Meeting a childhood hero is too often an unrealised dream so when you meet one as an adult it can an incredible experience, no matter how high your profile.
So on Monday night when the Member for Traeger Robbie Katter was awarded the Player of the Match medal from Maroons great Wally Lewis after the 2023 Friends of Rugby League Parliamentary Touch Game which pits country MPs against their city counterparts, you can hear his big smile down the phone.
In Brisbane for the current sitting of state parliament, Mr Katter as number 6 as a five-eight and a Country team fixture who beat the City MPs, said the experience of meeting Mr Lewis was sensational.
"It's not every day you get to meet your childhood hero," he said.
"King Wally presented me with player of the match at the Parliamentary Touch Game.
"Getting to meet the sporting guy you fully worship as a sporting hero is really special."
Mr Katter said meeting Mr Lewis took him back to looking through the family album where he has an old autograph of the big man from his sporting heyday.
"To play as a five-eight and receive this medal from a great five-eight is really special," he said.
"This really took me back to when I a kid who dreamed of a rugby league career."
Mr Katter said the ideals of sport can transcend any political party allegiance.
"I think country beat city 6 to 2 or something, but for me it's not about the score," he said.
"It's about showcasing sport when we come together, it's about recognising how important sport can be in bringing a community together, in our electorate the role sport can play is really important."
Sport can be one element of a solution to successfully tackle the ongoing youth crime crisis, Mr Katter said.
"I think it's easy to discount the power rugby league has in rural communities.
In Mt Isa where I live the kids stealing cars and playing up on the streets, well you're far more likely to see them engage in sport on a footy field than at school".
Mr Katter said Anyone serious about tackling these problems needs to ensure junior sport in Mt Isa is better resourced.
Meanwhile, Mr Katter said the rural MPs really appreciated the opportunity to play the game.
"Just a couple of country boys down in the big smoke getting to play on Lang Park turf," he said.
"(We are) Pretty lucky".
