HIS team may have come short of grand final glory, but not even that could stop Tasmania's sole Auskicker of the Year representative William French returning to Launceston airport with a smile on his face.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The six-year-old Whitemore football fanatic has just completed a footballing weekend most can only dream of, from marching in the grand final parade to meeting some of the biggest names in the AFL to playing on the MCG.
William said presenting Devonport's Grant Birchall with a fourth premiership medallion was one of the highlights of the trip.
"I was proud to meet him," he said.
William's mother, Melanie, said the weekend had been an "incredible experience".
"He was just absolutely amazed to have been able to shake Grant Birchall's hand, he's such a good role model for William to aspire to be like," she said.
"It's inspired him even more so to try and become an AFL footballer. I think he'd like to see himself out on the MCG in 15 years time perhaps."
Mrs French said William was overjoyed to have been kitted out with full Hawthorn and West Coast guernseys, the latter bearing the number of Matt Priddis, one of William's favourite players.
"He hasn't taken that off."
