The Tantanoola Football Club house long recognised the future of the club sits with their younger players.
This year Under 11’s coach Nathan Chapple spoke to staff from the Port Adelaide football Club who generously offered 40 free reserved tickets for Tantanoola juniors and parents to attend the game.
Club member Wayne ‘Batch’ Batchelor stepped up and with club members organised for redgum to be cut and split from his property and raffled at the home games gate.
Chapple organised for the telephone book delivery contract for Millicent and surrounds and juniors ran the phone books to premises accompanied with adults to raise more money.
Almost 30 young male and female players ranging from 6-17 years of age travelled by bus to the game accompanied by 11 adults.
Tim Scanlon from Gildera Forestry services donated his bus and fuel to the club and the Beachport Lions Club hired its community bus as well.
Grantville Court Butchers helped out with barbecue meats and Steve Coote from Chipit donated a weather-proof trailer for all of the equipment and clothes.
The young players were met at the game by Port Adelaide Football Club staff who gave them their free tickets and a free club cap and a photo opportunity with the club mascot.
Many of these youngsters had never been to an AFL game before.
The group stayed at a West Beach bunk house Thursday night after the game and on the Friday got to experience AFL Max for two hours of training and fun.
Club president Shane Kelly was full of praise for all involved.
“It was good to see Nathan organise a trip of a lifetime for players from the Under 11’s, Junior and Senior Colts and with help from others we had two days of team bonding, skills development at AFL Max and a great group of our local kids having fun and who will hopefully continue into senior grades with us into the future,” he said.
“Without everyone who sponsored the trip or chipped in in some way these things just do not happen for regional youth.
“We would really like to thank the staff from Port Adelaide who were very generous and worked with us right through-out the lead up to the night.”
