Fitzroy Stars to host footy festival to celebrate NAIDOC Week

Ex-AFL great Eddie Betts is the headline act as Fitzroy Stars host a footy festival at Sir Doug Nicholls Oval for the NFNL Division 3 top-of-the-table blockbuster against Laurimar.

Eddie Betts in action for Fitzroy Stars.

It promises to be a day rarely seen in local footy.

Sir Doug Nicholls Oval will host live music, an animal farm, dodgem cars and a range of other kids activities and more.

And that’s before ex-AFL superstar Eddie Betts takes the field in Fitzroy Stars’ NFNL Division 3 top-of-the-table blockbuster against Laurimar.

The Stars’ NAIDOC Round promises to be a festival of football.

The action will begin at 10am with the Stars’ women’s team hosting South Morang, an early taste of finals with the two teams sitting second and fourth.

The Power is undefeated on top of the ladder in the reserve grade, while Fitzroy is third, and in the seniors the Stars are the undefeated ladder-leader and Laurimar is second.

Stars’ football operations manager Luke McKeown said it would be the club’s biggest day of the year.

“It’s going to be huge,” McKeown said.

“There’s going to be plenty for the family and then you can watch Eddie Betts run around.

“The day will also be about health and well-being and connection.

“We have a partnership with Deadly Choices Health Check to promote the importance of a health check and it is compulsory for all players.

“The partnership goes back to the 70s.

“Being at the Stars is bigger than football, it’s connection, it’s active participation, a safe place, caring for and building community.”

For the first time, the Stars will wear new NAIDOC jumpers across all three teams playing on the day.

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A NAIDOC Cup will be presented to the winners in the women’s and senior men’s games.

The match will be Betts’ third appearance of the season having previously faced Old Eltham Collegians and Lalor.

He bagged five goals against the Turtles in Round 3 and another six against the Bloods a fortnight ago.

Entry is free.