Young footballers look to the stars

Melbourne footballers James McDonald, Michael Newton and Paul Johnson visited Narre North Foxes Junior Football Club on Tuesday night.                 Picture: Stewart ChambersMelbourne footballers James McDonald, Michael Newton and Paul Johnson visited Narre North Foxes Junior Football Club on Tuesday night. Picture: Stewart Chambers

MELBOURNE Football Club players gave 14 junior clubs across the region an insight into the AFL on Tuesday night.
One such club was the Narre North Foxes and president Brendan Gray was delighted to welcome Melbourne’s skipper James McDonald, ruckman Paul Johnson and spring-heeled forward Michael Newton to his club.
“It’s great to have an AFL side down here of any nature and it just shows you they are very keen to involve themselves with the community,” Gray said.
“It’s fantastic to see any AFL footballer who can give an hour of their time to promote the game and encourage our guys to take the next step and work hard.
“The Foxes are a very big community now, with 400 players from under-9s through to 18s, plus AusKick on Saturday mornings.”
Gray also said players and officials were thrilled with the ‘first-class’ facilities at Narre Warren North Recreation Reserve after crossing from their old home at Fox Road.
“We struggled for many, many years down at Fox Road,” he said.
“We shared there with the senior footy club (Narre Warren) and we’d like to see those boys come down and play some footy, too.
“It really encourages all of us to be a big community together and our club sponsors their club and all of our boys go and play Colts and senior footy at Narre.
“We’re all working together and it’s a great community spirit.”