The traditional curtain-raiser to the season, the Capital Football Charity Shield, will officially start the 2024 campaign this weekend as last season’s Champions and Cup Final winners meet at Deakin Stadium in a pair of fixtures that are sure to set the scene nicely for the seven months of action to follow.
In the eighth men’s edition Canberra Croatia, who claimed the Grand Final glory last term, will seek their fifth success in their fifth appearance, when they face local rivals and League Champions O’Connor Knights, appearing in the Shield for the first time.
Over in the Women’s Charity Shield, it’s another clash of the blues as Double-winners Canberra Olympic, under new leadership in the form of Head Coach Frank Cachia, go head-to-head with Belconnen United, 2023 Federation Cup winners.
As per the 2023 Charity Shield matches, which were both won by Canberra Croatia, all the proceeds from the fixture will be presented to the chosen Charity Sock it to Sarcoma, who are the beneficiaries for the second successive season.
Croatia won the first edition held back in 2016 when they saw off Cup Winners Gungahlin United, the women’s Shield not introduced until 2021 when Belconnen United were victorious over Croatia, and the intervening years have always seen these matches produce goals.
The Croatian derby will be an exciting way for the 2024 Men’s National Premier League to begin, the fireworks when these two friendly rivals lock horns, has been one of the standout highlights of the competition since the Knights re-emergence at the top level in 2022. This is a game that always draws the crowds.
The same can be said of the Olympic versus Belconnen stoush. These two teams have emerged as the pre-eminent forces in the Women’s game in recent seasons, borne by the fact that they swept the board of major honours between them in 2023 with the battle between the proverbial youth and experience worth watching.
There is a welcome addition to the Charity Shield set-up for the 2024 season as Capital Football is proud to host the very first Boys and Girls Charity Shields which will feature a rematch of last season/s Girls U17 Grand Final and the Boys U18 Grand Final as Belconnen United meet West Canberra Wanderers and Canberra Croatia welcome Canberra Olympic respectively.
The event will raise funds for Sock it to Sarcoma. Sock it to Sarcoma is the vision of Abbie Basson, a Perth woman who, aged 17, had the world at her feet before she was struck down by a sarcoma which eventually took her life. Her wish to create an organisation to raise awareness, fund research and give support to sarcoma patients is the energy that is driving the Foundation.
At the same time, Capital Football will again celebrate the life of young referee Cameron Shelton who was taken from us with this disease. Shelton, who was widely loved in the Canberra Football and Futsal Community passed away last year.
Entry to the matches at Deakin Stadium is by Gold Coin donation, and you can also purchase a match program to cover the event at the venue.
DETAILS
CHARITY SHIELD 2024
Sunday 3rd March
U17G: Belconnen United v West Canberra Wanderers (9:30)
U18B: Canberra Croatia v Canberra Olympic (11:45)
W: Canberra Olympic v Belconnen United (14:15)
M: O’Connor Knights v Canberra Croatia (17:15)
(Deakin Stadium)
Entry Fee: Gold Coin Donation
The Capital Football Charity Shield is supported by BarTV Sports, Deploy Footballs, Capital Trophies, and St. John Ambulance Australia with all money raised donated to Capital Football’s chosen Charity, Sock it to Sarcoma.
