Brennan Cox may have grown up in the suburbs of Adelaide but the young Fremantle forward understood the importance of Freo’s visit to the Geraldton region for their 2019 AFL Community Camp.

Fremantle visited 18 schools as well as hospitals and aged care facilities as a part of the two-day camp in Geraldton and Mullewa.

The players also held a number of football-related events, including an Auskick Super Clinic for local children and a fundraiser for the Brigades Football Club.

“It’s all about getting out to the people,” Cox said.

“During the season we do clinics all round Perth and Freo for city kids, so it’s good to take this chance to spread our horizons and get to the kids who don’t get to see us that often.”

Cox said he was pleased to have the chance to help support grass roots football.

“These clubs represent where a lot of us have come from,” Cox said.

“It’s these clubs that these kids are in, the local footy clubs. There are heaps of players that come from the country so it’s good to give back to these clubs considering what they’ve done for us.”

Grady Tomelty, the regional development manager for the WA Football Commission, said these visits help build enthusiasm around clubs in the region, especially in the younger ranks.

“Grass roots is where footy starts for most people, so it’s great to have our pre-primary to year six kids engaged by these players who are at the elite level,” Tomelty said.

“It gives the kids something to aim at and to strive for. They’ll be at school tomorrow talking to their mates, it will probably be the highlight of their year with the footy season coming up really soon.”