Image: Richmond FC and Essendon FC Media
AFL clubs have descended on regional Victoria over the past few weeks, with the annual pre-season AFL Community Camp program.
The AFL Community Camps program involves visits to junior football clubs, schools and hospitals, where AFL players take part in footy clinics and attend community events. Every year, more than 700 AFL players engage with fans, celebrate community heroes and inspire the next generation.
Melbourne were the first team to conduct their community camp again this year, with the Demons paying a visit to Bright and the surrounding Alpine regions in late November.
Melbourne players made school visits as they headed north, including trips to Longwood, Nagambie, Glenrowan, Bright, St John’s Euroa, Oxley, Wandiligong, Milawa, Avenel, Beechworth, Euroa, Benalla, Myrtleford, Harrietville, Dederang and Yackandandah Primary Schools.
Richmond's visit to Yarrawonga and the surrounding areas, included school visits, NAB AFL Auskick clinics and community signing sessions.
The North Melbourne playing group was divided between the outer-western Melbourne suburbs in the Wyndham region, the central Victorian town of Broadford and Echuca on the Victoria/NSW border, hosting clinics, signing sessions and and visiting local schools.
The Western Bulldogs returned to Ballarat and held a NAB AFL Auskick Super Clinic at Mars Stadium, a training session with the Ballarat Bulldogs All Abilities FIDA Football Club, paid a special visit to Grampians Health Ballarat and visited local schools.
St Kilda Football Club headed to South Gippsland this week for its 2025 AFL Community Camp, spending two days engaging with locals through clinics, school visits and junior football clubs across the region.
Players hosted a NAB AFL Auskick Super Clinic at Leongatha Recreation Reserve, with more than 150 kids from across Gippsland travelling to take part.
Tuesday saw the group spread right across the region to meet students from a wide range of schools, delivering Q&A sessions and signing opportunities. Schools included Wonthaggi North, St Joseph’s, Korumburra, Tarwin Lower, Bass Coast Specialist (Wonthaggi), Powlett River, Loch, Fish Creek & District, Bass Valley, Bass Coast College Wonthaggi, Poowong, St Laurence O’Toole, Leongatha, Toora, Foster, Newhaven, Cowes and San Remo.
The visit was an exciting homecoming for new Saints recruit Sam Flanders, who grew up in Gippsland.
Collingwood also visited Gippsland in December, with a visit to Moe, Morwell and Traralgon on December 10.
Essendon's camp involved visits to 23 schools, seeing over 1000 children across the Bendigo and Castlemaine regions.
The camp began with a cultural session delivered by local Indigenous group Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (DJAARA). The team immersed themselves in an Aboriginal dance session and a Welcome to Country before heading across the road for the Auskick Superkick clinic.
This year’s focus on Bendigo and Castlemaine was especially meaningful for Jye Caldwell and Archer Day-Wicks. Caldwell played his junior football with the Golden Square Football Club in Bendigo before progressing to the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup, while Day-Wicks played school football for Catherine McAuley College, and also represented the Bendigo Pioneers in the Talent League.
A group of players also visited Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative (BDAC)’s Djimbaya Kindergarten. “Djimbaya,” from the language of the Dja Dja Wurrung, means “to teach.” The players helped deliver the club’s early-learning program, Bomber Kids, bringing a morning full of movement, play, and big smiles.
Reflecting on the number of Dons who come from rural areas such as Xavier Duursma from Gippsland, Harry Jones from the Macedon Ranges, Zach Merrett and Rhys Unwin from Cobden, Sam Durham from Seymour, Ben McKay from Warragul and Zach Reid from Leongatha, the visit served as a reminder of the crucial role that junior country football pathways play in developing elite talent and why returning to these communities matters.
The AFL Community Camp program will conclude in early 2026, with the Geelong Cats visiting Warrnambool and Carlton visiting Shepparton in the first week of February.