EMMA DILLON
The Brisbane Lines took out the third annual Reclink Brisbane Community Cup yesterday, winning the match 6.7.43 – 5.6.36.
The Reclink Brisbane Community Cup is an all-star AFL match pitting the Brisbane Lines, a team of music media with a couple of politicians thrown into the mix, against the Rocking Horses, a team of Brisbane musicians.
Reclink is a charity organisation providing programs that aim to engage vulnerable and marginalised communities through sport, arts, social, recreational and employment opportunities and pathways.
Its connection with AFL dates back to the organisation’s beginnings in 1990, when founder Peter Cullen started playing football in a Melbourne park with some long term rough sleepers.
The organisation has taken that enjoyment of a friendly game of football and turned it into a charity event, with games running around the country.
This year’s Brisbane Lines side featured Greens Senator Andrew Bartlett and Labor Senator Anthony Chisholm, both of whom were taking part in their third Reclink Brisbane Community Cup.
The rest of the Brisbane Lines team is made up of radio presenters, music journalists and photographers from 4ZZZ, Triple J and other local music media companies.
Senator Bartlett, who is a presenter and board member at Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ, is a big supporter of the way the Community Cup event brings together different members of the Brisbane creative scene.
“Obviously it’s about raising funds for Reclink and awareness about the work they do,” Senator Bartlett said.
“But you know [from] having been in the first couple, it is a good community event for people from different scenes to get together and hang out in a different way,” he said.
“A lot of people think musos aren’t really into sport, they’re sort of separate things, so I guess it’s a good way of just reminding them there are a lot of commonalities.”
Rocking Horses co-captain Jodie Lawlor is lead singer of Brisbane band Flangipanis.
She found out about the Reclink Brisbane Community Cup through radio station 4ZZZ and has been involved in the event for the past three years, despite being sidelined during the 2016 Cup following eye injury.
“The night before that game, I was dancing – badly – to trashy 90s songs and accidentally cut open my iris with my fingernail,” Ms Lawlor said.
“I did get to play in Flangipanis that day, though, so I still managed to be involved, eye patch and all.”
While there is definitely a strong competitive streak between the two sides, Ms Lawlor said it was all in good fun.
“I’d like to say it was about the State-of-Origin-esque hatred between musicians and journalists, but half the participants are actually both musos and journos, and there’s so much love in the group you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad word said to each other,” she said.
“It’s an extremely supportive environment that promotes inclusivity and participation.”
And that’s what Reclink Australia Queensland State Manager Steve Hutchinson said it was all about.
“Our national theme for this year was Everyday People – Sly & the Family Stone – a fitting theme as this unique community event brings people of all walks of life together for a fun day of footy, community, family and music,” Mr Hutchinson said.
“Reclink Australia will use the funds raised through these events to expand our services, providing people with opportunities to participate in sport, recreation, arts and pathways to employment,” he said.
The Reclink Community Cup 2018 will be played in venues across the country throughout August and September, making its way to Hobart, Adelaide, Sydney and Fremantle, before finishing in Canberra.