It’s not unusual to see Swans players go back to primary school every Tuesday, because although their time in the classroom as students has passed, the players venture out to spread the message of healthy living.

Five Swans stars visited Hunters Hill Public School and four visited North Ryde last week as part of the Teams Swans Healthy Choices community program.

Nick Smith, Craig Bird, Kristin Thornton, Matt O’Dwyer and Taylor Gilchrist replaced the normal daily routine of maths and english for a chat with the kids at Hunters Hill.

Daniel Currie, Jake Orreal, Brett Meredith and Ryan Brabazon were also back at school, visiting students at North Ryde.

During the session, the players taught the children about healthy eating, making healthy choices and the importance of setting goals, no matter what the students are doing.

Bird told the students about getting in good habits early in regards to healthy eating and about the importance of setting short term goals to reach long term goals.

The players also answered questions about everything from the retirements at the Club, to the number of goals kicked in their respective careers and their worst injuries.

The Swans then made a visit to another class that included some students playing for the Hunters Hill school AFL team in the Grand Final of the Ryde Zone PSSA tournament on Friday.

While the program is about educating the children and having fun, it’s not only the kids that enjoy the weekly visits to schools in the area.

“It’s fun to get out there and talk to the kids and it’s also good for yourself, with the public speaking and your confidence levels talking in front of groups so it’s good personally like that and for the kids as well,” Bird said.

“It’s a pretty good program to develop the young players' leadership skills, with their confidence and that kind of thing and I know the Club likes to use it as a tool like that,” Smith said.

Smith and Bird said that while high profile sports stars visited them when they were at school, it was nothing like this program.

“It’s good to get around to the kids…I think the program, it doesn’t just promote AFL, it promotes healthy choices in the young kids and they seem to enjoy it, it’s pretty good every Tuesday morning,” Smith said.

“I hope that they can get something out of it with regards to healthy choices, whether it be food, goal setting, making friends in high school, and that sort of thing, so if we can help in any way possible, it’s good,” Smith said.