What happens when the President of the Carlton Football Club rubs shoulders with the President of Israel? A dark Navy Blue guernsey changes hands of course.
It happened this week, at an Israeli State Dinner at which Richard and the Governor-General of Australia Major General Michael Jeffrey AC, CVO, MC and his wife Marlena were guests. There, in the company of Shimon Peres, Richard parted with a Carlton jumper carrying the words "Peres Peace Team" across the front and the famous No.5 of Carlton captain Chris Judd on the back.
While Mr. Peres was quick to declare his allegiance to Carlton on the eve of Judd's "homecoming" to Subiaco Oval this Friday night, the GG is known to have barracked for the Blues before switching to the Eagles on becoming Governor of Western Australia!
Richard's Pratt Foundation is a major donor to the Peres Peace Centre and the Peres Peace Team. The Carlton Football Club will also lend its support to the team - which comprises young Israelis and Palestinians, both Jewish, Moslem and Christians - when it competes for the AFL's International Cup in August.
The third AFL International Cup is to be staged in Melbourne and Warrnambool. The AFL-sanctioned event will feature prominently during the 150 year celebrations of Australian Football, with all participants citizens of their respective countries.
Eleven nations were represented in the tournament in 2002, with Ireland defeating Papua New Guinea in the Grand Final at the MCG. Three years later, New Zealand defeated Papua New Guinea in the final at the MCG.
This year the League expects at least 16 countries to compete, including, for the first time, some of the newer Melbourne-based communities such as Sudan, Somalia and Vietnam.
"The Prez" and Mr. Peres, together with Richard's wife Jeanne and the Jeffreys, were also in Israel this week for the dedication in Be'er-sheva of The Park of the Australian Soldier, at which a memorial to the Australian Light Horse was unveiled.
During the First and Second World Wars, and subsequent peace operations, Australian service personnel have contributed significantly in the Israel-Sinai region, which is why the Park of the Australian Soldier has been created to recognise this contribution.
In conjunction with the City of Be'er-sheva, the Pratt Foundation has developed the park as a gift to the people of Be'er-sheva.
The Pratt Foundation's focus in Israel is quality of the environment, children and youth at risk, education and culture, combating violence, and children and adults with special needs.
Governor-General of Australia Major General Michael Jeffrey AC, CVO, MC and his wife Marlena, Carlton President Richard Pratt and Israel President Shimon Peres
