The Sydney Swans arrived on the Central Coast on Tuesday afternoon and first stop was a Super Clinic held at Mingara Athletic Centre.
A few hundred local children greeted the team and eagerly participated in the AFL clinic of drills including handpassing with Adam Goodes, goal kicking with Michael O’Loughlin and marking tips from Darren Jolly.
The local kids were treated to a great afternoon of footy fun which was concluded with an opportunity to get all the player autographs and photos.
In the evening some of the region's most talented young players and their coaches were invited to participate in an exclusive forum tailored for the respective groups.
Jared Crouch, Kieren Jack, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Paul Bevan, Craig Bird and local export Jarrad McVeigh shared their AFL knowledge on a range of issues with more than 100 players from the AFL (NSW/ACT) Talented Player Program.
What was great about this mix of players for the audience was five out of six are NSW born and bred and hopefully showed the pathway to AFL success.
Each player introduced themselves, before individually presenting on a topic.
Roberts-Thomson talked about the life of an AFL footballer; and discussed the importance of looking after the body through preparation and recovery. He also spoke about the obligations footballers have to the media and sponsors.
Bevan touched on the importance of a footballer’s diet. He told the young players that eating proper foods is a key factor in your performance.
Local boy McVeigh was up next and he told of his journey from Killarney Vale juniors through to his life now as a Sydney Swan, touching on some of the sacrifices he has to make to achieve where he is today.
Crouch went into further detail on preparation and recovery; imparting some valuable tips about injury management and prevention as well as the need for a balanced lifestyle.
Jack spoke of the importance of goal setting and encouraged the young crowd to get a diary to set their own goals. He told an inspirational story of being 15 years-old and missing selection for a state side because he was too small. He was told in no uncertain words he would not play AFL. He made a goal at that time to prove his coach wrong and obviously, in 2007 he was able to do that when he made his Swans debut.
Bird was the final speaker and as a product of the AFL (NSW/ACT) Talented Player Program shared his experience and further encouraged the group to take advantage of the opportunity they have been given through the program and to continue to strive to further AFL journey.
In another room, Paul Roos led the Coaches Forum, where around 35 junior and youth coaches from around the Central Coast were in attendance to gain insight into the Swans coaching philosophies.
On Wednesday, the team will split up into a number of groups and 40 schools from around the region whilst some other players will visit the local hospital.
