Essendon District Football League and Western Football Netball League are gearing up as part of a record 72,000-player Pat Cronin Foundation round, spanning 120 venues from Melbourne to Bendigo between May 2 and 4.
They will join five other leagues in the 3038 team event in honouring the memory of a 19-year-old Pat Cronin, a promising young footballer who lost his life after he was struck by a coward punch during a night out in Melbourne in 2016.
Every player will wear a yellow armband – the official colour of the foundation – to symbolise a stand against all forms of violence, including the coward punch.
Scheduled highlights of the round include marquee matches on Saturday, May 3, Yarraville Seddon and Spotswood in the Western league and East Sunbury and Glenroy at John McMahon Reserve in the EDFL.
EDFL chief executive Andrew Johnston said it’s an honour again to be participating in such an important weekend to play our role in eradicating this senseless action in our community.
“It’s vital that the EDFL community continues to receive education and be reminded about strategies for managing emotions.
“We can’t wait to see players from Under 8s to seniors wearing the yellow armbands to continue the conversation and education.”
WFNL chief executive David Jennings said violence has no place in our communities, and it is essential that we work together to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring.
“By partnering with the Pat Cronin Foundation, we are taking a proactive step in promoting a safe and inclusive environment within our League and beyond,” he said.
“We’re delighted to have Spotswood and Yarraville Seddon playing in our Pat Cronin Foundation Round marquee match and we’re sure not only these two clubs, but all of our clubs will again be great supporters of the day.”
Foundation director Matt Cronin, the father of Pat, said the growth of the round in the past two seasons had been “incredibly humbling”.
“The yellow armband is not just a symbol. It’s a conversation starter about managing emotions on and off the field and walking away from violence – helping to prevent situations that can change lives forever.”
