Zac Minty's family were standing on the sidelines of Melbourne's Marvel Stadium when he walked out in front of an "electric" crowd of more than 29,000 people.
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They'd thought the 10-year-old might want to rehearse his coin toss ahead of Carlton Football Club's game against the Brisbane Lions, but he handled it like a pro, with confidence and calm.
He told his mother Rebecca Minty earlier, "it's not too hard to toss a coin".
Ms Minty said Zac was generally like that, confident and calm, even in spite of all the challenges he'd faced.
When Zac was eight, he was diagnosed with "rhabdomyosarcoma", a type of cancer that affects muscle tissue and in his case, the tissue above and behind his eyes.
He went into remission in 2019, then he and his family were hit with the news he'd relapsed less than a year later. Zac had to get his eye removed in late 2020 and he has continued to undergo intensive chemotherapy treatment.
Zac's family had to travel weekly from their home in Canberra to Sydney's Westmead Hospital for the treatment. Sometimes they drove, and other times, charity Little Wings flew them to nearby Bankstown.
"We're so lucky to be the beneficiary of their support ... especially when [my husband] Jim [Leitch] and I are getting pretty tired," Ms Minty said.
"You just don't have to think about staying alert on the road on the trip up or the trip back."
Still though, the whole situation was exhausting; "it's more exhausting on Zac than it is for us", Ms Minty said.
A surprise trip to Melbourne to watch the Carlton game on April 24 was a welcome reprieve then, especially given the Canberra family were huge fans of the team, and it was part of their family history.
The family saw the game thanks to Little Wings and Hyundai Help for Kids.
"[Zac is] really into soccer at the moment, but he does love AFL and it's always on at home ... he was pretty excited," Ms Minty said.
"It's really special because Zac's great grandfather actually played for Carlton in 1925.
"We could feel the excitement brewing because we were just on the side near the Carlton fan club."
Ms Minty said "everything happened so quickly" and, when the coin toss was over, the family just managed to get some pictures before they had to rush off the field.
As for Zac, he "seemed pretty relaxed about the whole thing", Ms Minty said. More than anything, the game was a chance for the family kick back and do something fun together.
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Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
