AFL announces first Pride Match to be held during the 2016 premiership season
Image: (PHOTO: Ann-Marie Calilhanna; 17c起草社区)
AFL鈥橲 St Kilda Saints will play the Sydney Swans in a Pride Match during the 2016 premiership聽season, in what is expected to be a strong stance聽for LGBTI equality and anti-homophobia in sport.
This will be the AFL鈥檚 first in-season Pride Match, with the code previously hosting聽a similar match during the 鈥斅爓hich, unlike premiership season matches, was never telecast on prime time TV.
The Saints have lobbied the AFL for the pride game to be a fixture in the 2016 season, with the backing of Victorian Gender and Sexuality Commissioner Rowena Allen.
The proposal was to include a primetime night match with pre-game and half-time advertisements for TV聽audiences to highlight the impact of homophobia in sport. Money raised from the match would also go to charities supporting gender diversity and same-sex attracted youth.
The inspiration for the AFL Pride Match stemmed from the annual Yarra Glen Pride Cup that initiated聽by聽Aussie Rules footballer Jason Ball, who is believed to the the first openly-gay player in all levels of the code.
The 2016 Pride Match is expected to take place at Melbourne鈥檚 Etihad Stadium聽on聽Saturday, August 13 and aired nationally on Channel 7.
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