The GWS GIANTS have spent the last two weeks heading back to school, to the Canberra show and the AIS as part of the AFL Telstra Community Camp program. GIANTS players teamed up and visited over 19 and a half thousand kids in 65 primary and high schools across the ACT and Albury regions.
South Australian GIANT, Jack Hombsch said that the community camps were a great opportunity for the players to meet locals and promote AFL within the Club’s zone.
“This is the first time that I’ve done something like this and I really enjoyed it. The school visits were pretty much what I had expected.
“I found the primary school visits easier than the secondary schools because the little kids ask more questions which gives you a bit more direction with your answers.
“It was great interacting with all the kids, I really enjoy the visits, they’re always so enthusiastic and happy to see you,” Hombsch said.
Jack Hombsch was joined by teammates Ben Casley, Isiah Stevens and Anthony Miles for a visit to the AIS and met with members of the Australian Paralympic swim team. Jay Dohnt, a bronze medalist from the Beijing Olympics and Matthew Cowdrey, a multiple gold medalist and ANU sportsman of the year, along with local Western Sydney swimmer Andrew Pasterfield, spoke to the GIANTS about their experiences representing Australia and what it takes to find success at an international level.
Hombsch said that meeting the team and watching them train at the AIS was a highlight of the camp and that the swimmers had a lot of experience and valuable advice to offer the young GIANTS.
“The AIS is massive, I can’t wait to use the facilities. Jay was telling me that they have a swimming pool built where a side of it is glass so the coaches can walk along and look at their technique underwater which is amazing.
“It’s been really good meeting Jay and his mates. It’s amazing the similarities between two sports. He swims internationally which is an amazing achievement but the commitment that both sports take is similar.
“He was saying before that when he trains in SA he gets up at 4am in the morning. We complain we’ve got to get up at 6 or 7am but you really have to have a think about what other people are doing,” Hombsch said.
Dohnt was impressed with the maturity of the GIANTS players and offered the boys some tips about dealing with homesickness and constantly living and training with teammates.
“I think he’s doing really well for a 17 year old. I wouldn’t have picked him to be 17. I think the boys are doing well from sitting and chatting to them; they seem to be taking it in their stride.
“I don’t think that I could have lived on my own and with other athletes full time when I was 17. I struggle enough at 21 so good on them, they’re doing really well.
“Living with teammates full time does get overwhelming but you’ve just got to try to be as understanding as you can be.
“You need to recognise that everyone’s different and pick the people that you want to be close to and stay away from the ones who get on your nerves a little bit.
“You make really close friendships as well so it works the other way too.
“Sometimes you get homesick and you just sort of have to tough it out but then it comes back ten fold six weeks later so you need to get home as often as you can and then come back to training ready and refreshed,” he said.