Michael Walters and Liam Henry have both jumped on board as Freo’s newest Starlight Purple Haze ambassadors for 2020 for their own heart-warming reasons.
Fremantle’s longstanding partnership with the Starlight Children’s Foundation turns 18 this year, and Walters and Henry visited the Starlight Express Room for the first time on Thursday to meet some of the kids.
As the father of three girls, Walters said he empathises with the stresses families can go through when their child is unwell. He also had first-hand experience with Starlight when his nephew Beau was a ‘Starlight Star’ for a Purple Haze Game in 2016.
New draftee Henry said he felt privileged to be on an AFL list, with his new status as an AFL-footballer giving him a chance to give back to the community.
“It’s exciting that Liam and I have jumped on board,” Walters said.
“I have three girls and I love them to bits. It just makes you want to do anything you can to make these kids’ days, put a smile on their faces, play some games and have a bit of a yarn.
“With little Beau, I saw how Starlight does a huge job. It makes a big difference to the way the kids feel while they’re going through a tough time.
“It’s also something for their parents as well, to just take their minds off things that they’re going through and also give them a bit of a time out.
“They can sit down and have a coffee while we sit back and play with the kids.”
While Henry loved to see the difference a visit can have on a child’s day, he feels he can also benefit from the experience of spending time with the Starlight Stars.
“I’ve been given this opportunity to play AFL football, I got to go to Christchurch on a scholarship, I just want to be able to give back and this is one way to do it,” Henry said.
“It also means I can balance my life off-field away from the club so everything isn’t just about footy.
This year’s Starlight Purple Haze Game will be played in round two against Hawthorn on Sunday 29 March, with fans encouraged to wear their most outrageous purple outfit while giving generously to help brighten the lives of seriously ill children and their families.
Since 2003, Fremantle supporters, members, staff and players have raised more than $1.5 million for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
While it may be a push for Henry to be fit in time for round two as he returns to full training with a knee injury, the small forward said he couldn’t wait to play in a Starlight Purple Haze game,
“It would be a dream to play in any AFL game after just getting drafted in November,” Henry said.
“My dream is just to play AFL and if that can happen in a Purple Haze game at home at Optus Stadium with a full crowd, I’ll be really excited to see what I can do.”
