AFL legends headline annual fundraiser

GEELONG Amateur Football Netball Club’s junior program will receive a tremendous boost ahead of the 2024 season following another successful Sportsman’s Lunch.

Club president Simon Farrell said the annual lunch raised more than $10,000 for Geelong Amateur’s junior football and netball sides, with three AFL legends headlining last Thursday’s event.

Former Geelong captain and four-time premiership player Joel Selwood, Port Adelaide premiership player and two-time All-Australian Team member Kane Cornes, and West Coast premiership player and Brownlow Medallist Ben Cousins were the keynote speakers at The Pier Geelong, providing guests with first-hand insight into their illustrious careers.

“The day went fantastic, Kane Cornes was brilliant, the same could be said for Ben Cousins, and we were lucky enough to have Joel Selwood for the first hour of the day,” Mr Farrell said.

“Given it was Grand Final week at the time, the three men explained to guests what they were expecting of the day and their own experiences on the big stage.”

Geelong Amateur’s Sportsman’s Lunch has been an annual event for the past four years and has featured famous Australian sporting names such as Merv Hughes, Stephen Kernahan, Mark Thompson, and Glenn McGrath.

Mr Farrell said this year’s sold-out event raised between $10,000 and $15,000, with final fundraising tallies to be finalised in the next fortnight.

“The funding is massive for the junior program, we put a lot of it into our coaches, making life a little easier for our members by driving down the cost of memberships as much as we can, and improving our training facilities,” Mr Farrell said.

“It’s a massive kick-along for the junior program.”

The full gallery from the event can be found HERE