IT WAS the devastating summer bushfires of 2019-20 that instigated it all. For Jasper Pittard and Tom Campbell, teammates at the time at North Melbourne, something had to be done.
"We were seeing images in the news and on social media of communities being devastated by those fires and we were shocked by their scale and impact," says Campbell, who's now at St Kilda.
"It started us thinking about the role that climate change is playing in natural disasters like the fires and what we can do as AFL players to be a part of the solution. Jasper and I surveyed over 600 AFL and AFLW players and found that 92 per cent of players are concerned about climate change."
Right there, AFL Players For Climate Action was born.
STREAMING NOW Our Local on AFL On Demand
The organisation, still led by the former North teammates, aims to support a sustainable future for footy, from the elite level to the grassroots of the game.
"We aim to educate ourselves about climate change and the solutions that are available right now, and share that with our fans," says Campbell.
Some of those solutions are highlighted in the organisation's recent short film Our Local, available on AFL On Demand, which sees current and former players from both the AFL and AFLW return to their childhood clubs where tangible climate action is taking place.
"Central to our discussions, we found players share a deep concern for the grassroots of our game," says Campbell. "The future of local clubs and communities weighs heavily on the minds of some of the sport's most prominent players."
Among those prominent figures are Riley Thilthorpe and Riley Bonner of Adelaide and Port Adelaide, respectively, who feature in Our Local while returning to Goodwood Football Club where renewable energy is powering a new phase for the Saints.
Hamilton FNC, the former home of AFLW star Emma Kearney, has recently undertaken a solar upgrade to its facilities to reduce its carbon footprint. The film also follows Dylan Buckley and Nell Morris-Dalton to a famous inner-Melbourne club undergoing a similar transformation.
STREAMING NOW Our Local on AFL On Demand
"Jasper and I have been fortunate enough to engage with AFL men's and women's players from all walks of life about what concerns them the most when it comes to climate change," says Campbell.
"Some are worried about the legacy they are leaving for their kids. Some have a connection to Country and care deeply about protecting the land. And most are concerned about extreme weather events happening right now, calling for greater urgency and real action so we can reduce the impacts of climate change."
