Damien Fleming and Peter Siddle were on-hand to entertain the 320 men at Echuca-Moama’s Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch at Echuca Racing Club on Friday, October 3.
The two Victorian seamers regaled the audience with tales of their individual illustrious careers and shared some insight into what they believe the future holds for Australian cricket.
Fleming and Siddle weren’t just at the event for a good time, they helped raise valuable funds for Echuca Regional Health’s prostate cancer nurse.
Siddle, who has friends from the area, was thrilled to be able to support a cause that is close to his heart and share a few laughs with the local community.
“It’s massive to come out and help out the community. Even just speaking to some of the other people and some of the nurses prior has been great,” he said.
“I’ve had it (cancer) affect friends and family, so to play a small part and obviously for a great cause is always nice.
“I think stuff like this is what bonds communities together. It’s for a great cause, but anything involved in the community is always a hell of a lot of fun.
“The guys here look like they’re having a great time with their mates and spending some time together, so it’s enjoyable.”
Siddle emphasised the value of sport in country communities and the genius behind linking sport and important causes to reach as many people who could be affected as possible.
“Sport is probably the greatest link in country regions, so trying to combine that with occasions like this, especially around something as prevalent as prostate cancer, is great for awareness,” he said.
“I remember growing up in the country around cricket and football clubs. They’re always a huge community in themselves, so to bring all those together for a greater cause makes it a hell of a lot easier.”
Siddle will once again don the lawn green for the Melbourne Stars in BBL|15 in what could very well could be his final season of playing.
When asked what the future could hold, he highlighted his undying love for the game and his potential interest in pursuing roles in coaching and media post-playing career.
“I don't mind it (public speaking), so I’m still trying to figure that out and work it all out,” he said.
“Once I’ve fully done playing, I’ll have a little bit of a better picture, but I think for now it’s great to be able to do events like this.
“I’m lucky, I’ve done a fair bit of this with ‘Flem’ (Damien Fleming), he’s always great to work with.
“I love the media side of things, but I love the coaching and mentoring stuff around the game too, so maybe if I can do a little bit of both, it’d be good fun and enjoyable.”
Fleming, who is a stalwart supporter of Echuca-Moama’s Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch, said he was happy to be back and continuing to help out with spreading awareness and raising funds for an important cause.
“I haven’t done it for a couple of years, so it’s good to be back. I can’t believe it’s been 13 years since the first one,” he said.
“What everyone at Horizon Committee have been able to keep going is massive and, you know, just hearing the stats around prostate cancer is eye-opening.
“The more funding you get, the more nurses you can get, the more awareness you have, so it’s good to be a small part of something so important.
“This day doesn’t just happen, there’s a lot of work that that gets involved there, so to come back, it’s always good seeing the guys.
Fleming acknowledged the importance of sport as a facilitator to encourage men to get checked and keep on top of their health.
“I think it’s a good way of getting men involved, isn’t it?” he said.
“Traditionally, they won’t go and get a PCA test or blood test. It’s what males do, they tough it out.
“So, it just shows that the beauty of community with the crowd here, willing to engage and see the importance of it, there’s a call to arms.
“We want to have fun, we want to have a few beers, we would like to eat well and relax, but there’s an underlying message to it all.”
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