Several dozen members of the Tamworth Roosters gathered at Farrer on Wednesday afternoon, eagerly anticipating a visit from Sam Wicks and Jacob Konstanty, two young Sydney Swans players.
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Local Aussie Rules star and Swans VFL train-on program member, Jack Dadd, also turned out for an afternoon of training drills and engagement with local juniors.
"We're loving it so far," Wicks said.
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"We're getting around to a few schools and footy clubs and essentially spreading the game of footy around.
"We went to Tamworth Public School today and had a great time there - great bunch of kids."
At 18 years old, Konstanty was drafted by the Swans last year and was just a handful of years older than some of the kids he met in Tamworth.
He recalls vividly his days of meeting players he looked up to, and said it was "definitely weird" to be taking their place.
"I was in [the kids'] shoes not long ago," Konstanty said.
"I can definitely see it from their point of view. It doesn't really feel real, but it's pretty cool."
While taking part in drills with the kids prior to the session with Wicks and Konstanty, Dadd was clearly in his element.
The 18-year-old said it was fantastic to see the growth that AFL has enjoyed locally.
"We only started with one women's team, now there's two clubs with two women's teams, and under 14s and under 17s in the junior league," Dadd said.
"We've seen some pretty big growth there, which is great to see."
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