AFL in Cairns: Hawthorn Hawks hit the Far North to learn more than just football

The Hawks will spend the next few days in Cairns as part of a four-day pre-season trip which will feature sessions with young female footballers, along with a match simulation against members of the AFL Cairns Women’s competition.

As a club, the Hawks have been under intense scrutiny in recent months surrounding comments made towards Indigenous players during the golden era when the club won three AFL premiership flags from four grand finals.

An AFL investigation into the historic allegations of the mistreatment of Indigenous players at Hawthorn made no adverse findings,with the outcome of a review published at the end of May.

The AFLW squad touched down in Cairns on Thursday afternoon with some players heading out to Yarrabah before a training session at Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs’ home at Crathern Park.

The side will visit AFL Cape York House for Girls on Friday night to learn more about the culture of indigenous and TorresStrait Islander people.

Former Melbourne Demons player Jamie Bennell, who is now Hawthorn’s Indigenous player development manager and head of Indigenous affairs, said what they take out of Friday night will impact the whole club.

“It’s a great opportunity that we don’t get down in Melbourne to experience and understand the different types of cultures,” Bennell said.

“We have a lot of indigenous players and communities in Melbourne but not the Torres Strait islanders.

“And that will now give us such a different understanding of their culture and it will help our club as a whole going forward.”

The Hawks will spend four days in Cairns for a pre-season training camp which will involve training sessions with AFL Cairns clubs, a try and play event on Friday afternoon at Cazalys Stadium before a match simulation at Cazalys Stadium against 18 members of the AFL Cairns Women’s competition on Saturday morning.

AFL in Cairns: AFL Cape York House rubs shoulders with powerhouse club

Students of the AFL Cape York House for girls will get the chance of a lifetime when they rub shoulders with some of their heroes later this week.

The Hawthorn Hawks AFLW side will touch down in Cairns on Friday and will head to Cape York House for a meet and greet with the students.

It is part of a four-day camp in the tropical Far North for one of the powerhouse clubs of the AFLW.

Boarding manager Sean Hunter said the girls are beyond belief they get this opportunity.

“It is going to be such an amazing experience for both the club and the girls here at the house,” Hunter said.

“The girls will welcome the club with a Welcome to Country, as well as showing them different parts of the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander culture.

“To be able to get players from one of the biggest clubs come to our house and rub shoulders with the girls, it really is so surreal.”

The Hawks will be involved with a ‘come and try’ session at Cazalys Stadium on Friday afternoon before heading to AFL Cape York House for Girls late afternoon.

It is a step in the right direction according to Hunter for the football club.

“They have gone through something very big recently and this gives them the opportunity to understand the different cultures that we have up here in the Far North,” Hunter said.

“But not just that, our girls will learn what it takes to be (involved) at the elite level and how to get there.

“It really is a win-win from both sides of the coin in my opinion.”

The Hawks will also take on a list of Cairns AFLW stars on Saturday morning at Cazalys Stadium in a match simulation.

AFL Cairns general manager Craig Lees believes the exposure of a club of this magnitude will help grow the women's game in the Far North.

“It will be excellent for the women’s competition to line up against the league’s best and fairest of last year, Emily Bates,” Lees said.

“But also to hear from Greta Bodey who played in Cairns and then went on to the elite level and was named in the All-Australian side last year.

“I don’t want this to be just a one time thing either. I want to be able to build a relationship with the Hawks and get them to keep coming back.

“It all starts with the community getting behind this, so come down to the events on Friday, the footy on Saturday and support elite footballers getting involved in our community.”

The come and try event will be held at Cazalys Stadium between 4pm and 5pm on Friday while the match simulation will take place at 9am on Saturday July 15.

jake.garland@news.com.au

Originally published as AFL in Cairns: Hawthorn Hawks hit the Far North to learn more than just football