Default Fans

Valuable Grant For Peninsula Charity

Jarrad Grant understands the responsibility that comes with the caper of being an AFL player.

That’s why he’s happy to give back when the opportunity arises.

“We’re very privileged to be fit and healthy AFL players and looked after pretty well. I grew up in what would be considered a normal family with a mother and father, so my life has been a lot easier compared to what others might go through,” Grant tells Aflplayers.com.au.

“If I can help other families out by just being an AFL player and making some kids smile or offering donations to families in need to pay for medical bills or something like that, I’m happy to give back.”

When it came time for the Gold Coast Suns to choose their AFL Players’ Care donation, the playing group thought it was necessary to help out the local community first before donating a portion of the money elsewhere.

Each player was encouraged to nominate any charity’s they were involved in and Grant put forward YNOT Help – a foundation based in his home area of the Mornington Peninsula.

Grant is an ambassador for YNOT Help which aims to provide much-needed support, care and assistance to families experiencing financial difficulties as a consequence of tragedy or life-threatening illnesses in the local area.

“I grew up in what would be considered a normal family with a mother and father, so my life has been a lot easier compared to what others might go through” – Jarrad Grant

For Grant, his association with the charity extends to his schooling days.

“CEO Tony Ladiges actually taught me in a Year 11 TAFE course which is where our relationship started and have stayed in touch since. He’s really keen to see this organisation help out those in the area.

“He founded the organisation two or three years ago now so it’s just getting off the ground as such so the money will definitely go a long way for them.”

He may not remember much from the TAFE course these days but the 27-year-old couldn’t forget the work Ladiges did in shaping some of the youths of tomorrow.

So when YNOT Help launched in 2015 and Landiges asked Grant to be part of the organisation, he couldn’t have put up his hand any faster.

“Tony asked me to be one of four AFL ambassadors – along with Luke Parker, Russell Robertson, Nick Davis.

“It’s not a massive charity but being from the peninsula, it’s one that’s close to me. There’s also four other boys at the club from that area, so it was only logical to put our case forward.

“Donating $5,000 is how I can play my part for now and being from my local area makes all that worthwhile.”

Part of the $5,000 donation will go towards setting up an education fund for a young Mornington Peninsula family – a wife and her two boys aged three and 18 months who recently lost their father/husband to cancer.

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 – $5,000 to the Jodi Lee Foundation and $5,000 the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Carlton – $5,000 to the MAD Foundation and Down Syndrome Victoria

Collingwood – $5,000 to Will Murray (Olli E Foundation) and TBA

Essendon – $5,000 Cure for MND and $5,000 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 YNOT Help Foundation

GWS – $5,000 to White Ribbon and TBA

Hawthorn – $10,000 to Vinnies Tasmanian Flood Appeal

Melbourne – TBA

North Melbourne – $5,000 to Good Friday Appeal and TBA

Port Adelaide – $5,000 to Make A Wish Foundation and $5,000 to Red Cross

Richmond – TBA

St Kilda – $5,000 to Spirit Foundation and $5,000 to Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision

Sydney – $5,000 to Redkite and TBA

West Coast – $5,000 to Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund and $5,000 to Multiple Sclerosis Society of WA

Western Bulldogs – TBA