Every Saturday morning volunteers across the state roll up their sleeves to keep Queensland’s football clubs running.
At the Wynnum Vikings, James ‘Danny’ Harris is just one of these volunteers who puts in a tireless effort to ensure the best for his club.
Over his 20 years at the club, not only has Danny played 200 plus games but he has also filled countless roles as a volunteer.
From a marketing executive, obtaining valuable sponsorship for the Vikings, through to an assistant coach and committee roles, name it and there’s every chance Danny has done it.
“Danny is a great person to have around any club environment,” Vikings Vice President, Matt Cordwell said.
“He is easy to get along with, will help wherever possible and always has a great attitude.”
Danny’s passion and commitment to his club is second-to-none and he can often be found teaching younger players around the club about the game and encouraging them to improve.
One and half million adults volunteer in Australian sport and recreation helping out on average 3.1 hours per week.
This adds up to in excess of 165 million hours per year spent helping to run sport and recreation clubs and organisations.
People will volunteer for any number of reasons including to learn new skills, give something back, make new friends, build self-confidence, to socialise and have fun.
AFL clubs should be encouraging and acknowledging the hard work of their volunteers, just like the Vikings, to ensure the longevity of great clubs and programs across Queensland.
For more information on how you can become a volunteer contact AFL Queensland or your local AFL club.
