Travis Boak and Robbie Gray visited Paynesville Football Club on Saturday

THE AFL community has already given a $2.5 million donation to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and the Community Relief Fund following the disastrous bushfires, with $900,000 of that coming from the 18 clubs.

Tickets are also now on sale for the State of Origin Bushfire Relief fundraising match between Victoria and the All Stars at Marvel Stadium on Friday, February 28  

AFLW clubs will further support fundraising efforts by hosting donation collection points at matches in season 2020.

Many clubs and players have rallied to raise even more funds.

ADELAIDE

Both South Australian sides joined together to host a charity Twenty20 cricket game at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday, February 2. Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker are confirmed starters for the game, joining Australian Test batsman Travis Head. The net proceeds of $1.015 million will go towards people directly affected by bushfires on Kangaroo Island and in Cudlee Creek.  

BRISBANE

Wingman Mitch Robinson raised $15,000 through a 24-hour live stream with his brother. The two played games like Counter Strike and Fortnite to raise money for the Rural Fire Services.

 
CARLTON

Co-captain Patrick Cripps signed 100 Carlton jumpers with the No.9 on the back to raise money for the Bushfire Disaster Appeal, as well as donating five memorabilia pieces. The first 100 donations over $100 to the club's GoFundMe page received a signed guernsey in the mail, and Cripps' items raised more than $30,000. By February 27, the Blues' page reached its target of $100,000 and attracted more than 800 donations. 

Meanwhile, several Blues players including Mitch McGovern and Sam Docherty last week helped Foodbank pack donation hampers for affected communities. 

AFLW star Tayla Harris is also doing her bit, raising $8000 for a pair of boots she wore in the 2014 exhibition game between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.    

COLLINGWOOD

The Magpies raised more than $60,000 via a bushfire relief auction to raise funds for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Items up for auction included signed guernseys and boots, match-day experiences and access to inner-sanctum training. As well as supporting the AFL's Vic v All Stars State of Origin game, the club is also backing Netball Australia's Super Netball All Stars game in March. 

Midfielder Dayne Beams has taken a leave of absence from the club, but he's been busy on the fundraising frontier. Beams offered up his 2010 premiership medallion for sale to raise money for the Rural Fire Services. Club president Eddie McGuire won the auction, with the total reaching $27,500.

ESSENDON

Captain Dyson Heppell shaved off his dreadlocks to raise over $300,000 for the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund and Wildlife Victoria. The Leongatha local initially hoped to raise $50,000.


Former Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd has also put up for auction the boots he wore during the 2000 premiership season, when he kicked over 100 goals. All profits will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. The current bid is $6000.

FREMANTLE

The Dockers have committed to sending their best available players to take part in the Victoria v All Stars fundraiser on Friday, February 28 at Marvel Stadium. All proceeds from ticket sales for the inaugural AFLW Derby on Saturday, February 15 at Optus Stadium will go to the Australian Red Cross. 

Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick said the club was delighted to make the most of an already big game for footy in Western Australia.

"We are pleased to be in a position to use this historic occasion to come together in support of those doing it tough across the country and I thank the West Coast Eagles for helping to bring this initiative to life," he said. 

Earlier this month, second-year Docker Ange Stannett kicked things off with a 'Bushfire Boot Camp' training session that raised $1800 for the Australian Red Cross. 

GEELONG

Champion Gary Ablett Jr kick started the #SportTheFireCrisis movement on Instagram, where he reached out to other athletes like Tom Mitchell, Matthew Richardson, Daria Gavrilova, basketballer Damien Martin and the aforementioned Lloyd to auction off some of their memorabilia online to raise money for the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. Ablett and his father, Gary Ablett Sr, both signed a guernsey which is currently sitting at $5000.

GOLD COAST

The Suns contributed their share of $50,000 to the AFL community's $2.5 million donation to the bushfire relief effort. Gold Coast's AFLW midfielder Hannah Dunn was closer to the disaster zone than most of her teammates, spending the Christmas/New Year break in Canberra. Her local club, Queanbeyan, collected donations and goods for care packages sent to those hardest hit in and around the nation's capital.  

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

The Giants have joined with other elite sporting teams based in Canberra to drive the #weareone fundraising initiative that will generate support for bushfire-hit communities including the NSW South Coast, Monaro and southern inland NSW. Along with organisations such as the Brumbies (rugby union) and the Raiders (rugby league), the Giants will hold several events under the #weareone banner throughout the year to support the regional sporting clubs that have lost equipment and infrastructure.  

HAWTHORN

Jack Gunston, Jaeger O'Meara and Tom Mitchell have joined in with Gary Ablett's #SportTheFireCrisis movement, listing a few items for online auction. Mitchell has put up some memorabilia commemorating his 2018 Brownlow Medal win (current bid $3000). Gunston is selling his 2013 Grand Final match-worn and signed boot (current bid $3000). O'Meara has listed a match-worn guernsey (current bid $900).

Club greats Peter and Paul Hudson signed a guernsey with the starting bid sitting at $1000.

