by Oscar Parry
The Bombers soared into Gisborne Primary School for a visit with year three students offering students a moment they won’t forget.
The visit was part of the Essendon Football Club’s AFL Community Camp, where groups of players visited 10 schools across Gisborne, Bendigo and Castlemaine.
According to the club’s website, the visits aim to further deepen connections within the community and are a great opportunity for players to connect to young students.
Visiting Gisborne Primary School on Monday, December 2, were club captain and five-time best and fairest winner Zach Merrett, ruck Nick Bryan, midfielder Elijah Tsatas and rookie Jayden Nguyen.
During the question and answer session, the students asked players about topics including life on and off the field, overcoming challenges, healthy eating and their role models.
Bryan told Star Weekly that it’s important to visit schools like Gisborne Primary to connect with younger fans.
“We’ve got so many amazing fans out in these regions, so it’s always good to come out here,” he said. “I still remember when I was younger seeing AFL players come to my primary school and how amazing that was, so to be able to give back to the young fans … is always good.”
Some student fans even brought along their own Essendon guernseys.
The school’s physical education coordinator Anna Allen said that it was an awesome experience having the players visit the school.
“The students were so excited, and they absolutely loved seeing the players up close and personal,” she said. “The students asked lots of questions and were encouraged by the players to enjoy the sport, have fun, try their best and use their losses as opportunities to improve their performance.”
