A trophy with a cause

By Daniel McBride

With the hype surrounding Saturday’s blockbuster derby between the Swans and the GIANTS it is easy to overlook the work the AFL is doing to stop violence against women.

The Swans and the GIANTS will do battle on Saturday afternoon for the White Ribbon Trophy and raise awareness for a very real problem in Australia.

White Ribbon is Australia’s campaign to stop male violence towards women and the AFL has stepped up to help lead the charge.

Pru Goward, Minister for Family and Community Services, Minister for Women explained the importance of the White Ribbon/AFL relationship whilst talking at a press conference to launch the 2013 AFL season in Sydney.

”You [AFL players] are the role models for Australia’s future generations of men… that has to know that it is not right and not acceptable to be violent against women,” Minister Goward said.

Chairman of White Ribbon, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie said of the joint AFL, White Ribbon and Government initiative: “Two great football teams, the AFL as an organisation, and the Premier leading the state, it’s groupings like this, powerful groupings, that we need to come together to address the blight we have in our country of male led violence against our female population.”

Premier Barry O’Farrell said: “The match this weekend is a great tradition and I wish both the football teams well and I commend you for your involvement in the White Ribbon cause.”

The added prestige of winning the White Ribbon trophy will no doubt be on the minds of the players come Saturday night.