Hawthorn will also raise funds by playing in a practice match against St Kilda in Morwell on Friday, February 28, ahead of the Victoria v All Stars charity game at Marvel Stadium the same evening.  

MELBOURNE

An online fundraising page organised by Christian Petracca on behalf of the Demons players has totalled more than $36,000 in donations to date. The club's AFLW clash against Collingwood on Friday, February 28 will be played as a double header with the AFL's Victoria v All Stars bushfire relief match on Marvel Stadium. 

NORTH MELBOURNE

The AFL and AFLW players banded together to donate $10,000 to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund on January 3, 2020. The club then further donated $50,000 as part of the AFL's $2.5m donation.

PORT ADELAIDE

Travis Boak and Tom Jonas are confirmed starters for the charity Twenty20 cricket game at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday, February 2. With players from both South Australian clubs, the profits of $1.015 million will be donated to those directly affected by fires in Cudlee Creek and on Kangaroo Island. 

The Power players involved were Tom Jonas (c), Travis Boak, Tom Clurey, Kane Farrell, Hamish Hartlett, Todd Marshall, Connor Rozee and Boyd Woodcock.

Veterans Robbie Gray and Travis Boak did their bit to lift morale in fire-hit East Gippsland, taking leave to run a footy clinic in Paynesville on Saturday, January 18. The Power stars were joined by Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli as a surprise guest, delighting the youngsters in attendance. 

RICHMOND

Captain Trent Cotchin and club great Matthew Richardson have donated memorabilia as part of Ablett's #SportTheFireCrisis push. 'Richo' donated a framed 2008 Dream Team guernsey signed by all the players in AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match sits at a starting bid of $1000. Cotchin has a signed poster and offered a meet and greet opportunity, with the starting bid at $2000.

Veteran defender Bachar Houli accompanied the Tigers' premiership cup on a tour of fire-affected communities in Lakes Entrance, Nowa Nowa and Buchan. Houli joined volunteers from the Australian Islamic Centre and Human Appeal Australia, who donated food to local charities and put on a community barbecue. 

The wider Richmond playing group has also launched an online fundraising page that generated more than $50,000 in donations by 1pm on Monday, January 13.

ST KILDA

The club has put together a host of memorabilia and inner-sanctum experiences - including spending a quarter in the coaches' box on match day - for an online auction to raise money for several charities including the Australian Red Cross, Victoria's Country Fire Authority and the Kangaroo Island bushfire recovery fund. You can bid on the items on offer here

Pakistani cricket great Wasim Akram, whose Australian-born wife Shaniera is a lifelong Saints fan, has signed several cricket bats and balls for the fundraising auction. 

New recruit Bradley Hill has listed two match-worn signed guernseys to raise money for the Red Cross and Wildlife Australia. On Monday morning, Hill's Hawthorn guernsey was at $650, while his Fremantle jumper is at $465.

The Saints will also raise further funds by playing a practice match against Hawthorn in Morwell on Friday, February 28, ahead of the AFL's Victoria v All Stars game at Marvel Stadium that night. 

SYDNEY

As well as the $50,000 donation as part of the AFL's united donation, the Swans collected donations of non-perishable food and grocery items to aid Foodbank NSW and ACT. Swans staff also assisted in rebuilding fences that had been damaged on farms that were affected by fires near Coffs Harbour.

The club's leaders also visited NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters on January 16 to hear more about the tireless efforts of firefighters and thank the RFS for its work during the crisis. 

FACING THE FLAMES Parker, Heeney's brush with NSW fires

WEST COAST

The Eagles have encouraged all supporters to donate generously to the various appeals raising funds for communities hit by the bushfires across the nation. West Coast CEO Trevor Nisbett said the club was more than happy to move its Marsh Community Series game against Essendon forward to Thursday, February 27 to accommodate the Victoria v All Stars game at Marvel Stadium the following night. 

West Coast has also joined forces with Fremantle to ensure the inaugural NAB AFL Women's Derby between the two clubs will raise funds for the Australian Red Cross' bushfire relief efforts. All proceeds from ticket sales for the game on Saturday, February 15 at Optus Stadium will go to aid communities hit by the fires. 

"There have been so many heart-breaking stories and so many families left to pick up the pieces. Hopefully we can combine with Fremantle to raise significant funds that can assist those people as they begin to rebuild their lives," Eagles CEO Trevor Nisbett said.

Fremantle and West Coast will team up to raise funds for bushfire relief at the inaugural AFLW Derby on February 15. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Defender Matt Suckling will bleach his hair blond in an effort to raise $10,000 for The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service and Brigades Donations Fund. Suckling said he'd bleach his hair if donations surpassed $5000. At $7500 he'd donate his Bob300 guensey, signed by former Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy. At $10,000, fellow defender Jason Johannisen will bring back his golden hair.

Within two days, Suckling had raised almost $11,000.

Superstar skipper Marcus Bontempelli joined Port Adelaide stars Robbie Gray and Travis Boak to run a footy clinic at Paynesville Football Club in East Gippsland on Saturday, January 18. Bontempelli was a surprise late addition to the event, adding to the star power as locals try to lift morale in the wake of the devastating fires.