COACH in waiting Matthew Egan had some pint-sized pupils to deal with yesterday.
The injured Cats defender took his mind off rehabilitation by catching up with 50 youngsters during a junior football camp at Elderslie Reserve yesterday.
Egan was an instant hit with a captive audience of primary school aged fans.
"I'm good mates with (camp organiser) Tom O'Dwyer, so anything to help. I just had a little chat to them about footy and about leadership and just some basic stuff to give them something to think about," he said.
"Most of the kids here know everything about footy, they love it. They knew more about it than me. I've come to this on my day off but just getting here is good to get away and it does take your mind off playing."
Events such as handball, kicking and tug-of-war competitions, part of the camp's Footy Olympics, kept the charges entertained when they weren't receiving advice from AFL stars and specialist coaches.
O'Dwyer said a number of Newtown & Chilwell players and Geelong Junior Football League personnel had been crucial to the camp's success but was particularly thankful to Egan for his time.
"He did that off his own accord and it's really good to see someone like him come down to help the kids," he said.
"He could fade into the background with what's happened, but Matt's the type of guy who really likes to help the kids and they were hanging off his every word."
The camp finishes today.
Daniel Breen, Geelong Advertiser, July 8th, 2009
Last Modified on 14/11/2009 10:28