AFL Players for Climate Action launched after Black Summer bushfire survivor’s plea
More than 250 AFL stars have answered a desperate plea from a bushfire survivor, who wants them to take on the world and act to save our planet.
Environment
Don't miss out on the headlines from Environment. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A desperate plea from a bushfire survivor has inspired more than 250 footy players to form a new team to take on the world.
Players across the men’s and women’s leagues - including Essendon Captain Dyson Heppell, Sydney co-captain Luke Parker, Melbourne premiership star Ben Brown and AFLW stars Daisy Pearce, Emma Kearney and Erin Phillips - are today launching AFL Players for Climate Action.
It was after Gippsland granddad Rob Fitzclarence saw his workshop burn down in the Black Summer fires that he realised urgent action was needed. And so he sat down to pen a heartfelt letter on behalf of his three-year-old grandson Finn.
The world needed a hero, he reckoned, and he turned his mind to the first heroes he remembered - the footy stars he worshipped as a kid. So in late 2019, as the fires raged, he sent this message to the AFL Players Association:
“I am just a letter making a plea to the world on behalf of a little boy and an old man.
“The idea – A team made up of players from all rival teams to demonstrate that partisan barriers are not necessary, setting an example of unity.
“The problems facing our kids are everybody’s and so only everybody can do something about it, not some magical politicians, journalists, activists, but everybody.
“So the bright idea is for the AFL Players Association to be not only ambassadors of a sporting code but of a country.”
Initially Mr Fitzclarence received no response. But today, two years later, that call has been answered and AFL Players for Climate Action has been born.
Helmed by North Melbourne player Tom Campbell and his former teammate Jasper Pittard, it officially launches today with 258 players on board.
Among them is Bombers star Heppell, who said growing up in Gippsland gave him a great respect for the country.
“I love our natural environment,” Heppell said.
“Growing up in Gippsland in country Victoria, I have a mad appreciation for the landscape down there and right across Australia. I think it’s important for me to get involved in AFL Players for Climate Action to allow future generations to be able to enjoy the natural environment as well.
“The bushfires came through Gippsland and destroyed a lot of our natural landscape along with countless animal species. Extreme weather and natural disasters can have a devastating impact on life in the country.”
Brown said that becoming a dad had driven home the need for him to take action.
“Having kids has really brought this home to me,” he said.
“I want to make sure my children get to enjoy the great outdoors, and summer sport, just like I did growing up in Tassie. We need to act now to avoid the worst climate impacts.”
Parker said he had an obligation to use his standing to make a difference.
“Being surrounded by like minded people who care for our only planet makes you feel part of a community,” he said.
“Having a voice and using my platform as an AFL player is the least I can do for everybody’s future.”
For Pearce, environmentalism runs in the family.
“My mum is an environmentalist, and has been concerned about the human impact on the planet her whole life,” she said.
“Things have become more urgent but we are still here trying to have a conversation about the need for action.”
Co-founder Campbell said the Black Summer bushfires were a turning point for him.
“I’ve been aware of climate change since I was a kid, but the Black Summer bushfires prompted me to do more about the issue,” he said.
“I was shocked by the pictures that we were seeing of whole communities being evacuated, homes being razed and devastated by the stories of lives being lost.”
His fellow co-founder Pittard said he wanted future generations to have the same green sporting fields he played on.
“I’d hate for future generations of Australians to miss out on the opportunities we had to play sport and explore the beautiful landscapes, and it would be completely unfair of us to choose not to do our bit,” he said.
“Australia has a huge opportunity to be world leaders on this stuff - just look at our renewable energy resources - and I really want to help get us to the point that we’re leading the way.”
As for Rob Fitzclarence from Mallacoota, his dream has finally become real.
“I would simply like to say how happy I am,” he said
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL Players for Climate Action launched after Black Summer bushfire survivor’s plea
Join the conversation
‘Life and death’: Biden tells Florida to flee Hurricane Milton
US President Joe Biden has begged Florida residents to flee Hurricane Milton, warning it could turn into the worst natural disaster in a century. See photos, video.
Read more
‘Worst in a century’: Why Hurricane Milton is a monster
With its astonishing speed, small ‘eye’ and destructive potential, Hurricane Milton is like nothing America has ever seen before. Here’s why it has authorities so worried. See photos, video.
Read more