By Nick Creely
Both Keysborough and Springvale Districts are doing everything in their power to keep Shaun Oliver’s heroic legacy alive.
The two football clubs have agreed to compete for a memorial trophy named in Shaun’s honour, with the two sides’ Under 19s clash next year to be earmarked for a special event, however the date and venue is yet to be locked in until the fixture comes out early next year.
Oliver, 32, drowned on Sunday 10 September while trying to rescue a stranger’s child who was caught in a rip on a NSW beach, a heroic act that captured headlines around the country.
The two clubs – which Shaun played at during his promising football career – will fundraise at the game for Shaun’s young family – his wife Carla and three children.
The best-on-ground, or the player that best displays qualities of Shaun on the day, is likely to be awarded some sort of medal presented by a member of his family.
Springvale Districts president Sean Francis said that while there is still a lot of the finer details to be sorted out with Keysy, it is an honour to be able to pay tribute to a man he believes is a ‘true hero’.
“We only really started discussing it a couple of weeks ago (with Keysborough), and there’s always been a thought that something would be produced in his honour,” he explained.
“It probably doesn’t do it justice considering what he did, but it’s the least we can do as a football club, to show support and get behind the family and the community.
“We will definitely play each other at least once, and if we play twice, we could make it into a potential trophy.”
Francis urged the community to become involved, and called on young footballers to live a life of selflessness like Shaun did.
“We want to try and promote the sacrifice he made, and it’s fitting it’s the Under 19s as well,“ he said.
“We’ve got a lot of young men in the community and in both footy clubs, and if we can promote Shaun and the life he lived, it’ll go a long way in helping them turn into decent young men.”
Keysborough vice-president Steve McLean couldn’t agree more, and hopes the event will shed a light on the kind of person that impacted on the community.
“I knew Shaun, I’ve been around the club for years, and it was a tragedy for all of us – knowing the kind of guy he was, and how he helped others all the time, it kind of proved in the end with what happened,” he said.
A GoFundMe page, set up by Shaun’s cousin Nathanael, aims to raise money to support his young family, with over $375,000 already raised.
To donate to the cause, visit https://www.gofundme.com/shaun-oliver-died-saving-others
