By Russell Bennett
Local footy has always been about so much more than just the sport, itself. It’s about community, it’s about mateship, and it’s so often about banding together to raise awareness of causes close to people’s hearts.
In a couple of weeks – in Round 12 of the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition season – Nar Nar Goon will host Kooweerup in a showdown sure to draw a bumper crowd.
But this won’t just be any old match-up between two proud old clubs. This is about something so much more.
Nar Nar Goon senior football coach Kris Fletcher played in two premierships at Beaconsfield with great mate, and Kooweerup senior coach Ben Collins who was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Through seeing just how close to home the disease can hit, Fletcher stepped forward with an idea to dedicate the Goon’s home clash with the Demons to cancer awareness and the Cancer Council.
Though some of the details are still being ironed out, Fletcher explained the situation on Saturday at Nar Nar Goon’s sponsors and life members luncheon in the Spencer Street rooms.
While he was being interviewed by one of the function’s special guests, Seven football reporter Mark Stevens, Fletcher paused to speak about Round 12.
“One of my good mates is the coach of Kooweerup and he was diagnosed recently with testicular cancer – soon after Jesse Hogan,” Fletcher said.
“It rocked his family and his friends and the core group of people in his life pretty hard and I went to Ben and the footy club with the idea of having a cancer awareness day in conjunction with the Cancer Council.
“I can’t thank the footy club enough because they’re behind it and supporting it fully.
“We’re going to have a big morning tea and a big afternoon tea – the morning tea focussing more on the younger players with the Under 16s and 18s playing, and the afternoon with the seniors.
“We want to raise money for the Cancer Council and the club will also donate a percentage of the gate takings and there’ll be other fundraising throughout the day.
“In conjunction with Kooweerup we believe it’ll be a successful day and I personally just want to make people aware of it because it’s going to a great cause.
“Footy clubs like Nar Nar Goon and Kooweerup are true community clubs. The community owns them, and without its support these sorts of things can’t happen.
“Clubs are an outlet for a lot of people – from different backgrounds – where we can all get together on a weekend and have a great time socially.
“Although we want to kill each other out there on the Saturday, off the field we all get along and we don’t want to see this happen to anyone. We just hope to see another big crowd and as many people as possible come across and support the event.”
Spencer Street, Nar Nar Goon will host the round on 2 July – starting with the Under 16s from 9am.
