The Coolangatta-Tweed Blues don’t like to lose their Pineapple Hotel Cup AFL Queensland local derby against arch rivals Palm Beach– they don’t like it at all.
In fact they hate it so much that they are bringing in a secret weapon to make sure it doesn’t happen this time and as far as secret weapons go they don’t come any bigger in AFL circles than former Brisbane Lion and Bulldogs player Jason Akermanis.
That’s right on,May 21 “Acker” will don the navy blue and run out on Len Peak Oval, Kirra for the Coolie Blues and ironically his opponents will be wearing the blue, maroon and gold of the Lions – a uniform that he was synonymous with in the late 90s and early noughties.
The night before the big game(that would be May20) he and legendary Bulldogs and Sydney player Barry Rounds will be guests of the club for a sportsman’s dinner. The event will be a major fundraiser for the local Australian Rules Club which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
To say Blues coach Neil Mackay is excited to have Aker” on his players list (even for one weekend) – is an understatement. Let’s just say he’s already rewriting his CV to include “coached Jason Akermanis”.
“The club heard that he (that would be Aker) was going to do permit games,” Neil Mackay said recounting how Aker agreed to turn Blue for the day.
“He is playing with a club in Tasmania but is available to play for other clubs on a special one-day permit.
“After hearing this, it kind of went from there.”
Mackay and the club hierarchy are expecting a big crowd for the dinner and an even bigger crowd for the game – let’s face it, it’s not every day an AFL legend rocks up to play at your local club is it?
But it’s not all about crowds and money for the Blues, Mackay believes having someone of Aker’s calibre will be of major benefit to him and his young playing group
“He is well-known for being very good with younger players,” the Coolangatta mentor said.
He said it would give his young group a “real insight” into how he prepares for a game and plays his football.
“And it’s a great opportunity for an old coach like me,” Mackay laughed.
Akermanis was one of THE players in the golden era of the early noughties for the Brisbane Lions. He played more than 300 plus AFL games, won three premierships with the Lions and, oh yeah – a little thing called the Brownlow medal.
“He’ll go down as one of the great AFL players,” Mackay said.
“And we have him coming here and he is only a year out of the AFL. He is still playing the game; he is not some old long-retired player.
“We think our players will learn a lot from having him here.”
Long-time club stalwart Grant McKenzie said it was an added bonus that Aker just happened to be playing the weekend they face the Lions (the Palm Beach Currumbin Lions that is).
“It’s just fantastic – really really great,” he said.
“It should be a major fundraiser – but it will just be amazing to see him running out on Len Peak!”
