AFL community supports White Ribbon Day

AFL NSW/ACT General Manager Tom Harley, speaking at a community event in Nowra, said it was an important issue for the community to support.

“Today is all about awareness and taking the white ribbon oath. It is simple yet powerful,” he said.

“When an act of violence is committed against a woman, it is no one’s fault but the perpetrator.

“No women deserve to be abused – either physically, verbally or mentally. We all need to realise that the victims are not merely statistics, they are the wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and friends.”

White Ribbon is an organisation that works to prevent the most common and pervasive form of male violence – that towards women. One in three Australian women over the age of 15 has reported experiencing physical or sexual violence at some time in their lives.

The GIANTS will play the Sydney Swans for the White Ribbon Trophy at ANZ Stadium in the opening round of the 2013 AFL season on March 30.

The White Ribbon Trophy is awarded to the winning team in each Sydney Derby between the GIANTS and the Swans.

GIANTS Head Coach Kevin Sheedy said the club, together with the Swans and the AFL, was committed to helping raise awareness about violence against women.

“As a husband, father of daughters and also a grandfather, I am very proud to be associated with White Ribbon and pleased the GIANTS can do our little bit with the Swans for this very important organisation,” Sheedy said.

“We want to encourage other Australian men to join us in telling the community that any sort of violence against women is simply unacceptable.” 

Co-captain Phil Davis said the players were also very pleased to be involved with such an important organisation and support it through the White Ribbon Trophy.

“We can’t wait for round one to play the Swans but we really look forward to the day when we can all say that violence against women is a thing of the past. It simply has no place in the community,” Davis said.