Cade Lucas
Point Cook FC suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Altona after the siren on Saturday, but it was events off the field that members of the WRFL club will remember.
“It was a really amazing day” said Point Cook FC Junior Vice-President, Sam Fragapane, of the event the club hosted to kick off Love the Game month.
Run by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Love the Game month highlights the dangers of gambling in sport.
This year’s version has a particular focus on kids which is why Point Cook juniors were involved in the launch, rubbing shoulders with Hawthorn star Mitch Lewis and members of the Melbourne Rebels, North Melbourne AFLW team and Melbourne United.
“We were more than happy to bring more awareness about the dangers of gambling around children.” Fragapane said of Point Cook hosting the launch and their support for showing kids that sport and betting don’t have to go together.
A key part of spreading that message is the Love the Game Challenge, where participants commit to changing their betting behaviour for the entire month.
Not betting in front of children, discussing the risks of sports betting with them, turning phones off during matches and deleting betting apps, are among the changes those taking the challenge are encouraged to make.
Sam Fragapane said Point Cook FC’s stance on sports betting went beyond just hosting promotional events.
“There’s betting agencies who’ve tried to jump onboard with sponsorship and we’ve said no”.
We’ve made it very clear we won’t take those sponsorships on” said Fragapane, who believes the promotion of gambling in sport has gone too far.
“The saturation of publicity for betting companies, it’s basically everywhere you go.
You can’t get away from it.”
Love the Game month runs throughout May.
More information can be found at lovethegame.vic.gov.au.
