Dockers visit Meadow Springs Primary School

PIC: Taylah Strano

Students gathered to hear players speak about footy, healthy living and kicking big.

Children at Meadow Springs Primary School were visited by players from the Fremantle Dockers yesterday as part of the leagues Community Camps program. 

All 18 league clubs travel to regional and metropolitan areas, visiting 742 schools promote a healthy active lifestyle to school children and creating stronger links between the community and AFL.

Dockers players Danyle Pearce, Darcy Tucker and new recruit Lloyd Meek were all at Meadow Springs talking students through their football careers, roles at the Dockers and what it's like being an AFL player. 

AFL General Manager Game Development, Andrew Dillon, said the AFL Community Camps are an essential part of the AFL calendar which highlights the importance of grassroots football and the community in Australia’s game. 

The Dockers took questions from the children, all eager to learn more about what they do and why.

Everything was asked from how far can you kick, to what time do you wake up.

One female student asked if girls could play AFL, which Pearce jumped at the chance to explain. 

He told students how lucky Fremantle were to start the AFLW season with a women's side. 

"It's not a full time job yet, but they do train very hard three days a week. We hope they'll move into it being full time soon, maybe by the time you start playing," Pearce has assisted in coaching the female team throughout their 2017 season. 

There were excited faces among the school children after Pearce proposed they could play AFL one day. 

Following talks the players headed onto the oval to conduct a kicking competition with kids during lunchtime.

Children lined up taking turns booting the ball back and forward with the Dockers.

The Dockers will continue their tour today heading to Pinjarra, and other schools around the Peel, Mandurah and Wheatbelt regions. 

The AFL Community Camps started in 2003 and so far, have reached a total of 1,238,641 students across 6,615 school visits since the program’s commencement. 
 

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