Brisbane Lions stars Dayne Zorko and Kate Lutkins giving back to grassroots footy

As junior participation grows in Queensland, Dayne Zorko and Kate Lutkins both appreciate that without a healthy grassroots scence their careers as AFL and AFLW footballers wouldn’t be possible.

Junior participation in Queensland is growing. Pictures: Alan Barber

Kate Lutkins spends every spare minute at Wilston Grange footy club doing everything from running water to cutting the oranges.

Dayne Zorko is an enthusiastic Auskick ambassador.

Both appreciate that without a healthy grassroots footy scene, their careers as AFLW and AFL footballers wouldn’t be possible.

AFL Queensland figures show incredible growth in participation numbers across all ages and levels in recent years.

Last year 265,627 people played some level of footy, an increase of 5 per cent on the previous year.

The biggest growth came in women’s footy where there were 111,642 participants, up 19 per cent on 2017 and 57 per cent since 2015.

Lutkins has no doubt the creation of the AFLW has played a part because talented athletes see a future, but she adds none of it would have been possible without the grassroots pioneers.

“It is phenomenal the growth in the sport; they have pathways and they have end goals and the girls can see opportunities,’’ she said.

“It is pretty amazing. I am actually a little jealous. People have paved the way and done the hard yards for years. Because of that, the next generation gets to reap the rewards.’’

Kate Lutkins won the club best and fairest last year, while Dayne Zorko has four with the men’s team. Picture: Getty Images

Lutkins is still doing the hard yards. Her playing and training commitments with the Lions AFLW side and her career in the Australian Defence Force ensure time is tight, but she joins her club for their pre-season training every chance she gets.

After the AFLW season she plays for Wilston Grange in the QWAFL and runs the water for the under-17s, before rounding out the year helping out with the juniors.

“I get involved as much as I can, I love the place,’’ she said.

“I popped down for training on the weekend; if I can I just like to get around them. I don’t want to just rock up in April (after the AFLW season), I stay there as much as possible.

“I run the water throughout the season and I stay involved with the juniors when our season ends. They seem to go on forever.’’

While the boom in numbers is coming from the women, the code continues to enjoy growth across the board.

Participation in intra-school competitions now totals 48,505 and weekend club footy is 30,531, both up on the previous year. At the non-competitive level, 154,104 kids played the game at school and 29,116 followed Zorko’s lead and attended Auskick.

Dayne Zorko played with Broadbeach in 2008.

Zorko’s story has been well told. Overlooked at drafts, he kicked the door down with four club championships at QAFL club Broadbeach before taking that vote-catching ability into his AFL career, where he has equalled that tally in Merrett-Murray medals as Brisbane’s best and fairest.

Zorko’s lifelong obsession with footy began when his older brother Beau joined the under-8s at Surfers Paradise.

The then three-year-old served as mascot for Beau’s team until he was old enough to start Auskick and eventually make his club debut.

He went on to play over 250 junior games for the Demons and became a regular in Queensland junior rep sides.

“Auskick is a fantastic welcome to the AFL, a pathway that not only myself, my brother and my sisters have followed, but numerous close mates as well,’’ he said when unveiled as the Auskick ambassador.

“I have a number of Auskick memories but what stands out most was being able to play and meet new friends, many of whom I went on to play junior football with and still have great friendships with today.”

Originally published as Brisbane Lions stars Dayne Zorko and Kate Lutkins giving back to grassroots footy