Sea Eagles great Cliffy Lyons new role helping young indigenous men

SEA Eagles legend Cliffy Lyons was a hugely influential figure on teammates and opposition players. And he is doing the same thing with a couple of young indigenous men.

Gaven Sheehan, Aaron Lamb, Cliff Lyons and Lucas Brown at Bennelong Energy Services. Photo: AAP/ Tim Pascoe.

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SEA Eagles legend Cliffy Lyons was a hugely influential figure on teammates and opposition players during his illustrious playing career.

And now the old rugby league magician is doing the same thing with a couple of young indigenous lads as part of the NRL’s schools to work program..

Aaron Lamb, 20, and Lucas Brown, 19, are apprentice electricians at Bennelong Energy Services based in Warriewood, of which Lyons is part owner with long time junior rugby league coach Gaven Sheehan.

And while learning their trade Lyons is mentoring the parr and providing them with some of his life lessons he has picked up along the way.

Cliff Lyons, Lucas Brown, Aaron Lamb and Gaven Sheehan. Picture: AAP/Tim Pascoe.

He embraced the new role after Sheehan told him what it was all about.

“It made a lot of sense because I have seen a lot of young Aboriginal kids come to Sydney to play football,” he said.“They only last a couple of years and have gone home with nothing.”

And Lyons knows all about the challenges that they face, whether they play football or not, in forging a successful future.

“I can tell them about my experiences, when I first came to Sydney I was shy and you get homesick as well,” he said.

Sheehan and Lyons have witnessed the development of Lamb and Brown since they have been involved in the initiative.

Cliff Lyons playing for Manly in the Legends of League tournament. Picture: Tim Hunter..

When Brown started his apprenticeship 17 months ago they couldn’t get boo out of him and he wouldn’t look at them for the first three months.

“Now we can’t shut him up, I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing,” Lyons laughed.

Brown agreed the program has been a life changer for him.

“I have learnt to talk more fluently and have become more confident in the way I speak,” he said.

Lamb started his apprenticeship with Bennelong in February as part of the NRL program.

”I become more confident and independent and more social and have been physically healthy.”

Sheehan said the company hopes to take on another three apprentices under the program next year.