Brian Kelly took a trip down memory lane on Tuesday afternoon at the annual Titans NAIDOC day.
Once a young kid himself, he remembers when he was one asking for photos and getting signatures of his favourite players.
Now fortunate to be in the NRL, the Ballina junior really loves giving back and being a role model himself.
"Growing up, I was one of these kids around here going up to players and asking them to sign my shirt and my posters. Just to give back to the game after everything that has given me means something pretty special in my heart," Kelly said.
"I've got kids myself with a little girl and boy, so to have them grow up around it all (the club and the community), that's special to me, but also just to have all the community on the Gold Coast involved, it means a lot."
The 2022 Ken Stephans Medal nominee was also fortunate to finish training early and have two special visitors attend the event, which saw over 2,000 people in attendance.
"It's been so good. I was really looking forward to coming down here and we got a bit of an early mark from training," Kelly said.
"It's exciting to see the community and mum and dad have come up to get involved in it too, so I love it."
On the field, it's been a tough pre-season for Gold Coast centre, who will miss the opening three weeks due to his suspension from a dangerous throw in Round 24 against the Knights.
But Kelly is using that as extra motivation so he can return to the top 17 for the Round 4 Queensland derby against the Cowboys.
"It's a bit frustrating, but I've just got knuckle down day-to-day," he said.
"I just tell the boys to rip in because I've got a bit of extra pre-season once the boys kick-off. It's a bit of a bummer, but I'll be a bit fitter than the boys while they're playing, so I'll be keen to rip in once I come back.
"The boys' match fitness is going to be a bit better than mine I guess with the trials they're able to play as well, but Cam (Ferguson), our strength and conditioning coach will keep working with me with that."
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