Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne to face off in Good Friday match
NORTH Melbourne and Western Bulldogs will meet in a historic Good Friday twilight encounter at Eithad Stadium next year, with the contest set to boost the coffers of the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal.
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NORTH Melbourne and Western Bulldogs will meet in a historic Good Friday twilight encounter at Eithad Stadium next year, with the contest set to boost the coffers of the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal.
In a bold break with tradition, the AFL has agreed to stage a match on the first day of Easter, but only after assurances that the match would be focused on “doing it for the kids.”
The Kangaroos, who have lobbied to play on Good Friday for almost 30 years, and this year’s premiers, the Western Bulldogs, were officially informed today by the AFL they had beaten a field of other contenders to stage the 4.20pm game on April 14 next year.
AFL general manager of clubs and operations Travis Auld confirmed the decision, saying the league believed the game could prove a serious benefit to the Good Friday Appeal, while insisting the timeslot was aimed at allowing people to observe the religious significance of the day, if they desired.
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“The AFL Commission made a decision a few years ago that they would be prepared for a game to be played on Good Friday,” Auld said.
“They elected not to do that the last couple of season because they just couldn’t find the right opportunity, as Easter was Round 1.”
“This year Easter is Round 4 and we think it gives us an opportunity to schedule a game on Good Friday. In saying that, we want to be really clear that the game supports a number of activities planned for that day.
“First, we have the Good Friday Appeal in Melbourne, which is an iconic event, and we had to be convinced, and we had to convince our partners that we could contribute and add value to that. We also had to be mindful and respectful of the religious services that take place on the day, hence the game being fixtured at 4.20pm.”
It is understood the AFL also alerted the clubs who missed out after lodging submissions, believed to be Carlton and St Kilda.
“This is not confirmed as an ongoing fixture slot for them (North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs),” Auld said.
“We will look at both clubs that compete in this game, but we might move it around the country as we go forward. Some of that will be dependent on its success to the Good Friday Appeal, and how teams are performing and what is the best slot.”
Good Friday Appeal director Anne Randal supported the initiative.
“Football and the Good Friday Appeal are both deeply loved institutions in Victoria and the coming together provides a fantastic opportunity to raise much needed funds for our great hospital,’’ she said.
“The Good Friday Appeal is excited to be working with the AFL, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, Channel 7 and the Herald Sun to make the most of this opportunity.’’
North Melbourne chief executive Carl Dilena said his club was “absolutely thrilled” with the decision, saying they had already been in contact with the Bulldogs to discuss ways in which the Good Friday Appeal could be further supported.
“It’s a tribute to this club’s track record of innovation and a credit to all the great North people like Bob Ansett, Ron Casey and Greg Miller, who initially proposed this game in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s,” Dilena said.
“While we have a game to win, there’s also going to be a lot of cohesion between the clubs and the AFL as we work with the Appeal organisers, the Herald and Weekly Times, and Channel 7, to ensure there’s a good synergy between the two major events.
“We’ve always had a great relationship with the Royal Children’s Hospital, as virtual neighbours, and look forward to helping make this day even greater.”
Bulldogs chief executive Gary Kent said it was “a terrific result” for his club to be involved in such an important event.
“We are looking forward to putting on a great spectacle for all fans, but we also want to ensure the match enhances the Good Friday Appeal and the Royal Children’s Hospital’s fundraising efforts,” Kent said.
The Good Friday Appeal this year, which is run by the Herald and Weekly Times, raised more than $17.4 million, with the expectation that the game at Etihad Stadium could provide an even bigger windfall next year.
Former North Melbourne chairman Bob Ansett, one of the pioneers of the push for Good Friday football in the 1980s, said: “I’d be surprised if Etihad Stadium wasn’t packed to the rafters.
It’s taken a while to come to fruition but it was our idea and it’s great to see we’ve been recognised as pioneers yet again.”
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