Cameron Mooney set to make Longwood cameo on July 23

By Zac Standish

May 22, 2022

Set in stone: Three-time premiership player Cameron Mooney will make his Longwood cameo on July 23. Photo: AAP/Martin Philbey Photo by MARTIN PHILBEY

The date of Cameron Mooney’s much-anticipated cameo for Kyabram District League side Longwood has been confirmed, with the club announcing the three-time AFL premiership star will take to Redlegs Stadium on July 23 in its round 14 clash against Violet Town.

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Coming to the Goulburn Valley as part of Carlton United Brewery’s Carlton Draft campaign, Longwood was one of eight clubs in regional Victoria selected to take part in the initiative and took Mooney with pick three in last month’s draft.

The club then worked with the 221-game legend to decide on July 23 as the ideal date to get him in the iconic red-and-blue jumper.

Longwood president Ricki Shiner said he was thrilled to finally have a date finalised for what was set to be a massive day for the club.

“We are absolutely pumped to have ‘Moons’ coming down to the club on July 23. It is not every day you get somebody of his quality lining up for a community club like Longwood,” Shiner said.

“Obviously his best football might be a little bit behind him, but that doesn’t matter. The club has been getting plenty of publicity over the last little bit, which is what it’s all about.

“The bigger picture for us is we are keen to get a new coach in the door, so we want to get the club’s name out to as many people as possible and I think this helps that.”

While a big performance on the park would without doubt bring smiles to the faces of the Longwood fraternity, Mooney’s best work will arguably be done off the field, with a host of exciting events set to take place on the day.

Shiner outlined some of the ideas the club currently had in the pipeline.

“We had a chat (to Mooney) about what our ideas were and how he could help us and he seems to be a great character and more than happy to hang around before and after the game,” he said.

“So we are looking to have a president’s lunch when he first arrives where he can recount some of his stories of playing AFL and winning premierships before the game.

“He will obviously then play in the senior side after that and then after the game there will be a chance for people to take photos and have a bit of a Q&A with a host who we believe will be Ben Dixon.

“Along with that, we are thinking of doing a half-time footy clinic with the kids. Carlton Draught will bring up a few bars which will be manned throughout the day, so we are expecting a big day.”

In terms of the impact a day like this would have on the club, Shiner said the benefits would be endless as it continued to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Financially it is massive because you are generating interest and bringing people in who aren’t normally at your club,” he said.

“The gate taking will be up, the bar, the canteen, the whole bit, so we are just so thankful to have this opportunity.

“We just want to keep getting the Longwood name out there and have people come and have a look at the club for what it actually is, not just judging us on results, and this will be a great chance for us to do that.”