Stokes, Brown to headline Grand Final Eve lunch

A PAIR of local AFL stars will headline this year’s edition of the Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club Grand Final Eve Luncheon.

To be held at RACV Torquay Resort, the event will feature Geelong Cats premiership player Mathew Stokes and Collingwood premiership player Nathan Brown, as well as ventriloquist and comedian Darren Carr.

Channel 10 sports reporter and Foxtel Main Event host Nick Butler will be the MC.

Jan Juc SLSC sponsorship and fundraising manager Brad Papworth said the annual lunch was being run for the seventh time and was returning after a forced hiatus in 2020 and 2021.

“We missed two over COVID, which was really disappointing, so this is the first one since pre-COVID.

“It’s one of our pillar fundraising events and critical to the club in terms of all our operating costs.

“The proceeds will go towards lifesaving equipment and training equipment… events like this go a long, long way towards us putting on all our programs for beach safety.”

Stokes won two flags (2007 and 2011) with the Cats in his 189 games between 2006 and 2015, and a further 11 games as a top-up player for Essendon in 2016, taking his AFL total to 200.

Brown – who won a flag with Barwon Heads in the BFL a fortnight ago – played 183 AFL games for first Collingwood and then St Kilda, including the 2010 premiership with the Magpies.

“We’ve got two local premiership stars, so it’s great to have them on board on obviously an appropriate day,” Mr Papworth said.

The 2022 Jan Juc SLSC Grand Final Eve Luncheon will be held at RACV Torquay Resort on Friday September 23 from noon.

The dress code is business attire.

Seats are limited but some tickets are still available – tables of 10 at $1,650 or individual seats at $165 per head.

To book, phone Flash Flanders on 0417 757 372 or email [email protected]; or phone Brad Papworth on 0425 754 680 or email [email protected]