Hawks AFLW squad set to swoop on Inverloch for community camp
The 30-strong squad will visit regional schools and junior football clubs across South Gippsland and Bass Coast next Thursday and Friday.
Hawthorn's 30-strong AFLW squad will descend on Inverloch next week for a two-day preseason community camp featuring school visits and junior footy clinics across South Gippsland and Bass Coast.
The Hawks will travel to the region on Thursday and stay overnight before returning on Friday with the squad splitting into groups to visit schools and clubs across the region.
School visits will take place across both days with players running Q&A sessions before having a kick with the kids while clinics at junior girls' football clubs will run on Thursday afternoon.
The club is expected to confirm which schools and clubs will be visited this week with the tour understood to cover a wide range of communities across South Gippsland and Bass Coast.
Hawks ruck Lucy Wales said the squad was excited to get into the regional community ahead of the 2026 AFLW season.
"It's very community-focused. We've got school visits and footy club visits lined up across Inverloch and the surrounding area," Wales told The Sentinel-Times.
"The whole group can't wait to get down and meet everyone in the Inverloch area."
Wales said schools and clubs in regional areas were often overlooked compared to their metropolitan counterparts.
"The kids that go to school in the metro area are really lucky with the amount of AFL and AFLW players visiting them so the regional schools are probably a little bit under-appreciated," she said.
"It always feels really nice to get out to the schools and footy clubs in the regional area and I do think the kids get a real boost from it."
Wales said the Q&A sessions with primary school students were always a highlight.
"The kids always get quite excited, especially the real young ones at the primary schools," she said.
"Their questions are so funny. They throw some curveballs at you which always keeps it exciting.
"So many of them are really interested as well and you can really see the future of footy is in great hands."
Wales, who was drafted by Hawthorn with pick 22 in the 2022 draft, has established herself as one of the competition's premier rucks.
Her twin sister Stephanie plays for Essendon.
The 22-year-old was named in the All-Australian squad in 2024 after ranking third in the competition for hitouts and has played 32 games for the club across three seasons.
Wales, who is also a Hawks Community Foundation Board Member, said the group was confident heading into the new season.
"We've got a really strong close-knit group and our staff and coaches have been with us for a couple years now which definitely helps with the group synergy," she said.
"Hopefully we can go a couple better than last year."
She said Hawthorn has a strong connection with the Gippsland region with the team visiting Metung for its community camp last year.
