Scott Smith is the reason kids like Rowan Klein play mainstream football with their mates at Newcomb, according to grateful mum Sarah.
“Scott is a huge part of our club,” she said.
“The football community all know how much effort he puts into making the club the family-friendly, inclusive environment that it is today.”
Sarah nominated Newcomb Football Club’s junior coordinator for Geelong’s Club Legend Award, much to his surprise.
“I’m just stoked,” the 47-year-old St Albans Park local told the Indy on Wednesday.
“I love what I do.”
Scott met Rowan, who has Down syndrome, at a school clinic and convinced Sarah to sign him up for Auskick despite her initial nervousness.
“There was no program for him to play mainstream AFL with his brothers,” Scott said.
“Rowie’s older brothers were playing at the club, so why couldn’t he?”
Scott devised a strategy for Rowan to play under-9s with a helper, usually mum.
Now Scott’s discussing with AFL Victoria how to get more kids with mental disabilities playing footy.
A Newcomb player in the ‘80s, Scott returned seven years ago to coordinate the juniors.
“We only had 20 then, now we’ve got 180,” he said.
“It just ties together the whole community.”
Scott is in the running to win a share of $50,000 in prizes for himself and the club in Viva Energy’s Club Legend Award.
Nominations close at clublegend.com.au next Friday.
