Players from the St Kilda Football Club will show their appreciation to the Club's loyal fan base, as they promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through Victoria in a range of AFL visits to local country towns and communities on Tuesday 21 June.

Participating in a variety of school visits and AFL clinics, the majority of the playing list will travel to Castlemaine, Warragul and Drouin, Donald and St. Arnaud or Hamilton for an afternoon of fun and beneficial activities with over 2,200 children.

Brendon Goddard, who played with U18 side Gippsland Power, spoke of the importance of country visits prior to joining teammates in Warragul and Drouin.

"Growing up in Traralgon I understand how important these visits are for the local children and families. It is hard for many people to make the trip to Melbourne to watch an AFL game live, so it is great to be able to bring the football to them," he said.

"Getting out to country Victoria also gives us players a good opportunity to have a bit of fun and relax with some friendly locals, as we share the sport we love with future stars of the game."

The AFL country visit program has been running annually since 2003 and has continued to grow over the last eight years.

Article first appeared www.vcfl.com.au 20 June, 2011