The Sydney Swans have enjoyed a special start to their time in West Arnhem Land as the club promote their 'Kick The Habit' Campaign in the Top End in partnership with Mala'la Aboriginal Health Service.
Sydney Swans players Maddy Collier, Robbie Fox, Tanya Kennedy, Patrick Snell, Matt Roberts, Eliza Vale, and Sam Wicks, along with football and administration staff, first arrived in Jabiru on Sunday evening to host a community clinic with the Jabiru Bombers.
The aim was to use football as a form of connection while also spreading an important health message - Say No To Smokes, which is part of the the Australian Government’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking program.
The travel party then departed for Maningrida - another five-hour drive from Jabiru, and stopped off at Ubirr in the Kakadu National Park, which is home to incredible Aboriginal Rock Art that dates back thousands of years.
The Art includes some of some of Kakadu's most important ancestral figures, and one of the Tasmanian Tiger that became excinct 2000-3000 years ago.
The experience provided players and staff with a stronger understanding of Australia's rich Indigenous history and connection to country.
"It was an incredible experience to see some of the art that was created by those who came before us so many years ago," Collier said.
"It was quite eye-opening to see how they were able to make this art and for it to be showcased for us today is special.
The lookout to the rest of Arnhem Land just made the experience so memorable and something I won't forget."
The Swans arrival in Maningrida was greeted with a memorable Welcome to Country ceremony, which marked the official start of the club's venture in the Northern Territory.
Their first full day in the region saw a contingent of players and staff immerse themselves in the community through visits to schools, Aged Care homes, foreign country, while also hosting a women's only football clinic.
The opportunity to promote healthy habits, including fitness, food and wellbeing was at the heart of the activities, while using the opportunity to bring a smile to the community was just as important.
Fox, who is enjoying his first trip to West Arnhem Land, has hailed the journey as a once in a lifetime experience.
"You hear about these sort of communities but to see it first hand is incredible," Fox said.
"Food is hard to come by sometimes, and then you have kids who have to go to school this morning with no sleep and without a bed - but they are all happy at the same time.
"It's pretty cool to see how happy they are with how little they have and it puts everything into perspective."
The women's football clinic was also an enormous success, with participants not only enjoying a training session alongside AFLW players Collier, Vale and Kennedy, but also receiving Swans merchandise and training gear, football boots and brand new footballs thanks to QBE insurance Australia.
Vale lauded the session was something she had never experienced and reinforced the importance of delivering a powerful message of health and wellbeing.
"It was so good to see them all here (and) happy - I think it was their first session in a while so it was good to dust off the cobwebs with us, and our girls absolutely loved it," Vale said.
"We're really encouraging that message of keeping fit and having fun with friends as a way to do that. It is something that I have never experience before."
The Swans have been supported by the Australian Defence Force throughout visit, and have been instrumental in assisting with travel, logistics and overall day-to-day support.
The week will finish with a three-day smoke free football festival in Maningrida, which will feature a youth carnival on the Friday, followed by a tournament for men’s and women’s teams over the weekend.
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