Essendon District Football League and Northern 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 Lower Plenty and Thomastown at Lower Penty Oval in the Northern league and East Sunbury and Glenroy at John McMahon Reserve.
Foundation director Matt Cronin, the father of Pat, said the growth of the round in the past two seasons had been “incredibly humbling”.
“Participation in the round this year alone is up by nearly 30 per cent,” he said. “In addition, we’re anticipating around 250,000 spectators across the weekend, which is an amazing opportunity to deliver our messages into the heart of communities where the impact is felt most.
“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.”
NFNL chief executive Martin Stillman said the round was a significant event on the NFNL calendar.
“Since 2016, the league has proudly partnered with the Pat Cronin Foundation to promote awareness around the importance of ‘walking away from violence’,” he said.
“We’re pleased to see an increasing number of leagues and clubs supporting the foundation’s message, continuing the movement that began with the NFNL’s involvement nearly a decade ago.”
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.”
Details: https://patcroninfoundation.org.au/pcf-round/
