WFNL PLAYERS TAKE STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE FOR PAT CRONIN FOUNDATION ROUND
The Western Football Netball League is honoured to be part of the Pat Cronin Foundation Round, taking place this weekend (May 2-4).
The weekend will honour the memory of teenager Pat Cronin, who tragically lost his life after a Coward Punch while on a night out in Melbourne in April, 2016.
Set to be one of the biggest sporting weekends of the month in Melbourne, the Round will unite more than 3000 teams across seven leagues – including 34 from the WFNL as well as 72,000 players in a powerful stand against violence.
Among an array of initiatives, every player in the Round will wear a yellow armband – the official colour of the Foundation – and a powerful reminder about the importance of managing emotions.
Spotswood and Yarraville Seddon will go head-to-head at Donald McLean Reserve on May 3 in what will be the league’s marquee match day as part of the Pat Cronin Foundation Round.
“Violence has no place in our communities, and it is essential that we work together to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring,” WFNL Chief Executive Officer David Jennings said.
“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”.
“We’re delighted to have Spotswood and Yarraville Seddon playing in our Pat Cronin Foundation Round marquee match this year and I thank all Member Clubs and their respective teams for getting behind the Foundation”.
Foundation Director Matt Cronin, the father of Pat, said the Round had grown dramatically in the past two years and complemented the organisation’s violence-prevention education program in schools and sports clubs, directly reaching 80,000 young Australians a year.
“In addition to the thousands of players taking part in this year’s Round, we estimate our messages will reach 250,000 spectators over the three days of competition – which is a massive opportunity to spark meaningful conversations in the wider community.
“As part of the weekend, we’ll be encouraging all clubs to get involved with our evidence-based Be Wise presentations which explore the devastating impact of senseless violence and offer practical tools to deal with conflict as well as anger and other emotions.”
Other leagues taking part in the Round are: Eastern Football Netball League, Essendon District Football League, Northern Football Netball League, Riddell District Football Netball League, Yarra Junior Football League and Bendigo Football Netball League.
Looking ahead, Mr Cronin hopes to extend the event, reaching into other leagues, sports and communities across Victoria.
For more information about the Round, visit https://patcroninfoundation.org.au/pcf-round/.
To support the Pat Cronin Foundation by purchasing a raffle ticket HERE