Aussie stars called out violence against women

Australian stars including Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana and Collingwood captain Darcy Moore will feature in video played at the MCG on Friday night, calling out violence against women.

A powerful new video featuring Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana and Collingwood captain Darcy Moore will air at the MCG on Friday night, as part of a campaign led by the chief justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court urging men to help end violence against women.

Prominent Australian men including musician Vance Joy, actor Travis Fimmel, comedians Hamish Blake and Mick Molloy, and sports stars James Sicily, Usman Khawaja and Johnathan Thurston also contributed video messages which will be played to more than 90,000 spectators at the Collingwood v Hawthorn clash.

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore features in the video. Picture: Michael Klein

The campaign was spearheaded by Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia chief justice Will Alstergren, who said it was important that men in leadership positions were seen as being part of the push to end gendered violence.

“This is about bringing men into the conversation, not calling them out,” he said.

“Something must be done to prevent this behaviour before it occurs, and men need to be part of that conversation and the solution.”

“For Australians, sport is the perfect arena in which to start these conversations.”

Justice Alstergren said the initiative aims to not only raise awareness but to push for greater investment in support services — for both victim-survivors of family violence and for men committing violence, to help them change harmful behaviour.

Ben Vasiliou, the CEO of The Man Cave, which works with boys and young men to promote emotional literacy and healthy masculinity, said preventing family violence was about more than intervention, it was about reshaping the future.

“After working with over 88,000 boys and young men, we know that when we empower them with the tools to understand themselves, express emotions safely, and respect others, we don’t just prevent violence — we grow stronger communities,” he said.

“This starts by surrounding boys with role models who show that strength is found in empathy, accountability and care.”

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.