Essendon Football Club and Geelong Cats today joined with the Victorian Government and State Volunteers at the MCG to announce a number of exciting new initiatives ahead of the 2017 Powercor Country Festival between Essendon and Geelong on Saturday 13 May. 

The blockbuster event will include a new pre match on ground ceremony, huge country festival, ute muster and farmers market in Yarra Park headlined by a twilight concert featuring Australian music stars Lee Kernaghan, Shannon Noll and Sara Storer, as well the best country footballers playing in a curtain raiser on the MCG.

AFL and Essendon Football Club Legend, Kevin Sheedy, said the purpose for the initiative was simple.

“This game is all about celebrating regional communities and using the power of football to recognise our country people for the contribution they make to our way of life and to the game of AFL,” Sheedy said.

“There are 6 million people that live in rural areas and it can be a harsh landscape. We need to show some love and care and build a better connection between the city and the country.

“Despite the challenges regional areas face, there is an earthiness about country people, that love and fun and she’ll be right mate attitude is what makes our nation great and we should never lose sight of that.” 

As part of the initiative, Essendon and Geelong Football Clubs in partnership with the AFL and MCC will provide more than 5,000 free tickets to regional communities across Victoria to attend the match. 

The tickets will be distributed to farmers, country football and netball clubs and state volunteer organisations involved in the Country Festival, including; Country Fire Authority (CFA) State Emergency Services (SES), Surf Life Saving Victoria, Royal Flying Doctors, Victorian Farmers Federation and AFL Victoria.

Minister for Regional Development, Jaala Pulford, said this weekend’s game would be a fitting tribute to kick off National Volunteer Week for the thousands of volunteers behind Victoria’s regional football and netball clubs.

“Aussie Rules is synonymous with regional and rural Victoria and so often the lifeblood of the community,” Pulford said. 

“The Andrews Labor Government is thrilled to support the Country Festival that puts our farmers and regional communities front and centre and recognises not only their outstanding economic contribution to the state, but acknowledges their role in supporting the fabric of rural communities.”

In a commitment to acknowledging the contribution of our farmers and dedication of our volunteers across regional Victoria, the Bombers and Cats will come together in a special pre-game ceremony before the bounce. 

Players will be joined on-ground by Victorian farmers, volunteer representatives and country footballers for a special performance by Sara Storer and a big-screen presentation that is not to be missed.

The 2017 Powercor Country Festival will feature a number of attractions for fans before the game.

Award winning Country music stars Lee Kernaghan, Shannon Noll, Sara Storer and Mustered Courage will headline the entertainment in the Yarra Park Precinct.

The free festival will open from 2:00PM when the precinct transforms into a celebration of the country with a deni ute muster on-site, farm animals, camel rides, wood chopping and sheep shearing as well as the opportunity to sample a taste of the country with food trucks and a massive farmers market showcasing the best regional Victoria has to offer.

Powercor General Manager Corporate Affairs, Melissa O’Neill, said the business is thrilled to see the Country Festival back bigger and better in 2018.

“As an employer with a significant regional workforce who make a real contribution in local communities, it’s important to us that the Country Festival helps draw attention to the tens of thousands of people across regional and rural Victoria who make a similar contribution to the wellbeing and success of the State,” O’Neill said.

“This Festival represents the single biggest partnership Powercor has ever undertaken and it reflects our grass-roots commitment to Country Victoria and the more than 750,000 regional customers we provide services to.

“We are really proud to be part of this wonderful initiative to celebrate everything that Country Victoria contributes to this great state’s prosperity.”

Footy fans can also see the best country footballers in action with Geelong FNC taking on Mornington Peninsula in the 2017 WorkSafe AFL Victoria Community Championship curtain raiser with the winner claiming the title of number one ranked team in the state.

Building on the Clubs’ inaugural Powercor Country Program in 2016, this year’s Festival is the centrepiece of a long-term campaign incorporating a range of regional community engagement activities including the Bombers and Cats’ clash during the JLT Community Series hosted in Bendigo.

Representing the essence of Australian culture, the 2017 Country Festival aims to raise awareness of the challenges those outside the big cities face and say ‘thank you’ for all the hard work completed everyday to keep out country going.