It's not everyday you get to meet your sporting heroes, but one family from Batemans Bay had that opportunity after the NRL match between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders on Sunday, August 11.
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Gary Foster and his five children Isabella (14), William (12), Ben (11), Aidan (10), and Lleyton (7) were given access to the Roosters' dressing rooms after the game, and met players such as Cooper Cronk, James Tedesco, Luke Keary, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, and Latrell Mitchell.
Gary's youngest son Lleyton has cerebral palsy, and the single dad wanted to do something special for his son.
Friends of Gary's got in touch with former Batemans Bay resident, and current Roosters assistant coach, Adam O'Brien, to try and organise a meet and greet with the players.
O'Brien said when he received the email, he got the ball rolling straight away.
"I was aware of Gary from our younger days, and some friends of his managed to track down my details and sent me an email explaining his story," he said. "I approached Cooper (Cronk), who I've had a long relationship with both at the Storm and Roosters, because I know these guys are really good with the kids.
"The hardest thing with the teams is scheduling. Usually you're straight into recovery after a game because you've got a five or six day break, but we were fortunate that the boys had a bit of a rest after the match, so it was easier to get Gary and the kids up there.
"It turned out to be a really good day for a young boy and his family going through a challenging time."
Cooper Cronk spent 20 minutes with the kids after the game and gave them a match ball, while many other players were happy to take photos.
O'Brien said it was further proof of NRL players' willingness to help out off the field.
"All the players I've dealt with have been really accommodating in these situations," he said. "You sometimes forget how lucky we have it, but to see a simple thing like a photo or a signed poster bring so much joy is fantastic.
"Coops agreed to the meeting straight away, and we also had Luke Keary, James Tedesco, and Victory Radley there.
"All the other players were only too happy to sit down and have a photo with them.
"The general public can be quick to get stuck into these players when things go amiss, but they're so willing to help for the large majority of time.
"They remember they were young kids once, so they're really accommodating. I'm really proud of our players, and it was something really nice to do."
O'Brien said his players got just as much out of the meeting as the kids.
"If someone's in a position where they can make a difference to a young, sick kid, and potentially change their day for the better, you'd like to think they'd take that opportunity," he said.
"It was a really rewarding experience for everyone involved, and I'm really pleased the kids had a good time."