The Sydney Swans players regularly visit local schools to spread the word about AFL, but Wednesday’s visit to South Coogee Primary School held more significance than usual for Swans co-captain Brett Kirk.

Kirk’s son, Indhi, is a student at the school, and led his fellow students in raucous applause as his dad, and Swans Ted Richards and Lewis Jetta took to the stage to launch the new Team Swans Schools Program to the packed school hall.

“We regularly visit schools around New South Wales as part of the Team Swans program, and it was fantastic today to be able to attend Indhi’s school to talk about the connection between the school, the Sydney Swans and the local junior footy club, the Maroubra Saints,” Kirk said.

“What I like about the program is that it’s not just about kicking the footy around, it’s about reading and writing and making healthy choices, and it emphasises the friendship between our Club and the school.”

The program is a new initiative which involves the Sydney Swans forming ongoing partnerships with schools in NSW to deliver messages about leadership and making healthy choices in life. Swans players will even get involved in helping younger students learn to read as part of the innovative program.
 
For the past eight years, Team Swans has been sending players into schools to deliver the Healthy Choices program, but the new scheme is designed to ensure schools receive improved benefits.
 
Defender Ted Richards said the program is making a noticeable difference in increasing awareness of the game among school-aged children.

“I’ve been living in Sydney for four years now, and it seems like every year you get more and more kids raising their hands when you ask who plays AFL or who has been to an AFL game,” he said.

“It’s great to see, because we’re going to a lot of schools that are in rugby league territory and it shows that the work we’re doing with this program really is helping to grow the game in New South Wales.”

Young Swan Lewis Jetta said it was all about encouraging the kids to try their hand at the sport.

“We just want to encourage them to give it a go. Back in WA, when you ask who plays AFL at a junior club, almost all of them put their hands up, but when you get over here to Sydney, it’s a really different story. The more we can get out into schools and teach these kids about AFL, the better.”

Students were also encouraged to sign up to the Swans’ Red Rookie program, a brand new supporter group for children 15 years and younger which allows them free entry to three home games in 2010.

For more information on the Red Rookie program, click here.