By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE Doveton and Pakenham footy clubs will this weekend join forces in the campaign to prevent violence against women.
Both teams will take the field on Saturday for the inaugural White Ribbon match, another watershed moment in the campaign following the launch of Doveton’s white ribbon adorned jumpers at the start of this season.
The tragic deaths of Kylie Blackwood and Rani Featherston in the past year sees Saturday’s game carry even greater significance for each team.
“This match is another piece of the jigsaw puzzle,” Pakenham Football Club president Steve Moloney said.
“Doveton has shown really good initiative with their White Ribbon campaign and there’s been a substantial amount of money getting it up and running.
“It’s a big day for them.”
Saturday’s Casey Cardinia League match will see the under-17s, under-19s, reserves and seniors sides from both teams play on the White Ribbon stage at Doveton’s Robinson Oval.
Former player and AFL Respect and Responsibility ambassador Russell Robertson will be a guest speaker on the day while former Casey police Inspector Wayne Viney will talk to spectators and players about the campaign.
Last year there were more than 7000 reports of family violence in the City of Casey, City of Greater Dandenong and Cardinia.
Doveton Football Club president Shane Viney said he will urge his players to listen intently to the message delivered by both men on Saturday.
“Hopefully, when they sit there and hear Russell Robertson and Wayne Viney the players can understand that this campaign is not only about violence,” he said.
“It’s about the way we treat women in general, we shouldn’t be making them feel feared and unwanted.
“When we go to White Ribbon meetings a lot of things are on projector screens, I want to get that sort of thing through to the club, to have sessions during the year.
“You hear about it and talk about it but until you sit in these meetings, it does open your eyes up.”
Mr Viney pledged the club’s support for the campaign after Cranbourne police sergeant and former Doveton player Graeme Stanley approached him and club legend Steve Henwood with the idea.
All three men are now members of the City of Casey’s Challenge Family Violence program which brings together prominent male figures from the community to educate them about the violence against women initative.
“You’ve got to keep reinforcing the message – we want to do an annual White Ribbon game against Doveton,” Mr Moloney said.
“Then it becomes a focus and the message is in the forefront of everyone’s mind.
“We’ve got to meet this head on as a community and there’s no better way than local footy.”
For more information on the White Ribbon campaign, visit www.whiteribbon.org.au.
