By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
ANOTHER step in preventing violence against women was taken on the weekend when the Doveton Football Club presented its players with their inaugural white ribbon jumpers to launch the 2014 season.
The club’s under-17, under-19, reserve and senior players were all presented with the jumpers, an official recognition of the club’s commitment to stop violence against women at Doveton’s Robinson Oval on Saturday night.
Doveton’s captains and vice-captains were also announced for the 2014 season as the club threw its support behind the campaign.
Club legend and committee member Steve Henwood was one of the driving forces in committing the club to wearing the white ribbon jumpers for at least the next three years, along with club president Shane Viney and police Sergeant and former Doveton player Graeme Stanley.
Mr Henwood was met with applause on Saturday when he informed the crowd at the presentation night that Doveton players, as far as he was aware, will be the first in Australia to wear the white ribbon on their jumpers for all matches in 2014.
Mr Henwood told the crowd how important it was for the players at the club, including the youngsters, to understand and acknowledge the history and purpose of the white ribbon campaign.
“In 1991 on the second anniversary of the massacre of 14 women by a lone gunman in Montreal, Canada, a handful of men initiated a white ribbon campaign to speak out against violence against women,” Mr Henwood told the players.
“The ribbon signifies men’s public pledge never to commit, excuse or remain silent against violence against women.”
Last year there were more than 7000 reports of family violence in the City of Casey, City of Greater Dandenong and the Cardinia shire.
This translates to one report of family violence in these areas roughly every 75 minutes.
But Sgt Stanley wanted to make it clear to those in the room that these statistics weren’t indicative of the Doveton Football Club itself.
“There are a couple of misconceptions that I’d like to clear up,” he said.
“The reason we’re down here at Doveton is not because you have the greatest statistics of family violence, the reason is that this is an education program where we’re trying to get the community involved and develop leaders within the community to step up and do something about violence against women.”
Doveton captain and coach Shannon Henwood said he and the players were “rapt” to pledge their support to the white ribbon campaign, and that awareness was certainly growing among the playing group.
“I hope this can show that there are a lot of good people here trying to do good things,” he said.
For more on the White Ribbon cause, visit www.whiteribbon.org.au.
