Some of the Illawarra's junior Australian rules football players have had the opportunity to kick a footy with some of their heroes at the AFL South Coast Community Camp.
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A number of high-profile Sydney Swans players, including Dane Rampe and Luke Parker, were in Wollongong last week for the clinics and school visits, providing junior players the opportunity to ask questions and learn new skills from the Swans players.
AFL South Coast regional manager Matt Graham said all of the children enjoyed the sessions.
"It's a once in a year opportunity for the kids to see their heroes," Graham said. "There were plenty of smiles on faces, some of the kids were pinching themselves mixing with top level players.
"Some of the kids were saying they couldn't believe they were having a kick with their favourite player."
The Swans visit was not purely focused on developing on-field skills, with Q&A forums providing aspiring footballers with the opportunity to learn about the off-field requirements to crack the AFL.
"We had Q&A sessions and the kids asked some really good questions. The players all have a similar story, they worked hard to get to where they are, they're dedicated, haven't taken no for an answer.
"There were questions about eating habits, post-game recovery, they were really relevant for those players and any aspiring young boy or girl in the region."
The visit acted as a season launch for the 2019 junior Australian rules season, with Graham looking forward to overseeing another year of growth. With the popularity of the sport continuing to rise, Graham said there will be new teams and age groups to accommodate this growth.
"The sport is growing in the region and we're trying to help it grow. We have a new age group in the boys and new girls age groups.
"We're trying to drive growth in the Auskick, which is five to eights. We want to give those kids a good experience, trying to get them more involved with touches, more kicks, more passes, more fun."