Essendon’s Round One NAB Cup opener against St Kilda and Brisbane at Etihad Stadium will feature a number of initiatives to help raise money and support communities affected by the recent floods.
As well as the round robin style match-ups between three competing AFL clubs in each of the six round one fixtures, a series of fundraising activities, including special nine-a-side Legends and Celebrity matches, will be staged as part of football’s response to the floods.
AFL Chief Operating Officer Gillon McLachlan and AFL Players’ Association General Manager of Player Relations, Ian Prendergast today announced that each match in Round One of the 2011 NAB Cup, to be played across the weekends of February 11-13 and February 18-20, will raise funds for those community football clubs who had facilities damaged by floods.
“Australians have been deeply affected by the floods that have impacted so many Australians in different parts of our country,” Mr McLachlan said.
“Our players, our clubs, our partners, our supporters and the wider football community have all been seeking ways that we can support those Australians and their communities who have been badly affected by this natural disaster, with many great suggestions coming to us over the last few weeks.
The 2011 NAB Cup is being played under a new format, following the introduction of the Gold Coast Suns and the GWS Giants, as the competition’s 17th and 18th sides. Each of the 18 clubs has been divided into six pools of three for Round One in which each club will play two matches in their pool against the other two sides, and Mr McLachlan and Mr Prendergast said each of the Round One matches would now feature an expanded program on match-day to enable the wider football community, and fans across the country, to support those affected by the recent floods.
- Non-playing team members on the day will be available for autograph sessions with supporters;
- A 15 per cent contribution from the gate receipts for all round one matches of the NAB Cup (around $3 per adult ticket) will be used to support needy community football clubs hit by the floods;
- All children under the age of 18 who register on-line in advance for round one tickets, will be admitted free
