AFL Country Festival: Bush boys get kick out of country

BUSH lads Tom Hawkins and Zach Merrett can’t wait to hit the paddock for the Essendon Geelong Country Game on Saturday.

Making hay: Essendon’s Zach Merrett and Geelong’s Tom Hawkins are ambassadors for the AFL Country Game. Picture: Andy Rogers

THERE is less than 2000 people at Cobden these days, and only 2500 at the NSW town of Finley.

But these are the tiny communities that have produced two of the best-known AFL footballers in the game.

Cobden’s Zach Merrett at just 22 years old is Essendon’s vice-captain and last year earned his first All-Australian selection.

Meanwhile, Finley-born Tom Hawkins, 29, last year notched up his 200th game for Geelong, has kicked more than 400 career goals, and won two premierships along the way.

They have never forgotten their roots, and look forward to acknowledging those beginnings and those in the bush in the third annual AFL Country Game next weekend.

“It’s exciting to play in front of a lot of people at the MCG,” Hawkins said.

“The added bonus is it is the country round where we highlight all the importance of people that live in rural and remote communities right across Australia, and also what they do in developing, educating and promoting our great game.”

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Merrett said he hoped the Country Game would continue to grow in status.

“It has got a few more years before it develops into something like a Dreamtime or Anzac Day game,” he said.

“But the more support it gets from the community and industry, hopefully it can grow into a round of country footy rather than just our game.

“It is something I look forward to every year.”

It has been a tough time for Cobden, which has produced current AFL footballers such as Merrett and his brother Jackson who is also at Essendon, Sydney’s Gary Rohan and North Melbourne’s Ben Cunnington.

Cobden and other towns in Victoria’s South West district were severely affected by bushfires in March. Merrett’s aunt and uncle’s house was among those destroyed.

“I remember waking up on the Sunday morning and I had a few missed calls from friends in Melbourne saying ‘You had better call your parents’,” Zach said. “It was pretty stressful, not knowing what was going to happen.

“My aunty and uncle’s place got burnt down, they lost their property during the fires, but mum and dad were lucky, they live in town. Their property was safe.

“It was pretty scary for the whole community because the fire surrounded the whole place.”

He said it had been a “sad time but the community is pretty strong and close so I’m sure they will fight through it”.

Community football played a huge part in both players’ lives growing up.

Merrett said it wasn’t until he played his first senior game at 15 years old that he started thinking about the big time.

“He gave me an opportunity and I never looked back from there,” Merrett said.

“Before that game I wasn’t really aspiring to play AFL footy. That was a real transition for me individually.

“I look back with fond memories of playing senior footy.”

Hawkins this year has enjoyed watching the resurgence of his junior club Finley, which won one game last year but is undefeated after four rounds this season.

One day he plans to return to his old club. “I am keen to get back and play a few games with Finley when I finish football,” Hawkins said.

“I certainly would like to be part of a local football club, not so much be playing but just helping the administration of local football and clubs.

For now though, the Geelong forward is keeping busy on his own farm just outside Geelong.

He has just finished calving and also has some sheep in lamb.

“It’s a great release. We’ve got the great opportunity in Geelong to be able to do that, have a few acres and also only be 15-20 minutes from town.

“It’s very enjoyable.”