Aussie Rules football players Lewis Taylor, Liam Dawson, Jessica Wuetschner and Ruby Blair paid a visit to the Queensland Tennis Centre on Thursday to teach Brisbane International stars the tricks of their trade.
Melbourne born and bred John Peers was at a distinct advantage, having grown up in Australian rules football heartland.
His compatriot, Matt Reid, was more accustomed to a rugby ball, while Czech player Andrea Sestini Hlavackova had never heard of the game.
“I grew up in Melbourne so played a lot, that’s just what we all did down there growing up,” Peers said.
For the rest of the tennis players, the advice from the footballers was to stick to their day job.
Kicking skills from Reid were average at best, while his passing looked more like a throw than a handball.
“My skills are pretty poor,” Reid joked. “I’ve kicked a few, mainly a rugby ball, not an AFL ball.”
Wuetschner and Blair, who are part of the AFLW Lions team, engaged in a game of mini tennis with Sestini Hlavackova, while the midfielders Dawson and Taylor challenged Reid and Peers to a game of doubles.
Lions midfielder Lewis admitted to not having played a lot of tennis before but showed some ability with the racquet.
“I’m excited to get down here and meet the guys and have a bit of fun and hit around,” he said. “Hopefully we can teach them how to kick a footy.”
Reigning Australian Open doubles champ Peers progressed to the semifinals of the Brisbane doubles draw with partner Henri Kontinen. The top-seeded pairing will play Grigor Dimitrov and Ryan Harrison on Friday.