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SOME of the Geelong Football Club’s biggest stars shared their leadership skills with Warrnambool secondary school students. The club’s high profile off-season recruit’s Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Selwood and Lachie Henderson joined Mitch Duncan and George Horlin-Smith at Warrnambool’s Brauer College on Thursday afternoon. They spoke to leadership groups from Warrnambool, King’s, Emmanuel and Brauer colleges about the similarities between leadership at school and an AFL Club. It was part of the club’s annual visit to the region, with 40 players visiting primary and secondary schools around the south-west, conducting clinics, signing autographs and answering questions. Dangerfield said speaking to leadership groups was becoming more common for AFL clubs. He said players spent plenty of time at schools doing skills clinics, but were now seeing the benefits of sharing leadership skills as well. “I think it’s brilliant,” Dangerfield said. “It’s good to be able to share leadership knowledge and experience.” Selwood added that not all students were interested in football skills sessions. “But most are drawn to football players,” Selwood said. “So it’s good to be able to offer something different and speak with them at all levels.” A Geelong district local, Dangerfield moved home after seven years at the Adelaide Crows, joining the Cats in what was seen as one of the biggest recruiting coups of the off-season. Dangerfield was school captain at Geelong’s Oberon High School and said there were similarities between leadership at school and an AFL club. “Your’re still working with people, the only real difference is at an AFL club, you’re an adult,” he said. “As a footballer you’re looked up to and seen as a role model. “It’s similar at school, the younger students look up to the leaders and are influenced by their decisions.” Duncan said leadership was about development. “You continually get better at it over time, its something you can continue to develop,” he told the students. After a question and answer session, players and students broke into smaller groups to develop leadership skills and goals.

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