The Power heads to Yorke Peninsula next week, with the Port Adelaide Football Club visiting the region for its 2013 Australia Post AFL Community Camp – and everyone is invited to join in.

Players and coaches will take time out of their NAB Cup campaign to visit schools, hospitals, aged care homes and other community facilities on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 February.

Children across the peninsula can also learn from AFL footballers during free NAB Auskick clinics at Kadina Oval and Minlaton Oval from 4.30pm until 8pm on Monday, with barbecues and autograph signing sessions at both locations. Interested families just need to turn up on the afternoon and enjoy the clinics and hospitality.

Yorke Peninsula has produced two players on the club’s AFL list – brilliant forward Jay Schulz and young ruckman Jarrad Redden.

Schulz – who grew up in Maitland and played with Central York Cougars - said he was looking forward to another visit.

“I am really proud to call Yorke Peninsula home and love getting back whenever I can, so to be coming over for our Community Camp this year is a real bonus,” Schulz said.

“We’ll get to share our club and bring a bit of the world of AFL to people who love their sport and their football in particular, and where we know we have plenty of support.”

Redden - who played with Southern Eagles and hails from near Stansbury where his family still lives - said the Community Camp would provide an opportunity to give back to the people of Yorke Peninsula.

“If it wasn’t for my upbringing and everyone involved with my schooling and my junior footy at home, I could never have got as far as I have,” Redden said.

“All footballers owe so much to the people who were in their lives when they were young and for me that means the people of Yorke Peninsula.

“Everyone at the club is really looking forward to getting over there for a couple of days.”

Schulz and Redden will visit their old schools during the camp, with the squad dividing into small groups. Half will focus on the northern part of Yorke Peninsula with others spending their two days in southern communities.

The camp will reach at least 17 towns from Port Broughton and Kadina to Yorketown and Stansbury, along with all major communities in between.

Darren Adamson – general manager of Power Community Ltd, the Port Adelaide Football Club’s community division - said the players would take healthy living messages to approximately 2800 students in 20 schools.

“Our players see it as a privilege and a responsibility to act as good role models for your people wherever they are, but especially in regional communities” Mr Adamson said.

“With the support of Australia Post, we can get right across Yorke Peninsula to talk to students about the need for a good diet, physical exercise, sleep and balanced mix of activities in their lives,” Mr Adamson said.

“We find the players are really good at getting these messages through because it’s not every day an AFL footballer drops into a class room to provide a bit of a different voice, particularly in regional areas.”

Mr Adamson said the Auskick clinics would be a highlight of the Community Camp.

“We are excited to bring people together at Kadina and Minlaton on the Monday afternoon to share a bit of football fun and meet with as many people as we can,” he said.

“It won’t be long before the kids’ footy seasons get under way, so we hope plenty of youngsters and their families come out to the clinics and get some pre-season training in with our players.”

The travelling party will also visit a number of hospitals, aged care homes and residential living facilities.

Port Adelaide is proud to be staging its first Australia Post AFL Community Camp on Yorke Peninsula, having visited many areas of the state over the past 11 years.

Port Adelaide is again offering Country Membership for the 2013 AFL season, with adults receiving access to five Power home games and other member entitlements for just $15 a month over 10 months.

To join the club, visit weareportadelaide.com.au or call 1300 GO PAFC (1300 467 232).