The Port Adelaide Football Club today announced it has partnered with the South Australian State Government and Centacare Catholic Family Services to launch the Power to End Violence Against Women campaign.

The campaign will target High School-aged boys across South Australia and aim to address the disturbing prevalence of domestic violence within our community.

About 1500 students from 20 schools around South Australia will be involved in education sessions featuring Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak, player Paddy Ryder and former champion Gavin Wanganeen.

At the completion of the 2016 program, each participant will be invited to attend an ‘End Violence Against Women’ Event at the Port Adelaide Football Club with their fathers. This event will involve participate from Port Adelaide representatives, including senior coach Ken Hinkley.

Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said footballers, through their actions and messages, played an important role in shaping the values and decision-making of young males in society.

“As the leader of Port Adelaide I want to encourage our players and other young men to open up and have conversations about respectful relationships,” Mr Thomas said.

“Sadly, research on domestic violence has told us that by the time young people reach their teenage years most have experienced or witnessed some form of domestic abuse.

“This abuse can be physical violence or could be in the form of verbal abuse or other type of controlling behaviour.

“Although naturally confronting, I feel it’s critical to give young people an opportunity to discuss the issue of violence against women.

“Violence against women needs to be seen as a choice, not a reaction or a response to a given situation.

“To make informed choices, young men need information and education and this is where Port Adelaide intends to play a role.

“Our players will deliver the Power to End Violence against Women program in schools around South Australia, reaching around 1500 students.

“In conjunction with a trained facilitator, they will discuss with students a range of relationship-based issues.

“Our players are role models in the community and all have their own stories to share.

“But they won’t have all the answers and won’t be able to show what the perfect relationship is because in reality that does not exist. 

“What we do hope though is that through the discussions and sharing of information students can, at the least, learn how to develop and maintain healthy and safe relationships in the future.”

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said the community must address the national emergency that is the prevalence of violence against women.

“While women can play some role in this, fundamentally this is a men’s issue,” Mr Weatherill said.

“Women can seek to protect themselves and challenge this behaviour but improvement will only occur if men change their attitudes and behaviour.

“The underlying attitudes of many men towards women are what underpin domestic violence.

“That is why we have to find a way of teaching the next generation of men to respect women.

“Football players are looked up to by many young men, which is why they are well-placed to help change attitudes.”

Centacare Catholic Family Services organisation director Dale West said that our community must stop boys growing into dangerous men.

"Preventative education is urgently needed in order to begin influencing and informing the attitudes of male youth,” Mr West said.

 “There is never a good reason for a man to be aggressive towards a woman,” Mr West said.

“By partnering with Port Adelaide and the State Government, we can equip students with the ability to make ‘power full’ life choices.”