THE winner of Saturday’s clash between the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda will take away the Barker-Whitten trophy, named in honour of two legends of the clubs who both lost their lives to cancer.
Trevor Barker died of cancer aged just 39 in 1996, just months after Footscray legend Ted Whitten also passed away from the disease.
The trophy, which the two teams have contested since 2000 pays tribute to the two men as well as their respective foundations – the Trevor Barker foundation and the EJ Whitten foundation.
The Trevor Barker foundation is managed by Challenge, Victoria’s longest serving children’s cancer charity which provides assistance and support for children living with cancer and their families.
With thanks to Challenge, 15 children living with cancer will form a guard of honour for the St Kilda players this week as a nod to Barker.
The Saints are the reigning holders of the plate, having won eight of the 12 matches between the two teams since the plate’s inception.
The match ball from this afternoon’s game will be signed by the winning team and available for auction on www.balls4life.com.au with the proceeds being shared by both foundations.
