The all-abilities club has become a fixture in the AFL calendar with its games at the MCG or, most recently, Marvel Stadium during the Essendon-North Melbourne game on Saturday.
And when the junior Rockets ran onto the field at half time they got their own roar of approval to match the one received by their heroes at the start of the game.
The two teams of Auskickers – blue and orange – were joined by junior buddies drawn from Echuca, Echuca United and Moama football clubs to showcase their skills in front of 45,000 spectators (and their own friends and families).
Rockets coach Mark McGann described it as “an incredible day for the players”.
“It’s always a fantastic occasion when we make the journey down to Melbourne,” he said.
“We had a couple of our young players who were a little bit overawed by the situation, but mostly everyone was just ecstatic to be there and to be a part of it – you couldn’t wipe the smile off anyone’s face.
“It was a fun game to be a part of for the players. Every single one of them got a kick or a handball, and there were a few cool goals kicked throughout the contest as well.”
At the completion of the game, the players ran the boundary, receiving high fives from the crowd, before forming a guard of honour for the AFL players as they returned to the field.
“Both clubs were brilliant with the kids,” McGann said.
“One of the best moments of our day was as Essendon were coming back out. We have a young player in a wheelchair, and when Jake Stringer (Essendon forward) saw him he stopped with him and had a bit of a chat for a few moments. Conor McKenna stopped and had a chat with him as well. It was really special.”
McGann thanked the Echuca-Moama clubs for their ongoing involvement in the event.
“We had players who came and did three sessions of training with our junior Rockets. It was great to have them involved in another hugely successful year.”
Now, attentions are already turning to next season for the club.
“We always have a few new players each year, so we hope to keep being involved with the trip to Melbourne so everyone can get their chance to take part in something as special as this.”
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