After arriving in Johannesburg at midday local time, the travelling party commenced the one and a half hour drive to Potchefstroom, the capital of Fremantle’s AFL allocated province in South Africa.
The Fremantle Football Club is currently in its final year of a three year license agreement with the AFL to develop the code in the North West Province. The club is one of four within the AFL with a presence in South Africa.
Fremantle’s travelling party, which includes past players Luke Webster, Troy Cook and Justin Longmuir along with the club’s Community Development Program team, was greeted by more than 100 excited children eager to meet the past players and further develop their football skills. All children at the Potchefstroom clinics take part in the South African program equivalent to Auskick, called FootyWild.
Troy Cook with clinic participants
Troy, Luke, Justin and the CDP team ran two separate clinics in the afternoon for local Potchefstroom primary schools from Ikageng, a township close to where Fremantle’s travelling party are based while in the North West Province. Children from Madibeng and Keagile Primary Schools participated in the clinics, learning new skills from the past players and CDP staff.
Fremantle CDP Program Manager Wade Spilcker shows a Potchefstroom
local how to position their palm for a handpass
As a gesture of thanks to their Fremantle visitors, the children entertained their guests through dance and song at the end of the clinic. There was even a song about Australian football that was enjoyed by all.
Luke said he was impressed by the skill level shown by the children that took part in the clinics.
“Obviously the game is still very new to a lot of them but their basic skill level was better than what Troy, Justin and I expected,” Luke said.
“They all seemed to enjoy the clinic and the new things they were taught, which is fantastic.
“The Fremantle Football Club and the AFL have worked hard over the past three years to develop the sport in South Africa and on the back of how enthusiastic the kids were today I think AFL footy has a real future in the country – particularly in the North West Province.”
Since Fremantle commenced its activities in the North West Province in 2007, the number of registered participants playing football in South Africa has dramatically risen from 2,500 to 12,000 players, with the majority playing the game in the North West Province.
AFL South Africa North West Province Manager July Machethe said the Potchefstroom locals were proud to be associated with the Fremantle Football Club.
”The children and volunteers are so excited to be part of the Freo team,” July said.
“The support that we receive from the Fremantle Football Club and our region’s sponsors, Nkwe Platinum, Continental Capital and Air Mauritius ensures that we are far ahead of the other provinces that are developing AFL football.
“We really appreciate the commitment shown by the Fremantle Football Club and this is enhanced by yet another trip to our region.”
The travelling party will review the development of the North West Province’s talented senior players during a training session on Saturday 14 February. Players will travel from all around the region to participate in this session.
While the players are sweating it out on the track, the region’s coaches and umpires will be improving and developing their skills at various workshops and clinics designed to enhance their knowledge of AFL rules and regulations.
The clinics and workshops run by the club during their week-long community camp will see more than 750 children, players, coaches, umpires, administrators and volunteers reached in a bid to further establish the Fremantle and AFL footprint in the region.
The travelling party will tomorrow conduct a range of FootyWild clinics for additional primary schools in the Potchefstroom region as well as visit the Thakaneng Street Children’s Centre.
AFL South Africa North West has a strong relationship with the Thakaneng Project in Ikageng.
During the 2008 community camp in South Africa the club was offered the opportunity to visit the Thakaneng Project, which is situated in the industrial area of Potchefstroom. The project offers outreach (street work – building trusting relationships with the kids on the street), residential care (‘in-house care’ offering food, bath, clean clothes and sports and educational activities), a drop in centre (offering daily routine, positive discipline, medical attendance, social worker activities and education) and community service (reunification, home visits and follow-up visits, school necessities for children reunified).
As well as visiting the Thakaneng Project, Fremantle will make a return visit to Cotlands – a not-for-profit organisation that the playing group visited in 2008. Cotlands meets the ever-changing needs of children impacted by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The travelling party will spend the morning of Sunday 15 February meeting these young children and touring the facilities where they live.
