AFL Masters President Dean Wallington says there are 2,500 players and supporters in Darwin from across the country for the four-day Masters Carnival, with the comp for people aged 35 to 82 generating a big tourism boost for the Territory

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The AFL Masters Carnivals back in the top end after
more than a decade and joining us on the line
to talk more about the carnival and wash, Well, what's
going on and what we can expect to is the
AFL Masters President Dean Wallington. Good morning Dean, morning Katie.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
How are you yeah?

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Really good? Good to have you on the show. Mate.
Now tell us how big of a deal is this
for Darwin and for territory football fans to have the
Masters here.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
It's a big event. Fifteen hundred footballers, two and a
half thousand people, four days of football over eight days
across five obles.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Holy moly, that's plenty of people here to play. And
I think we all know that you need your support
crew as well, you need your family, or you might
need a couple of people to travel along with you.
So it is a big boost for the.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Territory, huge boost. And now I guess the importance of
only having four playing days is we've got four days
of touring, plenty of people going croc diving, crock jumping,
kakado etc. So lost anyone yet, good.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
To hear, Good to hear, mate. Now I know there
are players age from thirty five all the way up
to eighty two taking the field. How important is it
that the event showing that love for the game doesn't
sort of have an age limit.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
It's fantastic. It just shows no matter how old you
are and whether you played football early, it's never too
late to get involved in the local masters club and
enjoy the camaraderie and a competitive edge.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Dean, do you need a couple of extra physiotherapists than
what you might have at another carnival.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, I'll be surprised at any dink or rubber vull
tiger unbevailable for sailing Darwin.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Oh mate, I've got a saw hamme just from going
for a short run this morning. So I think when
you're when you're playing a.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Game of footy, what they do they do rehydrate and
carbo loads very well, I.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Bet they do. I mean in terms of though somebody's
still playing at the age of eighty two, that is
so good. Like I love that. I love to see
people still active and still engaged in the sport that
they love at any age.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
It's fantastic, isn't it. I Mean, you get people in
the older age groups and that their sons and daughters
are coming to watch them play competitive sport for their state.
That's fantastic.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
It is wonderful. Hey, where have you got teams here from?
I mean, like how many locations are we talking and
how far and wide?

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Every state in Australia have got players represented here. So
we've got from Tasmania, have come a long way in
the West Australian so every state in turjory represented.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Have we got a few Territorians playing as well and
a few teams.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
You've got quite a few who there's quite a few
territory in teams. There's link seven teams across the age
groups in allal Turkey. So they've done very well to
get the numbers of this. Yet in this carnival, Dean, are.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
There any big names, you know, former big names that
are sort of here to play in the carnival that
people might recognize this year?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
No, that the normal AXAFL players have made the journey
up this year, so I'm sure the few blokes who
would like to share their name, I think, and they're
big stars, but not that people would recognize enough.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Now in terms of the other events that they're you
know that they're going and taking parting while they're here.
I mean you sort of touched on it before going
along doing the you know the crocodile experiences. What are
some of those other activities that they're involved in.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
But you if guys have gone and done the helicopter
rides over the bar of the water. There's quite a
few guys to gentlemen and women today going Barrow Monday fishing.
There's golf on today the southfternoon. There's a high tea
for the partners and accompany persons. Kakado and Lynchfield very
high on the agenda for today and Thursday for a
lot of people.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yeah, oh good stuff. Have you seen plenty of support
from local businesses and local clubs as well?

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, well, the local football clubs can't speak high enough.
They have been superb in helping us out with those
physios and trainers and you know the compulsory eskies and
water jugs. So they have been superb. And businesses have
certainly open their arms and welcome us and have been
getting more supplies of uzo. Apparently that's one close has
been running house.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Oh will good stuff, Dean. It sounds like it'd be
a lot of fun. How many days left of games
are there and if people were to head along and watch,
where can they go?

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yes, two more or three more days of football. So
Wednesday years there around two and that's at both ivers
at to both over was at Gardens Oval and also
Nightcliff and then on Friday and Saturday we've got both
overs operating at Nightcliff and Too Stadium. So more than
I'm going to come on down and watch some good
local football.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Oh good stuff. Well AFL Masters President Dean Wellington, good
to catch up with you this morning. Thanks so much
for having a chat with us.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Appreciate the time.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
Thank you, thank you, Thanks so much,