All first-year AFL players converged in Melbourne this week for the annual AFL Players’ Association Induction Camp at Etihad Stadium.

The two-day program is designed to teach these young men about some of the important off-field matters that go hand-in-hand with becoming being an AFL player - such as life skills, decision making, the importance of wellbeing, diversity in the AFL, and respect and responsibility.

The Brisbane Lions boasted the largest contingent, with 10 players being introduced into the system for the first time - James Aish, Darcy Gardiner, Daniel McStay, Lewis Taylor, Tom Cutler, Nick Robertson, Jonathan Freeman, Isaac Conway, Zac O’Brien and Archie Smith.

The players were joined in Melbourne by the Club’s Manager of Welfare, Leadership and Culture, Manny Lynch, as well as Player Welfare and Education Coordinator, Aleisha Whitelock.

Lynch said the  trip would not only educate the young players in the finer aspect of being an AFL player, but also help them forge an even closer bond together as a group.

“There’s been a big change in our Club’s list, which is healthy, but to get them away together is great,” Lynch said.

“They get to catch up with the other guys who have been drafted around the country, but also spend some time together as a Brisbane Lions group.

“One thing we have noticed is that there’s a vast dynamic within the group, but they function together really well.”

Whitelock, meanwhile, said the experience had been a real eye-opener for the Club’s newest recruits.

“It’s really important that they listen to what’s being said and take it all in, because there’s a lot of information that they might not have known coming into the system about what it actually means to be an AFL player,” she said.

“One thing they were surprised to hear about was the funds that are available to them once they retire or get delisted. That information was new to them, and they were pleased to hear that there was money being put aside by the AFL Players’ Association for their future.”

Although the two-day seminar provided a mountain of content for the players to digest, such matters are re-enforced by the Club on a regular basis.

“A lot of what is said in the presentations could be considered ‘common sense’, but it’s important the Club continues to drill these points into them at different times,” Whitelock said.

“For instance, from a social media perspective, our own media department often educate players on what’s appropriate to put on Twitter or Instagram. So those sorts of things certainly get re-hashed by the Club.”