By Jed Lanyon
Yarra Glen won their sixth consecutive Pride Cup against Seville on Sunday 5 May.
Yarra Glen (13.8 86) defeated Seville (11.9 75) and now sit atop the ladder in the Division 2 Reserves of the AFL Outer East.
Yarra Glen uses the Pride Cup event to play an opponent that poses a significant challenge to them and this year was no exception.
Seville defeated Yarra Glen in last year’s qualifying final and both teams went into the game undefeated for the season.
Yarra Glen remains undefeated in Pride Cup games in what has become the biggest event of the year for the club.
Yarra Glen’s Division 2 A Grade netball team lost to Seville 27-68 in their matchup.
The Pride Cup promotes LGBTIQ+ inclusion and acceptance in community sporting clubs, to make sure that no player, official or fan has to choose between being themselves or the game that they love.
The initiative began when Jason Ball publicly came out as gay in 2012, his teammates from the Yarra Glen Football Netball Club wanted to show him they had his back.
Mr Ball attended the event and shared his love for his club in a post on social media.
“This club means so much to me. It was the club where I kicked my first footy. It was the club where I won two premierships. And it was the club that embraced me when I came out all those years ago,” the post read.
“My teammates at Yarra Glen Football Club are the real heroes of my coming out story. Six years ago they not only stood by my side, they created the Pride Cup and inspired a national movement that tells every player, official and supporter that they don’t have to choose between being themselves and the game they love.
“When I look at these rainbow jumpers I see them through the eyes of a 13-year-old kid struggling to come to terms with who they are. It’s a message of hope. If it can be ok to be gay in a country footy club, then there’s hope that it can be ok anywhere,” Mr Ball said.
