By KATH GANNAWAY
“LET the siren that starts the game be a siren that sounds out our commitment to inclusion, love and respect for all our brothers and sisters.”
As the first ever Pride Cup in support of stamping out homophobia in football got underway between Yarra Glen and Yarra Junction on Saturday, there were some powerful messages delivered on anti-discrimination in all its forms.
From both clubs’ presidents, from the AFL, from the gay and lesbian community, from Yarra Ranges Council, and from beyondblue … among others.
When Uniting Church minister, Reverend Jennie Gordon spoke those words, and asked for a time of silence to remember young gay people who had taken their own lives, or lived in fear and humiliation because they felt unloved and not accepted for who they were, most people got it.
The game, initiated by Yarra Glen coach Dean de Munk in support of openly gay Yarra Glen team member Jason Ball, is breaking ground at the grassroots level.
Jason Ball came out in September 2012, just a week before the club played in the grand final match.
It was acknowledged then, and was acknowledged on the day as a courageous stand by the then 24-year-old footballer who has continued to champion the cause through his work with the AFL, as a beyondblue ambassador and every week as a player in the YVMDFL.
He called on the AFL back then to host a Pride round, but said on Saturday he was happy to have two grassroots clubs, traditional rivals on the ground, lead the way.
Asked about when the AFL might take a speccy against homophobia on the shoulders of Yarra Glen, AFL General Manager Football Operations Mark Evans said while the AFL had moved away from themed matches, if individual clubs came forward the league wouldn’t be against the idea.
Yarra Glen president Vincent Erickson said he believed the AFL would get more support than they might think and said sport was a powerful vehicle to bring communities together to promote social justice and equality.
“Yarra Glen is showcasing what can happen and what should be happening in providing a safe environment for everyone,” he said.
Yarra Junction president Tony Aulich spoke out at the end of a day of what he said was a “lesson in football” on the field, but a day when the sporting community had together made a clear statement on discrimination.
“Any form of discrimination, in our community and in sport is simply not acceptable,” he said.
For Jason Ball, the home match was a milestone in an ongoing journey.
“A lot of my friends were here who have not seen me play before because country footy is not always a safe place,” he said.
There was plenty of home-grown support for Ball, who said the match atmosphere was like a grand final.
About the AFL’s role he said the Pride Cup showed the power of football to bring people together, but could also see the difficulty for the AFL and that it was about providing a safe place for players at that level.
“Unlike the Indigenous round, sexuality is invisible. Without an openly gay player, what are they celebrating … that no-one feels safe to come out?
“I feel Yarra Glen by their support of me has filled that void. I think a Pride match is still the goal, and today is showing that the community is ready for that,” he said.
