To see Kristian Sarkies meet Geelong kids...
     

She said that Heart plans to engage as many Victorians as possible in their club - particularly in regional areas of the state.

The community programme will be run in conjunction with Heart's major sponsor Westpac and it kicked off this week with a visit to Kardinia international school in Geelong.

Heart midfielder Kristian Sarkies was on hand to meet the students, teachers and parents and help them with their football skills as well as answer questions about the new A-League club.

It was also a chance to promote Heart's visit Geelong in mid-June for the opening leg of the 2010 Westpac Community Football Festival.

Heart arrive on the Bellarine Peninsula on June 15 for a three-day football extravaganza which will see Heart interact with the local football and business community through various through clinics and events.

Heart players will also step in to coach local teams during the festival.

"We'll also be Bendigo and  Morwell for three days and Mildura for two days," Crow, who helped establish the Melbourne Vixens Netball side in 2008 and has worked in the AFL and cricket, told au.fourfourtwo.com. 

"We want to show that we're serious about investing in the regions

As well as visiting schools, clubs will have the opportunity to improve their coaching with Heart's "Coach the Coaches' program featuring Heart's dugout team of John van't Schip, Jesper Olsen and Ante Milicic.

It's all a part of the long-term process of getting the Heart brand - and the A-League - out to new fans.

"It's very important being the new team in town no-one knows us yet and there's still some confusion about our brand and the sport we actually are, so it's very important to get out there as much as possible," added Crow.

The club hopes that by getting out to the regions, they can also turn some of the locals onto the A-League at AAMI Park - Heart's stunning home ground in Melbourne's Swan St.

"We really just want to engage the children so in the future they'll be Heart fans forever and their children will be," she said.

"We're just starting on a journey. And we plan to really build a support base and a club."

In other Heart news, the club is set to have a training camp on the Gold Coast in the lead up to the start of the new A-League season. 

To see Kristian Sarkies meet Geelong kids...