2016 was a year where AFL players kept on giving.
They did more public appearances, ran harder for longer and contributed more on the field. And 2016 was also a year the players donated nearly $400,000 to various charities across Australia.
The AFL Players’ Care fund was launched at the beginning of 2015 after the players decided to increase their match payment charity contributions from $25 to $50.
This led to $435,600 in the Players Care fund in 2016, with $217,800 sent to the players’ official charity, Ladder, and $180,000 split evenly between all 18 AFL teams and then donated to 33 charities throughout Australia.
There is also a further $37,800 to be donated to ad hoc charities.
Among the donations are a host of personal stories linked to AFL players, with Gold Coast’s Jarrad Grant linked to YNOT Help, Brisbane brothers Dayne and Claye Beams are ambassadors of the Jodi Lee Foundation, Sydney’s Harry Cunningham is linked to Redkite and the Suns’ Brandon Matera is an ambassador of the Gold Coast Community Fund.
To find out more about AFL Players Care, click HERE
AFL Players Care Donations Breakdown
Adelaide – $10,000 to CanTeen
Brisbane Lions – $5,000 to the Jodi Lee Foundation and $5,000 the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Carlton – $5,000 to the MAD Foundation and $5,000 to Down Syndrome Victoria
Collingwood – $5,000 to Will Murray (Olli E Foundation) and $5,000 to Suicide Prevention Australia
Essendon – $5,000 to Cure for MND and $5,000 to Cancer Council Victoria
Fremantle – $10,000 to Lord Mayors Distress Relief Fund for bushfire relief
Geelong – $5,000 to Camp Quality and $5,000 to Cyber Cats
Gold Coast – $5,000 to Gold Coast Community Fund and $5,000 to YNOT Help Foundation
GWS – $5,000 to White Ribbon and $5,000 to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance
Hawthorn – $10,000 to Vinnies Tasmanian Flood Appeal
Melbourne – $5,000 for Cure for MND and $5,000 to Reach
North Melbourne – $5,000 to Good Friday Appeal and $5,000 to The Huddle
Port Adelaide – $5,000 to Make A Wish Foundation and $5,000 to Red Cross
Richmond – $5,000 to the Captain Courageous Foundation and $5,000 to Carrie’s Beanies for Brain Cancer
St Kilda – $5,000 to Spirit Foundation and $5,000 to Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision
Sydney – $5,000 to Redkite and $5,000 to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance
West Coast – $5,000 to Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund and $5,000 to Multiple Sclerosis Society of WA
Western Bulldogs – $5,000 to BreastWest and $5,000 to the EJ Whitten Foundation