BRISBANE Lions players got their hands dirty with the blokes from the Buderim Men's Shed yesterday, much to the delight of "AFL tragics" in the shed.

Lions halfback Claye Beams said as professional athletes, they could understand the mental health implications of retiring and enjoyed being able to talk to the blokes about their pastimes.

"Obviously coming from a very structured environment, there's always that question of 'where next' (after retirement), so we can relate (when we're) talking to these guys who've come out of retirement," he said.

Shed vice-president Barry Cheales said it was an exciting event for the men, many of whom were eager fans of the sport.

"We've definitely got some AFL tragics at the shed who were keen to meet the young players and wish them well for the upcoming season," he said.

The three visiting players toured the various workshops on offer and tried their hands at woodworking and leatherwork.

"It's brilliant, a brilliant concept," midfielder Dayne Zorko said.

"I'll be learning here."

Regional manager for AFL Queensland on the Sunshine Coast, Paul Tresise, said the players had been split across the state to visit schools, hospitals and community groups.

"It's good to keep in touch with the people who follow the game, and certainly (we like to) encourage young people to take up AFL," he said.

"This is just a case of doing something different."

The boys headed up to Nambour General Hospital afterwards, where Claye said they were hoping to put smiles on some sick children's faces.

The halfback said he was excited to begin the season and the team would continue striving for improvement.