Footy players score points at St Killian’s

CARLTON Football Club was in town this week visiting local primary schools as part of this year’s series of AFL community camps.

Among Carlton’s AFL and AFLW players were former Bendigo Thunder basketballer Kerryn Peterson and Brodie Kemp, who once played with the Bendigo Pioneers.

Kemp said it was great to be back where his football journey began to show young players they can reach an elite level.

“I remember when I was in primary school back in Echuca and AFL guys would come down, you’re just so excited to ask questions and inspired to be like them one day,” he said.

“It’s cool to do a full-circle moment where your one of those guys coming back and hopefully trying to inspire the next generation to want to play footy.”

Students asked the football players about their diet, training and pre-game habits, and more targeted questions like how hard it is to get into the AFL and how to win a grand final.

But the question about the players favourite foods and sports teams generated the most enthusiastic response with the students cheering the ones they liked and booing the ones they didn’t.

Principal of St Killian’s Primary School, Kimberley McSweeney, said it had been an important event for the students.

“It brings the real players that they see on TV each week to our schools and to our community to show the kids that they’re real people,” she said.

“They really enjoyed cheering particularly when they were talking about food and different teams, there’s definitely a lot of passion around sport in our school.”