Clubs come together to honour Downs hero

AUSSIE RULES: A pioneer of Aussie Rules in Chinchilla will be honoured tonight when the Suns and Dalby Swans meet in the fourth round of the Allied Pickford’s Cup for the Travis Mitchell Cup.

Travis Mitchell played a leading role in the formation of the Suns and as a player before a tragic motorcycle accident ended his life prematurely.

Prior to the Suns, Mitchell would make the trip from Chinchilla to Dalby to play for the Swans, making tonight’s fixture an emotional one for both sides.

“Travis was a pretty integral part of the club starting in the beginning. He was a mad Aussie Rules fan and really keen for his kids to have the opportunity to play the sport,” Chinchilla Suns president Troy Wischnat said.

“He instilled the importance of what an AFL club can do for a town and what it can do to bring a community together.

“It’s by far our biggest game of the year, and it’s great for the country clubs to get together for this type of event. It’s always played in the best spirit.

“We always have Travis’ wife and kids attend the event as well to continue his legacy and make sure it continues to be a vibrant club.”

Last year’s match ended in a draw, and Wischnat said it was one the team always lifted for.

“In last year’s season Dalby were the premiers of division two. They were the benchmark and it showed how much it meant to everybody in the club when it ended up a draw,” he said. “It shows that everybody lifts for it. If we are struggling for numbers, which we haven’t this year, we will have 30 or 40 wanting to get on.”

Wischnat said the impact of Mitchell’s contribution to the Suns had helped pave the way for young talent in the region.

“We’ve had some real success in our juniors. Patrick Dowbel is in the Lions Academy, and Lara Paget is a shadow for the Queensland team,” he said.

“It shows we’ve got some really good talents and it would be a disappointment if anything were to happen to the club and we weren’t able to nurture them.”

■ Chinchilla vs Dalby, tonight 7pm at Chinchilla Recreation Grounds.

Photo: Hayden Smith REMEMBERING A MATE: The Chinchilla Suns will run out for their biggest fixture of the year tonight against Dalby for the Travis Mitchell Cup. INSET: Travis Mitchell.