Here’s what some of they had to say:
Sam Michael
We learnt a few things about balancing out our lifestyle and preparing for life after footy.
They harped on about how footy only takes up a small portion of our life, and that we need to already start thinking about life after footy so we can make a smooth transition once that time comes.
It’s definitely a very professional industry. The AFLPA want to set us up to succeed, and got a bunch of past and current players to share their experiences with us. They certainly helped give us advice on the best ways to handle the professional AFL environment.
I didn’t realise the extent of support we had from the AFLPA before the Camp. It’s reassuring to know that we’ve got them behind us.
Stephen Wrigley
It was all very interesting, and just nice to get a bit of an idea about what the AFLPA does for the players. The Club has already been fantastic with their support, but to know that beyond that you’ve still got your Managers and the AFLPA - there really is a great network of people around if you need some help.
I found a lot of it was common sense. A fair bit of what they talked about was making sure you have a life outside of footy for when your footy career is over.
Dayne Zorko
There is obviously a fair bit that goes on in footy off-the-field, but there’s a lot more to it than I thought there would be.
Sam Docherty
I found it really informative to learn more about the Players’ Association, and find out what they can actually do for us players.
There were also some terrific stories and speeches from some of the current AFL players like Brent Staker and Andrew Swallow (North Mebourne) who spoke about their own journey. Paul Licuria (former Sydney and Collingwood player) also spoke really well.
Each session was different. One was about dealing with media, which included things like keeping an eye on what you put on your Facebook profile, and watching what you say in public.
Justin Clarke
You never quite realise the off-field aspect of such an elite game. You generally only consider what happens on the field, but there are plenty of things that go on off-the-field that form part of being a professional AFL player.
It’s probably just as important in your on-field development to make sure you’re doing the right things off the field.
Jack Crisp
They went through a fair bit of stuff. One of the parts I found interesting was how to best manage your time around University courses.
Patrick Wearden
We learned plenty of different things from the sessions. You learn about the media, what’s expected from a first year player, and even a bit about managing your finances.
It’s a real eye-opener to see how intense the off-field stuff can be. We’ve learned more about what’s required of you away from actually playing - which is much more than I ever thought.
