THE SYDNEY Swans have completed their first week of visits to Sydney's west with a trip to meet some goannas. Parramatta Goannas, that is.
Co-captain Craig Bolton and new signing Rhyce Shaw were a hit with players and parents from the junior club, and others at the community's NAB AFL Auskick centre on Thursday.
Bolton and Shaw signed autographs and had pictures taken with close to 100 excited kids who braved the inclement weather to get up close to their heroes at Rosford Park, Greystanes.
The pair also held a clinic, with Goannas president John O'Loughlin expecting the visit to give Australian football another boost in the western suburbs.
"These sorts of visits are very good. We're a new area, with new players, new kids, new parents to the game and our local club," he said.
And Bolton has seen potential in numbers each time he's visited the west in recent years.
"It's growing every year. AFL's obviously competing against some pretty big codes out here so there's still a lot of work to be done," he said.
"But we're here to encourage kids to register and meet everyone and have a bit of a kick. It's a good opportunity to keep growing the game out here."
O'Loughlin acknowledged support for the code was still small but added that playing on Sundays would help with exposure.
Twelve-year-old Miguel, who plays for the Sydney West Future Stars representative team, was among the first in line to meet the Swans and said AFL was his favourite sport.
"I love AFL," he said. "I support the Swans by watching them on TV. I like Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin."
Local AFL development officer Timothy Kear said that visits like his one made his job particularly rewarding. He's a firm believer that once kids see the sport up close, it generally sells itself.
"There are kids of all ethnicities out here who play league and soccer but AFL is such a great sport that after a while the kids find out how great it is and they start to have fun with it," he said.
The Swans will continue their western Sydney visits next week with trips planned to community NAB AFL Auskick centres in Ingleburn, Mount Annan, Ambarvale and Bargo, among others.