Swans the hottest ticket in Coffs

Sydney Swans players outline a fun game during the Super Clinic held at C.ex Coffs International Stadium. Photo: City of Coffs Harbour

A HUGE throng of people flocked to C.ex Coffs International Stadium on the first day of the Sydney Swans’ AFL Community Camp in Coffs Harbour.

A Super Clinic saw 205 kids aged from 5 to 16 come to the Stadium to rub shoulders with all of the Swans players as they enjoyed a series of exercises designed for players to learn skills and have lots of fun.

At the end of the Clinic all of the Swans players took the time to sign posters, jerseys and shirts as well as pose for a countless number of photos with the young participants.

The incredible number of 205 children at the Super Clinic is is on top of another 130 kids that earlier in the day enjoyed a similar experience at Bray St as part of an Out Of School Hours (OOSH) program.

Sydney Swans star and product of the Hunter region Isaac Heeney was impressed by the number of people who came to a footy fix alongside him and his teammates.

“It’s amazing to come up here and look at the growth of the game,” Heeney said.

“I came up here in my second or third year and to compare it back then to now is amazing. I’m proud to be a New South Wales lad and watch the game grow in regions like that.

“Back when I started there wasn’t too much opportunity to come and train with professional athletes, let alone a program like the QBE Sydney Swans Academy. It’s amazing to see so many kids, male and female, jumping on board and seeing it grow throughout the whole of NSW puts a smile on my face.”

After the Clinic, the Swans coaching group ran a Coach Development Session for local coaches while talented AFL North Coast juniors involved in the Swans Academy and/or Northern Heat programs demonstrated a variety of drills that the Swans coaching staff were running.

This session saw 35 local coaches and 40 young players involved with the coaches asking plenty of questions to further their knowledge of the game.