MEDIA RELEASE Friday 8 July, 2016

Macedon Football Club hop to unique experience with North

The Macedon Football Club is celebrating after last night winning an exclusive coaching experience with the North Melbourne Football Club thanks to the FOX FOOTY Club Rewards program.

The Cats’ junior and senior clubs, who compete in the Riddell District Football Netball Association, yesterday visited North Melbourne’s training facilities for an experience hosted by the Kangaroos’ head coach, Brad Scott, and his coaching staff.

The experience saw four Macedon club members from both the senior and junior club treated to a coaching seminar and tour of their Arden St Oval facilities, led by senior coach, Brad Scott, and senior assistant coach, Darren Crocker.

The FOX FOOTY Club Rewards program is an initiative driven by Foxtel to support grassroots sport and recognise football clubs and the benefit they deliver to their local community.

The senior Cats last year made a stand against Domestic Violence, hosting Rosie Batty in front a full audience of consisting of a diverse range of members of the community. The club also showed its support for ANZAC Day in its annual match against Rupertswood Football Club, by supporting the Commando's Trust in providing financial support for our fallen soldier's families.

The junior club since 2011 has teamed up with the Gisborne rookies in honour of former club member, Steve Simpson, who tragically passed away in 2010. The funds raised from the resultant ‘Play For Heart’ initiative, with money donated to the Macedon Ranges Health Service – dedicated to community welfare and aged care services to the Macedon Ranges community.

National Ambassador for the program and former captain, Danny Frawley, said the program, in its second year of running, continues to reward local clubs with opportunities to learn from the AFL’s elite personnel.

“Local sporting clubs are at the heart of local communities all over Australia and it is fantastic to have organisation such as Foxtel continue to invest at the level where it all begins for so many our AFL players. Hopefully the experiences they undertake as part of the program ensures they continue to grow and develop as a football club and as a strong hold presence in their local community,” Frawley said.

Macedon Football Club representative, Scott Hamilton, said the club was delighted to be recognised by the FOX FOOTY Club Rewards program for carrying out their on-field and off- field visions as a club.

“Our club is ecstatic to have been recognised by the FOX FOOTY Club Rewards program and we’re looking forward to the whole experience with the Kangaroos. For us, it is testimony to a number of hard-working club members who strive to create a community focused and inclusive club,” Hamilton said.

The FOX FOOTY Club Rewards program will also reward 40 local football clubs with the chance to hear from an elite AFL club’s coaching panel in Adelaide and Sydney. Furthermore, another 17 clubs will also have the opportunity to get a sense of the professionalism of an AFL club when they visit an AFL club’s training facilities or experience an AFL club’s inner sanctum on match day.

Foxtel Director of Sports Marketing, Chantal Walker, said Foxtel was pleased to continue a partnership with the AFL Coaches Association and FOX FOOTY to deliver to the grassroots clubs for their ongoing work to contribute to their community.

“It is important to recognise the football clubs that put activities or programs in place to say thank you to their local communities who support them at a grassroots level. We hope that these experiences will provide the clubs with a significant benefit to continue to their great work,” said Walker.

For more information on the FOX FOOTY Club Rewards program, visit www.foxtel.com.au/foxfootyclubrewards

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For more information, please contact TLA Worldwide on behalf of Foxtel and FOX FOOTY:

Matthew Lodge Kellan Smith TLA Worldwide TLA Worldwide [email protected] [email protected] +61 412 946 903 +61 423 824 042