The togetherness and incredible team spirit on display throughout Richmond’s remarkable run to the 2014 AFL Finals has spilled into the off-season, with several Tigers jumping aboard a Movember campaign led by Shaun Hampson.
This campaign for men’s health holds personal significance for Hampson, who had a mixed beginning to his first year at Punt Road following a trade with his first club Carlton.
Check out which stars are getting behind the AFL Players’ Official Movember Network
His father passed away following a six-year battle with prostate cancer and less than a month later, he and his partner Megan Gale gave birth to their first child.
“With my son being born within a month of my dad passing it was a pretty… busy period,” said Hampson.
“But I really tried to not let it effect my footy as much as I could – it may have, I don’t know.
“But next year is a new year and I’m hoping for it to be a much smoother one.”
The 26-year old ruckman says he’s delighted with the response he’s received from his relatively new teammates with this campaign.
“I think we’ve got about 25 of the boys involved, which is great.”
“To have so many responses to the email I threw out is amazing and makes you feel even more a part of the team.”
“Movember is something I’ve done before with obviously my dad being the motivation, but this year I decided to push it as hard as I could with the players getting on board and some staff, both male and female as well.”
Richmond hosted their own shave morning on Movember Eve with a selection of players and staff on hand to witness Hampson along with Sam Lloyd, David Astbury and Ben Griffiths ‘lathering up’ in front of the cameras.
The Tigers certainly aren’t alone in their Movember campaign, with dozens of stars such as 2014 MVP Nathan Fyfe, North Melbourne’s Drew Petrie and Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockliff all spearheading the AFL Players’ Official Movember Network.
Jeremy Macvean – Director of Movember in the Asia-Pacific region, is hopeful events like these assist in ‘spreading the word’ around Australia for more AFL players and fans to jump aboard and spread awareness of men’s health.
Macvean also praised the promotional help Movember has received from the AFL Players’ Association.
“The AFL Players’ Association has been great in its support of Movember – forming a team in each state of competition for players and supporters alike to sign up as one group.”
You can commit to growing your own ‘Mo’ during the month of November by signing up as a ‘Mo-bro’ or simply by supporting the cause as a ‘Mo-Sister’ at movember.com.
Check out our recap of the AFL players already throwing support behind Movember on social media here.