WHILE suburban and country leagues have long been the refuge of delisted AFL players trying to get a few more years out of their careers, there is another category of player who has nothing more to prove but is keen to pull on the boots for the love of a club, or for the game itself.

It has been well documented that Bulldogs legend Chris Grant was to represent his old club in Daylesford yesterday, but Grant is not the only recently retired champion who was showing off his wares in the amateur leagues.

North Melbourne champions Glenn Archer and Anthony Stevens made their first appearance in the VAFA yesterday, playing for the Caulfield Grammarians Football Club against the Old Melburnians at the Junction Oval.

While Archer and Stevens came to the club through some of their colleagues at sports management business Stride Sports, it is not the first time that the Grammarians have hosted past champions who are still keen to get out on the park each weekend.

Hawthorn premiership player Dean Anderson is a former student of the school, and returned to play and coach the club after he retired from professional footy.

Former Richmond player Duncan Kellaway is also an old boy who still plays for the Grammarians.

While having players of that calibre on the field has its obvious advantages, it is their influence in training that can have a lasting effect on the players around them, Grammarians' president Matthew Scholten said yesterday.

"We're a really young side — if the younger players can pick up one or two things from these guys and learn from them then that's a real bonus," he said.

"Players can't help but learn, just having those sort of people around … whatever they do out on the field is just a huge bonus — just to have them here is just fantastic for the club."

And then of course there is the added public interest having such big names can bring, Scholten said, noting that yesterday's game attracted "quite a few people, for an amateur game".

While Archer and Stevens came to the club through friends, there is one old boy still playing AFL who has maintained very strong ties with his former school.

"He's fantastic with us," Scholten said of Carlton captain Chris Judd, who went to Caulfield Grammar.

"He came and did our jumper presentation for us and he's got a strong connection with the school and with the football club."

And while the Grammarians kept a low profile during the hunt for Judd at the end of last year, Scholten is hopeful he will see the 2004 Brownlow medallist in Caulfield colours at some stage in the future.

"We'd love to have him back — any time he's ready!" he said.

Article courteousy of The Age www.theage.com.au