ON Saturday, March 2, the Otway Districts Football-Netball Club, which is located in the tiny town of Gellibrand, 100 kms south-west of Geelong, was struck by tragedy.
The many passionate people involved in the club were left devastated when the captain of their senior team, Aaron 'Bill' Mahoney, collapsed and died after being tackled during a match against Lorne.
There was nothing malicious about the incident; it seems that Mahoney, who won the Demons' best and fairest just last season, was killed by a freak accident.
Now the community in which he lived, worked and played sport is trying to come to terms with its enormous loss.
"He was a really quiet but really respected sort of guy," Otway Districts co-coach Ross Panther told geelongcats.com.au on Wednesday night.
"When it came footy, he never said boo to the umpires or to the opposition. He was just a player who loved to put his head down and win the ball.
"I think that's why he was so well respected."
Not only was Mahoney captain of the senior team, he was also coach of the under-17 side, which has struggled for numbers during much of the season.
In an effort to support the young lads in the face of such adversity, the Cats are sending a number of players and coaches to the club to oversee four training sessions.
On Wednesday evening, Geelong assistant coaches James Rahilly and Blake Caracella and players Tom Lonergan and Darcy Lang travelled to Gellibrand for the first of the sessions.
"I thought that it was just a devastating thing to happen," Lonergan said. "No one expects to go out on the footy field and lose their life.
"We heard that there was low numbers in the under-17s, and we thought it was important to come down and get around the young fellas and help them stay together."
Early in the evening, Lang took the under-14s for a few drills, then Rahilly put the under-17s through their paces.
Darcy Lang with Otway Districts' under-14 team (Tammy Brown, Colac Herald)
It was wet and cold but Rahilly, who grew up playing grassroots footy in Warrnambool, certainly helped put a smile on the young lads' faces.
"We hear that Aaron was the heart and soul of the club, so it must be incredibly tough for everyone," he said.
"I just wanted the boys to enjoy themselves. The energy and enthusiasm and talk out there was great. It made the night pretty special."
James Rahilly addresses Otway Districts' under-17 team (Adam McNicol)
The senior and reserves players were also training on Wednesday night, so Rahilly, Caracella, Lonergan and Lang stayed on to help lift their spirits.
"From a club point of view, the support has been unbelievable," Otways Districts president Tony Robertson said.
"I've had calls from Queensland, Western Australia and everywhere in between. It just shows that the football community really stands by their mates."
Geelong is just one of the many football clubs that are supporting Otway Districts at this time.
"Clubs are wanting to donate gate receipts to the cause, all that sort of stuff," AFL Barwon development manager Luke Maher said.
"Clubs are ringing me saying, 'We've got this, we've got that.' And the Geelong footy club is no different.
"At the community footy level, we're getting support from right across Australia.
"People have been touched by the story and the footy community always digs deep when these things happen. The case of Casey Tutungi is a classic example.
"The club and the family will be well supported by the footy community well into the future."
The Aaron Mahoney Appeal has been established to support Mahoney's partner, Emma Craddock, and their two children, Asha (aged 2) and Toby (eight months).
To donate, click here.
