The inaugural AFL Member of the Month has been awarded to die hard Carlton supporter Beau Zlatkovic. For Beau football isn’t just a game or a sport, “it’s a way of life”. He not only thrives on the fierce competition on the field but he also enjoys the sense of community and friendships away from it. “It brings families together, develops friendships and communities, and unites people irrespective of what team they follow”. For Beau football is about bringing people together to enjoy those special “two and half hours of escape” every weekend.
Beau has been watching football since he can remember and says his most memorable game was back in Round Two - 1989 in a game that ironically he seen his beloved blues lose. On a wet old miserable day at Moorabbin he sat in the stands in awe of legendary goal kicking powerhouse Tony Lockett when he witnessed for “the first time the impact that a true champion player can have on a game”. On that day Lockett kicked a score of 10.7 in an effort that Beau describes as “staggering”. Along with his father he was “gutted that Carlton had lost” but they both knew they had been a part of something very special that day. It’s something he describes as one of “the most brilliant individual performance in the history of the game” and to this day has never seen anything like it.
Going to the football also gives Beau the chance to spend “priceless” time with his father. He recalls their first game together as a five year old. “I struggled up the steps and he had to help me into my seat”. And as time goes on and footy seasons pass Beau is realising that times are changing and their passion for the game has seen them through a “full circle throughout our AFL journey”. As his father is getting older he is now “helping him into his seat”. Together they enjoy everything that a day at the footy offers from “the train trip to the ground, to the discussions at half time and the analysis on the way home” and say that the time they spend together at games is “precious”.
Beau enjoys having options when it comes to attending games so the AFL Membership is perfect for him. “It is such a flexible arrangement which means that we can pick and choose which games we see, how we see them and who we sit with”. Beau believes that along with the “best views, comfort levels and facilities” the AFL Membership is highly beneficial to not only members but also their family and friends with the added bonus of “inviting friends and family though guest passes”.
