Geelong’s players will sport a slightly different look when they take on Fremantle at Simonds Stadium on Sunday.
The Cats will wear socks with an orange hoop around the top as part of their drive to increase awareness of alcohol-related violence via the Just Think campaign.
Just Think began back in 2008 after former Geelong players Tom Harley, David Wojcinski and James Kelly watched a story on Channel 9’s 60 Minutes program about James Macready Bryan, a young Cats fan who was assaulted in Melbourne on his birthday.
Harley, Wojcinski and Kelly pledged to use their profile to educate the community about responsible drinking, with a focus on young people involved in football-netball clubs and those attending secondary schools across the Geelong region.
In the time since then, the Just Think campaign has provided thousands of young people with vital practical advice regarding the risks associated with alcohol use.
This year the Cats and Just Think sponsors St. John of God have partnered with Barwon Child, Youth & Family and Deakin University to spread awareness of the need for responsible drinking.
The people delivering the program, including ambassadors Zac Smith, Mitch Duncan and Cameron Guthrie, are spreading messaging developed by the Deakin School of Psychology and is based upon evidence provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.
In particular, there has been a focus on understanding that alcohol use before the age of 18 can impair growing brains, increase the risk of injury and violent incidents and increase the chances of becoming dependent on alcohol over a lifetime.
Sunday's match against Fremantle will be the 10th time the Cats have worn orange in a match to promote Just Think.
But this weekend the Just Think message is not only being promoted at AFL-level.
The three grassroots football competitions in the Geelong region are also supporting the cause, adding their weight to this very important message.