One of the most significant days in Coburg’s season will take place on Sunday, when the club hosts its annual Vicki Cleary Day.
Since 2017, through the relentless campaigning of club legend Phil Cleary, the Lions have paid tribute to the life of his sister Vicki Cleary and the many women who have been impacted by family and domestic violence.
Vicki Cleary was 25 years old when she was fatally stabbed by her ex-boyfriend on 26 August 1987. At the time, Phil was the captain-coach of Coburg.
Cleary played more than 200 games for the Lions and was captain-coach when they won back-to-back premierships in 1988 and 1989 after narrowly missing finals in 1987.
The 1988 flag, one dedicated to Vicki, was a Grand Final the club was never going to lose.
On a day packed with emotion, then-Prime Minister and No.1 ticketholder Bob Hawke addressed the side before the match, and the spirit of Vicki emanated through every part of the day.
“That was remarkable, what a tribute to my family that we were able to do this. I said pre-game ‘Nothing will bring Vicki back but a victory today will ease some of the pain my family has endured’,” Cleary told VFL.com.au.
“Bob Hawke came back after the game and offered compliments about what I had said. Vicki inspired all of this, inspired those premierships, inspired Bob Hawke the Prime Minister to make those comments about me and her. What a moment it was.”
Cleary has been a crusader for family violence reform long before Vicki Cleary Day was introduced.
He regularly campaigned on national TV, wrote countless articles and in the nearly four decades since his sister's death has spent hours listening to the heartbreaking stories from victims of family violence.
The significance of this day, and what it means to the community more broadly, sits front and centre in the club's messaging ahead of this weekend’s game.
“For the last couple of years we’ve played Carlton and they’ve been excellent in promoting the day and supporting it,” Coburg coach Jamie Cassidy-McNamara said on the State of Play podcast.
“It’s a massive day. Phil does a really good job of promoting it. Last year was probably the biggest iteration of the day to date, and we’re hoping that it grows again this year.
“It’s a really important message, it raises awareness. We’re privileged to be part of it and hope that it keeps growing. The Coburg support keeps growing year on year.”
Coburg’s capacity to spread the message will be complemented by what shapes as a great match-up on the field.
The in-form Lions have won their past two matches convincingly against the Brisbane Lions and Southport and come up against the Blues, who sit second on the VFL ladder on the back of five-consecutive wins.
“We go into this game really excited for the opportunity to compete against a side in really good form,” Cassidy-McNamara said.
“Their footy stacks up at the moment and we’re looking forward to seeing how we’re going to go.”
A minute's silence will be observed prior to the match, which commences at 1:00pm at Barry Plant Park.
“It’ll be a beautiful moment,” Cleary remarked.
“Young Vicki, beautiful Vicki, vibrant Vicki, smart Vicki is alive with us, her memory has triumphed over that of her killer.”
Should you wish to donate to the Vicki Cleary Fund, you can do so at www.vickiclearyday.com.au
You can watch Coburg vs Carlton at 1:00pm on AFL.com.au or the AFL Live Official App. Hear Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani wrap up the round of VFL and VFLW action on the State of Play podcast. New episodes are available every Tuesday morning at 7:30am
