Opinion Commentary & Media VI

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North Melbourne visit brings inspiration and relief for Rochester kids​

JD
By Jenny Denton
Updated February 13 2023 - 7:21pm,


There were only a handful of supporters among the 200-plus Rochester district school children who hosted a visit from North Melbourne players on Monday, and some of the questions were tough.

"How many grand finals have you won?" the group of six was asked, and "How many games last season?"
The answer, for the record, was four grand finals and two wins.

Player Jaidyn Stephenson said children could be "brutal" but he appreciated their honesty.

"They always just say what comes to their mind."

The midfielder was speaking to the media about his link to the area - his grandfather, who grew up in Swan Hill and played around the region, lived in Rochester for six months, working in the menswear store, and won a grand final with the town's team in 1962.

Stephenson said the family history made him keen to take part in Monday's visit, which would hopefully help inspire the next generation of footballers, "whether at AFL, VFL or community level".

The other players had forged a relationship with Rochester through a visit by 200-300 local children North Melbourne hosted at its community HQ, The Huddle, in November, just a few weeks after the town was inundated.

Those who made the trip over from Bendigo to Rochester on Monday were Stephenson, Aidan Corr, Brayden George, Nick Larkey, Luke McDonald, Daniel Howe and Will Phillips.

The visit was "something positive" that meant a lot for the pupils from the four schools who attended, Rochester Primary School teacher Janine Trickey said, particularly the older ones.

The event, "a pleasure and distraction" from the difficulties the town continues to experience, would become a long-term memory for them, she said.

For St Joseph's Primary School deputy principal Jessica Carmichael, it signalled a return of normality after "that big ending to the year".

"Just the community experiencing this together shows we've all been through something really big and we're going to get through it as one as well." Steve Rasmussen from Rochester Primary saw it as a valuable opportunity for the pupils to get out and be active.

While it is a tough time for the town, with reconstruction seemingly at a standstill, in general the young ones were handling the situation well, Mr Rasmussen said.
"They are good, they've bounced back well, they're dealing with a lot of pressure but they've been fantastic."

Meanwhile, as the kids swarmed the oval at the Rochester recreation reserve testing out new footballs and flags courtesy of the visitors, contractors Juffs Fencing were replacing fences that had been pretty much knocked flat by the October flooding.
 

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