The Essendon District Football League is 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.
The EDFL will join six 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.
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.”
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.”
Click HERE for more information.
