The annual Australia Post AFL Community Camp sees the entire Hawks squad split up into 11 groups and spread across the state of Tasmania. For three days of community activities between Saturday 22 February and Monday 24 February.
Below is a run down of day one.
Launceston
Ben Ross, Shaun Burgoyne, Alex Woodward and Brad Sewell travelled from Launceston to Swansea for the first day of Community Camp but on the way stopped off to visit Kate's Berry Farm to taste some local produce. When the group finally arrived in Swansea, they headed straight to Swansea Football Club for a family fun day that included jumping castles, a BBQ and a band to entertain those in attendance. It was a huge turn out from the community, with the players signing autographs, playing kick to kick and giving some footy tips to the kids.
In another group, Josh Gibson, Matt Suckling, Jonathon Ceglar and Bradley Hill visited the Children’s Ward at Launceston Hospital. Gibson was a favourite amongst the kids but all the players brought a smile to their faces as they talked footy and the lives of the kids.
In the evening all players in Launceston gathered to head to a Family Fun night for teas who raised funds for the Relay for Life. The highlight of the evening was a relay in which Bradley Hill’s group of sprinters won an entertaining race that capped off an enjoyable first day of Community Camp in Launceston.
Hobart
On the first day of Community Camp in Hobart, a group consisting of Grant Birchall, Taylor Duryea, Zac Webster and Dayle Garlett ventured to Ronald McDonald House where they met a number of families who were staying at the house because their children are in hospital. The players played with the kids on the rooftop terrace, on a number of pieces of equipment at their disposal.
Garlett and Webster taught some of the kids how to kick the footy, while Duryea enjoyed riding around the rooftop with Ryan, whose little brother was born premature and is currently in the hospital with his mum.
In another group, Matt Spangher, Ryan Schoenmakers, Kaiden Brand, Dallas Willsmore and Jordan Kelly headed to a local fundraiser for Sharra Clarkson, a five-year-old girl suffering from spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. The players presented her with a signed guernsey that would later be auctioned off to raise funds for a new wheelchair.
They then headed to the launch of the Leukemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave at the Rock It Climbing Centre.
The players were there is support of a young boy named Oliver, who was shaving his head to raise money for research. Kelly climbed to the top of the wall, hung upside down, and started to shave Oliver's head before Schoenmakers finished the cut.
Another group of players including Ben Sratton, Jed Anderson, Billy Hartung, Paul Puopolo and James Sicily headed an hour south of Hobart to the quiet town of Cygnet. The group was welcomed by approximately 200 Cygnet locals and ran a small clinic with an enthusiastic group of boys and girls aged between 6-12.
Brian Lake, Brendan Whitecross and Shem Tatupu meanwhile, flew into Burnie on a small 30 seater plane. Upon arrival, the small group headed to the Burnie Auskick centre, where waiting was a group of approximately 60 enthusiastic kids from the north west. The players conducted several football specific drills with the highlight Brian Lake taking the tackling bag to show the kids how to lay a big tackle.
