A CLUBHOUSE for a notorious motorcycle club is probably not what south-west Irish Catholic pioneers had in mind when they built the Crossley church. Yet this didn't stop a Warrnambool real estate agent approaching the Warrnambool chapter of the Rebels bikie club to suggest it consider putting in a bid for the historic church and hall. The revelation, from an affiliate of the Warrnambool Rebels branch, Robyn Jeans, came as the Friends of St Brigid's yesterday continued work on finalising the details of the long-awaited sale. Ms Jeans said Rebels members were banned from speaking directly to the media under club rules. She gave The Standard an LJ Hooker flyer promoting the property, which she said was given to the Rebels with area specialist Andrew Blake's card attached.The flyer included a hand-written note which read "(I) thought this might make a good clubhouse".Both Mr Blake and LJ Hooker director Paul Harris declined to comment yesterday. Ms Jeans said while the Rebels were flattered to be offered the property, and they had seriously considered making a bid, they decided against it."It does make a great clubrooms. It's out of the way," she said. "It's great to be offered it. However, in light of the Friends of St Brigid's and the work that they have done it would kind of be seen as uncharitable towards the community (to make a bid)." "Obviously they (LJ Hooker) were trying to push the economic value of the building up (by approaching us)," she said. Friends of St Brigid's secretary Teresa O'Brien said Ms Jeans had also given her a copy of the flyer."It gave us all a good giggle, it just puts an interesting twist on it," she said."They (agents) were pretty keen to get it out there."They were writing to a motorcycle gang, don't get me wrong I know people in the Rebels, but I don't think the (Koroit parish) finance committee would have let them buy it." Father Bill Van de Camp yesterday dismissed the claim as "mischief". Ms Jeans said the Rebels group was a business that made a lot of money "through seen and unseen funds"."A lot of the members are actually wealthy people - they have got a $30,000 bike to begin with," she said."They do poker runs, there's a lot of fund-raising opportunities."The Warrnambool chapter had poured thousands of dollars into refurbishing its rented shed in the Silverton Park industrial estate, she said.However, many members believed it made more sense to buy a property, she said. Ms Jeans conceded that the Rebels' decision not to bid on St Brigid's was partly aimed at enhancing the club's public image. "Obviously they have had a lot of bad publicity so I am quite glad to give them a bit of credit," she said.