This week Hawthorn’s VFLW team is going back to its roots.
With a bye in the fixture, the Hawks have been given the week off from scheduled training.
Instead, players have been given the opportunity to conduct community visits.
Players have visited clubs in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, participated in some of Hawthorn’s community programs and attended trainings at the clubs where they started their careers.
One particular visit was to Hawthorn’s Next Generation Academy at Worawa Aboriginal College in Healesville.
Players Sarah Perkins, Olivia Flanagan, Nicki Cormack, Lilly Kelly and Serena Gibbs took the girls for a skills session, whilst also discussing nutrition and leadership.
“We visited Worawa as part of a six-week program Hawthorn is conducting with the school,” Perkins said.
“It’s a nice change for them to have different people visiting and it’s an opportunity for them to learn new skills not just for footy but for their day-to-day lives.”
Hawks youngster Maddi Shaw visited Bunyip Football Club where she took the under 10s boys team for a training session.
Lou Wotton and Jess Sibley trained in the rain with the Heathmont under 18 girls and captain Tam Luke, Clare O’Donnell and Nat Bjelan visited the Camberwell Sharks under 14 team.
Finally, senior players Diana Haines and Phoebe McWilliams went back to their old clubs, Diamond Creek and the St Kilda Sharks respectively.
Training for Hawthorn’s VFLW team will resume next week as they look towards finals.
Sitting fifth on the ladder with four rounds remaining the Hawks have a tough run heading into finals.
They play Melbourne University, Collingwood, Casey and St Kilda over the next four weeks.
Their next game is on Sunday August 4 when they take on sixth-placed Melbourne University at Main Oval starting at 2.30pm.
