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Blues make a difference

Carlton has presented a cheque for $5000 to the Make a Difference Foundation as part of the AFL Players Care initiative.

MAD Foundation ambassadors Chris and Sean Lynch dropped into Visy Park, where Blues skipper Marc Murphy presented the cheque on behalf of the Carlton playing group.

Sean – who was born with brain damage and is unable to walk, read or write – thanked the Carlton players for their support and generosity. “This money will go a long way. Thank you,” he said.

Chris Lynch said ”the MAD Foundation support children and their families, linked in with the Royal Children’s Hospital, and they help kids that have got special needs with equipment and other services that are available”.

Murphy said the Blues players were rapt to support an organisation “that does a lot of great work in the community”.

“They direct the money straight to beneficiaries, which is great, so there’s no fees of admin, which is really important as well,” Murphy said.

Earlier this year the AFL Players’ Association and its members unveiled the Players Care initiative, which allows more than $435,000 of AFL players’ match payments to be donated to charities around Australia each year.

The program was launched after the players collectively voted, at the end of 2014, to increase their match payment charity contributions from $25 to $50 per player, per game. Since 2008, every AFL-listed player has donated $25 of his match payment to the AFL Players’ official charity partner, Ladder, to help tackle youth homelessness.

But as AFL Players’ CEO Paul Marsh explained, “AFL Players Care now provides the players with an opportunity to support causes they hold close to them”.

“AFL Players have a unique opportunity to influence change in our community and it’s outstanding that the players have decided of their own accord to donate $50 per player, per game they play, to charitable causes.”

To find out more about AFL Players Care, click HERE

More than half of the 18 AFL clubs have distributed AFL Players Care funds, with several others expected to announce their preferred causes in coming weeks.

AFL Players Care Update

Adelaide – $10,000 to CanTeen

Brisbane Lions – TBA

Carlton – $5000 to the MAD Foundation and TBA

Collingwood – $5000 to Will Murray (Olli E Foundation) and TBA

Essendon – $5000 Cure for MND and TBA

Fremantle – $10000 to Lord Mayors Distress Relief Fund for bushfire relief

Geelong – $5000 to Camp Quality and $5000 to Cyber Cats

Gold Coast – $5000 to Gold Coast Community Fund and TBA

GWS – $5000 to White Ribbon and TBA

Hawthorn – TBA

Melbourne – TBA

North Melbourne – $5000 to Good Friday Appeal and TBA

Port Adelaide – TBA

Richmond – TBA

St Kilda – $5000 to Spirit Foundation and $5000 to Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision

Sydney – $5000 to Redkite and TBA

West Coast – $5000 to Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund and $5000 to Multiple Sclerosis Society of WA

Western Bulldogs – TBA