The Essendon District Football League and Riddell District 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, between East Sunbury and Glenroy at John McMahon Reserve, and between Kyneton and Riddell in the RDFNL.
It’s the first time the RDFNL has been involved.
“RDFNL chief executive Jordan Doyle said the league was proud to be part of such a meaningful initiative.
‘’As an organisation, the RDFNL aims to promote positive causes within our communities which can also potentially assist in educating our participants,’’ he said.
“Helping young people understand the consequences of violence and giving them the tools to manage their emotions – especially under pressure – is vital.’’
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.”
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,” he said.
Details: patcroninfoundation.org.au/pcf-round/
