FORMER Bulldogs star Chris Grant says country football offers more than just exercise and entertainment – it provides community involvement as well.

Grant, who grew up in the Victorian town of Daylesford, says small struggling towns are often galvanised by a weekend game of footy.

“You’re on the boundary line so you’re right up close. The people you know walking around the street are the ones out on the ground. It offers that genuine community feel that you don’t get at AFL level anymore,” Grant said.

Grant says the trick to maintaining a strong club is having families involved.

“Whether it is in the suburbs or country Victoria or the Northern Territory, the family aspect of footy is important. It is important for the longevity of the leagues and teams. In times of drought it gives them something worthwhile to do with their weekend. Whether it is Noble Park or Daylesford, there are generally family names that have been there for decades,” he said.

Grant said the football club network can provide support during hard times such as drought, isolation and depression.

“If the people around the club are strong and have good morals, there is a huge amount of support for people who have troubles,” he said.

“I’ve found over the course of my career that when I felt really supported, my life is going better. There might be farmers that are doing it hard, the wheat’s not growing or the cattle’s not selling well, it can be really stressful for the family. But come Saturday they get to see a lot of people are going through the same thing and you get that family-oriented feel. It’s what sport offers up.”

Grant followed a well-worn path of country kids who hit the big smoke to pursue their dream, but says moving to Footscray while still a teenager did pose a few problems.

“It was hard. I thought Melbourne was too big and it was something I never wanted to do but I knew if I wanted to play footy I had to move there. For the first two or three years it was a real battle,” he said.

“Even though I was only an hour and a half away, that was really difficult. The fact guys come from interstate as a 16 or 17 year old must be really hard.

“Even if you’re coming from Frankston you still feel like that. You’re out of your comfort zone but as I got older I would try to help out the kids as much as possible. It’s a pretty daunting thing coming from a small country town to a big city.”