Bombers in town to talk

AFL fans will soon have the opportunity to get up close and personal with a couple of Essendon Football Club players in a talk and meet-and-greet session.

The evening is being run by Anthem Entertainment, and company founder Rav Thomas said captain Zach Merrett and forward Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti will feature at the event.

“Essendon have a really good affinity with Bendigo, and Essendon are winning, so that’s handy as well,” said Mr Thomas.

“Normally you pick a club you think people would have an interest in. We’ve had Collingwood events there, we’ve had Joel Selwood as the current premiership captain there, so we thought at some stage we’d do an Essendon event.

“Obviously there’s great interest in Zach, he’s a new captain, and the team is doing well.

“There’s a lot of love in the Essendon faithful for Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, he has just the most incredible and wonderful story, and he’s back playing for Essendon.”

Mr Thomas said it’s the first time his company has brought players from Essendon for this kind of event in Bendigo.

“This is unlike any other football media,” he said. “It’s live, it’s personal, it’s real, and so if I’m an Essendon fan I’ve got a lot of reason to come and meet the real person and hear from them.

“It’s just a really great opportunity for the true fans of Bendigo for the Bombers to really celebrate that in a manner in which you just can’t really do anywhere else.

“It’s a really personal way to stand in front of the captain or a much-loved player of the club you love and hear them speak about things that they’ve never spoken about before.

“But also hear them speak really without a filter and really honestly and tell some incredible stories of a club that has been through a lot, and is now showing real hope and promise of going back to the club that they were.”

The event will be held at All Seasons Resort Bendigo on the eventing of Friday 16 June and visit the hotel’s website for more information and tickets.