More than 100 kids turned out for the Sydney Swans Kids Clinic at Coffs Harbour’s BCU International Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
The participants were treated to a skills clinic with over 20 members of the Swans squad, including premiership players Jarrad McVeigh, Nick Malceski, Marty Mattner, Dan Hannebery, Craig Bird, Rhyce Shaw, Heath Grundy and Luke Parker.
The 2012 Premiership Cup was also a popular feature at the clinic, with a number of red and white fans keen to get their photo with the silverware.
Coffs Harbour local Erin Groundwater, who was accompanied by baby Ava, was one of the many Swans fans who turned out for the clinic.
Erin said the clinic was the perfect opportunity to officially convert Ava, who was decked out in red and white, into a lifetime Swans fan.
“(Ava) is only little but we thought we’d bring her out anyway in her,” she said.
“She didn’t have a choice – she was born and she pretty much came out in (red and white)”
“She caught a ball off Jarrad McVeigh. She didn’t get excited about it but we all did!”
Erin said she and her family make the effort to get out to as many Swans games as possible, both in NSW and Queensland.
“We usually go to the Brisbane game because we have family there and we usually try to get to one or two down in Sydney,” she said.
“Ava just watches it too and we’ve been teaching her how to ‘Cheer Cheer the Red and the White’, so in a couple of years she’ll be down there cheering for them”
The Swans will host a second open training session at BCU International Stadium Friday morning from 9-11am.
