Geelong and Carlton players will put their best foot forward for a good cause for AFL Round 15 with Victoria’s second-largest home builder, AHB Group, to donate $1,000 to Carlton Respects for every goal kicked.
The June 21 match signifies the ninth annual event to raise awareness for Carlton Respects – a flagship community initiative of Carlton Football Club developed in 2016 in response to the alarming statistics around family violence in Australia.
On average, one woman is killed every week at the hands of her current or former partner. Research from Our Watch identified that sport can influence, inform and shape attitudes about important causes, such as gender equality.
All funds raised during the match will help support the delivery and expansion of the Road to Respect program, a free digital learning platform and face-to-face program for primary school students in Grades 3 to 6. The program aims to encourage respectful relationships, manage emotions, seek help and challenge pre-existing gender
stereotypes. AFL and AFLW players feature in the program to engage students, reinforce the content and act as role models.
To date, the program has been delivered to over 9,200 students, with the goal of educating 27,000 students across all states by 2027. The last match between the two Victorian teams saw 33 goals kicked collectively, which, if replicated, would see AHB Group donate up to $30,000 during Round 15.
Other corporate sponsors to donate on goals kicked include Anaconda, Hyundai, Great Southern Bank (Carlton goals only), C&M Build Group (Carlton goals only), One Love (Carlton goals only) and AMPOL (Carlton goals only).
“The Carlton Respects program is one that we feel deeply passionate about; it has the capabilities to influence the next generation, and that is pretty powerful,” said AHB group founder and director Charles Agius.
“Although a die-hard Carlton supporter, it is one of the only games where I will be actively encouraging Geelong to kick as many goals as they can as it will all be going to a great cause”.
Established in 2005, AHB Group has grown to become the second-largest builder in Victoria and ranks fifth in Australia with 2,100 homes currently under construction across metro and regional Victoria and a further 2,600 in the pipeline.
“Carlton Respects is a core initiative for the Club and highlights our commitment to playing a role in achieving gender equality, helping to create a safe and respectful society for all women. Gender-based violence is preventable, and we acknowledge the large platform we have and the important role we play in raising awareness on such an important issue,” said Carlton CEO Brian Cook.
“The AFL Carlton Respects Game will help raise further awareness for the social cause and funds for our school program, available for free to schools nationwide. As a society, we have a collective responsibility to step up and stop it at the start, which is why our school program is so important,” he said.
AHB Group will also partake in the quarter-time Race for Respect activation, where teams of sponsors, a child involved in the Road for Respect education program and a celebrity will race one another on the ground. Some celebrities involved include Andy Lee, Alana King, Andy Maher, Liesel Jones, Ed Curnow, Jason Richardson, Michelle Timms and more.
Carlton’s Gold Match-Day partner, Bupa, will donate $1 for every person attending the Round 15 Carlton v Geelong game, which will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday, June 21.
