to use pens.
And so it went on. Proud, considerate, humble people. Many haven’t got a zac in their pocket but they were all there to greatly assist making other peoples lives a little better. What was special about these people? Well it was their sheer appreciation. They appreciated the gesture and one by one they made their way to the stage and in some cases were too emotional to say more than one word...and what a special word it is....THANKS. Well they made my life a little better.
On Saturday morning all Essendon players will take part in a two-hour training session at Melton South Reserve and then from 11.00am to noon will join the Melton people at their community club for a BBQ, a few autographs and a photo. For many of the locals and in particular the kids they would otherwise never get the chance to rub shoulders with their heroes. Some can’t even afford a membership that would mean watching Essendon play each week. But it doesn’t bother them. What do they want? Well a smile would be great, an autograph special and a photo would send them over the moon. At the end of the day what will they say to our players is THANKS. I hope the significance isn’t lost on them.
