Vol. 18 18 No. No. 48 27 Vol.
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Wednesday, January Wednesday, June13, 8, 2016 2016
FROCKING UP: Preparations are in full swing for a Lions Club of Horsham Classic Presentation Ball on June 17. The Friday night celebration will be the first ball in Horsham Town Hall since the building underwent major redevelopment. Pictured getting ready for the event are, from left, presenter Judith Bysouth, co-ordinator Jan Morris, caterer Bev Hawker and community volunteer Shaun McKinnon. People keen to buy $30 tickets to the ball can call 0419 726 378. Picture: KELLY LAIRD
Above and beyond BY SARAH SCULLY
W
hen Horsham anti-domestic violence advocate Simone O’Brien met Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, she hardly expected to bring him to tears.
But to assume a man of his stature – Mrs O’Brien found him ‘physically imposing’ as well as in charge of one of the AFL’s most in-form teams – is to underestimate the power of her story. In 2012, Mrs O’Brien was bashed with a baseball bat – in front of two of her three children – and left for dead. Her skull was shattered. She spent a month in a Brisbane hospital’s in-
tensive care unit and it took a team of surgeons to put her face back together. She will never completely recover. The perpetrator, Mrs O’Brien’s exfiance, is serving a 15-year prison sentence for attempted murder. There is no doubt she and her family have been to hell and back. But despite some extremely dark days, Mrs O’Brien is determined not to let her abuser win. In July last year, she joined forces with White Ribbon – Australia’s national, male-led campaign to end men’s violence against women – attending several events as a guest speaker. Mrs O’Brien said sharing her story
IN THIS ISSUE
of survival had been instrumental in her recovery. It was through her involvement with White Ribbon she met campaign ambassador Nick Truelson, Western Bulldogs chief commercial officer. “Nick explained the football club had come on board with White Ribbon and that he would like me to be involved,” Mrs O’Brien said. Western Bulldogs formed a partnership with White Ribbon Australia in November last year. The club will kick-start a six-week anti-domestic violence campaign during its round-13 clash against Geelong at Etihad Stadium on June 18. Mrs O’Brien will address Bulldogs
players on Tuesday as part of an extensive education and awareness program. She and her husband Trevor – the couple divorced four years before Mrs O’Brien met her attacker and are reconciled – travelled to Melbourne last week to meet with Western Bulldogs staff, including Beveridge. “It was amazing,” Mrs O’Brien said. “Trevor and I spoke to Luke for an hour. I was nervous, to speak to a man of his calibre, but Nick told me that Luke was nervous to talk to me too. He is very family-orientated – he has two young boys – and is so passionate about stopping domestic violence. “Trev said no one is going to believe
we spoke to Luke Beveridge for an hour and he cried talking to us. “But everyone is committed – it doesn’t matter who you are at the club, they all want to have an impact.” Mrs O’Brien said it was becoming easier to share her story. “Getting the awareness across is so important to me,” she said. Western Bulldogs footballers will wear guernseys featuring white ribbons during the blockbuster clash. “They are also talking about moving the 50-metre line to 52 metres. Fiftytwo is an average of the number of deaths from domestic violence at this time of year,” Mrs O’Brien said. Continued page 3
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