Developing ruckman Sam Naismith will head home as part of the Sydney Swans community camps across New South Wales today and tomorrow.
Naismith, originally from Gunnedah in north-east NSW, will visit Tamworth with Swans teammate Jake Lloyd.
The Swans will also host two-day camps in Wollongong, Bowral, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Gosford, Armidale, Wagga Wagga and Sydney metro locations.
Naismith said he was looking forward to his visit to Tamworth.
“It’s about 45 minutes from my home town Gunnedah,” he said.
“It’ll be good to go back with Jake and talk to schools, the community and talk to the local AFL teams and give back to the community.
“Hopefully I can catch up for dinner with Mum one night too.”
The 22-year-old made his AFL debut for the Swans in the final round of the 2014 home-and-away season against Richmond.
After a pre-season temporarily interrupted by glandular fever, which he has now overcome, Naismith will look to add to his one AFL match this season.
“It was a massive learning curve playing in round 23 against (Richmond ruckman) Ivan Maric,” he said.
“I enjoyed every minute of it.
“I took a lot of learning out of it with my physical presence around the ground, my fitness and how to be smart around the stoppages.
“It was a massive step up in every aspect.”
Naismith has had to work his way back into pre-season after overcoming the illness and is confident he is now heading in the right direction.
“I got glandular fever at the end of the off-season and that slowed my progress with training until Christmas, which has been a bit of a pain,” he said.
“I lost six kilos pre-Christmas, so I had to focus on my diet, gym work and rehab over the first two months of 2015.
“I’m over it now and back into training.”
Naismith said he would take confidence from co-captain Kieren Jack’s recovery from glandular fever in the 2013 pre-season, which resulted in a second-placed finish in the club’s best and fairest.
The rookie-listed tall has relished his return to training and is fast making up for lost time.
“Being out with the group, being around the boys and being out on the training track – there’s nothing else like being out there and getting involved,” he said.
“Personally I’ve been trying to lift my voice and have a really upbeat attitude.
“As a (ruck) group we’re just doing our competitive work – centre bounces, ball-ups, throw-ins, positioning and body work.
“Now we’re working with games, we’re working with the midfielders and our hits as well, which is important at this time of the year."
Naismith said he was hoping to get some game time under his belt in the Swans’ intra-club practice match on Friday.
“It’s all coming around pretty quick, so it will be interesting to see how everyone goes,” he said.
