Two youngsters from the GIANTS zone, Newington Auskicker Emmalee Beggs and Shaun Hohnke from Amaroo, were the envy of their friends on the weekend when they were a part of greatness, participating in the 2013 Toyota AFL Grand Final, one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar.

Emmalee, a participant at the Concord Giants JAFC NAB AFL Auskick centre, and Shaun who represented the Gungahlin Jets NAB AFL Auskick centre, had the time of their lives during a weekend of action packed activity. 

Accompanied by their fathers, the once in a lifetime experience kicked off in style at the NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year Awards Dinner at the MCG. 

A memorable moment of the event occurred when Geelong Captain and NAB AFL Auskick ambassador, Joel Selwood, presented them both with their official NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year nominee playing jumpers.

On Friday, Emmalee and Shaun marched alongside fellow Auskickers and the two competing Toyota AFL Grand Final teams through the streets of Melbourne in the traditional Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade.

Grand Final Day was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip when they both played NAB AFL Auskick on the MCG in front of 100,000 fans prior to the commencement of the big game. 

After the match Emmalee and Shaun, along with the other 20 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year nominees, presented the Hawthorn players with their 2013 Toyota AFL Premiership Medals.

“It was so exciting to play in front of so many people on the MCG, and getting to present a premiership medal with all my friends and family watching on TV was really cool too,” Emmalee said.

Emmalee and Shaun’s opportunity to participate in this unforgettable three day Toyota AFL Grand Final experience came to life through NAB’s Auskicker of the Year competition. 

This competition exists to reward selected NAB AFL Auskick participants across the country for their teamwork, passion and commitment to the sport.