Yet it also highlights just how good sport – in this case the AFL - is at wrapping its arms around those in a time of need.

While the Big Freeze at the ’G is a large-scale campaign that has gone national, one of the great strengths of sporting clubs - big or small - has always been their capacity to unite and rally around those who need a shoulder to lean on.

Unfortunately, no sporting club is immune to adverse off-field situations that often make what’s happening on the field pale into insignificance.

Be it illness, death, families fallen on hard times, a life-changing injury, or raising awarness for causes, sporting clubs can always be counted on to be a pillar of strength for those doing it tough.

As much as clubs are the outlet in which to enjoy sport and socialise, they also provide a strong network of support that can never be under-estimated.

The recent on-field death of Otway Districts’ Aaron Mahoney took me back to May of 1996 and a similar tragedy that affected two football clubs close to home – Stanhope and Rushworth – when Robert Harrison collapsed at quarter-time and died in a Heathcote District Football League senior game.

“Harro” was playing that day for Rushworth against Heathcote, but Stanhope was his home club, playing 250-odd senior games, winning back-to-back HDFL Cheatley medals in 1984 and ’85, best and fairests, premierships and coaching junior teams at the Lions. 

Not to mention he had one of country footy’s great permed-style mullets.

What the Stanhope and Rushworth footy clubs did for the Harrison family – wife Christine and teenage sons Daryl and Simon – through that time showed the fabric of which sporting clubs are made of.

There’s no love lost between Stanhope and Rushy, but in those horrible circumstances 19 years ago all rivalry was put to the side as the two clubs came together and through raffles and a blanket appeal, raised more than $10,000 for Daryl and Simon’s educational and sporting pursuits.

Ten years later when Simon was involved in a serious car accident and Daryl was diagnosed with a brain tumour – both within a couple of weeks of each other – Stanhope, this time in conjunction with Tongala where Daryl was coaching at the time, raised a combined $15,000 to support the brothers.

“The support from all clubs involved on both occasions was much more than the financial help that is measurable… it was the clubs and wider communities show of support in wanting to do anything they could to help,” Daryl recalled this week.

All sporting clubs have stories to tell of how they have been able to do their bit through times of need, like Gisborne’s senior players earlier this year when they donated their round one match payments to the Farrugia family.

The donation of the match payments in conjunction with a Farrugia Family Fun Day helped raise $28,000 in support of the family after Chloe Farrugia, mother of two and wife of Bulldogs’ reserves player, Grant Farrugia, suffered two strokes last year.

While Strathfieldsaye continues to enhance its status as an on-field power in the Bendigo league, the Storm has been a rock of support for four families in recent years who have endured battles with cancer.

Be it financial support through fundraising, emotional support in knowing they are not alone, and the little things like cooking meals for families, the Storm highlight how clubs pull together when the going gets tough.

Like it has been for the family of Nathan Jennings, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in July last year, but is back playing with the Storm this season.

“Every time there was an event, the club had different things to raise money, but importantly was the emotional support from the playing group,” said Nathan’s mum, Jenni.

“The guys were amazing… just keeping in touch with messages and calls, which was so important when he was feeling yuk.”

The Bendigo Dragons gridiron club have a committee role that is focused on giving back to the community and will this year tin-rattle at home games to raise money for a family that has two children who have been diagnosed with Niemann-Pick Disease.

These are just some examples of while sporting clubs are often judged on what happens on the field, don’t judge a book by its cover, for the role they play off the field in offering a network of support that often goes unseen outside of their four walls is of great significance.