The GIANTS officially launched their industry-leading Ground Shaker Program this week, an exciting new initiative promoting the club’s connection with community clubs and reinforcing the GIANTS’ commitment to growing the game in Western Sydney.
The exciting initiative places community volunteers at the heart of the GIANTS’ engagement with local clubs, empowering them to act as on-the-ground links between the club and the communities where the game continues to grow.
Through matchday experiences, player visits and unique club activations, the program helps connect young players, families and volunteers directly with the GIANTS while reinforcing the club’s ongoing commitment to growing Australian Rules football in Western Sydney.
Volunteers from across the club’s community club network gathered at GIANTS HQ on Tuesday night for the inaugural Ground Shaker onboarding event - a hugely successful evening used to introduce the program and recognise the vital role community volunteers play in shaping the future of the game.
With over 70 attendees representing 22 local clubs, the night gave volunteers and junior footballers and their families a behind-the-scenes look at the club while also providing the chance to engage directly with GIANTS players, receive a season preview from one of the club’s senior AFL coaches, and share ideas on how the program can best support local clubs and communities.
A key component of the program is finding advocates at community club level who are just as passionate as the GIANTS about growing the game and strengthening the connection between junior participants and the elite level.
One of those in attendance at the program’s launch on Tuesday – and now a staunch advocate for the program – was Camden Cats President Warren Brown.
A lifelong supporter of the Swans, Brown might be expected to keep his distance from the club’s crosstown rivals. Instead, the 40-year-old from Oran Park has thrown his full support behind the Ground Shaker Program - putting the growth of the game ahead of club allegiances and embracing the opportunities the initiative provides for his local community.
“It’s about the greater good of football,” Brown said.
“I’m a Swans man through and through, but when it comes to helping kids experience footy and grow the game in Sydney, you put those allegiances aside.
“What the GIANTS are doing with the community and with this program is next level.”
Today the Camden Cats support more than 300 young participants across Auskick, Superkick and junior teams, including one of the biggest Auskick centres in Sydney.
“Last year we had about 150 kids in Auskick alone,” Brown said.
“So when you add juniors and Superkick, we’ve got well over 300 kids playing footy through the club.”
It’s that scale of participation that makes the GIANTS’ community connection so valuable, according to Brown.
After meeting GIANTS staff during a club march event last season, the relationship between the club and Camden has continued to grow - something Brown says has been a standout.
“To have the access and the willingness to want to work with clubs is unbelievable,” he said.
“It just feels very welcoming and accessible, which is massive for local clubs and families.”
That openness, he says, is exactly what makes the Ground Shaker Program so powerful.
“It’s refreshing,” Brown said.
“The message we got was basically: ‘The limit is your imagination.’ If you’ve got ideas that can help your club or help kids experience footy, they want to hear them.
“That shows it’s not just about ticking a box. They genuinely want to work with clubs and grow the game.”
The program’s impact was clear during the Ground Shaker onboarding night at GIANTS HQ on Tuesday.
For Brown’s youngest son Lincoln - a passionate Swans supporter with posters of Nick Blakey and Luke Parker on his bedroom wall - the highlight came courtesy of GIANTS young gun Finn Callaghan.
“He said to me, ‘I’ll go if Finn’s going to be there,’” Brown laughed.
“True to their word, Finn made sure he came over and had a chat with him. He even commented on Lincoln’s hair - and that was all I heard about on the drive home.
“My boys had one of their teammates out there too, Eli, who's also a Swans supporter, and he hasn’t stopped talking about it to his parents either.
“So it's not just one set of kids. And I could see Marty from Parramatta had his kids there and the great interactions they were having.”
Brown said the night was also a perfect example of how invested the GIANTS players are in community engagement.
“Harry Himmleberg was sitting down having a bit to eat with them, and young Joey [Delana] was so good with the kids. Toby Bedford and Clayton Oliver were about too. It was amazing.”
Another recent moment that stood out to Brown involved emerging key forward Aaron Cadman during a club visit.
“He was meant to wrap up at seven o’clock, but he was still signing autographs at quarter past because he didn’t want anyone to miss out,” Brown said.
“That sort of thing says a lot about the culture of the club.
“You could see the kids light up. They were talking about it the whole way home.”
As president of the Camden Cats, Brown sees firsthand how important those experiences are for young players - particularly in Western and South-Western Sydney where AFL competes with other codes.
“Every man and his dog plays soccer or rugby league out our way,” he said.
“So when kids choose AFL [Australian rules], you want to give them the best experience possible so they keep coming back.”
Programs like Ground Shaker help provide exactly that.
One of Camden’s allocated GIANTS players as part of their relationship with the club this season is Cadman, with Brown already exploring creative ways to bring the experience to life for the club’s juniors.
“Imagine being a kid and getting your jumper handed to you by an AFL player,” Brown said.
“That’s something they’ll remember forever.”
For Brown, volunteering in football is about more than simply running a club - it’s about ensuring the game continues to grow in areas where it’s still building its presence.
“I love seeing what the kids get out of it,” he said.
“You want them to enjoy it, you want them to keep playing, and you want the game to keep growing.”
That’s why he’s more than happy to embrace the Ground Shaker role - even if it means working closely with the rival club across town.
“In Sydney we’re all trying to grow the same game,” Brown said.
“The GIANTS are doing some really good things for grassroots footy.
“If it helps kids fall in love with the game like I did, then that’s what matters most.
“The opportunities the GIANTS are providing - not just for my boys but for the whole Camden club are fantastic.”
“It all says a lot about the leadership from the top down and the culture around giving back to the game.”
For more information on the Ground Shaker Program contact ben.lawrence@gwsgiants.com.au.
