Members of the South Coast media will travel to Canberra this weekend for the annual Reclink Community Cup at the Jamison Enclosed Oval on Sunday, September 8.
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David Lane, the morning announcer at 2EC, Claudia Ferguson, reporter at the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner and Narooma News, and Mitch Wallis from the SCAFL will all be part of the media team (The Noise) that takes on the music-industry team (The Lime Stones).
Lane's two sons will also be part of the team, the family's first foray on the football field together.
The event is Lane's brainchild, as he and Tim Daly started the Canberra event in 2017 based on a long-running event in Melbourne where crowds of more than 12,000 people attend every year.
"The event was a lot of fun to help organise in 2017, but I didn't really get to play," he said. "After missing the event in 2018 while living in Tamworth, and moving to Bega with my partner in 2019, I was super keen to get on the field and play for The Noise this year.
"The fact I will be joined by my sons and introduce a few other Sapphire Coast AFL super-stars to the game will make it a really special occasion.
"The Lime Stones have lifted the trophy the first two years, but I have a good feeling about 2019.
"It's also a tremendous way to raise money for a great organisation, and while the bumps, bruises and soreness will eventually subside, the feeling of satisfaction that we can all come together and do something like this lasts the whole year."
Ferguson and Wallis played full seasons with the Batemans Bay Seahawks and Pambula Panthers respectively as a tune up for the event, but Lane was forced to train a different way.
He trained with the Bega Bomers' women's team for its last month of training, as well as making the trek to Canberra once a week for squad training to ensure his skills were up to speed.
"The Bombers were really welcoming to allow a radio announcer join them for drills at training, and may have found it all a little bemusing, but I was very grateful they let me come down," he said.
Reclink Australia helps tackle crime, promotes community safety, and facilitates access to justice, health, education, and employment for those doing it rough.
The Community Cup is its major fund-raising activity to help ensure on-going access for those who need it.