Special guests … Jason Akermanis, Brendan Fevola and Russell Gilbert entertain the crowd at Deer Park Football Club. 64493 Pictures: KRISTIAN SCOTT
DEER Park Football Club welcomed two of the more controversial figures in footy, Jason Akermanis and Brendan Fevola, to its sportsman’s night on Friday.
As a fundraiser it was a massive success for the club. Tickets for the night were completely sold out.
Famous comedian (and former Braybrook High School student) Russell Gilbert had the crowd in stitches with his irreverent stand-up routine.
But Akermanis almost rivalled his mate in the humour stakes, with his wide-ranging speech which covered his early childhood in rugby-mad Brisbane, his scholarship to a Catholic High School on the back of blistering track and field performances, and of course his career as a celebrated footballer who couldn’t help but court controversy.
Akermanis also spoke in raw detail about some of the most heartbreaking moments in his life, including the death of his mum to cancer when he was 20. It was an event he said that helped make him the kind of person he is today – someone who would refuse to be overwhelmed by stress, and look to enjoy footy and life as much as possible.
Fevola came all the way from training at VFL club Casey to attend the night. He took questions from the crowd and expressed his desire to get back into the AFL and said he was in the best shape he’s been in for a while.
