As part of the player development and welfare program at the Crows, first and second year players participate in various sessions to help them to achieve independence and learn skills while they are living away from home.
Diana Ellen, wife of 1997 premiership hero Shane Ellen, is a qualified chef and has been involved in the cooking program with the younger players for five years.
Diana creates menus and demonstrates ways for players to cook healthy meals while saving time in the kitchen.
She believes it is also a way of giving back to their host family while having an opportunity to develop cooking skills in a home environment.
“If they follow it up and they actually get in and cook for their host families it’s incredibly important. They’re pulling their weight but they are also using the skills they have taken away,” Diana said.
“They’re not just having a fun night with the blokes and having a feed, they’re actually going to get a couple of ideas and tricks that might speed up the process of getting the food in the oven or on the plates quicker.
“I think it’s a great thing that the club provides and it’s a good fun night.”
Club dietician Olivia Warnes agrees that it is important for players to be able to cook good food that benefits their training but also fits in with their busy schedule.
“Obviously when you get home and you’ve had a big day training and you don’t want to be spending too much time preparing you just want to sit down and eat,” Olivia said.
“So it’s really important from that perspective as well and it’s really important that they start to learn these skills now while they are there and they can take that on board when they leave home.”
Young forward James Sellar is in his second year at the club and has benefited from the lessons with Diana.
Sellar soon plans to move out of his family’s home and he understands the importance of quick and healthy eating.
“Obviously it’s important to get all the right sorts of foods and the right sorts of carbohydrates and proteins,” Sellar said.
“Diana teaches us some good recipes and it’s quick and easy so it makes it as easy as possible in the kitchen because you don’t want to be there that long!”
