mmg.com.au

Echuca South and Echuca East primary school students enjoyed a treat on Wednesday when former Geelong and North Melbourne premiership player Cameron Mooney visited.

The former player, who still holds an imposing physique, was on a tour of Victorian schools for three weeks encouraging children to be active.

The visits included a question and answer session before having a short football clinic.

‘‘We’re having a great time and the kids are having a ball,’’ Mooney said.

‘‘We get in there, have a 20 minute chat, get some weird and wonderful questions and then we just come out for a bit of fun.

‘‘It’s not about learning and teaching, it’s just about getting out and having some fun, getting them healthy and getting them involved in sport.’’

Mooney said despite the relatively long journeys to regional areas, a lot of enjoyment was to be found at the clinics and players had a responsibility to the children to make the effort.

‘‘It’s funny when you’re playing sometimes because you’re exhausted from the weekend and you’re exhausted from training, you think couldn’t be bothered travelling two hours to do a clinic,’’ he said.

‘‘But the impact that you have on the kids just far outweighs anything you might be going through, so it’s worth it in the end.’’

The tour visited schools in Colac, Hamilton, Horsham, Albury, Bendigo and Ballarat and finished yesterday at Wangaratta.

Mooney, who works for Crocmedia, visited the schools with the support of Stihl.