Sport

Footy juniors learn from the best

By Ben Black

Oct 5, 2026

AFL Stars came to Yarrawonga last week fulfilling every kids dream, pictured (L-R) Jeremy Cameron, Toby Greene, Lachie Ash and Steele Sidebottom. Photos: Ben Black Photo by Ben Black

School holiday football fever hit Yarrawonga last week, with more than 200 youngsters getting the chance to learn from some of the biggest names in the game.

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The 5th Quarter Camps brought AFL superstar Toby Greene (Geelong)to town, with Lachie Ash (GWS), Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood) and Jeremy Cameron (Geelong) also joining the coaching line-up across the week.

For local kids, it was a chance to get up close to players they would usually only see on television, while getting a taste of what it takes to reach the highest level.

AFL Star Toby Greene, leading the kids in some handball drills. Photo by Ben Black

With the sun shining and plenty of excitement around the grounds, the first Yarrawonga camp proved an instant hit.

Organiser Josh Rundell, who helps run the camps alongside Greene, was delighted with how the week unfolded.

“Yeah, we absolutely loved it. The guys had a great time, the kids loved it,” Rundell said.

“The weather’s been great, couldn’t ask much more.”

Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron watches on with a goal kicking masterclass. Photo by Ben Black

The star power certainly helped draw attention to the camp, but it was the opportunity to bring that level of football experience to a regional town that made the Yarrawonga stop particularly significant.

Hundreds of children took part throughout the week, making it one of the biggest regional camps on the 5th Quarter calendar.

“We had about 260-265 kids,” Rundell said.

“Melbourne went really well last week; this is one of our bigger regional ones for sure.”

For Greene, the trip also provided an opportunity to take the camps outside the metropolitan centres and give country youngsters access to the same experiences available to kids in Melbourne.

Recently retired AFL legend, Steele Sidebottom posing for a photo. Photo by Ben Black

“Yarrawonga definitely showed up and having school holidays definitely helped,” Greene said.

With Yarrawonga boasting a strong sporting culture and football at the heart of the local community, the camp provided a chance to reinforce that a pathway to the top level can begin in a country town.

Greene said showing youngsters the journey from local football to the AFL was an important part of what the camp was about.