AFL New Zealand- Hawthorn FC HANZ-UP Programme

I met one of the HANZ-UP co-ordinators at the AFL International Cup’s International Development Forum in Sydney. (LPG’s Footy Blog link http://bit.ly/siPzw1) and we talked about the HANZ-UP programme there, where he proudly told be that 50% of the KiwiKick kids were girls. So I asked him if I could write an article on it for World Footy News. And in true Kiwi style, I’ve still not got back all the information I need for it, so I thought I’d do a little preparation of my own whilst I’m waiting for him to get back to me:

The HANZ-UP programme is a community based football programme organised between the Hawthorn Football Club and AFL New Zealand. The alliance allows Hawthorn to promote the game in New Zealand. In return for helping promote AFL and Hawthorn Football Club,  AFL New Zealand gets the sponsorship and support for a variety of juniors programmes, including KiwiKick, the Hawks Cup school competition and clinics with Hawks players.

 

  KiwiKick

Kiwikick is based on the Auskick programme in Australia and is run for boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 13 years. The pilot programme conducted in 2009 for 500 kids attracted 5000 kids in 2010, and was further expanded in 2011, hoping to attract 10,000 kids. However, the 2011 programme has been so successful, it has already attracted twice as many kids, over 9000 of whom are girls!

KiwiKick is based on Auskick and programme focuses on developing fundamental Australian Football skills: kick, catch, pass and bounce. However, the populary of KiwiKick is down to those basic skills being transferrable to wide range of other sports, such as rugby. The programme also emphasises the need for parents and communities to get involved in kids’ sports, and is run by qualified coaches, 25 of whom are female, and AFL New Zealand employees.

KiwiKick programmes start with a free taster session so that both teachers and students get a chance to experience the fun and learning provided by Kiwikick. The kids get their own Kiwikick pack, which includes a football and a cap. Then the programme is extended to a course of 8 sessions, with a tournament at the end. But the programme effectively sells itself as a fun and safe activity for both boys and girls, and mum and dad get to get involved and have fun too. Current Kiwikick centres are based across New Zealand, in Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waitakere, Bay of Plenty, North Harbour, Waikato,Wellington, Northland and Canterbury. For more information about KiwiKick programmes, email AFL New Zealand’s Tom O’Keeffe at aflkiwikick@aflnz.co.nz.

 

  Hawks Cup

The Hawks Cup is a competition for older kids who have outgrown Kiwikick and want to play Australian Football at school. The programme takes inspiration from the annual NEC Tassie Cup, one of Hawthorn Football Club’s other successful development programmes inTasmania. Schools from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch take part in the competition, and in preparation for the tournament, AFL New Zealand holds free coaching session run by qualified coaches at the schools, and sends resource kits out to all competing schools to help teachers and volunteers with their own preparation sessions.

The boys and girls participating get a Hawks Cup player kit too, including Hawthorn FC bags, apparel, posters and stickers. They also enjoy being able to compete against other schools in their region, and ultimately, against other top teams for the Hawks Cup trophy. But more than that, the kids who show particular talent are selected to take part in further skills training, with the aim of the boys, and hopefully one day the girls too, representing New Zealand as part of the Oceania team at the AFL U16 Championships.

Three spots are available on the Trent Craod scholarship programme and one spot is also available to attend the AFL/AIS training camp. Though this has traditionally been reserved for boys, as with the Trent Croad Scholarship, since the success of this year’s Australian Youth Girl’s National Championships resulted in the selection of a few talented girls from each state being able to participate alongside the boys at the AFL/AIS Academy, it’s also possible that if any of the female participants in the Hawks Cup showed particular promise, there’s a chance they would be offered the place from next year.

More information about the Hawks Cup such as rules, results, tournament dates, and information about how to enter your school can be found on the AFL New Zealand website: http://bit.ly/tycZ4q

 

 

 

  Trent Croad Scholarship

Trent Croad was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia and played in the AFL with Hawthorn FC. He retired in 2010 and became Hawthorn FC’s HANZ-UP Ambassador. Each year three boys showing particular talent in the Hawks Cup are be selected for the scholarship programme, who join other junior and senior AFL New Zealand players between the ages of 15 and 23 years old. As well as the necessary skills, selected players must also have the athletic qualities appropriate for Australian Football. They then receive free travel to Australia and accommodation for them and their families whilst they undergo a week long training camp where they receive specialist coaching and training with Hawks players during pre-season. One player will then be selected to undertake a further week of elite training at the AFL/AIS Academy at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

 

Hawthorn Player Clinics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the Hawthorn Football Club visits New Zealand, the players conduct various skills clinics for Kiwikick age boys and girls and older schools kids in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and other major cities throughout New Zealand. The players also visit schools, hospitals and other community organisations whilst promoting both the game of Australian Football, and the AFL New Zealand- Hawthorn FC HANZ-UP programme.

For the first Hawthorn FC Player run clinic, HANZ-UP Ambassador Trent Croad and his Hawks mates Shane Savage and Jarrod Kayler-Thomson went on a three day tour of New Zealand, visiting schools in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. But the sporting cultural exchange was not all one way, with a student swapping his New Zealand rugby shirt with Trent Croad’s and the students at one Auckland school performing the Haka for the Hawthorn players.

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An account of the three players’ adventures in New Zealand and more pictures of the local kids they were working with can be found on the Hawthorn Football Club website: http://bit.ly/st3dkG

 

  Hawks Active TV

 

 

 

 

Hawks Active is Trent Croad’s TV show on Hawks TV featuring AFL New Zealand local football highlights, as well as various activities surrounding the HANZ-UP programme, such as action from the Hawks Cup and some cute content from Kiwikick centres. The programme is also broadcast on New Zealand’s Sothern Cross television channel. Viewers can email their football questions to Trent Croad (hawksactive@hawthornfc.com.au) and watch his response at the end of the show. The link for Hawks Active TV is on the Hawks TV website: http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/hawkstv/tabid/12367/default.aspx

Hawks Active TV is part of a campaign by the Hawthorn Football Club to have a minimum of 8 live Hawthorn AFL games shown on New Zealand television.

More information about the AFL New Zealand-Hawthorn FC HANZ-UP programme can be found on its official page on Hawthorn FC’s website: http://bit.ly/uEaztZ or on the AFL New Zealand website: http://www.nzafl.co.nz/ However, as they seem incredibly slow at getting back to people (I’ve been assure it’s just a Kiwi thing) try using the KiwiKick email above, becuase he will (eventually) reply.

~ by Little Pommy Girl on October 27, 2011.