AS THE final siren echoed across the MCG and his teammates prepared for a five-day break away from the club, Sydney midfielder Matt Roberts had different plans for his time off.
Instead of resting, he headed for Maningrida – a remote Aboriginal community in central Arnhem Land – alongside proud Kooma man Jarred Hodges, the Swans' Indigenous strategy and player development manager.
The mid-season focused on deepening connections through the Maningrida Footy Festival; an event the Swans have helped deliver for the last two years.
While Roberts was there to present appreciation plaques to local stakeholders, the visit also offered an opportunity for a kick of footy with the community just as the local season was about to begin.
Despite a tropical downpour, Roberts and Hodges took to a field that felt more like a swimming pool than an oval. Yet, no one batted an eyelid; the kids and adults alike had a blast splashing through training together.
Having joined the past two festival trips, Roberts opted to use the bye to return for another visit, reinforcing a relationship so strong that locals still recount a goal he kicked from outside 50 two years earlier.
"Seeing all the kids recognise your face and remember you from the year before was pretty special," Roberts tells AFL.com.au.
"We're only there for a week and might see them a few times, then you don't go back for a whole year, yet they still remember your face and name. That stuck with me – how much impact you can have. It might have made their day or even their whole year."
As a country kid from Langhorne Creek, Roberts remembers when Port and Adelaide players would visit his school or footy club, and the smiles they put on the kids' faces.
"They just had a presence. As a young kid who loves footy, having those people there makes you listen a little bit more," he says.
While the initial visit to Maningrida was promoted as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity", Roberts was eager to stay involved, noting that it's notoriously difficult to access Arnhem Land because of the required permits and logistics.
Now, driven by a desire to give back, he is set to return this November to help tackle Indigenous smoking rates through the Maningrida Footy Festival.
The project is co-delivered by Sydney, the Australian Defence Force (ADF), and the locally based Mala'la Aboriginal Health Service as part of the federal government's Tackling Indigenous Smoking program.
The initiative leverages football to promote healthy habits, focusing on both anti-smoking messaging and education around the dangers of second-hand smoke.
While the program initially focused on helping community members kick the habit, it has since expanded to teach kids that exposure to passive smoke impacts their health just as much as smoking itself.
These yearly visits reach remote communities throughout the region, featuring skills clinics and school visits integrated with health workshops.
"For us as players, it's about helping the health staff get the message across," Roberts says.
"Our role is to help promote what they're already doing up there, build confidence in the kids, and basically show them they can be like us if they stay healthy.
"The kids don't care how many games you've played; they just see the Sydney Swans logo, and you have that extra bit of respect from them.
"To reinforce this, we go into the schools and do different activities. For the second-hand smoke message, we had a water squirter. We'd squirt the water to show that even if I'm the one 'smoking', the water (represents how the smoke) can still affect you. Just fun things like that, which hopefully make an impact on their lives."
In addition to engaging in cultural activities, the group hosts a community event featuring training sessions, followed by a health workshop and a barbecue.
The program culminates with travelling teams from across Arnhem Land journeying to Maningrida for the main festival. The event is filled with friendly matches, including youth scratch matches, that feature at least one AFL or AFLW player. Swans 2012 premiership player Lewis Jetta was also among those who ran out to play last year.
"It's good to get among the local communities and show them we're not too much different – we're all people," Roberts says.
While it's challenging to curb smoking immediately, Roberts has noticed a significant change over the course of his visits. He notes that during the festival, he no longer sees attendees smoking, signalling a strong impact in just a few years.
"I definitely think there's been a positive impact made by building a connection and returning for multiple years," he says.
"If the event were a one-off thing, it would lose its weight a bit, but the continual growth has been positive."
Hodges says the impact the visits have had across the region has led to "incredible responses". He even points to the chair of the Aboriginal Medical Service – traditionally a heavy smoker – who now abstains during their visit.
"These are small steps, but they are big in reality," he says.
"The community has been really respectful of the things we put in place, including making it known that the festival is a non-smoking venue."
To ensure the message resonates, the program uses signage in four different dialects. With 15 different dialects spoken in Maningrida, this initiative is the first health program to roll out messaging in First Languages in the area.
For the Swans' marquee home game during Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Marn Grook, a majority of the club's 21 past Indigenous players will be in attendance. This includes the club's oldest living player, 84-year-old Reuben Cooper, who made history as the first First Nations player from the Territory to play in the VFL.
The celebration extends beyond past greats, with a large group travelling from Maningrida to engage with the club throughout the week, strengthening the bond with remote Indigenous communities.
"It has a massive impact on us as a club and me personally. I'm learning a lot more about First Nations people, how they live, and how they've lived for thousands of years," Roberts says.
"Hopefully, by building these relationships, we can help bring some of their way of life back into ours and showcase their cultural and artistic talent.
"It's nice to grow as a person and learn these things along the way."
