With eight weeks to go before their Telstra AFL Community Camp, the Adelaide Crows are putting the finishing touches to an itinerary which will see the entire squad spend a busy couple of days in Mount Gambier and surrounds on February 16-17.

The Telstra AFL Community Camp is part of a national program which has seen all AFL clubs visit regional and remote communities across Australia, giving locals an opportunity to get close to AFL at the highest level.

This is the seventh year that the AFL Community Camp concept has reached far and wide across Australia. The Adelaide Crows have been to the Mount previously as well as the Riverland, Fleurieu Peninsula, Port Lincoln, Barossa Valley, Yorke Peninsula and Murray Bridge last year.

The Adelaide Crows’ Community Camp will involve free activities including a NAB Auskick super clinic, school visits which will reach more than 1000 local children, community visits to the local hospitals and aged care facilities as well an opportunity for one very lucky local primary school student and his/her class to play a scratch match against the Adelaide Crows at their school oval.

The Adelaide Football Club Junior Development team will be presenting the "Crows in Schools" program the week prior and will hand out entry forms for the “once in a lifetime opportunity” Adelaide Crows Telstra AFL Community Camp Primary school competition.
The camp officially starts on Wednesday 16 February with a number of school and community visits planned from 9.30am in the region.

In the afternoon, at the Blue Lakes Sports Park, the Adelaide Crows will hold a free NAB Auskick super clinic from 4.30-5.30pm where children in the region will have the opportunity to meet the team, learn the basic skills of AFL and have time to collect autographs or simply chat to their heroes. Children aged 5-13 years are welcome to attend.

A highlight of the camp will be the opportunity of a lifetime given to the Glenelg Football Club Academy Squad for up to 30 talented young footballers, aged 14-17 years, who will be put through their paces by the Adelaide Crows coaches straight after the super clinic at the Blue Lakes Sports Park.

On Thursday February 17 from 11am-12midday the Adelaide Crows squad faces stiff competition when they take on the winner of the Adelaide Crows Telstra AFL Community Camp Primary schools competition. The lucky student and his class will be announced on February 10 giving them a week to prepare for their big game.

More school and community visits will follow from 1-3pm with the players returning to Adelaide around 4pm.

As the Team for all South Australians, newly appointed Crows captain Nathan van Berlo says the players thoroughly enjoy the annual Telstra AFL community camp which gives them the opportunity to mingle with their fans in regional areas.

"It is a fantastic concept because it allows us to give back to our regional supporters, who make up 18% of our membership, and who support us so passionately," van Berlo said. "We enjoy the time away from AAMI Stadium where we can soak up the grass roots footy atmosphere. Ten players from our squad grew up in regional SA so they know especially, how important it is for AFL players to spend time in the community. And of course our ruck coach Matty Clark is a local boy from the Mount who played over 100 games for the Club. He has promised to be our tour guide and take us to the Umpherston sinkhole one evening.”