HAWTHORN and Collingwood will use their round 16 clash to raise money for the Emergency Services Foundation and build awareness of the mental health struggles they face.

Each club has pledged $25,000, while the Victorian Government has contributed $100,000.

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, a former chairman of Beyond Blue, spoke about the importance of the issue.

"It is a very worthwhile cause. We can't as a society live without our first responders and we need our first responders to be in the best health possible," Kennett said.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire explained how the initiative began.

"Jeff, as someone who understands this area so well, spoke to us at Collingwood and we were more than happy to be involved," McGuire said.